More Raphael Saadiq

I'm getting really into drawing musicians now. I basically watched a bunch of his videos & performances on youtube to get a feel for how he moves, then hit the pause button at random points on "Love That Girl" (when I was particularly feelin' the groovin' & movin') to draw. There's just a sway about him that is sooooo engaging and contagious. His body twists & turns with the notes.... ahhh such good drawing material :) Can my future husband also sing this song to me at the wedding? Thaaaaaaankssss.

btw, the girl toward the end when she scrunches her face... yeah I'd totally do that, haha.

Thom Yorke

Oh how this man can waaaaaail. I'd never seen him in a hoodie, so I was curious. I didn't mean to make him look so emo though! Perhaps he just remembered he's on the New Moon soundtrack, teehee.

Amazing, Artsy, Admiring Anchovies!

Killing pillows is wonderful for two reasons: stuffing & fabric.

Global Language Project NEEDS YOUR VOTES!

My friend's nonprofit, Global Language Project, is competing in the Pepsi Refresh Campaign. They are soooo close to winning the $50,000 grant, & need your help to vote ONCE EVERYDAY until this Friday. They just need to be in the top ten to win the grant!

Click here to cast your vote for Global Language Project: http://www.refresheverything.com/voteglp

Thanks for the love everyone :)

Happy Birthday Daddy!

I was sitting in the kitchen brainstorming what I could draw to honor my dad... I asked myself, what does daddy like? MICHAEL JORDAN!! Hahahahaha. So I found a picture (below), stuck my dad's face on there and walla. Hahahaha. I personally really love it, just like my pops. Jordan 4th quarter in '92.

This song...

yes. i agree.

Boogie Man

Been listening to mucho mos def, specifically mos dub. Drew this from a photo. Not sure if it looks like him, but I like that I captured that subtle nose nudge. At least I think I did... hahaha. He has very interesting features... and by interesting, I mean HOT. I also have a crush on him.

Cabinet of Curiosities: The Wanderlust Edition

Look what I found in the mall the other day! So begins my one art piece per visited country project :)

Fashion Show! Fashion Show! Fashion Show at lunch!

Floral bow tie/headband thingy!! Look at what you can do with it!

The last pic came out sooo serious & emo I had to post it to laugh at myself, hahaha.

Anyway, bow tie headband to be sold at Renegade Craft Fair :)

Renegade Craft Fair outfit!

So I bought the black dress, and traded the second dress for a pair of black sandals. I realized I could wear those blacks sandals, or the brown shoes I bought in Japan, and then I just threw in my beret, also from Japan. Apparently, all items are from Japan. Guess I'm channeling my Japanese side :) Yaaay for being a girl!

ps, i love asia for the quality, relatively inexpensive clothes:

dress: $18

brown shoes: $10

hat: $14

sandals: $18

Knickerbocker Vapor!

this post was brought to you by the letters K & V. done with those... now I can go to bed :)

I went shopping today

on my own & couldn't decide between two dresses, so I drew sketches for an objective pov. Hahaha, I'm ridiculous. I still haven't decided--they're on hold :)

Raphael Saadiq

I'm going to start a drawing series of musical artist(s) I'm listening to. Soooo... today I present you with the soulful, always sharply dressed, Oakland native: Mr. Raphael Saadiq. I've been listening to a lot of Tony! Toni! Tone! and interviews/podcasts with Raphael Saadiq... just captures the groove I'm in. I learned from one of the interviews that he bought his first acoustic guitar at the age of 5 from the SAN JOSE flea market.... yeaaaah! The same one I frequented as a kid to buy pogs! Hahaha. Pretty sweet. I have such a crush on him.

Learning While You Dream

Totally feelin' this nyt article. Cue excerpt:

“It’s almost as if your brain is rummaging through everything that happened today and deciding that you’re not done with it,” Dr. Stickgold said. “The things that really grip you, the ones you decide at an emotional level are really important, those are the ones you dream about. The things you’re obsessed with are the ones that your brain forces you to continue to process.”

It's such a romantic idea... that as your body rests, your mind stays active to help heal whatever gaping heart-wounds or burdening, unresolved issues you have before bed. I tend to have very vivid dreams that work to prepare, inform or explore whatever obstacles I'm facing in the spiritual, business & love/relationship aspects of my life.

For example, last night was somewhat emotionally traumatizing, and perhaps as a result, I dreamt that I was on the phone with my sister as I walked on the sand. Then, I noticed that the beach was covered with green snakes. I skipped around trying to avoid them, scared that they'd bite me. I eventually climbed up a ladder to avoid them, and watched the sun rise or set.

Now, according to my favorite dream website:

To see a snake or be bitten by one in your dream, signifies hidden fears and worries that are threatening you. Your dream may be alerting you to something in your waking life that you are not aware of or that has not yet surfaced. Alternatively, the snake may be seen as phallic and thus symbolize temptation, dangerous and forbidden sexuality. If you are afraid of the snake, then it signifies your fears of sex, intimacy or commitment. The snake may also refer to a person around you who is callous, ruthless, and can't be trusted.

To see sand in your dream, signifies a shift in perspective or a change in your attitude.

To dream that you are climbing up a ladder, suggests that you have reached a new level of achievement. It is symbolic of prosperity, hard work and your efforts. Consider also the phrase of "climbing the social ladder" in which you have achieved a promotion, a higher status, more power, or an important goal. Alternatively, it may indicate meditation and prayer. You are setting forth on a spiritual path and higher awareness. Each rung of the ladder is indicative of a stage in your spiritual awareness. You may also be looking things from a different perspective.

To see the sun in your dream, symbolizes peace of mind, enlightenment, tranquility, fortune, goodwill, and insight. It also represents radiant energy and divine power. It is a good omen to have the sun shining in your dream.

Uhhh.... YES. Hahahha. I agree! Definitely positively shifting my ideas/perspective because of a "snake." Anyway, I'm a firm believer in the power of dreams, and listening to the cryptic messages they're trying to tell you. It's just your brain trying to help a brotha out.

Slowly building my Renegade army

22 squeezies & counting!

First Journal Entry in the PI

So I was looking through my google docs because I hadn't opened that ish in a while and I found many forgotten treasures, including my first journal entry in the Philippines, dated October 22 2009:

This is all natural. I feel incredibly homesick. Let’s just be honest and sit with the emotions.

I feel sad. I miss my home, I miss comfort. I miss feeling healthy. I thought I was strong enough to feel at home anywhere, but this is a true test. I know that I will make do and make a home eventually, but this is pushing it to the next level of adaptability. I miss my friends and I miss New York… down to the friends, the traffic, the jaywalking, the expensive mediocre food. I miss the wall Rich & I painted together. I miss the L train, I miss the Bronx and how far it is from everything. I miss how noisy Fordham road is. I miss my yoga studio and the teachers and the sauna. I miss having steady internet everywhere and anywhere. I miss 3^rd ward and how dark and dreary it is. I miss walking carefully on Rich’s bed to not upset the crates. I miss Sandeep and her pressure cooker. I miss Trader Joe’s and the chaos inside it, all to buy cheap beer. I miss going to lunch with David. I miss exploring the city and feeling safe. I miss exploring the city and still knowing where I am. I miss Pandora and hulu and netflix instant watch. I want to watch the wire with rich, curled up and covering my eyes. I want to drink the delicious water of nyc without thinking twice. I want to sit in a subway and sew amongst familiar strangers.

Now, for the remedy the remedy…

Yoga will bring me balance and groundedness. I must do it when I wake up and before I go to bed. Let my heart lead the practice.

Develop a routine or make a to do list everyday, like before. Make a home of here.

If you feel sad, embrace and hold the emotions, then let them go. You’re ok. Nothing you are doing is wrong or bad.

Continue to be open & honest with Rich, and continue to communicate with trust.

Adopt the mindset of a learner, not an observer. Be a sponge and absorb the world around you.

Create a goals list for the PI & Asia and continue to work towards those goals

Eat healthily

Be adaptable, while remembering why you came here in the first place

Complete the goals you set before leaving for the states

...I forgot to add something so important to the list… I have to be present. Of course I’m going to feel sad wishing I was elsewhere, but if I look around, and really look and absorb, I will see the amazing act I did, and am proud of.

I guess I feel comfortable sharing because I was able to work through it all in my 7 months here. I think what I'm most proud of is that "the remedy" turned out to be THE remedy. I knew myself better than I thought. So that last point about completing all goals before heading back to the US... consider it done :)

The most Pinoy day ever!

Today I said goodbye to the province. I ventured with my aunt and her two law school friends to Tarlac to enjoy delicious food at our restaurant & say see you later to my lola.

First we were fed:

basil, yogurt & pineapple smoothie, green mango & malunggay pesto pizza

okoi & papaya vinegar

tamarind-lemongrass baked chicken

homemade dried mango

After the 3 hour lunch, we chatted about CNN, Anderson Cooper (my aunt's friends are obsessed with him haha), Glee, life in Japan & the upcoming election. Lots of chismis & laughing :)

I drew this as I digested:

Based on the sights I saw in Quiapo yesterday: kiddies playing pogs on the streets, karaoke in the hawker stands, a little toddler playing with a cockroach (disturrrrbing!!)

Fresh lettuce! It was sooo delicious :)

My aunt is tickling my lola, hahahaha. It was so funny!

Awwww bye bye lola! I'll see you in 2012 if not sooner.

On our way back to Makati/Quezon City, we stopped by the Aquino Museum. Wow. Not only was it incredibly thorough and informative, but quite moving. They actually had the clothes Ninoy was assassinated in, blood stained & all. I urge every filipino to go to really understand the country's history.

The grand entrance.

Cory's infamous dress! So pretty & simple :)

Vote Noynoy!

Reality's hitting me. I'm leaving soon. Eeep!

Oh brother! What a day!

Sorry, no art to post because I've been running around all of Manila trying to get ish done. I got my teeth cleaned (and a filling!) for 20 bucks, and spent 7 bucks on various things like a fruit smoothie, orange chicken (yum!), 5 dvds, a pillow for its stuffing, headphones (to make my stuffed headphones workable!), and public transportation. I'm gonna miss the Philippines and how cheap it is.

I did see sooo many interesting sights that made me feel the love for the dirt, slums and smelliness of the city. I found myself totally unbothered by the trash and mystery water I walked through on the sidewalk & spoke tagalog rather confidently all day as I made my way around Quiapo & metro Manila. It made me realize how I've become accustomed to living here, and how I'm more tolerance for, um, non-US quality of living, haha. Awesome!

I'll sketch a couple of the sights from memory and post later, which will include two kids intensely playing pogs (YEAAAAH!!).

Merlin Mann on Creative Work

The man who brought us 43 folders talks about creative work and how to get started. It reminds me a lil of what Ira Glass said about the creative process, but with a slightly different take... more about how we procrastinate on beginning the creative process/the pursuit of ikigai. Have a listen! It's pretty entertaining & enlightening.

The Sound of Young America

Tree a Day #27

This one is very very random haha.

Progress Report #3: Hiroko's drawing

Finished!! It's really friggin' cute :)

Tree a Day #26

Not really a tree but the implication is that they're lying underneath one. I was too lazy to draw all the shadows haha. But I think it could make for a sweet painting.

Hooray for Talented Friends!

My lovely friend and future temporary landlord in nyc, David Altobelli, made this beaaaaaautiful video:

Hammock - Breathturn from David Altobelli on Vimeo.

aaaaaand it got into the LA Film Fest. This video SERIOUSLY made me cry. Gahhhh... he captures subtle beauty so well! Hoorah!

Progress Report #2: Hiroko's drawing

Watercolor sans inky goodness.

Rosy-minded Fuzz: A Ramble on Travel

I've been feeling especially nostalgic recently for the good ole days in LA. The most recent memory was the road trip to Sasquatch (guess that wasn't in LA) with the folks and our siblings. Hahaha... "Oh I love you, sibling!!" That was so mean to KB. Oops. After the trip, we all found ourselves with gchat statuses quoting The National. I wish I took a screenshot of it because I remember thinking, YES. These are my friends. Alllllll nerds for music, who love "Apartment Story" as much as I do. Hahaha. Oh, and I just remembered singing along to "Mistaken for Strangers" in the car with KB in our deep, low voices :)

Oh, and happy 6 months in Asia to me! So much time has passed. Unbelievable. I see how living here has informed & changed my vision of how I want to live. I've been subconsciously picking up & integrating different philosophies & cultures like ikigai, Singaporean family values, the silliness & openness of singing anywhere. I love traveling & it's helped me learn to respect & appreciate the differences & idiosyncrasies of cultures. There are some traditions I disapprove of, like the mahouts breaking in a baby elephant with violence, but I also discovered and then worked for its beautiful alternative at the Elephant Nature Park. I've seen the filthy slums of India & the Philippines and the neat & tidy streets of Singapore & Japan; countries run by communism or intensely corrupt politicians where the people feel helpless about their own presidential election; locals who are willing to walk outside of their storefronts to point you in the right direction to those who won't even look you in the eye as they pass. I've been with strangers & friends, family and family I've never even met before, 4 generations of love. I've been in a long distance relationship & single & all the gray area in between.

These past 6 months carry significant changes, and I'm grateful for how it's helped me grow. One key point I learned about myself, that I didn't know before, is I can't say no to this lifestyle. I can't not travel & live out of a backpack for months at a time. I can't not get lost in a city where people sound like melodies as a result of language barriers. I can't not fill up a sketchbook with thoughts & scenes, connect with wanderlusters who feel like my best friends within 5 minutes of meeting.

That said, I'm ready to come home. It's been a year since I've had my own space, and as a Cancer, that's obscene!! Seeing the messy animation offices in the Ghibli Museum was the tipping point. I miss all my toys and ridiculous number of art books, animation posters (which includes Ratatouille, Spirited Away, Incredibles, Howl's Moving Castle & my favorite: the "For The Birds" poster I got at Pixar... jealous??? :). I've been dreading coming home out of fear I'd be unable to find the same sense of adventure of being in another country. Then I realized that my room, if it was a mess & jumble of artistic inspiration and kiddie fun, could hold all the adventure & imagination I'd ever need. So here's to coming home, working, and being able to hug my friends & add to that growing list of memories I'll turn to for the next time I find myself away from home.

My Labour of Love

Took me a while to finish this one. In the name of self-healing I decided to finish it tonight, and to my surprise there really wasn't much more to add, mainly the paper airplane & their smiling faces. It feels good it's done. We'll see if there are anymore treehouse kiddies in me. Could be the last one in a while... I guess time will tell. Using relationships & other people for material is tricky. Never thought there was an artistic angle to being self-sustainable, haha. Well, new personal goal is to find my inner muse so let the adventure begin!

On another note, I can't wait to scan this and make prints :)

Progress Report #1: Hiroko's drawing

Which one which one! Don't mind the unrelated sketches in the second one, haha

Uh huh! Mmhmm!

Listened to She & Him Volume 2 all night tonight & came to the conclusion that if I were to write & sing a silly-happy song about getting over someone, it'd be "Gonna Get Along Without You Now." Especially the line: gonna find someone who's twice as cute. Haha. Fo sho. Keep it true.

I drew this at the Singapore library a couple days ago!

I sewed these today! (seriously that's a lot!)

I drew this today! I like yogaaaa.

Sketches from the Changi Airport

I like the forward fold one. Hahaha.

Awwww!! Why'd you have to fart?!?

Hidden Cameras: 20 Years of Pixar

The OG, king of king's concept pastel for Luxo Jr.... YEAH!

Eeeee! I saw these when I visited Pixar 6 years ago. Good to see my old friends again :) Oh, and in the background, you can see the character explorations for Edna Mode.

Baller squash & stretch. Oh and in the background are early sketches of woody & buzz... gahhhhhh..... GEEK OUT!

John Lasseter's stamp of approval on Cars concept art/world exploration! I LOVE IT! I want one :)

Teeehee! Toy Story 2 x-rays :) The piggy one had coins.

Lou Romano. You're my hero. And Teddy Newton. Oh, and Ralph Eggleston. And Mark Andrews. Andrew Jimenez, you too. Ricky Nierva is up there. And Angus MacLane, I still have the sea turtle you drew for me... Nate Wragg also has my love... ok, simmer down, Genevieve.

Incredibles, For the birds, Finding Nemo, Boundin'...!!!

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!