play

i know i've been neglecting this blog for awhile. i've been working on a big piece it will be 9 ft high x 13 ft wide.

so i've been messing around in my art journal for ideas, inspiration and just to play with the images i am to use. it is scary yet exciting to be creating a work in such a large scale. it is something i have never done before, so i am trying to explore first in my journal.

recent journal pages

i think the 4th page is my favorite one out of the four. i like making these monochromatic pages...i've also done a yellow spread and a purple spread in my journal.

i'm relieved that summer school is almost over - its been a busy 6 weeks for me and it would be nice to get a small break from studying.

issuu - self publishing online

last night i found a website called issuu.com, which allows you to upload a pdf document of your work and it will convert the file and make it like a magazine.

check out my art journal

art journaling

ive been art journaling like crazy lately. ive recently started writing and scribbling on my pages and it is so fun.

the backgrounds are acrylic paints (the cheap craft kind by plaid) that have been diluted with water to give a sheer watercolor look to them...

recent things

recent things:
1. i am going to peru! its finally confirmed - from may 24 to june 14 :) it will be my first time in south america, i cant wait to see peru...

2. i have a big project: a non profit called writerscorps, which teaches creative writing to youth in san francisco is celebrating their 15th anniversary this year.

so what does this have to do with me? well, ive been a student at writerscorps for about 5 years, since i was 13 and my writing has grown so much because of the program.

they are doing an exhibit, highlighting 10 students (which includes myself) but the biggest honor is that i will be doing a collage installation piece, on a wall that is possibly 5 feet tall, the dimensions arent confirmed yet but its a huge honor to be chosen! and ive never done any piece in such a large scale, so this will be a challenge for me...i am very excited though.

3. i will also be curating a small exhibit at the sf public library in their teen center space, i am thinking it will be a mix of zines i have collected over the years and possibly my own art journals. a possible workshop in conjunction with the exhibit may happen as well.

4. i applied to a juried craft fair but didnt make it in. i was kind of disappointed, but maybe it is a good thing i didnt get in since now i have all these other commitments happening. i love craft fairs but they are hard work and can be draining to me. even though i wont be a vendor at bazaar bizarre, i am excited to check out the maker faire in san mateo, happening may 3 and 4.

5. i had a bowl of pho at a restaurant on irving. what was disappointing was that they only gave me one measly meatball and it didnt taste that great either. it reminds me next time to just go to the other restaurant across the street.

6. i love guava juice especially the kern's nectar kind. i think i am addicted to them...

7. more journal pages done recently:





8. and finally take a peek at the newest anthropologie catalogs. they're always a source of inspiration for me.

poor neglected blog

i'm still here. i just fall behind on blogging and all that sometimes.





ive been playing with adding words to my journal pages and its fun. i hate it when the pens clog up though.

latest journal pages

quick collage

the results of just playing around in my journal today...

the bits and pieces i collect to cut & paste

recent collages in my journal.

last days before school starts

i am going to miss summer and doing whatever i want. i have been working on various atcs, tags and the skinny book pages for swaps. i find that when i get stuck making things i go back to my journal and just play in it, without worrying about messing up.

new journal

acrylic paint and collage, starting in a new journal is fun. i like making backgrounds before doing the collage and writing so i dont have to be confronted with a white background.

art journal pages

wow, i've been neglecting to scan my art journal pages up lately...
some of these pages are from april!


this one is by far my favorite spread, i like the soft green and the simple composition.



i've been working on so many little things but i havent been doing too many swaps lately. maybe i've burnt out or something..but i want to join some new ones. i also started an altered book and i am half way through it. i also really want to finish nonsensical #11 but i keep putting it off for some reason. i have to finish it soon.

art in my journal

i haven't been able to journal as much as i'd like to lately. i've been busy with my school work, my etsy shop and writing. i am making a little video of some of my art journal pages at a non-profit called writercorps on thursdays...hopefully it will be finished soon.




i found this call for art journal pages for a book to be published by quarry books:

1,000 Artist Journal Pages

4/2/2007

**DEADLINE MAY 15, 2007**
Rockport Publishers/Quarry Books is an international publisher of high-quality visual and idea books for design professionals and creative enthusiasts—crafters, artists, and designers.

We are seeking project contributors for an upcoming book tentatively titled 1,000 Artist Journal Pages. The book will feature pages of artists journals created by non-professional artists.

Projects should be artist journal pages that are bound into a journal or book or created to be bound in a journal or book. Pages can use any media and/or found elements and include text, illustration, collage, sketches, etc.

We are seeking projects in the following categories:

* Sketched or doodled pages
* More is More: using a wide variety of mediums, with images and text
* Collaborative: projects that are considered round robins or worked on by more than one person
* Graphic approach: Emphasis on text as art
* Raw journals: Edgy, truthful and extreme visual journaling
* Fabric: Using fiber materials for construction
* The found journal: using mainly found materials

Deadline is May 15, 2007 Though selections will begin immediately so don’t wait!

download the pdf for more info:
http://www.quaysidepub.com/files/subflyer.pdf

latest journal entries

here is my latest collage in my journal, it's sunny and bright which is definitely not the weather in sf right now. it's all foggy and cold and damp. the yellow paper is actually 'spring sale' postcards from anthropologie that i picked up today i liked the bright pattern and how happy yellow looks.

i did a foolish thing today. when i left the house i forgot my keys. it's funny because i just realized it when i shut the door and then i couldn't get back inside because nobody else was home.


ephemera used in this collage:
vivienne westwood exhibit brochure
envelope from germany - i love the flower stamps
tree graphic from a business card
green tissue paper
catalog page
map
foreign text page



i like how pretty the colors and patterns are.

heat wave and journal pages

a heat wave has hit SF. today's weather was in the mid 70s, which is definitely considered hot for san francisco - we're usually in the 50s and 60s and foggy...so my usual outfit of jeans and a long sleeve shirt were much too warm for today. i think daylight savings also made me feel more tired.

besides that, school is making me way too busy. i have two essays to write & a midterm to study for and i have to look up info for a research paper..how fun.

on sunday, me and my cousin did our art journaling together. it's fun to sift through scraps and look at each other's work. she also altered a tin that she's going to give to a friend.

recent journal pages:

new work, etc

i've been off blogging lately. it's mostly because i feel like i have nothing to say, nothing to report really that would interest people. i've also been busy last weekend with chinese new year, visiting relatives and getting my lai see envelopes from them.



this is a tip in journal page i made for a person at atcards. it's inspired by nick bantock & vintage travel. i've been going to this little garage sale not too far from my house and they have a box filled with vintage postcards! most of them are blank, but some of them have been written in by people. i bought a few of the written ones and i plan on using them in my collages.


the collage in my journal for today. most of the time, when i start these collages in my journal i don't have much of an idea of what's going to come next. i've been intrigued lately about using one main color in a collage and trying to find as many things in that color. that's where the pink collage on the right is coming from, just layering pieces of paper of the same color together to see what happens. i also didn't plan on gluing down the glassine envelope down. it's empty right now, but i plan on writing a journal entry and sticking it inside the envelope.

finishing touches

my collage in my journal today:


lately, i've been altering tins. but i've also been doing several pieces at once and for awhile none of them felt finished. thanks to cassandra's package of goodies - scrabble letters & many other things as well as lia's wonderful package of ephemera i have finally finished up some of the projects.



this is a 5 1/2 x 8 collage done on a cover of a book. it was a book of sonnets by shakespeare and the cover was falling apart.

a fashion themed altered tin:




originally, the inside had a belt buckle glued inside, but i couldn't glue it down flat so i had to remove it.

a school themed tin, full of found/ordinary objects:

wishing for a spring day

i love the color green.
today is such a grey day, everything outside is dull and the sky is ready to release rain.

in my journal today

inspiration/art everyday in feburary

the creative act starts in feburary and is simply make a piece of art everyday for a month, then post it up on your blog, flickr and comment on the blog.

inspiration from my flickr contacts:
one is from citrusfaire
two is from queenthings
three is from kala art
four is from supercapacity
five is from cat sidh
six is from queen of tarts