Pink Lotus Pond

This was painted in my mulberry paper sketchbook. The paper is different from conventional watercolor paper. It does not allow for lifting of pigment from the paper. So every brush stroke is unforgiving and permanent. It also bleeds very easily. I have to say it is very difficult to paint on, but the paper is so beautiful it is worth it. The paper is very soft and has a wonderful shimmering quality, that unfortunately you can't see in the scan.

From the sketchbook....

Cats!

From my mulberry paper sketchbook. It has a wonderful translucent quality but it is surprisingly tough! More about my sketch book tomorrow... :-)

Hem - "Half Acre"

Here's a new (to me) band that I've recently stumbled across. Her voice reminds me a lot of Joni Mitchell, especially when she sings in the higher registers. This is a perfect melancholic song to me, both joyful and yearning at the same time. Apparently it is also from a commercial, but I've never seen the commercial. In any case I love the melody and the lyrics are quite beautiful as well. Really, I think that this song is saying that no matter where you go you will always have problems but the little comforts you have will always help you along the way. Or maybe this song is about people running from/looking for something, but really all along the answers can be found at home.



I read an interview from one of my favourite photography artists, Courtney Milne. I can't recall the exact words he said but the gist goes that he traveled all around the world looking for things of beauty and magnificence to photograph, which he did. But then when he came back home, he went into his backyard and found beauty there too.

I think often people keep searching for something "better" when what they are looking for is right in their own backyard, waiting for you to discover it.

Melissa Auf Der Maur

I saw her in concert once at a small little dingy club in Regina, Saskatchewan. What was the name of that club? I can't recall... The State? I remember that it had a metal pole placed dangerously in the middle of the mosh pit. The State was a great place to see concerts (minus the dangerous pole). It was such an intimate space, and the band was on a really high stage, so everyone (even the shorties like me) could easily see. There was also a balcony that you could go and watch the show from, if you didn't feel like being smooshed between a hundred sweaty bodies.

I remember being blown away by her stage presence and killer bass solos. She was opening for Matt Good that night, whom we didn't bother staying to see. I do believe that we were so disillusioned with the crowd, who did not get into MadM's music and therefore pissed her right off, that we decided not to stay. Also, we really only went to see her. Oh, MadM, I wish you knew you had at least two fans in the crowd.

The Last Persimmon

Blue Lotus 2

Autumn in the Mountains

Autumn in the mountains.
I walk this path today.
Softly singing her lament.
Come snow I will not stay.

Yearning yellows rusted reds,
on lofted boughs to hold,
should complement the bluest sky
kaleidoscopes of gold.

A small death may turn these leaves
into the warmest glow.
Yet bits of emerald want to cling
to the life they know.

Autumn's in the mountains.
Am I like the trees?
Burning cheeks are apple red.
The result of cold crisp breeze?

Autumn in the mountains.
Winter's on its way.
Sweet chickadee flits past me,
sing-songs along her way

I <3 Silent Hill 2 and Akira Yamaoka

Now, while I've never actually played the game, I've sat beside Rob while he played it. (And undoubtedly annoyed him by telling him to "go look over there, what's that?")
I love the soundtrack of Silent Hill 2. Thanks goes out to Akira Yamaoka for writing this beautiful music.

Theme of Laura


Promise

Blue Lotus

It took me about 3 weeks to paint this, but now I am allllmost finished. Just gotta put in some more highlights and shadows. I really envy people who can do a drawing a day. I wish I could do that.

This painting was inspired by a painting on a Korean temple. I've tried to paint a few lotus plants, but my backgrounds are not my strong point. I saw a painting with a great background of lotus leaves and I tried to emulate it, while trying not to copy completely. I think it worked out okay. I like the way the lotus flower on the left looks. I also like the tilted perspective.

The Fall

This movie is a captivating and enchanting movie. A five year old girl and a young movie stunt man meet in a hospital, after both falling and hurting themselves. The stunt man starts telling the little girl a story about five heroes on a quest to kill the evil villain. This movie takes you all over the world, and has some spectacular shots. The story had me bawling by the end. You need to see this movie! And don't forget about Baraka! (Can you spot some similarities between the movies? ^-^ )

Indonesian Kecak Chant from the movie Baraka

If you haven't seen Baraka, you really should. It's a beautiful movie, a kind of "silent" documentary of beautiful places in the world and their religions.

Boom Boom Satellites

boomboomsatellites

Within You Without You by The Beatles

"We were talking - about the space between us all and the people -
Who hide themselves behind a wall of illusion never glimpse the truth
Then it's far too late when they pass away.

We were talking - about the love we all could share
When we find it - to try our best to hold it there - with our love
With our love we could save the world - if they only knew

Try to realize it's all within yourself - no-one else can make you change
And to see you're really only very small
And life flows on within you and without you.

We were talking - about the love that's gone so cold
And the people who gain the world and lose their soul
They don't know, they can't see - are you one of them?

When you've seen beyond yourself
Then you may find peace of mind is waiting there
And the time will come when you see we are all one
And life flows on within you and without you."

Megan Lane, from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity...

For all you Voyeurs.

What do you look like right now?
A classy woman in silk pajamas.

Whens the last time someone told you they miss you?
Probably when I talked to my parents a couple weeks ago...

What were you doing last night at midnight?
I was sleeping. I sleep too much. This must stop.

Is anybody in love with you?
I'm pretty sure Rob is, but I think the amount of love varies depending on time of day...
I also have a disturbing suspicion that some Korean teachers are in love with me. It's terribly disconcerting.

Did you ever have one of those inflatable chairs or couches?
No, I imagine them to be sticky and uncomfortable. I'd much rather have a bean bag chair or hammock.

When is the next time you will kiss someone?
Who knows? when the mood hits.

Is there any emotion you're trying to avoid right now?
extreme depression ugh.

Last Movie you Watched?
I fell asleep watching "The Princess Bride". Hey, don't judge me, Rob downloaded it. LOL

Are you missing anyone?
Yes. Many people I left behind and people soon to be gone from here.

Did you get enough sleep last night?
Yes. Too much sleep.

Who was the last person you rode in a car with?
Rob. We meandered around south east side of Korea. It was great!

Do you believe in the saying "talk is cheap?"
Yes and "Actions Speak Volumes".

Are you looking forward to something as of right now?
Nine Inch Nails concert on the weekend.
Traveling around Southeast Asia and China, packing up and moving back to Canada.

How did your day go yesterday?
It was a day like any other. I went to work, did some lesson planning, surfed the net, read about the suffering of Moon Bears, the dog market, the boiling down of cats into a "herbal" tonic, and felt powerless and angry.

Do you miss the way things used to be?
Parts of the way things used to be, but it's never good to stay in one place your whole life. Both mentally and physically.

What's your mood right now?
conflicted, angry, powerless

What's something it seems like every other house has, but yours?
a kimchi fridge, a family, Korean people

What's your favorite Jolly Rancher flavor?
I haven't eaten a Jolly Rancher in years. I can't remember.

What brings out the worst in you?
Drinking too much and talking about sensitive issues, at the same time.

What song is currently stuck in your head?
amazingly i have no song stuck in my head.

Are you a private person?
I'm trying to be more open.

Would you like to see someone any time soon?
another vegetarian.

What's an important date coming up?
The day I choose to make the journey home

What do you say when you come home after a long trip?
"There's no place like home."

What brand toothpaste do you use?
"2080 original" it has advertisements for Korean universities on it. Rob gets them from his school all the time. I don't think we've ever bought toothpaste... or soap.

Have you ever passed out from heat exhaustion?
No, but I puked all night.

What kind of car do you drive, if you drive at all?
I don't drive, but i do have a bike. It's called a Lespo. I'm completely serious.

What do you think would be the most painful piercing to get?
I bet a genital one would kill, but also the bit between the nostrils (the bull ring).

Last person you played hide-and-seek with?
My nieces, Chloe and Ava.

How many more days till school starts?
I dunno, whenever they tell me that I will be teaching. Maybe next week. For the Students they never stop going to school. Vacation is non-existent here for Students.

When was the last time you went to Wal*Mart?
Mall Wart can kiss my ass. Who wants to shop at a place that supports child labor?

Do you need to do laundry?
Yes, but I don't want to. I think I'll just sit in my own filth for awhile.

How many windows are opened up on your computer?
eight

What are those windows?
blogger, plight of korean dogs (google search), International Aid for Korean Animals, Moonbears.org, some lesson plans for talking about moonbears with your students, and msn with rob

Who was the last person you texted?
Rebecca, a fellow teacher here, we went for supper together.

When was the last time you went swimming?
On the weekend I went to Heaundae Beach in Busan. I got the worst sunburn of my life.

Anything exciting happening this weekend?:
NINE INCH NAILS CONCERT!!!!!!!!!

When was the last time you saw lightning?:
When we were driving back to Taebaek at night, careening up mountain roads with a lighting storm looming in the distance.

When was the last time you watched Full House?:
When I was 5 years old. I hated it then too. Whose family is that perfect?

Are you currently dating anyone?
I'm pretty sure, chan shi manyo, let me go check. :-)

Will tomorrow be a good day?
It will be if I make it so.

Are you listening to music?
Nope.

Can you honestly say you're okay right now?
Not while there is suffering in the world.

What color are your pants?
Black Satin

What do you currently hear right now?
The generator from the grocery store, cars driving by, a man horking on the street, Korean language; "annyong haseyo". oh, the manager of our apartu is talking through the wall speaker, something about in two hours and now he's listing numbers. I dunno.

First person to text you today?
No one, I'm too old to be part of that lifestyle.

This time last year, can you remember who you were going out with?
Same guy I've been going out with for the past 10 years.

From the sketchbook...

The school that I work at has a nice little patio that I like to go sit on when there is nothing to do. Here is a sketch of the view...

How Bubbles are Made

If I make a painting as beautiful as this, then I can die happy...

Henry Wo Yue-Kee

Mr. Wo was born in Quangdong, China. Wo studied art in China and Hong Kong with Prof. Chao Shao-An. The artist came to live in Hong Kong in his 20s. After traveling and exhibiting widely in Asia, Australia, Canada and the U.S., in 1975 Mr. Wo moved to the United States. Wo now lives in Virginia in the U.S. where he continues to teach, paint and exhibit. Wo is an admirer of nature. Every one of his paintings is a poem in praise of the wonders and beauty of nature. His painting reflect his deep appreciation for the beauty of nature and for the beauty in all living things. Among the more familiar themes of his paintings are birds, flowers, landscapes and animals and plants often represented in their natural surroundings. Wo is particularly a master of the many forms of the lotus, which are often represented in his paintings.

Enjoying The Pond, 1992
33x18 in.(84x46 cm)
Mr. Wo is a master of strong brush strokes, which are softened by luxuriant use of color and numerous washes. These combine to give his watercolors a dreamlike, eretheral quality which he achieves by detailing only the main subject matter in his paintings but leaving much of the composition loosely representational, a technique which combines eastern and western artistic elements.

dream land

Press play on both videos at the same time. It's works really well together!



dream

did you know you spend approximately 6 years of your life dreaming?

Ink Drawings on Rice Paper

Puck it. I've thrown caution to the wind and have accepted my compulsion to make landscape drawings. It's risky to make non-risky art. It's risky because it's safe. It's risky because it's not on the fringe or avant garde. In all seriousness, to be a famous artist nowadays, you have to make weird, confusing and pretentious art.

So, I've entered an art competition and show in Daegu, South Korea. I will probably send the two images above to the show, as well as some others that I am frantically working on in the hopes of finishing them in time.... yeah, deadline pressure! it does an art career good!

I'm bracing myself for the comments of, "Oh, Pretty!" and then complete silence.

Whooo are Yew?

Yew Trees - Pencil Sketches

Ok, these are a bit better. So, now I need to put the realistic drawings within a mystic atmosphere... Unfortunately these sketches are drawn from images found on the internet. This weekend, though, I WILL climb the mountain and sketch some trees from real life. I like the idea of looking up into the tree, as in reverence or as a child would look up to an adult. In Korea, Yew trees are believed to be the spirits of ancient ancestors. I plan to do the sketches on some rice paper.

I came across an interesting web site created by an English Professor who has been living in Korea for the past 27 or so years. Although the site is pretty simple it has some interesting thoughts about Jamok-namu(Yew Trees) on Taebaek-san and about san-shin (Korean mountain spirits). Taebaek-san is supposed to be full of san-shin.

In other news, there is a "foreigners" art show in Daegu in May and the deadline for entries is April 24th. Hopefully I can get something done and entered in it.

Meow Zen

Isn't this awesome? I wish I had painted it...
But it was painted by this dude...

Despair, self pity and a painting of my "Short Cut"

Well, I think my previous painting is a lost cause. On Sunday I'm going to climb the mountain, take my sketch book and draw some Yew trees from real life. I think the Yew Tree should be an ink drawing on a rice paper background. Also, Yew tree from memory is just not working out.

Anyway, I did this painting below to blow off some steam. It's a little sad to me that landscapes/cityscapes are currently looked down on now as frivolous and meaningless art. I really like them. Some exciting things happen in city-scapes. This painting is of a little short cut that I take everyday coming home from work. It's a smelly little sewer river, but pretty in it's own way.


I especially like the way these three buildings turned out. I like how natural and relaxed it is.


So, in conclusion,

I guess I'm forever destined to be in the Museum of Bad Art. I can only dream.

And here is a picture of my two biggest fans watching me work...Peace.

Grey Sky

Grey Sky sleeps
cold mountain stone bed.
grumbling, Thunder rumbles
a distant drum.

Grey Sky weeps
tears fall on soft cheeks.
precious water drops in my hands
a clear light.

Making art can be frustrating!

Well, here is Paper Art #1, AKA Pink Rabbit at Sunset. :-D It's not exactly how I imagined it to be at the beginning. I felt really bogged down by this piece, and just wanted to finish it. Sometimes its best to just move on. Not everything can be end up being the way you first imagined it. (In fact, most things I create become something entirely different. I'm not convinced that is a good thing, although happy accidents are awesome too.) But I must remember not to be too hard on myself, especially when experimenting with a new medium. Yes, I will try to keep telling myself that. I must admit it is a bit of a downer... Next picture I hope will go a bit smoother! I'm also trying to teach myself how to work faster. Faster and better. Like a machine? Too bad I need to sleep and work, it just gets in the way...



Here is the next paper project.

I think after this one though, I'm going to switch to watercolour for the next project (Painting of Yew Tree in Fog) Then I will probably do the Yew Tree in paper as well.

Anyway, just for fun here is an adorable picture of Micha and Nabi sleeping in their box together.

Night All!

Bloc Party

Elizabeth Gilbert on coping with anxiety and the artistic process

Beautiful Paper!

Bought my rice paper today! I can't believe how inexpensive it is here only 1000 won (80 Canadian cents) a sheet, and big sheets too. When I was in Regina, home for a visit, I went and checked out the paper story there. Yikes, it was 7 dollars for a sheet of paper.

I am so excited. It's really gorgeous paper. WoWEEEE! Soon, I will begin! Hopefully tomorrow night or Sunday. (Art idea here)

p.s. *NEW* post on the travel blog Annyong Haseyo

Cool Music Alert!

Harry Manx


M.I.A


Mother Mother

From the depths of the sketch book...

My plan is to do some water colour paintings with these, like the mountain landscape painting I did earlier.
My other plan is to re-create these three images using beautiful rice paper that I see in the little supply stores here.
Wish me luck and the patience to endure the tedious path I've set out for myself.


Pink Rabbits at Sunset Over a River of Gold


Yew Tree and Grey Clouds

I Live in a Mountain Town

i live in a mountain town
i live in a mountain town
she's turned my life upside down
this beautiful mountain town

we don't speak the same language
we don't speak the same language
i can hear people laugh and play
we don't need to speak anyway

the river said hello to me today
it sparkled and burbled on it's way
the mist came down from the sky
i greeted them with a sigh

i was firmly a prairie girl
then i was dropped into this world
and as strange as it may seem
these mountains are embracing me

i live in a mountain town
i live in a mountain town
she's turned my life upside down
this beautiful mountain town

*NEW POST*

I've posted a new entry on my travel blog Annyong Haseyo

bzzzzt

Christopher Robin, I think the bees S-U-S-P-E-C-T something.
Perhaps they think you're after their honey.
Well, it may be that. You never can tell with bees

Some more of my drawing... still not done though. I picked a largish bit of paper... my hand is cramping up.

Portishead "We Carry On"

Dear Portishead, thanks for making this song. I always feel like dancing when I hear it.

P.J. Harvey

Thank you Ms. Harvey for making sad and depressing songs, and making them beautiful too. xo.

Just a glimpse of the drawing I am working on now.

I've got bees on the brain...

I love Bjork and Radiohead

Thanks for making weird and awkward cool. I appreciate it. xoxo.

Circus

Mindscape #1