TOTORO FOREST PROJECT finally unveiled!!

I am happily announcing the great event titled "Totoro Forest Project", which had been kept secret for moons!
It is a fundraising art event to preserve Sayama Forest in Japan, also known as Totoro Forest, from where the idea for "My Neighbor Totoro" was formed by the magic hands of Director Hayao Miyazaki. The event features more than 200 original art pieces inspired by the film or/and that much loved character Totoro itself, especially created by internationally acclaimed artists in the fields of animation, comics, illustration and fine arts. Committee members, mighty Dice Tsutsumi, Enrico Casarosa and Ronnie Del Carmen, have been trying so hard to organize this event for this great cause and finally they have officially announced to launch the TOTORO FOREST PROJECT website with event details to the public today. Hooray!

I have briefly posted a cropped sneak preview on older posts, here is a full body shot and some close ups of my donation for the event.




I was luckily invited to join along the side with many of these world known, star artists who I truly admire such as Katsuya Terada, Ashley Wood, Peter De Seve, as well as my talented star friends, Ed Bell, Eric Orchard(I became a big fan of his work through this project), Grace Lee, Sho Murase, Soosa Kim, Vaughn Ross and more... I am so honored to be a part of this and many thanks to the members who asked me this opportunity. I can't wait to see masterpieces from other artists all together with my bare eyes soon.

Please visit the web site to find out yourself how many great pieces are attended to this great occasion from artists all over the world. Honestly, I have never seen this quality of art work under the same theme in this quantity before. I may have a heart attack at the event...

The auction will be held on September 6th at Pixar Animation Studio Campus. But that's not it yet, we are expecting two(!) Exhibitions featuring selected work from the auction will be held at San Francisco Cartoon Art Museum this fall!


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"What are you doing down there?" hollered the girl with a pink baseball cap. "Who are you?"

"I have been here for long time." said the forest. "Many living things are given their birth and raised in the forest. Some can get lost in here, others may find their path. And all of them are going to return to the soil in the long run."

"But we're lost!" shouted the girl with a pink baseball cap. "We want to go back home."
"Can't feel my hands!" screamed the boy clinging to one of branches. "I'm going to fall!"
The other boy wearing an oversized football helmet left speechless with astonishment.

"Yes." said the forest with a cheerful smile. "I'll show you where to find a way home. You are a little too early to return to me."
When the forest waved good-by to the children, trees got parting out of the way to the town.