Phallic Symbol

TV Show: RuPaul Drag Race season 4
Food: Leftovers from Chinese takeout
Project: Storyboard for the Blind Swordress mini series

While editing a photo I took the other day at the Chicago Botanic Garden, I noticed that the branches and the flowers forms a shape that looks a lot like a small penis. Maybe it's just the juvenile side of me but I seriously think it does. And now I can't unsee it.

What surprises me is that this one really perverted guy I know couldn't see it but most of my female friends can spot it right away. Maybe guys just don't see dicks at that level. I should kick myself for that comment.

Cafe scene at Cosi

Artist: Yoko Furusho
Music: International music found typically in cafes

This week we have some freakishly nice weather in Chicago (seriously, it should still be snowing right now; it's almost as weird as when it hailed in late June). So I took advance of the weather and went out to downtown to relax with my friends, get some fresh air, fill out job apps, write resume and cover letters... the usual.

On Monday, Amy and I went to Cosi, a cafe franchise, down on Michigan Ave and across from the Art Institute Museum. While she was submitting paperwork and being productive, I took out a crappy "watercolor" pad and started to draw the scene in the cafe (I guess I was being productive too in a way). I continued the piece once I return home and finished it in the middle of the night and the next morning with little sleep. Here are the results:

I didn't like the finish results that much, especially the zombie guy on the left of the piece and the monster tree in the background...and the awkward oval table to a certain degree. They throw the composition off. I scanned the image and messed with crop.

The picture looks odd to me at first because I am not quite use to the square composition(?) but it already looks a lot better with zombie boy out of the picture (sorry, zombie boy).

I crop another chunk to make the image more rectangular; however, it looks a little bottom heavy after this edit since all of the people are situated on the bottom half of the picture. And maybe I should have left the zombie guy in this picture but remove bit of the chair. Never really occur to me until now.

I decide to balance this by cropping the top but according to my friends this crop took off some of the interesting elements in the pieces, ie: the angles of the door frame.

Right now, I am leaning towards the square crop. Feel bad that zombie boy can't join us but he's in his first stage of decomposition and would probably like to be left alone anyways. The pattern for this piece is inspired by illustrative works of Yoko Furusho. She is amazing.

6teen

Music: Haunting for Witches by Bloc Party
TV Show: 6teen
Addiction: Words with Friends (on facebook)

As of lately, Western animation has been a disappointment. With the exception of Avatar: The Last Airbender —which was created by Americans with the animation produced in South Korea— many (though not all) of the newer cartoons slacken in quality of their artwork. I understand that not everything has to be realistic or look a certain way; there’s nothing wrong with having a different artist style but the quality has definitely gone down a few notches since the 80’s and 90’s (even the early Y2K era). Where is the scenery porn or the fun details!? Why is everything drawn with the same line thickness? And when the style is more “realistic” the females always look so waif-like and emaciated with disproportionally large heads.

Avatar: The Official Sponsor of Scenery-porn

About a month ago, I began watching episodes of this Canadian animated sitcom, 6teen, and was thoroughly surprised and pleased by the style of the show. The show is created by Jennifer Pertsch and Tom McGillis, the same people who made the very popular Total Drama Island series. 6teen originally ran from 2004 to 2010 on the Teletoon network. The premise revolves around the lives of six teenagers, all sixteen (it's a pun within a pun!), and their part-time jobs in a mall not unlike the Eaton Centre in Toronto, Ontario. 

Looking back at it, they all look skinny with big heads too... hmm...

I was first introduced to 6teen around '08/'09 at a friend’s. The television was on in the background and the cartoon caught my attention halfway. It just so happens that the zombie episode "Dude of the Living Dead" was playing at the moment and zombie episodes are usually the best episode to start when first introduce to a new series (look at Community's "Epidemiology" for example). I didn't catch the name of the series at the time and have been meaning to watch the show since. Now that I’ve finished school, I can spend more time in "researching" cartoons, which is how I rediscovered the show.

The art of this animated series is unique in the fact that they eliminate the use of lines. It’s sorta like a more refine version of South Park (art-wise). Also, the viewer can easily differentiate the characters solely by their silhouette. The main characters consist of a pretty diverse cast as well. One thing that does bother me about it is that the characters, Caitlin (the blonde) in particular, have a tendency to buy the same outfit over and over again yet still acts like she made a whole new purchase and some of the male extras get recycled. But aside from that, the drawings are done nicely, albeit the hands are a bit blocky (I’m looking at you Jonesy), and colors are appealing. The storyline is alright. It’s a sitcom marketed towards tween and teens so what is there to expect. Every once in a while you’ll come across a continuity error and that gets annoying. Also, they have four seasons and celebrate Christmas at least three times but all the main characters stay 16 throughout the whole entire series. They do brush up on topics like diarrhea and wardrobe malfunction, which my inner child finds hilarious.

Blocky hands of DOOM!!! Also, is that Christopher Walken?

Why isn't this show more popular!?

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I am so bad at being consistent with my updates. Hope nobody has gotten a seizure or headaches from my background/layout. Also I have noticed that my title font looks like an emaciated version of Comic Sans. I should look into changing that or people will not take me seriously. >_> 


Disclaimer: I don't own any of the pictures. The links for the websites where they are found should be attached to the images themselves.

Floral Pattern: Yes?

Music: Major Tom (Coming Home) by Shiny Toy Guns
TV Show: Community

I recently did a "technology update" which just means that I updated my website and revamp parts of it since the six months I have been inactive (it's so horrible; everything is so outdated). There wasn't any new art to add since many of them are still in the making but regroup some parts of the gallery and I did add a little photography section, which consist mostly of the photos I took for Teaa's Flowers and something for my mother. I wouldn't consider myself a photographer but I taken pictures every so often as a hobby.

This is the one taken from my mother's garden if you were wondering...
from her Delia plant.

Since we are on the topic of flowers, there was a period in time when floral prints were super popular and people, primarily females, used them for everything. In the 90's, most of the swimsuits in department stores were covered in them and they were really cool back then. Every sweater and blouse that we would now consider tacky were splatter with a hodge-podge of these floral patterns. These bright, color clashing shapes were everywhere and then people thought that they were lame and it became a thing in the past. Only grandmas sport them. Anyways, I think they are coming back. I keep seeing product labels floral patterns. It's like they are trying to over thrown the minimalist movement or something.

I would say more about it but I'm too busy rummaging through my aunt's old sweaters bin from the 90's. They better be coming back or else I'll be the only one looking awful for the next couple of months.

Is Snow White the New Trend?

Current Obsession: Jason Isaacs and Ralph Fiennes' films
Music: Heads Will Roll by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Food: Avocado

This is my belated Halloween post. Seems like I'm always tardy for everything...

I was suppose to go to several Halloween parties but something got in the way so instead I went to none. (Actually, I went to one a week prior but it was also part gallery show so it shouldn't count.) Probably one of the first Halloween in at least 4 years where I didn't do anything.

It was a tradition in my art school to celebrate the holiday by dressing up and then parading in the gallery with onlookers cheering and raving at the sidelines. Since this is my first Halloween after college, I decided to continue the tradition and do a little closet/trial (aka. last minute, why are you surprised?) costume. For this year, I was Snow White... or at least tried to be.

I ran out of apples so here's me with a tomato.
Whaaaaat? Tomatoes are fruits and they happen to be red-orange, which is similar to red but more orangy.
Someone thought that I was a school girl doing a tomato juice ad. Kinda far from Snow White.
*Fails*

For the past year, there is rising trend with fairy tales, Snow White in particular. She is not close to being my top my favorite fairy tale character and probably one of my least favorite Disney princesses; however, there is something about her story that intrigues people enough to usually star her as the main protagonist in many of pan-fairy tale based fictions. Television series such as 10th Kingdom and the new Once Upon a Time had her story as a basis for their show. She is also the main character in the Vertigo graphic novel series, Fables. In the upcoming year, 2012, there is already 2 movies in production about Snow White, one starring Kristen Stewart (the Twilight Saga) and the other with Lily Collins (The Blind Side, Abduction), not to mention the countless number of Snow White films in the past.

Why is there such an obsession with Snow White? Is she the Batman of fairy tales or is there something I'm missing? Or perhaps society nowadays, blackened by the evil clutches of greed and corruption, look towards a tales of purity and innocence as a means to escape the awful reality. I will probably see the movies anyway because I like creepy fairy tales.

Is it avocados? Because I have avocados.

1st Gallery Show

Current obsession: Jason Isaacs
Music: Disney & musicals

I deeply apologize for not updating in so long. This blog is undergoing some major changes. First off, I reformatted the entire layout. The background image is taken by me for Teaa's Flowers. The colors were so lovely and vibrant that I ended up with a theme based around it.

I had my first gallery show on Saturday, October 22nd. It was curated by Elena Katz and feature works many young established artists in Chicago.  I had 3 paintings up on display. One of the pieces is brand new. It's not finished to the point in which I would have liked for the show but I ran out of time (after a full week of nonstop painting too). The piece is called Cinderella and it will be finished by the time for my good friend/fellow artist, Joy, and my next show. Here is sample chunk of art thus far:

The full image will be a surprise.

It was pretty awesome to see all the people that showed up in a mere 3 hrs. I almost sold one of my old editorial pieces, "Homeless House;" however, the buyer changed his mind last minute. The piece almost didn't make it to the show. I am happy either way because it shocks me to see that people actually enjoy and appreciate my artwork.

Teaa's Flowers

Addiction: (on break)
Obsession: Stories and Tom Riddle (but to a lesser extent)

A friend of mine has recently opened up a flower shop in downtown called Teaa's Flowers. In fact, yesterday was the grand opening. The location is 501 north Wells Street in Chicago, Illinois (2 blocks north of the Merchandise Mart stop on the Brown/ Purple line). The shop is right on the corner so it's fairly easy to find.

   

The flowers are high quality in a decent pricing. Delivery is also very inexpensive. The shop itself look relatively modern and is dog friendly. The owner himself has two small dogs that may or may not be in the shop. Also, the shop aims to be green and environment friendly.

There is also an art studio (in the making) downstairs where my friend and fellow artist, Joy, and I will be working at. I am going to probably be there for half the time to work on projects, so there will be artwork feature in the shop every once in awhile.

    

So if you're in town and in need some flowers (Mother's Day and graduations are coming up!) stop by Teaa's Flowers. Also, bring your dog!

 

Apologize for the pictures; only had my digital camera that day.