Happy Holidays!

It's a busy time for all of us. I just wanted to wish all my readers and everyone in the greater blog ether a happy and safe holiday season. If you're traveling, never forget to bring extra underwear. Just trust me on that one.

Gung Hay Fat Choy and Happy Fat Tuesday!, New Outlet

My neighbor is Chinese and gave me a red envelope. She treats me like I'm her kid. I know red envelopes should only be for little kids but she's such a sweet old lady I couldn't help but accept the gift.

Happy Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras y'all! My boyfriend is giving up sushi (his favorite food) so we're going to eat a big sushi dinner tonight. I decided to give up on online shopping for Lent. It's going to be nerve wracking because I love the convenience and the distraction at work. More time for calligraphy and art!

Other news: The Hive Creations, a neat Tiki-themed gift shop based in Florida, has accepted my consignment inquiry! Now I can reach a whole new range of customers. I decided to create original artwork that combines to form a set if a buyer wants to get all three paintings. Really excited to take part on this new venture.

Happy New Year!

2009 had its ups and downs, but like bad wine it just leaves a funny, lingering taste in my mouth. (And smells like vinegar!) Here's to 2010 and 2 more years until the (proposed) end of days!

My New Year's resolution? To do a new piece of calligraphy every week, regardless of if I decide to sell it at my Etsy shop. If you have any words, phrases or even sentences you'd like me to write please feel free to suggest them. Otherwise I start writing weird things like 'mold' or 'fabulous' or something.

I shall leave you with this fun mash-up to help you with your NYE countdown

Thank You and Happy Holidays!

I finally found some time to make a Seasons Greetings post!

Thank you to everyone reading this for stopping by my blog, even if it's just to read this latest article. I update regularly, but not so often as to annoy you on your RSS feed. I post about things that inspire me along with stuff I sell. It's not one giant billboard/blog you see. I have a real life too.

Thank you to my small but ever growing group of blog followers. I never thought that even one person would take interest in my pretty pictures and random updates but it turns out there is at least one! I appreciate every comment and respond back when I can.

Thank you to my real life friends and relatives that gave their blessings to start my own little online shop. It's been a blast putting my business degree (and Japanese language minor) to good use as well as having a legitimate reason to stockpile on art supplies. I knew I had a well for talent, but if I wasn't pushed into selling things on Etsy I would have never realized how deep it really wise.

Happy Holidays everyone! Now to to your loved ones and friends and spend some quality time.

Christmas Presents: Something small and sweet

Erin and I were roomies during our college days. She's moved on to graduate (before I did!) and is now doing awesome things in concept art and video games. I decided to send a little Christmas Present with the Christmas card I mailed her.

Erin has a huge thing for bats, and I have this terrible, unbroken habit of drawing cute characters. Sure enough there was a blank ACEO-sized card that was screaming at me to doodle on. The little doll this bat-girl is carrying is my interpretation of Erin's boyfriend.

Christmas Presents Batch 1

Whoo boy good thing there's rain today. I was forced to stay indoors and paint.


The first painting I did was for a good friend who's a huge Sonic the Hedgehog fan. I did Sonic in my personal favorite form, Super Sonic. Back in my middle school years Dragon Ball Z fanart was my life. I drew Goku so often that now I don't even need reference images for his Super Saiyajin form. Early Super Sonic images resemble SSJ Goku too. I decided I liked the gold paint I used so much that I would use it in my remaining paintings as a tying theme.

I continued on to my Secret Santas. Since this is a comic book themed Secret Santa I knew I would be doing a lot of research to get the right characters, authors, and facts. On top of 'normal' presents that I planned to give them anyway I decided to make a few paintings as well. I would hate to waste good acrylic paint too.

The next painting was inspired by Superman: Red Son. If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend it. Imagine if Superman crash landed onto Soviet Russia rather than the United States. The Man of Steel is Stalin's greatest komrade. This painting doesn't depict a specific scene from the comic book, but I felt it would likely be in it. If you look carefully you may find another familiar DC character in the darkness.


Continuing on my next Secret Santee's favorite Green Lantern character is Guy Gardner. I admit I wasn't pleased with trying to depict a bowl cut, but I learned through a few character biographies that Guy Gardner has the strange haircut in homage to his own favorite comic book character. So the bowl cut stayed, as well as the funky 70's era vest design.


The last one for the weekend is this painting. My Secret Santee is a Patriots fan as well as a DC fan. I put two and two together. His favorite Patriots players (Tom Brady and Ben Watson) as his two favorite DC characters. The hardest part of this painting was matching the colors to the official ones for the Patriots uniforms. That blue (officially called 'nautical blue') isn't quite Navy but not quite indigo. The red is just ever-so-slightly brick red. Ah well, at least it made filling in the line art with color worth the wait.


Phew, done with the first batch! Four down and four to go!

Lotus Series 4 of 4, Presents (continued)

Last one for this series! I'm glad they're all up at my shop now.

Art - Lotus Series v1 - 4 of 4 - Mixed Media on Plywood


Looks like my Internet Secret Santa list has exploded. I'm keeping my vow to give handmade presents, though for my SS these will likely be paintings or drawings. Hopefully my Santees won't find out about this blog and spoil their surprises! =o

Lotus Series - 3 of 4, Presents

Another painting before Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the madness only known as 'The Holidays.'

Art - Lotus Series v1 - 3 of 4 - Mixed Media on Plywood


I'm sure I'm not alone in my decision to send some handmade presents this year. Running a craft shop has given me plenty of extra materials to put together for fun gifts. Maybe it won't be as charming as my niece's construction paper Christmas ornaments, but they'll be made with love all the same.

I figure at the rate I'll be mailing presents I'll be known by first name at my post office.