Shhh...Confessions of an Artist: Lunatiger

Lion Dances Galore!

2010-02-22T12:00:00.003-05:00

This weekend while running errands around Chinatown NYC, I was fortunate enough to see the Lion Dances celebrating Chinese New Year. I must admit I miss the fireworks that went on when I was a child, before they were banned by the city. I remember the loud bangs and people's excitement but the lion dances are still fun and full of wonder. They come store to store bringing good luck for the New Year!

Hopefully a good New Year it will be!

A Look into 2010

2010-02-08T12:10:00.003-05:00

It's been a crazy couple of months, and I thought I'd post so as not to seem like I perished in a blaze or anything like that. I'm very much still kicking and playing flip flop with various temp jobs and internships just to land that full time gig!

After watching the State of the Union address, with Barack trying to be hopeful for the future, I can see that his demeanor has changed to a more cautious mood towards his fellow Americans. I can't say I blame him nor can I say that I've ever had full confidence that he will make things better. I remember the election campaign when everyone had such high hopes and friends would look at me incredulously when I said I was not a Barack fan. (Nor a McCain fan either) They boosted about saving the economy, pulling out the troops, and reforming health care. Yet I had failed to see a plan of action to any of these, from both men. And after a year, more and more Americans started to loose their confidence in Obama's administration. Poor guy. He's inherited a lot of the burden that was leftover. I don't blame him not having reforms so quickly. But I do blame his overbearing confidence during his campaign, steering everyone with such unrealistic exceptions. That's what I have to say for the matter since, I've never had any sort of national crisis effect me more then this.

But enough with the political nonsense! I believe nobody can change your fortune but you! On an Etsy note I've had a fab January sales month so far for 2010. It exceeded my expectations with 5 custom orders. Wedding season is upon us and it's time for some new products! Busy Busy now that I have less time with my freelance job. But I'm more hopeful for this year. It's my year after all. Year of the tiger! GO TIGERS!!! ^_^

Here's a custom order that was just finished:

Until next post! ^_^

End of October...Where To Go From Here?

2009-11-02T12:00:00.005-05:00

It's official, without even realizing it October has gone. I hope you guys had a fab Halloween. And I realized again that getting a post from me will take months! @_@

It was certainly crazy for most of the month, keeping up with my etsy shop, job hunting, part time work, and working at my new internship. Am I crazy enough to open a second etsy shop? Perhaps, but I've been toying around with the idea for a long time. What is it you may ask? I'm going to launch my own line of artworks with my name and branding. They will be fashion base, fantasy, textile, and a mix of a whole lot of other themes I'm in love with! I did a lot of research into suppliers as well. It's not going to be just art prints. I'm toying with jewelry, and even custom fabric clutches.

Just thinking of it makes me excited. But it won't happen anytime soon, since I'm a once person show. So I'm slowly building it up. I still need to reaserch on packing supplies, creating my own logo, and try to earn a bit of start up money for the endevour. Everyone thinks selling is easy, (it is, if you're doing it once on ebay) but really for something even remotely sucessful, it's hard work. And this is a fall back system for me. I don't dream to make it big a start my own line, but since the job hunting is still ongoing and economy is still in the ruts, I might as well create something for me to look to for a bit of extra cash during the hard times. I'm surprised and flattered for the amount of support I'm getting for my shop. I don't think I would have gotten that much support if people weren't feeling the hard times themselves. It's a smart move to create a fall back system that you can control. So they tell me... Kudos to fellow online shop venders! ^_^

Well at least there's an upside to the recession for lunch...

On a positive note, I'm really happy with the sales that I've been getting on etsy so far on my Lunatiger venue. You guys rock! And I'm super happy that I can compensate for my parents on some of the bills. It makes up for what we've lost. I give all of the profits to my mother when she sells one of her swarovski crystal critters, so you're not supporting me, you're actually supporting her. And I cannot tell you how happy she is every time she makes a sale. ^_^

Here are some new products that have just been listed or will be listed:

Until next post....^_^

23 Days in Europe - Strolling Along The Rialto!

2009-09-09T12:00:00.004-04:00

Holy Cow! @_@ Almost 2 months of neglect...Oh my poor blog, what have I done to you? Well to start my September month off. I'm jumping right back into providing stock images of Europe. And in this post it's all about Venice! ^_^

Ah my favorite city in the world. Magic, mystery, romance, not to mention Carnivale parties.
It's a city that has fully integrated the canal system to this lifestyle. There are no cars or street roads here. It's all water taxis to get you where you want to go.

We headed off to some of Venice's famous areas

Saint Mark's Square:

And the Rialto Bridge:

Wandering around the city makes it easy to get lost! Especially if you don't have a trusty map like we did...-_- But you find fascinating old nooks and alley ways even old antique stores that we wouldn't find in the tourist areas.

No Pictures! But I just can't help sneaking a snap shot of these wonderful Carnivale masks!
I admit I have an obsession with them...even brainstorming ideas to paint a series of themes based on them.

Exhausted be the end of the day? Hardly!

Until the next adventure in Europe…

Click on the “30 Days in Europe” link to follow our travels around Europe.

Photos are free to take as stock images. Crediting is appreciated!

Back!....After a long Hiatus

2009-07-17T13:06:00.004-04:00

Neglectful of my blog? Yep I’m such a bad girl. But it hasn’t been in vain. Ever since my absence I’m updating my shop with new products took even more time then I imagine. Since there was a surprising amount to request for origami wedding bouquets. I decided to start my own line of custom wedding items! And it wasn’t as easy as it looks. I’m hoping for some success, but I know with success comes hard marketing!

Here are just some of the bouquets and boutonnières I’ve done, and hope to expand on it. I’ve already got 2 more in the works.

The Taste of Etsy Exposure...

2009-06-24T13:00:00.002-04:00

I've finally made it to the front page of Etsy! I check to see that my views shot up for no reason and a surge of people hearted my shop, I wondered what the heck was going on and had a sneaking suspicion the treasury was featured. It was a beautiful treasury and no doubt the admin. of Etsy thought so too. And to my amazement it was featured not 2 hours before I got home.

I've been fortunate enough to be featured in 3 treasuries, but 2 never made it to the front page. All of them featured my Origami Rose Bouquets, which seems like the popular choice in treasuries.

My item is the first picture on the 3rd row.

24 Days in Europe – When in Rome Do What the Romans Do

2009-06-12T11:25:00.004-04:00

I’m getting right back to my 30 days in Europe tour. Things have been a little hectic lately but I update eventually. ^_^

“When in Rome Do What the Romans Do.” Ok so it’s not the most original saying, but you can’t help but say it when you’re hitting the ancient cosmopolitan streets of Roma. It’s where Emperor Augustus reign supreme and was once the capital of the most powerful empire on earth. It’s no exaggeration when people say history comes alive.

We headed off immediately to see the Colosseum. It’s the one pit stop you never want to miss. This area is probably the most preserved spot of Ancient Rome around. Surrounding the Colosseum is the Roman Forum, with ruins of temples and aristocratic houses from ancient times. It’s one of the most busy tourist areas besides the Spanish Steps.

Next off we rushed down to visit “La Boca della Verita” or “The Mouth of Truth”. Located in a little church called the Santa Maria Cosmedin near the Tiber River, it is the famous statue where a person sticks there hand into the mouth. If you tell a lie it will bite off your hand, if you tell truths your hand escapes unscathed. Well that’s supposedly how the myth goes. But this was also the famous statue where Audrey Hepburn (my favorite actress) filmed one of her famous romantic scene in “Roman Holiday” with Gregory Peck. As a fan, this was something I couldn’t miss!

Next off we hopped on the metro to the Vatican, home of the Pope and wandered inside to see the ornate décor of the church. My favorite sculpture Michelangelo’s “Pieta” stood behind a bullet proof glass, which was put there because of an incident when a crazed man broke off a finger of the Madonna. Talk about art abuse!

FYI: Catch the Pope giving morning mass on Wednesday. Unfortunately we didn’t go on a Wednesday.

We stopped for a bit for some gelato. (My motto is, you can never get enough gelato) We found a cool gelato shop called “Old Bridge Gelateria” where the gelato is cheaper then anywhere else in Italy and they’re not stingy on giving you an extra scoop! It’s located right across the street from the Vatican Museum.

We made a brief visit to the Spanish Steps and immediately ran away from the sheer chaos of the area. BE WARNED! It’s very crowded! I don't even wanna know what's it's like during tourist season. After that we made off to the Trevi Fountain. Toss a coin in there and make a wish!

We had only a day in Rome. Our feet were exhausted, but we made it to many of the sites we planned on going. (My advice, don’t stop, not even for lunch. You’ll probably be too distracted with all the sightseeing anyway). One day is hardly enough to see Rome, but I say that for every city...

To finish off the day, we sat down for some Italian pasta! YUM!

Until the next adventure in Europe…

Click on the “30 Days in Europe” link to follow our travels around Europe.

Photos are free to take as stock images. Crediting is appreciated!

ETSY WIDE YART SALE!

2009-06-10T12:00:00.001-04:00

In the spur of the moment I decided to participate in ETSY's YART (Art + Yard Sale = Yart!)

Here's a storque article on the event: YA GOTTA YART !

PROMOTION:

From JUNE 10-14 only!

20% off purchases $10 and over! (Not including shipping or custom orders). A refund will be issued back to you after payment is made.

For purchases $30 and up get a free bonus Swarovski Crystal Star!

Please type the word "YART" in "message to seller" section when checking out.

Look for these avatars for my sale!

Happy Selling Everyone! Best of luck! ^_^

A Visit To The Jacob Javitz Center...

2009-05-22T13:39:00.002-04:00

Whoozers...3 weeks of no posts...well I'm just the horrible procrastinator aren't I? If I'm not pressured with deadlines, then my brain will just sit back and be the lazy self that it is.

But I do have something to report after being mute all this time...

May 17-20th The Jacob Javitz Center in NYC held their annual "National Stationary Show", where many top rated stationary companies showed off their latest and greatest in the world of paper crafts. There was less traffic then last year but it was still a spectacle to see with hundreds of stands lined up and ready for your beck and call for paper products.

Right beside the Stationary Show was also the annual "Surtex" Trade Show for selling and licensing original art and design. This is pretty much right up my alley, as it is filled with textile design companies buying and selling art to manufacture on next year's products. This show really got me riled up on creating after I got home! There's nothing like seeing art in person to get you to create your own art.

And in the lower levels, held the "ICFF" International Contemporary Furniture Fair, showcasing the latest innovation in interior design. It pretty much looked like a MOMA expo. Many of the products were fine art sculptures, from tube chairs, chrome wallpaper, cardboard decorations, to Andy Warhol's Campbell soup pop art...

A separate but related Japanese Design Expo showcased Japan's cutting edge designs and technology...

I had the pleasure of grabbing brochures, postcards, and catalogs for some inspiration and motivation. I might have been a bit over zealous on that regard...

And's that's only half of what I scooped up...

Nothing like seeing and interacting with art and design to give your brain a boost!

25 Days in Europe – Florence the Hyping Art Scene

2009-05-01T13:12:00.000-04:00

It's that time again...

I've not continued on with my 30 Days in Europe posts for 2 weeks, Whoazers! Well for the first day of May I'm posting double the pics for your enjoyment. I really think Inspiration steams from culture and other art and these Europe photos are at the forefront of where my inspiration come from. So I want to share these with you as well!

Florence! Or as they say in Italian “Firenze!” Like Siena the city is filled with red brick rooftops as far as the eye could see. It’s also the motherland of Renaissance art. Much of the 14th and 15th Century architecture is still very much intact. We started the day exploring the city with a free tour provided by our hostel Archi Rossi. Our tour guide is a Florence native and showed us places that I’ve never even been to during my first trip here! From Medieval Fortresses to Bottecelli Paintings, we soaked in the Florentine culture and realize why this was the hot spot for all things creative. The city is surrounded by the Tuscany scenery and split in half by the Arno River. We took our break and headed for Florence's Santa Trinita Gelateria shop. Needless to say that I went crazy for Gelato ice cream, (my excuse was you’re only in Italy for so long…)

After the tour was finished we headed off to the Pitti Palace M useum, home of the Medici family and patrons of the arts. Like all European palaces, they were ornate, grand, and highly decorative. But I find the Italians had a flare for bold colors and design, whereas the French was light and airy. We walked through markets near the Ponte Vecchio Bridge and found street artists drawing famous works of art on the ground with nothing but colored chalk in their hands. Everyone stopped in their tracks at the sight of 3 artists sitting side by side drawing like a kid in the playground.

Nearby was Florence’s Dumo or catherdral. Every town and city in Italy has one. Florence’s is the largest dome made out of brick in the world and still standing as if was build yesterday! We climb up the 400 Steps, it’s quite a feat I know but the view on the dome is worth it! The painted interior ceiling is a masterpiece as I tried to take pictures without that bullet proof glass in the way. Our day passed by so quick it was evening by the time we got out.

Florence…An awesome city with rich history is one of my top must sees!

Until the next adventure in Europe…

Click on the “30 Days in Europe” link to follow our travels around Europe.

Photos are free to take as stock images. Crediting is appreciated!

Mother's Day Special: A Week of FREE SHIPPING

2009-04-25T15:48:00.000-04:00

It's my first Etsy PROMO! ^_^

Since that special day for MOMs is coming up I'd thought I would celebrate by offering a Promo of Free Shipping for a Week on ALL ITEMS in my shop.

Tired of paying for those extra shipping expenses? I know I am! So buy 1 or multiple items and not pay a cent on shipping! I offer free shipping WORLDWIDE. Doesn't matter where you're from, I never exclude anyone in the world.

This Mother's Day promo last for 7 DAYS, beginning April 27th - May 4th.

Click on the banner below to my shop. The countdown starts now!

Why Do You Love Art?

2009-04-22T16:02:00.000-04:00

Art Through the Ages....

A thought hit me when I was watching a PBS program. Don't ask which, I always black out with my own thoughts. Why do I love art? Well the world revolves around art. Yeah I know it sounds a bit egocentric, but really it’s true. You see it everywhere. You can't escape it. Media, movies, ads, etc... Many would even go as far as saying it feeds our very souls (Me included).

But let’s go back to the question. I love art because I love the impact it has on people and culture. Trace it back thousands of years to where cave men use it to communicate and record their history, or when storytellers used art to communicate to illiterate people, or when political leaders used art as an influence to their campaign.

You get the idea...

There are a number of significant ways art shapes culture. I guess I love being a part of it. I love history. I love storytelling. I love communicating to the masses.

Why do you love art? Art is a relative term that doesn't have to involve painting and drawing, but something done creatively. The dictionary describes art as “Creation of beautiful things” or “techniques and craft”.

Share your thoughts!

Surprise! Surprise! A blog Award!

2009-04-10T18:24:00.000-04:00

I was shocked and delighted to receive this Sisterhood Blog Award from Natasha AKA Thursday Sweet Treat! The sweetest person ever! Her blog radiates with inspiration and positivity that I can never go without creating something after reading one of her interviews or her posts on the latest Thursday Sweet Treat Project. If you've never been to her blog I suggest you do so immediately!

Now it comes time for me to nominate the next 5 blogs with this award. And man oh man it's super duper hard. But these 5 blogs always makes me smile whether it be their blog on everyday life or inspirational images, I'm sure they'll make you smile as well.

Meekiyu's Dream
Wunderbug
Harmony Quest
Beholden To Nature
InkiHandMade

The rules for this award:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Nominate at least 5 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!

3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.

4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

Share the love! ^_^

Off to do some creating! Till next post!

26 Days in Europe – The Tuscany Charm

2009-04-08T17:32:00.001-04:00

***To all of Italy in regards of the earthquake that occurred on April 6th. Prayers go out to those who have been injured and to the families who have lost loved ones. We hope that we can bring the city devastated by it back to it's original state***

Siena is one of those marveled towns of Italy that seem like the Middle Ages never died. Actually most of Italy is pretty much like that. You’re surrounded by stone buildings and red brick houses, vibrating rich colors as far as the eye could see. Hardly anything in Italy is modernized which truly makes history come to life. It’s hard to choose a town that is the best but I have to say Siena has a special place in my heart.

Just 2 hours away from Florence we traveled by train then by bus, catching up with fellow tourists as they also arrived to soak in the sights. It was a bit of a dreary day but that didn’t stop us as we headed off to see the Siena cathedral or as they call all their churches, the Dumo. Out of all the Dumos in Italy Siena is by far the most beautiful there is. A massive structure with a black and white strip bell tower; it’s one of the most unique churches in Italy. The interior itself is also something to behold. You’re surrounded by so much decorative detail it’ll make your eyes water. From paintings, to statues, to mosaics, it’s really a must see in person.

I could go on and on but I won’t bore you to tears. For the most part, Siena is a day trip outside the city of Florence. Little nooks and alleyways add a lot of charm to the town. It’s easy to get lost and end up in someone’s doorstep but it’s small enough that you’ll easily find your way back again. We caught up with some local students that were just getting out from school, casually walking and joking in Italian with their buddies. You can tell they all have a playful and fun charisma about them. Art exchange student sat on the near by steps sketching away the landscape. We followed them and ended up in the Piazza Del Campo, which is the town square. It’s one of the main attractions of the town that has a huge circular opening, where you see tourist and locals alike taking it easy and sitting on the ground eating gelato. And that’s how we ended our visit, plop down on the ground, eating gelato!

Till next post…let these images inspire your creative process!

Click on the “30 Days in Europe” link to follow our travels around Europe.

Photos are free to take as stock images. Crediting is appreciated!

The Importance of "The Artist's Space"

2009-04-03T15:14:00.000-04:00

I've been seeing a lot of photos where artists are showing off their work space and to be frank, I'm envious! But it's also made me realize that a space of your own to work on is ESSENTIAL! Quite often I don't feel any sort of motivation or drive to do art work, because my space looks like a toxic wasteland. I don't think a space should be as sterilized as the cover of Martha Stewart, (Those kinds of art studios scare me...are there artist really that neat???) but it should be somewhere you're really comfortable with.

I should really take my own advice...as a matter a fact I'm trying to do it right now.

One day my friend came over to my place and took a peek at my room...needless to say the shocked look on her face, told me all I needed to hear...which is a major overhaul cleanup.

Currently my space looks like...(please don't scream in terror)

This is only half of the room...(Don't ask about the other half) Really I think I can qualify for Extreme Home Makeover, don't you think?

But check back the next couple of....oh whenever I get this done...@_@

Artist Tip 101: A private art space of your own can do wonders for creativity! Be sure to look into it and mold that perfect area into your own. Regular clean ups are a bummer but necessary!

27 Days in Europe – Journeying the International Route…Italy Here We Come!

2009-04-01T12:40:00.000-04:00

Needless to say we had a blessed 3 day touring of one of Europe’s most fashion forward and avant-garde cities, Paris. Now it’s time to pack our bags and head out to a city where the Renaissance movement thrived. You guessed it, Florence, Italy.

We’re traveling European style with first class seats on France’s SNF train. The total travel time of 12 hours! (With a pit stop transfer in Milan, Italy.) It does make your mind boggle on the amount of sitting we had to do, crossing countries. But it was a very pleasant experience overall, mostly due to the fact that our seats had leg room and we dozed off 90% of the time. We found it funny that the train staff miraculously changed from French to Italian right between borders. We wondered where the French staff was hiding. Maybe the Italians stuffed them in the closet? Languages suddenly switched and we found ourselves having to quickly skim our Italian dictionaries. Saying “Grazie” instead of “Merci” Luckily nowadays the universal language is English. We traveled from 7 AM – 7 PM and we were pretty tired by the end of our leg. Dropped in our amazing hostel and plopped on the bed. Next day is where the real fun begins!

How were two broke youngsters able to get their hands on first class seats you may ask? Well it was all thanks to this drawing and Eurail.com’s travel contest on Facebook, which enable me to win two first class train tickets of unlimited train travel for 15 days. I’m forever grateful to Eurail. I was pretty shocked that I even won something at all, but it was one of those "meant to be" moments. The topic post of that particular contest was “Which European Nationality Should You Have and Why?” There were all sorts of crazy answers, mines wasn’t any different saved my drawing which was the only leg up I had, using art to my advantage. I wanted to be an Italian Renaissance artist...a particular fantasy of mines, Hehe. There were awesome posts of people making their own youtube videos even. 5 of us were chosen and as they say the most eye-catching and original posts won. ^_^

FYI: If you’re ever heading off to Europe you can try your luck at winning Eurail passes by entering in their contest here: Eurail Facebook under discussions (Contest theme change monthly)

Another FYI: We stayed at this amazing hostel in Florence, Italy that I highly recommend to any traveler: Hostel Archi Rossi
(Don’t let the movie “Hostel” scare you. Hostels are a great budget alternative to more expensive hotel chains, a lot of the times even better! They’ve got friendly staff, free breakfast, free internet, free city tour everyday, and a private room at half the price from a standard hotel in Europe. Their walls are artfully decorated with murals. It’s catered mostly to backpackers, but family friendly as well. 5 minutes walk away from the city’s train station. With its price, I rate it 5 stars!)

Click on the “30 Days in Europe” link to follow our travels around Europe.

Europe Photos are free to take as stock images. Crediting is appreciated!

A Blast from the Past… Some Early Drawing Attempts

2009-03-25T11:20:00.000-04:00

I’ve found some old art work of mine when I was 8 or 9 years old. I was cringing and slightly amused at the same time, while flipping through my sketch pad, which is miraculously still intact. I don’t think many artists would even want you to look at their early drawings but I just found mines funny. I loved drawing Disney characters. I remembered I pulled most of these drawings from old Disney magazines I use to subscribe to. I worked on that Mulan figure for hours!

My parents taught me at a very early age that tracing and erasing are a big no, no. It sorta stuck with me all these years, but I’m still lenient on the erasing part. I realized as I got older, people who trace other works and pass it off as their own are absolutely shameless and an insult to artists. I think one day I have to thank them for instilling me with this thought. It provided a strong resistance to taking the easy route out, especially in the art field. You’ll be surprised at the amount of no, no’s I see in my design class.

Artist tip 101: Trust me when I say that you'll feel 1000 times better when presenting something drawn out your own hands.

28 Days in Europe…The Paris Finale in Versailles

2009-03-19T19:51:00.000-04:00

Haven't updated in 2 weeks?...@_@Ouch...It's that pesky thing called life that gets in the way of everything doesn't it?

Looks like our days in France have almost run out. We had a blast and ran amok trying to soak in everything we could. The day before it rained, damping our Versailles trip, but I guess things worked out for the best because the next day was a perfect day to go to Versailles, sunny, not too cold or too hot. The grounds were stunning and immaculately well taken care of. It was autumn so the gardens weren’t in bloom, but I could only imagine what it would’ve looked like with the rose bushes, bursting with color. It took us a whole day to get through. And yes I was thinking of Sofia Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette” movie all the way! I was totally prepared and watched that movie beforehand. I annoyingly pointed out the rooms that they shot in to my friend, who I think was more interested in French bakery shops then royal palaces.

Coincidentally, artist Jeff Koons, known for his large out of place sculptures, was features in some of the rooms of Versailles. I have to say I’m not the biggest fan of his work. I would have like to see the paintings on the walls without a giant plastic lobster in the way. But nonetheless it didn’t hinder my experience too much, and Jeff Koons will be Jeff Koons.

So our last day in Paris was by far the best. Until the next post... first class seats to Italia!

Click on the “30 Days in Europe” link to follow our EuroTrip.

Photos are free to take as stock images. Crediting is always appreciated! ^_^

Off to be a busy bee! BUZZ BUZZ!

A Sunday Flicks Edition: Reminder there is Persepolis...

2009-03-01T14:57:00.000-05:00

Back with another review, this time an animated feature film called Persepolis. Based on an autobiographical graphic novel, it tells the story of the author Marjane Satrapi and her early childhood years living within a intolerant government regime in Iran. Outspoken political beliefs are banned, western culture is looked down upon, and all woman must dress modestly including wearing the black hijab veil.

This is a French language film. But with DVD there is English dubbing. Even though it's an animated film, it's smart and poignant about the politics and war. The animated style is also refreshing. Most of the film is drawn in simple black and white colors, representing the past of the author's childhood and adolescent years. There is nothing Disney about this film, but a very honest look during the Islamic Revolution through the eyes of a person who lived through it.

For the curious...the trailer and images:

Click on the "Sunday Flicks" link for more film reviews on the overlooked and underrated....

29 Days In Europe...On top of the Eiffel & An Evening of the Arts

2009-02-25T20:08:00.000-05:00

This was the 2nd day...and we've only just begun our journey. Once the fact that we were in Paris sunk in, we roamed the streets, breathing in the Parisian air. The fact that Parisians are at the height of fashion are all true. From grandmothers, to kindergartners, everywhere we looked, they strutted the streets with chic wool coats and patent heels. The men groomed their nails in the subway (I'm not kidding)and the bums didn't even look like bums until they came up to us with a hat asking for Euros.

The Eiffel is of course a must see. With an hour wait time, I could not imagine what it would be like in the summer.

Even though our feet were killing us...well, as least mine were, after 8 hours of non-stop walking. We realize we didn't even eat lunch at all. That's how mesmerized we were. My friend and I grabbed a quick bite and off we went to the Louvre Museum for an evening of the arts. (FYI...Weds has a special opening until 9 PM with a discount.)

1 more day in Paris...what will be our next stop? Who knows...(we're young, we don't plan)

Click on the "30 Days in Europe" Link to follow our blog travels.

Photos are free to take as stock images. Crediting is appreciated!

Until the next blog countdown.

A Sunday Flicks Edition: Taking Shakespeare to Another Level

2009-02-22T14:17:00.000-05:00

I've been a bad blogger...Last Sunday was particularly hectic for me, but I'm back with another review. I was in a strange mood for some English period movies. Browsing around I picked up the movie called “Stage Beauty” starring Claire Danes and Billy Crudup. After seeing Danes in the movie Romeo and Juliet and Stardust, I adored her ever since. I can see how every teen watched Baz Lurhman’s Romeo and Juliet can get starry eyed with romance. But “Stage Beauty” isn’t exactly a romance theme in the movie that is usually portrayed in 17th Century period films. But many have compared it to Shakespeare in Love. Remember Gwenth Paltrow pretending to be a man so that she can act? Well this is pretty much the opposite and not all lovey dovey as one might think. (A brief relief)

Taking the English stage by storm is Billy Crudup’s character Edward Kynaston a master actor in all feminine roles, in a time when it was illegal for a woman to even stand on stage. He had build his career on female parts but when King Charles decree that women are allowed to perform and men are banned from playing all female roles, he suddenly faces an identity crisis. (I kid you not) His dresser Maria (Clair Danes) who secretly has a passion for acting is suddenly thrust into the spotlight, being one of the first females to act on the English stage. A bitter Kynaston finds himself jobless, soulless, and lost about who his is.

I find it has a unique approach on the ins and outs of acting. It shows the process of acting, just like showing how an artist paints. It also deals with a strange mix of bisexual and homosexual identity during the time period. If a man was trained to play a woman all his life, would he have questions about his sexuality? Well I’m not the best person to explain this, and if you’re scratching your head and this, either intrigued or just weirded out, then I suggest you see this movie. Billy Crudup definitely brought a wonderful complexity to his characters that others could not do. And the best part is in the beginning and end sequence where Shakespeare’s play Othello is brilliantly portrayed in two different ways.

PS: Rupert Everett is the funniest King Charles I’ve ever seen.

Rated R for sexual themes.

For the intrigued Check out IMBD for more Info and trailers.

The Process of Digital Painting....Guess Who?

2009-02-11T15:53:00.000-05:00

So I've been practicing my digital painting. I realized starting off with color went way over my head. So I've simplified it to black and white.

I'm not really a fan but I admit her luscious lips are fun to paint! ^_^

I took some caps of the process. I love recording and seeing how artists work...

Here's what I have so far. Took 2 days...

I know I know...The first one looks like Frankenstein!

I'll finish it when time stops or I've done my chores. I think the first is more likely! ^_^ LOL

Right now painting curly hair is too daunting to think about...@_@

I'm also trying to build some art pieces and plan for my second etsy shop. I hope art sells.

An Indie Version of "Sunday Flicks"

2009-02-08T17:44:00.000-05:00

If your in the mood for some multi-lingual independent films "Clean" is one to recommend, spanning 3 cities in 3 countries in London, Vancouver, and Paris. It stars actress Maggie Cheung, known for her part in the Chinese film "Hero" and Nick Nolte. "Clean" is a film on drugs and rock and roll, following Maggie Cheung's character Emily Wang as a drug junkie trying to redeem herself after her failing rock-star husband dies from a drug over dose. She is determined to change her life to see her young son who is living with his grandparents.

Maggie Cheung proved that she could not only act but act in three different languages, English, French and Chinese. A majority of the film takes place in Paris and London, for which I found some reprieve after seeing too many "American movies" Some french sure gives me a kick after a trip from Paris. A language that was most missed after coming home. But this movie was also Maggie's shinning moment, winning best actress in the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.

Rated R for a lot of cussing...

For curious film goers, here the trailer from YOUTUBE

For more info check out IMDB

30 Days in Europe....First Stop....Paris!

2009-02-06T17:53:00.001-05:00

So this past fall I graduate from college and thought to myself "I wanna see the world." And despite having no job, no money, and no prospects, it was the perfect time to go. Economy in the dumps, having all 4 years working towards a piece of paper that says "Look I was educated!" It didn't feel like much until I experience the world. So I raised the money and brought on a buddy for this EuroTrip. It was like the movie, only I was living it. Believe me that movie doesn't seem that far fetched after all. ^_^

Even though my bank account is exhausted. I'm glad I went and saw everything I wanted to see. Art, culture, meeting different people, bunking with other travelers, sleeping in hostels...

I've literally taken 4,000 photos give or take. @_@ The miracle of digital cameras! Since it's just sitting here on my desktop, I might as well share them. (Yeah I'm one of those who are too lazy to print them out. I can't even fathom how you print 4,000 pictures)

Hopefully you can be inspired by the pictures.

First Stop Paris!

Despite what a lot of people think I found the French charming and not as snooty as everyone claimed they are. Yeah, there are strange people everywhere and maybe I'm just a New Yorker being use to it. I said it was the best and weirdest 30 days of my life. But really just a polite "Merci" and "Bonjour" and they'll smile.

(Basilica Over looking Paris) (Details of the Notre Dame)
(Art History Anyone?) (My first Creme Bruele)
(The Orsay Museum) (An Awesome Paper Cutter!)

I'm off to finished whatever the hell I need to finish... I never have enough time to do everything I want in a day. Oh and that digital piece...still working on it! -_- I'll eventually post it...

Click on our 30 Days in Europe to follow our blog travels

Photos are free to take as stock images. Crediting is appreciated!!!

What??? Another edition of Sunday Flicks...^_^

2009-02-01T20:39:00.000-05:00

I was shuffling through the bargin books section in Borders. And bought "The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology" Cause I love myths and legends and fairy tale stories. So for $9.99 I found something worth my time to read. While reading through the Greek and Roman myths (which I always found fascinating) I remembered the HBO television show "ROME" was a fantastic example of Ancient Roman culture, all the while being entertaining to boot.

This Sunday I recommend HBO's "ROME" Where sex, politics, and warefare dominate and you find yourself cringing and gripping at the edge of your seat. We've all seen the history chronciling Julius Ceasar and the Roman Republic. But not HBO style! A shame that the show has been cancelled after 2 years due to its costly production. But that 2 years leaves you satisfied and learning more about Roman history then you ever did in Global Studies.

It depicts ancient rome like no other. It's nitty and gritty, from the perspective of the lower class society of Rome. Which surprisingly I find has not been told by any other kind of movies or television. You get a real feel of what ancient life was really like, and believe me, I'm glad I'm born during the 20th century!

Actors Kevin Mckidd and Ray Stevenson lead the fray as Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, two Roman soliders admist during a pivitol historic time period, while Ciaran Hinds plays the most delicious, coldest, calculating Caesar I've ever seen. Actually the entire cast is as good as it gets in the film industry. Soild acting with gorgous production designs, fabulous music score and an intelligent script. What more do you want?

If you can I recommed watching the DVD set and watching it with the Director's commentaries and "All Roads Lead to Rome" text featurette. It give a lot , and I mean A LOT of insight into Roman culture and lifestyle and the history of the time.

Tho knowning it's HBO be prepared for bloody scenes and explicit sexual exploits. But knowing it's HBO, you know that it's quality television, perfect to spend on a not so busy weekend. (You might want to scoot little ones away, from this one)

For those of you who hasn't experience ROME on HBO, go for it! If you find yourself wanting more after season 1, season 2 gets even more intense then ever.

For more info check: IMDB and Wikipiedia

Check out the trailer of Season 1 from YOUTUBE

Some images for the curious:

A Late Night Edition of Sunday Flicks

2009-01-25T23:47:00.000-05:00

Hey all,

It's a late post but I really really really want to keep up with my flick reviews. I just love movies to death! I'm such a film junkie...@_@

For this post I recommend "The Banquet" or (USA Title) "The Legend of the Black Scorpion" Which seems like two different meanings. I really don't know why they changed the International Title. Personally I much prefer "The Banquet" It make more sense when you see the movie.

This is a fantastic Chinese Film starring Zhang Zi Yi (Memoirs of a Geisha). Other chinese actors include You Ge, Daniel Wu, and Xun Zhou, who aren't known in the USA that well, but are fantastic actors.

Set in ancient China, this story is loosely based on Shakespears Hamlet, which reminicse many of the characters and plots, following the Chinese Imperial family. After the Emperor's brother (You Ge) murders him and takes the throne. The crown Prince (Daniel Wu) comes home to seek revenge. While the Empress (Zi Yi Zhang) has her own agenda in the plot for revenge. Full of intrigue, romance, drama, it's beautifully shot with lyrical martial arts, theatrical costumes, and jaw dropping set designs. If you've watch a lot of Chinese films, this kind of film with love, revenge and backstabbing in the Imperial family is pretty common, but I think this movie, for old and new comers is a beautiful sight to see.
I can say for sure it's very artistically filmed. Did I mention the gorgeous costumes????

Rated R for Violent Scenes.

For more info check out IMDB

The International Trailer from YOUTUBE (jaw dropping)

And some images to wet your appetite:

An Arthur Rackham Original Print???

2009-01-23T23:44:00.000-05:00

It's been a couple days since a post...yea, I'm a very busy body...been practicing how to paint digitally once I'm satisfied with it I'll post it up, but so far so good for a first timer!

I discovered a new favorite artist! Well it's new for me, you might know him already. His name is Arthur Rackham, an English Book Illustrator. And after a few hours of scouring the internet for his illustrations, I admit I'm hooked onto his art work.

I read a blog someone posted and realized I had recently bought a print that had the exact same style. Well after looking him up on the internet I found that I own an Arthur Rackham print! Whoa! I bought it while I was traveling around Europe this past fall. I happen to stumble across an Antique Print Shop in London. Don't ask me where, the streets are crazy there! I just came across the shop by accident, and happy one at that. Browse around and fell in love with this children's illustration litho of Queen Mab from Peter Pan. I knew I wanted something very "English", so I thought what could be more English then Peter Pan?

My Pretty Print!

Here's some other illustrations by him...

The question for me is, is this an authentic original 1908 print? Who can tell these days...I would like to think so. The store that I bought it from look reputable enough. I asked where they get their prints, they replied from auctions and old books editions. Eh...I wasn't really hunting for any sort of artist. This piece just speaks to me. I love the art nouveau feel and well I just wanted a piece of England...

Oh and here's an update on my sketchy sketch. I went back to the MET for some down time. Sat there for hours sketching happily, while museum goers looked over my shoulder to see what I was doing.
I find it funny how people pretend to walk casually next to you as if to walk to somewhere important and then sneak a glance when they think you don't know. I had a lot of that, some of the bolder ones complimented me, which made me happy to know that I'm on the right track...

Hope to finish this soon....long way to go tho, still in it's rough stages.

Ok enough of my blathering. I was just very excited today...

Just mulling around? It's Time For Sunday Flicks!

2009-01-18T14:41:00.000-05:00

Mulling around on Sundays after a fun Saturday or if you have an after party hangover? Pop in a movie! I love watching films, especially ones with breathtaking art and cinematography. A lot of the time it inspire me with ideas.

For this Sunday, I highly recommend "THE FALL" starring pushings daisies actor Lee Pace and child actress Catinca Untaru. The story is about a 1920s Hollywood stuntman Roy Walker (Lee Pace) who lands in the hospital after a stunt gone wrong, partially paralyzing him from the waist down. Not only that, he is in distress after losing his girlfriend to the lead actor. He then meets Alexandria (Catinca Untaru), a sweet young girl, who has a broken arm due to falling while picking oranges, hence the title "The Fall". Due to her innocent nature, he befriends her and tells a story about 5 bandits and 1 mystic who all have one common goal, to kill the oppressing and evil Governor Odieous. While gaining her trust and enchanting her with his story, he secretly tricks her to obtaining morphine for him so that he can commit suicide.

Here's the official trailer you can check out on YOUTUBE

My only real beef with this movie was the lack of motivation for Roy to commit suicide, as it is only hinted about his troubles. I would've liked to see some more back story into his character, but the visuals alone makes you forget about all that. The cinematography is aw inspiring with REAL backdrops. Yep, these are real places that you are looking at. There is hardly any Computer Graphics involved. Rate R for some violence, which I really didn't find all that violent. I've seen PG-13 movies more violent then this one.

For more info check out: IMDB

Welp I'm off to Sketch...Tune in to Next Sunday Flicks! ^_^

Sketched some God Awful Drawings!

2009-01-17T00:11:00.000-05:00

But that's ok...I promised that I would sketch at least once a day. So far so good! I'm posting it all here, the good, the bad, and the very worse! Cover your eyes I'm afraid that it'll burn them.

I did a very quick 5 min sketch and then try to immediately spot the mistakes I've made. And there are...A LOT! *sigh* speediness is not my strong suite

Also did a quick sketch of a tiger late at night

I've figured I need to really get into the mood to have a decent sketch. That's it for today, I'm off to watch my fav show Stargate. @_@ The geekie geek that I am. I can't believe their canceling the show this year!!! :(

Arghhh...The good shows are always put in the dumpsters.

Getting the Ball Rolling! Chronicling My Journey To Becoming a Better Artist

2009-01-15T14:44:00.000-05:00

Day 2...

Started sketching to get my inspiration going.

Went to my fav place the Metropolitan Museum to join other fellow sketchers.

Sketches from the MET: (Unfinished but, I'm gonna go back soon when the weather is slightly above freezing!)

Also started a digital painting 2 days ago. It sucks I know, I had no idea how extremely difficult it is to draw with a WACOM tablet until I've tried. I'll keep working on it. Critiques are welcome from everyone!

First Post! Chronicling My Journey To Becoming a Better Artist...

2009-01-15T00:17:00.000-05:00

Ah blogging...it's the thing that I've avoided after all this time. Not because I hate it, but because what's there to write about??? I've tried starting a blog TWICE and twice it has failed miserably. But now I have two reasons and it's gonna be my New Years resolutions.

1. This blog is going to help me push to become a better digital artist, and ultimately a better artist in general. My best friend and I were chatting in a diner, she told me about this amazing thread at ConceptArt.org entitled "Journey of an Absolute Rookie" About a guy that was an absolute newbie in art and become pro in just a year. The really amazing thing was that he posted his progression for all to see. From his rookie sketches to his master paintings. Not being shy about it and having a lot of encouragement from fellow forum members, he achieved his goal.

It's awe inspiring and it's a story that I think everyone should learn from with anything that they pursue, not just in art.

You can read his posts here: "Journey of an Absolute Rookie"

It touched me so much, I'm gonna start posting my own artwork and progression, pushing myself to be better, instead of giving the lame excuse I always give. Hopefully I can achieve it.

Example: I did a noobie piece of Padme from Star Wars. Then another one to see if I progressed. What will happen in another 3 years???

2. I've also started an etsy shop: Lunatiger's Swarovski Critters and Crafts and my second reason is to promote like crazy. But not just my stuff oh no...YOURS TOO! Yep I want to help promote you. I've learned so much from etsy and have seen truly amazing arts and crafts that it's also inspired me to do better and give back. I'm gonna start a monthly promotional listing of artists who need to be seen and if my blog can help, I'm honored to do it.

WHEW! WOW lots to do! Am I getting in way over my head???

Sorry for rambling so long, you'll see a lot of rambles from me. If your still reading this, then I thank you and urge you to go back and create!