Here's my output for the class in chronological order:
Plein Air paintings
Here's my output for the class in chronological order:
Some recent portraits
Family portraits
Guess who?
At Gasworks park, originally uploaded by flyingroc.
P.S. It's my parents, if you haven't guessed. Hehe
Portraits in pen and ink
Jayne, originally uploaded by flyingroc.
All that crosshatching almost drove me crazy tho.
Things to be grateful for: a sandwich and a beer
This Lent, I am trying to nurture a spirit of gratitude. It's good to be thankful for the many blessings that we get--not only good in absolute terms, but good for you as well. Apparently, keeping a gratitude journal makes people more happy. So I decided to document what I'm thankful for on my blog.
So here's what I am thankful for: the simple joy of having a sandwich and a beer. This picture was taken at the Empire Alehouse in Mt. Vernon. Last Saturday, I felt like driving for no reason, so I drove north until I got hungry, and ended up in Mt. Vernon. The beer was good, and so was the sandwich. And for that, I'm thankful.
Sandwich and Beer, originally uploaded by flyingroc.
Oil Pastel Self Portrait
I'm taking a drawing in color class, and today we did a self portrait project. It involved printing out a picture of yourself and use a gridding technique to draw your face. I'm pretty surprised at how accurate gridding can be.
I did my self portrait in oil pastels while the others in class did it with colored pencils. I just love how you can use the oil pastels almost as if it were paint.
Self Portrait, originally uploaded by flyingroc.
Pen and ink drawings
I started using a pen for drawing in my sketchbook because unlike pencil or charcoal, pen drawings don't smudge. And unlike watercolors, I don't need a complicated setup to start making a mark. Of course, the downside is that once you've laid down said mark, there is no going back, you've committed to it.
Despite that, I feel drawn to pen and ink sketches. Maybe it's from all those years of doodling in my notebook in school instead of taking notes!
Koi, originally uploaded by flyingroc.
My first Heinlein novel
In these older SF stories, it's fun to see what technologies are mispredicted. In the novel, Heinlein has people riding flying cars, and appliances that cook for you. And yet video cameras still required "tape", and phones were firmly tethered to the wall.
Of course, as with a lot of good science fiction, it's the ideas, story, and the characters that make it a good read, and this one is pretty good. I already have a copy of Starship Troopers
Shit Seattle people say when it snows
What do four way stops tell us about America?
The American (it's probably not just American, but I've only noticed it here) four-way stop seems to be much more reasonable: if everyone follows the rules, then everyone will eventually get their way across an intersection. But there's the crux of it: you have to trust that people will follow the rules. And, miracle of miracles, people around here actually do. What is it that we can know about US society from the fact that I can largely trust Americans to stop at a stop sign?
"Cyborgs had already existed..."
Sorry for the blurry picture, my phone camera was not up to the task.
William Gibson giving a talk at Microsoft, originally uploaded by flyingroc.
Winter snow is falling...
For being so high up in latitude, the Seattle area doesn't really get much snow. We maybe get one or two snow events a year.
At church today, which is on top of a hill, the snow was really coming down. The priest joked that instead of a sermon, we could just watch the snow falling for 7 minutes. It's a wonder how snow brings such a sense of serenity.
I'm secretly hoping for enough snowfall that we get a snow day tomorrow! :)
Snow!, originally uploaded by flyingroc.
Let's start cooking again
I really want to redo my kitchen. But it's really expensive, and it doesn't seem worth it if I don't actually use the kitchen. So I'm trying to start cooking more often again. It's also probably healthier for me in the long run :).
Simple noodle soup, originally uploaded by flyingroc.
Portrait drawing
It's a new year, let's begin
I'm off to a good start this year, visiting my cousin Anjing and her husband Mao in Vancouver. Another cousin Mel was there too, he was visiting from Calgary (this Pacific Northwest weather must have been warm for him!). Vancouver is a really nice place, it reminds me of Hong Kong a lot, especially the Richmond area. The food is great, and the company even better.
I guess I'm not dreaming, and I really have a green card. Going through immigration was a breeze. Quite a nice change after all these years where entering the US was a big pain in the butt.
My only resolution for 2012 is to face it with optimism. Let's begin...
Steam clock, originally uploaded by flyingroc.