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:: Tuesday, March 16, 2010 ::

whoosh
welcome to march?!? oy! time does fly, eh?

been happy to get started on the year of the tiger, after a bit of a grueling year of the ox (not bad, just lotsa work...).

lots of things brewing, lots of work happening, lots of change smacking me around (in a very good way). so far, i'm happy with this tiger year. hoping to draw/paint more (always) so that i can pull together an art show later this year. hoping to post more of said drawings/paintings. and hoping to actually sell some stuffs (as soon as i learn how to let go of it...either i'm too ashamed to sell it, or i'm too attached...ridiculous, i know).

oh, and if you're attending this year's apiqwtc lunar new year banquet, i'm donating some art. feel free to start a bidding war. it's for a good cause...

Labels: art, doodle, drawings, illustrations, one-a-day

:: ewee 6:16:00 PM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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5 of 100

In accordance with my Sifu's recommendation, I've embarked on 100-days of training. I'm starting small, with a basic set of hand strengthening qi gong exercises. If I get inspired, I'll do my best to work in other movements as I learn them, but I'm setting the bar low, in the hopes that it'll make it more attainable. (Also, I'm admitting it here, hoping that it will keep me honest.)

So far, the main challenge has been to stay focused on each day as it comes. If I look too far out at the remaining days, it quickly feels overwhelming, and all I can see are the many possibilities of failures/missteps.

The movements are still challenging, but, remarkably, I can feel small changes in my body, and I can feel the work pushing through old injuries. By far, the best part has been starting my day in my studio, looking at our yard. I love that view, and no matter how awkward, the movements feel meditative.

It's also gotten me thinking about working my painting/drawing into the practice. 100-days of painting is daunting to consider. After all, my one-a-day has proven to be challenging (definitely in posting, and often in drawing). But I was struck at how well it fit into the idea of the 10,000 hour rule from Outliers.

Devoting time to art is exactly what I want this year to be about.

Although I've been privileged to already have amassed 10,000 hours drawing and painting, it seems like more rigor and more focus could only be for the good. Something leads me to believe that this will dovetail nicely with my impending (looming?) milestone in the next few weeks.

[Also: happy happy 70th bday dad! ...talk about a milestone!]

Labels: art, inspiration, kajukenbo, one-a-day, practice, qi gong

:: Eliza Wee 3:28:00 PM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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reentrophy

Labels: change, make, one-a-day, photos, random

:: ewee 1:39:00 PM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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Gathering

Labels: doodle, drawings, illustrations, one-a-day

:: ewee 5:16:00 PM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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Making Up
'Tis the season for resolute dissolution...

Spent my mini sabatical largely offline (or at least as offline as I'm currently capable of becoming). In the spirit of resolutions, the mayfly, and recession specials, I chewed on the eternal "what next" question. Nothing huge to report, but it did become clear to me that what I want most of all is more time to make stuff. Puttering is when I'm happiest, whether it's with paint, a soldering iron, or a pen.

So, people have asked me if I plan on selling my work, that I should make tshirts, put stuff on etsy, etc. And that's all super cool, and I love that vote of confidence. But really, the thing I need to do more of is make more shtick. So that's it. No big fancy resolutions, no big whoopedeedo. Just make, putter, paint, draw.

If that goes well, mebbe there'll be a show in my (near) future. Also, if you'd like to be my agent, feel free. The terms are likely to be flexible and generous (...it's easy to offer a big cut of nothing, eh?).

Labels: doodle, drawings, illustrations, moleskin, one-a-day

:: ewee 3:33:00 PM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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doodly bits
courtesy of da free box, new notebook (one of those softsided moleskin numbers). enjoying the paper and ink randomness...

Labels: art, doodle, drawings, illustrations, moleskin, one-a-day

:: ewee 7:08:00 PM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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More fishcake!
Worked on a few more little paintings. There's also something strange happening with another set of these boards. I'm not happy with how that set is turning out, so no photos yet. More to come soon.

Labels: art, dogdogdog, dogs, doodle, drawings, fishcake, illustrations, one-a-day, painting

:: ewee 11:06:00 AM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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doodly mayhem
see...i'm not not drawing.

it's just that i've been (mostly pleasantly) too swamped to post anything. been fussing at my huge painting, and not sure of where it's headed--i really liked the changes, and now i'm back to my usual skepticism. so that'll take a bit more before i can post again. i do love that it's changed so much in the intervening years (!).

been happily consumed with project sketches--to the detriment (improvement?) of my sleep deficit. and the other stuff is my usual fidgety daily doodling. so it's all still happening, just an effort to post. will report back with more when I can.

Labels: doodle, drawings, one-a-day

:: ewee 3:09:00 PM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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painting: in progress

Labels: drawings, illustrations, oil painting, one-a-day, painting

:: ewee 4:31:00 PM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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Yeah it's upside down. Whut?

Labels: doodle, drawings, illustrations, one-a-day, post-its

:: ewee 4:28:00 PM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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Skvetching
During a bachelor weekend in July, I found that, left to my own devices, I'm not all that different than when sy's in town. More and more, my favorite thing is to spend a lazy weekend on our deck, moving from shady spot to shady spot. Occasionally I pepper this sloth-like movement with reading, drawing, writing, and eating. Meanwhile, Kehoe loves to bake herself silly in the sun, and Toki follows a rigorous regimen of puppy calisthenics--wielding her toy-cum-nunchuks with manic glee. (The rest of the aimless doodles on the page are from eatins, drinkins, and socializins around that time, and the three graphics are just recent bits for pcw.com...)

Been feeling an extra helping of anxiety lately. Not sure of the exact cause, my level of busy-ness has stayed somewhat stable, and my level of puttering on projects has been fairly consistent (tho regretably, I'm not spending enough time on my paintings--but I always feel that way, regardless of how much painting time I get in).

But I'm finding myself more engaged. Caring more, if you will. Not coasting (which is so easy to do). But really giving a holy flying donut about what I'm working on, and will-they-like-it, will-it-work, please-please-let-it-not-suck...that kinda thing. It makes every step--especially the first one--fraught with tension, fear, and, yes, anxiety.

So I'm finding myself reading more, and thinking more about the process (for me, the act of making stuffs that doesn't suck is interrelated--be it a website, a painting, or a blog post). Today, I came across a couple more tidbits:

"If your old work doesn’t shame you, you’re not growing."

*and*

"Write when inspired; rest when tired.

Only you and a few of your designer friends will recognize the sloppy, ill-considered bits that make your work good when it could have been great. Of course, your designer friends will think less of you, and you’ll cringe every time you see the site, but if you don’t have a taste for masochism, you shouldn’t be in design, because the hurt will kill you."

Labels: bay area, doodle, drawings, illustrations, oaktown, one-a-day

:: ewee 1:33:00 PM [+] :: 3 comments ::
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two more for july
Sketch on left from dimsum and coffee in alameda, and fireworks in jlo square. I love those cranes, can't seem to get enough of 'em. Think it might be time for another sketching excursion by the bay...

The one on the right was started at little skillet and finished during our (ahem) couply head shrinking.

Labels: art, doodle, drawings, illustrations, oaktown, one-a-day

:: ewee 12:10:00 PM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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she sees right through me
kehoe's always been able to see right through me. it's partly why i adopted her in the first place. even as a puppy, she had those eyes. right through the puppy prison bars, she looked at me, and it was hook-line-and-sinker. i never had a chance. she's proven to be a very interesting, and at times challenging, dog. with her, i take less for granted. and despite the difficulties, it's hard to express how much i love her, how much she means to me, and how my heart fills with love for this surreal little pup...

Labels: art, dogs, doodle, drawings, illustrations, kehoe, one-a-day

:: ewee 4:19:00 PM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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lovely friday off in the bay
this is from a foodly day with miz sy on the occasion of her birfday. 900 grayson, crixa cakes, dinner with friends, and a moment to sketch on the porch of belly p. life could be worse.

Labels: art, doodle, drawings, illustrations, one-a-day

:: ewee 12:37:00 PM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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More June/July Sketches
From left to right: Pride/commute doodles. Kehoe (and her cute toes), funny sexy dancing bird from Planet Earth. The chickies from the Vung Homo Maxi-chick-pad (and biker crew).

Labels: art, doodle, drawings, illustrations, one-a-day

:: ewee 1:45:00 PM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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catching up...
July was a bit busy for posting, but lots of sketching and some painting happened. Gonna see if I can't catch up a bit and post some photos...

Top sketch is my birthday wish for my Sifu. (We made her a book for her birthday.) Bottom left is just a loose bit of flowers in our yard, bottom right is a quick sketch of the Contemporary Jewish Museum after my Storycorps date with miz sy.

Labels: art, doodle, drawings, h2h, illustrations, one-a-day

:: ewee 12:15:00 PM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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chickadee and such
Been drawing, but not as much as I'd like. Life's been busy, as has work.

Speaking of gainful employment, I've been back at some pixel pushing for pcw again. It's been fun, but I'm not sure how much of it I'll continue to get. We'll see. I've also been doing some side projects, and have been pleased to note that my pages are mostly ok on the iphone. Definitely hoping for more of that to come.

Hoping to get to more painting in the next couple weekends. Been furtively sketching everywhere I can--in meetings, at my desk, even when listening to the speaker at sy's meditation group. Finally, summer's begun in earnest. For all the fun of pride and the rest, it's also perfect time for lazy days spent moving from shady spot to shady spot, reading and drawing.

Labels: doodle, drawings, illustrations, one-a-day, sketches

:: ewee 2:58:00 PM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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Therapeutic
My wandering web ways have caught up with me. Nothing as spectacular or as humiliating as some (well, not yet anyway). It's been a long long time since I've been outta college, and I've been a reluctant alum at best. Since they've never managed to get much of a bead on what I've been up to, I thought I was safe.

My folks would be mortified to know that it wasn't producing progeny or six figure income that got me into the alumni rag (in case you're wondering, I have neither). Lo and behold. It's my noxiously gassy dogs that garnered me a mention--along with my FB tendencies, my predilection for Asian food, and the continued doodling disorder. All-in-all, not as bad as it could've been, and a remarkably good summation of my life. (And marginally better than the fictions I'd meant to send in.)

And despite my best intentions, my one-a-day project has slipped a little behind schedule. But I suspect that my gentle readers will forgive me the lapse (if said readers are even noticing the lapse). But I have been happily doodling my way through all sorts of occasions--the daily drawing is still mostly on schedule. So I'll post them as I can. I've also been working and reading a ton, so perhaps I'll use some of that fodder for my consistently random blog.

Labels: art, dogs, doodle, one-a-day, sketches

:: ewee 5:17:00 PM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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For Better or Worse
Been thinking a bit. lots happening offline these days. There's plenty of flak that happens everywhere, and I know that randomness means that anything can happen anytime. Yet, the killing of Marlon Mayorga gave me a bit of pause. A guy walking his dog a block away from his home, on a block that I love. Senseless and close to home, literally and figuratively. And been feeling overwhelmed and hopeless with all the changes at work. Decisions are made, people are discarded, and I don't expect business decisions to make sense to me all the time, but it's hard to keep rolling when it keeps happening, and things don't add up.

So I'm finding myself, on this rainy beginning to a rainy weekend, hunkering down, and thinking about living a right life, and how to appreciate and live life meditatively. We can't control how we enter or leave this world. Shoots, I'm fairly certain that I wouldn't want to have that kinda knowledge or power. But then what can we do? And what a perfect time to read my Buddha books. All we have, all we can do is now. In this moment. There's so much anxiety that drives me. It's good, in that it keeps me working hard and pushing to keep ideas flowing through me. It's bad, in that it can cripple my ability to enjoy the moment, to be here and now.

And to tie it all back to the posting-drawing schedule. Looks like posting once a week is about my speed, tho I'm still drawing nearly daily. It makes sense. Drawing comes to me easier, because it's the way in which I can reach that good crunchy present moment meditative state. When I draw, the constant dialogue is still there, and the lists of things I must accomplish are still there, but none of it is pushing on me as much--it flows, and sometimes, when it flows, it untangles and gets solved on its own. But mainly, it just flows, and I'm able to sit and look and truly see what's in front of me. And if I'm working on something that means something to me--a sketch, a painting--it can move me. Drawing my dogs makes me calm, and sometimes moves me to tears for loving their sweet true dogly selves so much.

So most of the sketches I'm posting this week are of my dogs. I'm working on a couple other paintings and bits, but this week I really got back into spending time seeing my dogs. Kehoe curled up tiny is how I imagine my pup--tiny and curled up and in need of protection. Funny thing is, she's a formidable looking rotty mix, and she's busy with her own defenses for herself and us against all manner of dangers--real and imagined. So many things worry her, and I wonder if she would've been better with an owner who wasn't so predisposed to anxiety and worrying. But dog and people are for better or worse (at least that's my theory), and so we keep on keeping on together.

The other sketches are of the mischievous little Tokimonster at rest. Despite all my defenses, she's carved out her own little curled up spot in my heart.

Labels: art, dogdogdog, dogs, doodle, kehoe, one-a-day, sketches

:: ewee 1:47:00 PM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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