Six Years Ago...

TRANSPARENCY

Graphite pencil on paper 18" x 24" (2003)

Zoomed in photo of the same still-life (above).

CARICATURE OF JOHN
Graphite pencil on paper 18" x 24" (2003)
(2 minute mandatory exercise. Not a fan of time...)

SELF-CARICATURE (doing the Russian kazatskis aka squat kicks)
Graphite pencil on paper 18" x 24" (2003)

Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse...we were required to draw a caricature of ourselves in 2 minutes. For those who know me, you're probably familiar that the subject I hate drawing/painting the most deals with self-portraits.

(CANNOT RECALL ORIGINAL TITLE OF THE PIECE)
B&W Conté crayons on tan paper 18" x 24" (2003)

This particular assignment involved copying a sketch from an artist from the 1700s to understand his/her drawing methods. For the life of me, I can't remember who I randomly chose from a library book and what this piece was originally called...

Although no guidance or instruction was provided by our professor, I thoroughly enjoyed his presence. He always utilized classroom time to conjure up complex and profound proverbial philosophies about life... Once in awhile, we'd received random art exercises which involved staring at a prearranged piece of still-life for one minute---only to dabble our foot in recreating the image on paper with our eyes closed... One particular assignment involved drawing without lifting our pencils off the page for two hours. Long story short: we didn't really learn anything, but it was a memorable experience that I appreciate.

This was my first and final art course at the University of Washington.

More scraps from the closet...

For as long as I've known, I've always been fearful of the detrimental side-effects excessive pride could play on an individual. As a result, most of my artwork was carefully tucked away and hidden from sight. Since I figured there was nothing particularly special or great about these pieces, it didn't matter anyways.

I personally believed that if an individual truly appreciated art, they would never do it to impress others. In order to convince myself that this conviction purely aligned with my personal ambitions, I made a pact to eliminate any desire to show my artwork to others. Stupid, huh?

Now that those days are over, here are some more pieces during my early to late adolescent years (ages 12-17). Art has and still does represent many things to me.

PASTEL GARDEN
Oil on canvas 10" x 14" (1997)

SHADOW LILY

Color pencils on black paper 16" x 12"(2001)

PIECES OF MAY
Scattered assortment of acrylics on cardboard 15" x 18" (1999)

CAREFREE WALTZ
Watercolor on coldpress paper 10.5" x 13.25" (2002)

SERENITY
watercolor on coldpress paper 16.5" x 12" (2003)

INU-YASHA - SHOGATSU
Acrylics on cardboard 28" x 19.25" (2003 - unfinished)

Multitude of Joy!

Just two days ago, a precious package arrived at my doorstep. It sat motionless and patiently until the recipient stumbled upon it... Unsurprisingly, the keepsakes buried within brought a multitude of joy. They are all creations from my best friend and I can't help but share them here!

FADILAH FARAK (means Virtuous Star in Arabic) by Julie
100% hand sewn doll custom made from cloth, felt, thread, and genuine love
Intricate turtles delicately folded by Richard


PORTRAIT OF LUCKY & SNOWBALL by Julie <3
pencil on paper 5" x 5"

...and here are the two little troublemakers now! Even the box was a gift in itself: a new playhouse for the cutest rats you'll ever find!

Julie, thank you so much for adding so much COLOR to those who are fortunate to meet you! It comes to show how thoughtful you truly are.

Collecting dust...

Since I was a child, art always represented an undefinable realm which signified unlimited creativity; hence the ultimate form of expressive liberation. It was a world of endless possibilities, forms, colors, sensations and sound; where reality met surrealism and imagination faded into actuality. Quite honestly, it served as an escape from the doldrums of personal life. For the past nine years, I grew increasingly reluctant towards sharing my artwork--not because I was afraid of what others thought, but because I placed too little faith in myself.

To celebrate life and break this barrier of inhibition, I suppose it makes sense to post some old artwork first. Sadly, I forgot these pieces existed. Each one was created during my early adolescence (ages 14-17). They've been collecting dust for five years now.

ART
color pencils and markers on paper 11" x 7.75" (1999)

TEAPOT REFLECTIONS
graphite pencil on paper 14" x 17.25" (2002)

ARUM LILY PRISM
watercolor on cardboard 15" x 20" (2003)

UTOPIA
Cardboard Structure (2000)SACRED CIRCLE
Color pencils on paper 16.5" x 16.5" (2000)