Q. Illustration

The things I do, the decisions I make…how the hell do I come up with this shit?

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:12:58 -0400

The things I do, the decisions I make…how the hell do I come up with this shit?

If the sea were a mirror..

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 13:51:04 -0500

If the sea were a mirror..

A recipe illustration on Bamboo sticky rice. Yum!

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 13:49:49 -0500

A recipe illustration on Bamboo sticky rice. Yum!

A piece I did about computer dumping in China.

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 13:46:22 -0500

A piece I did about computer dumping in China.

A recent graphite illustration of morphing bodies.

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 13:30:54 -0500

A recent graphite illustration of morphing bodies.

2 Minutes before...

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:12:09 -0400

4.20!

And here’s an update on my work throughout second semester!

My friend having tea and watching Frida Kahlo painting a nude model. 11 x 14 Graphite

Tough Cookie!?

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 22:15:16 -0500

So, I’ve been working on this project where I have to create my own font out of zoological, biological, or human motives. I chose figures, more specifically acrobats in the air to spell out the word aerodynamic. This is just the beginning process but I feel like it looks pretty good. However, my professor and I don’t seem to see eye to eye. He isn’t convinced that my Y, N, and A are “readable,” or at least not to its the best of its ability. I don’t know, I wasn’t so hot about his comment.

Anyway, I brought the print home and showed it to my friend and she made some good points, which made me realize that maybe, my teacher was right. My two legs on the Y need to shorten, and the arm on the n is a little long. I need some work on the A (unfortunately.)

Anyway tell me if you can read it.

Be With Me.

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 17:12:00 -0500

I just finished the saddest movie of all time called “Be With Me” directed by Eric Khoo. It consists of three love stories that relate back to each other by the end of the movie. So the first story is about a lonely grandpa/shopkeeper who lost his wife but then becomes inspired by a blind and deaf woman by her life story that his son translated into Chinese. The second story is about a tubby, and quiet man in his fifties who’s only two loves in life are food and a beautiful executive woman whom he secretly stalks, and finds joy in observing her. Then, the third story is about two schoolgirls who fall in love through the internet, but then it doesn’t fall through.

This isn’t your everyday romance, cutesy, heart-wrenching-but-everything-works-out-in-the-end kind of film, and i just texted my friend stating that it’s a movie about love, but it’s not about the romance; rather, it’s about the breaking point, what happens after, and the mental torture that comes with being in love. Whether it’s a 60 year marriage, a secret admiration, or a fling, love definitely HURTS.

So, what’s really interesting about this movie other than the fact that it made me bawl like a baby is the limited script. There is hardly any conversation going on in this movie, but Eric Khoo does an amazing job focusing on the power of physical interaction and facial expressions. There is some talking, but most of it is dubbed over by the blind and deaf woman who talks about her life journey in understanding what love truly means in life, quite empowering. Also, this movie reminded me a little bit of Wong Kar-Wai’s filming methods such as prolonging a shot to create tension, loneliness, and sadness, no stark contrasty colors though, sorry Mr. Wong!

Anyway, if you’re looking for a solid cry, whether you are a man or woman, check this movie out. I guarantee you, whoever you are, you maybe the toughest person on the block but the realness in this movie hits home, that is if you’re not a robot or something.

This movie made me think a little bit about what love means to me. I joked with my friend and told him, “this movie was so sad that I think I’m just going to love everyone now!” I mean I don’t think I could handle loving everyone, or whether that is even possible. No, I think I dislike more people than I could ever truly love someone. Love surely comes in many forms, even weird ones, like the ones where you get struck meeting eyes with someone getting off the train. Maybe an experience like that isn’t exactly what love is, but it’s definitely a fluttering feeling that may or may not be similar to love. Love is sneaky, tricky, and totally confusing, but when it’s there, it’s the best feeling in the world. Love is a total bastard.

I can say I’ve been in love before, and fallen deeply for it, almost like an addiction. The rise from it is almost as bad as withdrawal from coke. Ok, that’s a bit dramatic but I don’t need to tell you guys how bad it feels to lose someone you once loved. But what I can say is that after my experience falling in and out of love, that no matter what, love can be found everywhere in everything. So what if you don’t have a boyfriend or girlfriend at the age of 14? You don’t need that title to be in love. If anything, love can even be applied to yourself. I truly think that in order to find someone you truly love, you have to love and understand yourself first or else how will you find that true person? Anyway, enough ranting, touchy topic for me, for everyone, ick love right?

Here are some other movies I checked out over break. I just didn’t post them because I thought wow, “Be With Me” hit the spot!

Election (Hong Kong)

Election II (Hong Kong)

Lust and Caution (Hong Kong)

Mother (Korea)

Chocolate (Thai)

Akira Kurosawa Dreams (Japanese)

IP Man (I think it’s Hong Kong)

I think I’m in love with my Asian-Cinema.

Oh Wait!

La Vie En Rose (France)

and Edith Piaf. I think she’s phenomenal.

fuckyeahasianthings: Dim Sum (by...

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 09:16:28 -0500

fuckyeahasianthings:

Dim Sum (by tanyeTT)

clavalenc answered: DIMSUM

OOH I WAAANTT ITTT. someone come binge with me TT.TT

I just love and adore her. This is one of my favorite songs and...

Sun, 16 Jan 2011 03:11:45 -0500

I just love and adore her. This is one of my favorite songs and she performs it with so much feeling, passion, and sexiness. Swoon. Corinne, you are one beautiful woman. She speaks to me.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ for perfect afro. I wish.

fuckyeahasianthings: Bento 12- Hello Kitty onigri with Apple!...

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 23:05:34 -0500

fuckyeahasianthings:

Bento 12- Hello Kitty onigri with Apple! (by LuckyKawaiiForever)

isleofgold answered: ONIGIRI FO SHO xD

Onigri:
Japanese food made from white rice formed into triangular or oval shapes and often wrapped in nori (seaweed). …

or a hello kitty.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Why do I find this amusing? I may just do this to my husband one day. SURPRISE!

You’ve got the right kind of insanity for me.

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 06:12:51 -0500

You’ve got the right kind of insanity for me.

cindyko: You DON’T NEED A Boyfriend To Feel Good! (via...

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 14:51:31 -0500

cindyko:

You DON’T NEED A Boyfriend To Feel Good! (via luanlegacy)

dying, hahahahaha

OH BUDDHA SLAM THIS BITCH.

I. LOVE. HIM. He’s damn convincing, maybe I should talk like a flaming red headed gay asian man when im giving advice to my girlfriends.

hells yeah

How beautiful.

Sat, 08 Jan 2011 16:41:38 -0500

How beautiful.

Semester I Illustrations.

Sat, 08 Jan 2011 15:45:00 -0500

Like I promised, some work from first semester. I’m not uploading everything, just the good ones :)

Chrysanthemum Portrait. Because chrysanthemums are my favorite :) I might get a tattoo of the flower once I make some doughh

A quick acrylic painting. I’ve been real into it nowdays!

Phat and Ballin! Party D.J Buddha! Dig it.

My two favorite past-times. One, day dreaming, two driving. Put them together and you get this funky piece! I don’t suggest for ANYONE to do these two things together. Ever.

Arooj Painting properly photographed and uploaded. For some odd reason, and I hate myself for saying this but the quality MAYBE very similar to my stupid android phone. Yuck. Weird. Technology.

This is of my friend looking stressed out and annoyed. I tried to capture her mood during finals. I think it’s pretty clear how we all felt haha. She also has like the perfect almond eyes. What a desi princess!

Another one of my friend. This is more of her chill time.

Here’s a bit of a close-up. Gouache is NOT my friend. I do not like her. She’s difficult.

So those were my favorites, and here’s some random exploration of media pieces :) Enjoy!

Gouache, watercolor, color pencil on printmaking paper. I think I could go further with this, I’m digging the leaves.

Mmmm. Fruit. Nom.

This was one of my first landscape pastel drawings. It was fun, a little hard to see though. The funny thing about pastel paintings is that you have to view it at a certain distance so that each mark will optically mix. It’s like magic! Do it next time you go to a museum :)

oH man this was just a pain in the butt, BUT I’ll show you guys anyway. I think this was a crazy moment for me.

That’s it! I did a bunch of digital work too but I’ll post those later. My computer is freaking out! Ick. Technology. How I love and hate you so..

Here’s a Cantonese interview, and his energy, and tone is...

Sat, 08 Jan 2011 03:22:27 -0500

Here’s a Cantonese interview, and his energy, and tone is a bit different from his English persona. He’s more chill, funnier, and a lot more comfortable I think. But when he speaks English, I mean well, he’s just suaaveee

Oh what a boring interview, clearly my husband is UNAMUSED by...

Sat, 08 Jan 2011 03:01:34 -0500

Oh what a boring interview, clearly my husband is UNAMUSED by the interviewer. Man, but still so sexy, so mysterious, so soft-spoken, ooohh whhyy Tony do you DO this to my hearrrttt. He’s just got the face of a real maan. Maybe Im just insane.

LOL. Speaking of chan missing… WHERE IS SHIN-CHAN!???

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 15:00:07 -0500

LOL. Speaking of chan missing…

WHERE IS SHIN-CHAN!???

For My Chinese-Americans.

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 14:29:00 -0500

So I wrote a long post about Chinese-Americans and their on-going political and cultural struggles living in this country which was inspired by this movie that I’ve found on netflix called Chan Is Missing, but it got deleted. Poo.

Oh well! This is an awesome, awesome old-school black and white film about two Chinese-American taxi drivers, an old Chinese man named Jo and his nephew Steve running around the streets of San Francisco’s Chinatown in search of a man named Chan who ran off with their money. I researched a bit about it, and apparently it’s the first American-made film in which Chinese-Americans are portrayed in the most realistic way. Unlike many other Asian-American films where Asian actors and actresses are limited to certain roles based on stereotypes, or just another predictable racial awareness movie, Chan Is Missing brings the viewer INTO the struggles by the way the director, Wayne Wang films it. It’s very documentary-like, not just any ole’ detective story; rather, Wang uses this motive to explore deeper cultural issues. The movie gets really hectic, lots of shouting, talking over others, and that’s because Wang brings the viewer into the conversation by making the viewers observe the scene through one of the character’s eyes, kind of like being the first person. Throughout the movie, the two cabbies meet up with various characters to find out where Chan went, and as they encounter these people, issues that Chinese-Americans face trying to “fit-in” to contemporary American society come up in conversation, as if it’s just normal everyday conversation. Nothing racist, or dramatic really happens which is why I think this movie is so interesting because it’s really just a bunch of Chinese-American folks talking, analyzing, and even laughing about the issues that they face for as long as the Chinese immigrated to America. The different people that they meet in various parts of Chinatown all carry a different persona, different views, opinions, cultures, and even sub-cultures which is a clear commentary on the stereotype that all Asians are alike.

It’s very much like what we do nowadays, bitch, moan, about the injustices that minorities face day in and day out, but hey, we have all the right to do it, and honestly, sometimes it’s a bit funny how things are the way they are. I don’t think this movie was made to change the world or anything, but it is definitely a much closer, more personal, less cheesy insight to how, what, and why Chinese-Americans feel left out in both western and eastern culture. It’s like we’re another breed or something. It’s really quite different.

Oh by the way, this film was made in 1982 so it’s the culture is totally different. It’s really funny to hear a Chinese man talk all funky and cool-cat like with a heavy Chinese accent. Honestly, it was kind of hard to follow especially since there was a lot of talking trying to find out where this man is, and then the different opinions about life as a Chinese-American in the United States, it’s a movie you gotta watch twice at least. But anyway, the shots were cool, not as artsy as Wong Kar-Wai’s films but definitely different. Even though it was made in the 80’s, I can somehow relate so personally to this film. It’s really fascinating, and even as a Chinese-American, I learned a lot from this, about history, about identity, about culture, really highly recommended for anyone, but for my Asian Americans out there, you gotta check this out. Plus, its pretty funny. Not anything like Harold and Kumar but, funny in a cultural way. I mean c’mon, old Chinese men arguing, a well known Chinese restaurant, mah-jong, chain-smoking, Chinglish!? all wrapped up in a mystery!? Please, humor me, watch this for your own sake. It’s just great.

COME ON YOU GOTTA LOVE THE OLD GUY. husband.

No but really, LOOK AT HIM. He’s like a little grandpa. Can’t you just imagine him shuffling down Chinatown eating a pineapple bun, drinking coffee loaded with cream and sugar, reading the Chinatown newspaper!? Also, Marc Hayashi, definitely JAPANESE.

Which reminds me.

I went to a Saloon yesterday night with my cousin, her boyfriend, his cousin and a friend of mine. It was kind of an unexpected find, we had no idea that it was going to be a saloon…but anyway. This moroccan guy taps me on the arm and proceeds to drunk flirt with me. This is how the conversation went:

MoCo: Hey what is your name?

Me: Helen. (I don’t know why, don’t ask me.)

MoCo: Oh hi Helen, (and had to repeat his name 5 or 6 times because I couldn’t even try to listen, but eventually I gave in. I forgot though.)

Me: Hi. (shakes hand)

MoCo: I like Japanese Girls.

Me: I’m not fucking Japanese. I’m Chinese. (whips hand away) Specifically, Cantonese.

MoCo: Oh

Me: And I’m a blazing lesbian.

MoCo: Coommee oooonnnn

You know, I just don’t think I can educate drunk people. Nope.

Redhead Monroe

Sun, 02 Jan 2011 15:02:39 -0500

Yes. It’s not a blazin red, but red enough to be a “true” red head. Oh, and the monroe is back!

oh if only marilyn had red hair…or maybe if i go blonde!?

well, its only temporary. ;)