Thursday, June 28, 2007

I love sushi!



I love sushi! I don't think it has to do with my ethnic background (Japanese) but I love it! I wish it didnt' have all the carbs but that is pretty much impossible because half of what makes sushi, "sushi", is the rice! Growing up, rice was the staple of my family's diet. I loved rice. Rice is so plain but it is so good! My dad is a real rice eater. He takes these huge bowls meant for ramen, and fills it with rice. He's a farmer so he needs the carbs for energy I guess. I on the other hand, having been a pretty lazy kid who spent most of the time indoors drawing, ballooned up due to the excess carbs.

Luckily I've slimmed down some, but I still enjoy rice. Rice is the default "side" or starch in Hawaii. Fries or potatoes often have to be requested.

I guess sushi is one of my favorite ways to eat rice but I also love musubi (plain and not spam), and rice with shoyu poured over (often seen as a sin by die hard rice eaters).

When it rains...



Isn't it amazing how unpredictable life is? For the past couple of months work and life has been pretty slow and easy going.

Then this month I suddenly find myself with possibly 3 jobs and I start summer school next week! I'm excited and a little scared with the prospect of having such a busy schedule. I have had to juggle work and wedding planning last year which wasn't so bad, but having to juggle 3 jobs with equal priority.

I also welcome my return to school. I've always wanted to learn to use a manual focus camera and am thrilled that my class uses digital cameras as opposed to film. Now don't get me wrong, I admire and respect traditional photographers who still use film and develop their own prints in darkrooms but I really just want to learn how to use the camera and the different ways to compose pictures. I guess being an artist, I kind of wrinkled my nose at just pointing and clicking, having the subject smack dab in the center of the pic. I like having things off center, or the foreground out of focus or finding interesting ways to shoot my photos. Of course having a point and shoot camera doesn't really give you much opportunity to catching artistic shots.

Then in the Fall I am a full time student working towards an associate's degree in web design and interactive layout. I'm really looking forward to that. I'll be on the older side (having been graduated for over 3 years now with my BA) but I still look pretty young (except for the grey hairs).

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Being a shy artist

To all other artists out there, you can probably relate. I like to draw, I find it fun and relaxing and a good way to entertain myself when I am waiting for something or someone. I guess, since I've been drawing from like age 3, it's natural for me and I don't think I'm anything special.

It always surprises me when I'm drawing out in public and someone stops to watch me draw. I get a little bit embarassed but I don't want to be rude and hide my drawing or stop to make it obvious their watching is making me uncomfortable. Sometimes they watch and then precede on their way, other times, which I dread, they try to enter a conversation with me. I don't mind the kids because they are really interested and most of the time cute. I know that they are genuinely curious about what I'm doing. I don't always know how to answer their questions.

One time at the airport a little girl caught me drawing. First she oohed and aahhed a little and then she asked the question "how do you do that"? Ok, do what exactly? I mean draw? Think up the ideas for what I will draw? Or transfer what is in my head to my hand to paper? It's a complex procedure I'm sure but since I've been doing it for over 20 years I guess it's a natrual process for me. So I did what most people in my situation would do, smile and pretend I didn't speak English. Nah, I just told her "I don't know" which is the truth in some way.

Adults or peers are another story. I don't think they are any less curious or interested but I just get downright embarassed. I guess it's because I draw mostly cartoony things which I feel show I'm childish. I'm more shy than bothered by them but for the most part they don't ask questions. I don't mind people I know talking to me about my drawings but total strangers make me uncomfortable (in person). I'm a pretty shy person face to face. I don't mind people commenting about my work online. Highschool was the worst. I used to like to doodle in my art class. While I was learning traditional methods I would be sketching anime characters. Other students would hover and then ask what I was doing, how I was drawing them, how I got my ideas and I was so shy and embarassed. Some even wanted my sketches, which I found flattering and strange at the same time. Luckily now when people ask me to draw for them I can charge them... : )

There are so many great artists out there, a lot, tons, better than me which i am grateful for. It does make me wonder because I'm sure many people have great ideas for drawings in their heads but how to translate that onto paper is the area where many fall short. And where does one get these ideas? It's all so complicated, I just accept I can do what I can and there are some things I can't do. I also wonder if our ideas are in some way hindered by our ability to draw them or is our ability to draw hindered by our ideas (or lack of). Hmmmm.

Sorry boring post. Hopefully more art posts soon. I need to buy a new scanner...

Monday, June 11, 2007

Summer promo



Summer's here and that means new promo postcards! Here is my summer 2007 promo postcard. I wanted something colorful, tropical and pretty.

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Love your pets!



Here is my attempt at a sorta retro-ish colored line drawing. I tried using a limited color palette and I like it. It looks simple but it took kinda a long time. I tried using flat shading with texture to look more "hand drawn". I love drawing people and animals with different expressions. I'm a cartoonist at heart : )