"Shen Nong"- In process

      After applying a few layers of rice paper I decided to sand part of it away and even get it wet to help with the process. I wore a mask as I had an asthma attack a few days earlier, it helped to an extent. Once I got really into sanding parts of it away I got a little winded.


I left it propped up against the wall over night, and came back after work... the cats had used it as a scratching post!!! I have been cleaning up the studio today and will take some pictures of the result they created.

       Pride is just around the corner I can't wait to see some old friends who have been away for a while. I will be posting about different aspects which relate to my practice and have them linked to the "Studio Research" page which is on the right. I hope to have a collection so I have a better understanding of what I do and like. I have posted a list of ones I want to do at this point in time, but I hope this list will grow. Many of them may help others and I hope they do. This is the second part of my reason for doing this.  Please look forward to these posts~

Working with water

 This year has been great. I have joined the AGO and the South Asian Visual Art Centre. In addition to attending great workshops, documenting and  self-mentoring.
    To begin the year I showed Hysteria that was a return to an old process that I used. One of which I am working on still on the side.
    My other work is branching out slowly. Watercolour has come back into my work, and I need to understand it more. Just as I need to learn more about sumi-e ink, I hope to play, make mistakes and possibly take more classes on them. This coming year is very important to me as I am turning 25. No longer am I a young adult but a full adult. Its time to make everything fall into place, a lot is planned for 2012. I have a whole to-do list dedicated just to my art practice which is displayed in large print on my wall next to my desk. Seeing it since I printed it just reminds me of how much needs to get done for the more technical side of art. Website, professional business cards and networking sites. Everything links together.  Exciting! Exciting things are going to happen.
                    Over the next day or so I will be finishing a work for a e-card for my mailing list. I have added a few people whom I hope want to be included but this initial Holiday "card" will allow them to opt out if they so please.  If you would like to be added to my list I have a link to the right of my blog for you.
    It has been a long few weeks leading up to the holidays. I am off to be for the night to be prepared for another day of work Studio and Work-Work. Happy Holidays everyone~

Finished work~

Took a bit to finish but it's a good start to find out how I can incorporate tea properly. Heading to my parents' this weekend so I can grab better paper amongst other things I need to grab (watercolours included). The room/studio thing is slowly compromising itself to a comfortable level. Poor Shuuhei (Kitty~) might have his cat litter moved so I can have a little cart with my supplies available. We will see how things go after my trip home~

Working away and decideing ..

My studio is small but there is no problem with that. I just need to figure out how to get the water and wash plates right next to me and have all my other equipment organized with it.
The list only starts there. How am I going to store the "Tea paint"? How often do I have to change it before it starts to ( uhhh) mold? Do I want to use watercolours in my work? Do I need thicker paper? (already know the answer: YES!) Do I want to start sizeing my paper before starting? (still a maybe) Is this all cat safe? ( My cat LOVES to get his nose into my things) Am I being catious for my own health?
So many things to go over~ I can't wait to get things together instead of in a tiny basket under my easel.

Moveing and art?

So no real painting or anythidng has happened the last while. With exception of a fundraiser peice I will post once I locate my camera again in this mess.
I ended up moveing finnaly out of the student Co-Op I was in before to Cabbage Town. Very friendly area and quite relaxing. Only problem now is that I have to un pack and re arage things in between working. Thankfully I have two helpers who have been working on painting while I am working full time at Teaopia. Hopefully I will beable to get something going once I have the room and the level of cleanliness I want in here.
Still waiting on my dad to make up a bracket for my futon which won't sit up right without it. I could suffer but It would be nice to have a couch and to get the coffee table I have been eyeing in chinatown which folds up flat.
Anyhow enough moving talk. I will have work going soon. I am hopeing to take some knitting to work for my break, that way I will not loose it from not working on some kind of art object.
That is all for the time being.
Best to all <3

Thesis exerp - Past Work

Past work
I received a quote from Cathy Daley attached to an assignment on child hood memories, “We are all rooted in our childhood” from Ida Appleboorg, perhaps this is what fueled my work. My ink work began in her class Representation from Memory and Desire (third year), each assignment consisted of a series which tended to be more than 5. All my work from that class related to a childhood memory, but my final series on fear relates to it most. My fear of carrying a child to term and delivering, something my mother will not be told till after I have my first child. Twenty ink drawings 9.5 by 10.5 rice paper I had purchased at The Paper Place to experiment with the summer before.
The year (second year) before that I had taken Chinkok Tan’s watercolour class, where he taught us to work without prior drawing before putting paint on the surface. I tend to switch between drawing before and direct painting since this class. It also fueled my admiration for Chinese brushes. Not only were they more than affordable but their ability to hold the ink was much better than the acrylic brushes I had before then. I have acquired squirrel hair brushes since then but I still find myself going back to these goat hair brushes you can get as cheap as a dollar.

Large works?

Been so busy with papers and such I took a moment to start some larger pieces. I have always been fascinated by the old art of the east. Gods and Goddesses, Buddha, immortals and demons. Especially the Bodhisattva with a thousand arms.

After thinking it over I have decided it was time to reincorporate my old themes into my new work. I am hoping this piece turns out as well as I wish it will. In addition I have plans to create an even larger piece which will play out the HIV advertisements I saw last year. Bodies covered in many arms, clining and possesing the body. I am beginning to wonder if these new pieces are still part of this collection or not. They do not invoke innocence but desire and the want to be loved or held by someone. It has been perhaps too long since I have seen my girlfriend that it's unconsciously being put to paper with my ink brush. Oh well time to get back to work <3 ----------------
Now playing: ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION - Rewrite
via FoxyTunes

Holiday clean-up tommorow

I went home for a while but I'm back to tidy up my apartment and thesis studio. Going to work hard tonight to finish a portrait of my late Grandma for her husband. So far it looks Impressionist so It should turn out well as I know I can do that well. I will post pictures either tomorrow or later to night of it's progress.
On a side note I am going to work on studies for final works for thesis and do some drawings etc. I might even start the files for my photo series I want to do. Although I am wondering how much it will cost to print when I do it. Size is always an issue for me it seems when talking to peers about my work. I'll do some research on it and decide it all out before I compile everything together. I'm going to go make some tea and tidy up for dinner/lunch and my painting session <3>

working more on the body

After Wednesday and Thursdays critiques I've been working aggressively on various works. I hope to get about 10 works done by Halloween, various sizes. It's a goal, a good one at that.
I'm trying to get good-old-rough-copies of assignments that need to be done. If all works out, Monday will be a studio day. Tuesday, I am hopeing to head to the ROM for a few hours (2-3?) to see the Vanity Fair show. It's free for students to get in so I save 10$ ( I usually go on half price nights, aka friday).

This work I have though is done on Velum with charcoal. I really think I need to make a large version of one like it on the same paper. I am working with the ideas of Donna Haraway and her Cyborg. I quite like the construction of the body. The biology, the mechanics etc.

This other piece is in process, same idea but trying to use the same candy like colours in it. I started to use gel transfers as well, their prity interesting. Going to see how this piece goes.

This watercolor is done actually, but here is it before it was. It's at the studio, I will get around to documenting it soon. Really nice, I wonder what Catherine Will say about it. I'm off to bed, going to open tomorrow. Good Night world.

Almost end of a long day

Today I attended(attending or waiting more so for the latter) Post-Modern perspective & Art Writing Workshop. Almost at the end of a long week, I look forward to Gongfu Tea session after, in addition to reading required texts. Assignments need to be completed ,or considered and studies need to be done.
Thesis went well. I have to present my past work next week. Although I switched studios, from room 430(100 McCaul) to the 205 Richmond St studio ( there was a $50 deposit for the other room, money I need for food). Because of this my thesis adviser is changing.
I cleaned up my room studio and set out work to photograph for presentation next Thursday. These images will be posted here as well.
I have been reading Sun Tzu's Art of War in preparation of thesis. It has helped me mentally prepare for the work I want to do.

Class is starting in less than an hour so I will stop here. Wish me luck.