New Sketches

I did several sketches based on pictures I found online. I have been very into drawing human figures  since the beginning of my art journey. I devoted a lot of time drawing faces and now I concentrate more on the gestures. Practice makes perfect!

I spent half an hour on this sketch and did a rough planning for the model's body proportion before I did the actual drawing.

This one is a very quick sketch without any preparation. It took me about 15 minutes.

This is also a quick sketch. I didn't use the eraser, and it took me about 15-20 minutes.

Fay the Mona Lisa II

I was chatting with my parents on Skype one day and they randomly said that I looked like Mona Lisa (I don't even know why they have such wild imagination...... My parents are always funny and wise at the same time :D ) .

So, after talking with my parents, I wrapped a scarf around my shoulders and took a picture imitating Mona Lisa. It was just one example of the tons of crazy things I do in private, and I'm SO proud of myself. Ha ha!

Hope it brings you a smile!

Valentine's Day Floral Arrangement

One of our Kingswood alumni brought a bunch of vases and flowers and organized a Valentine's Day Floral Arrangement in the dorm this afternoon. This was my first time arranging flowers and it was a lot of fun! 

The  alumna even brought dinner for us later and we were so thankful that she went out of her way to do all these for us. Last year I was a Student Telefund caller, and I called alumni once a week for contribution . It is always inspirational to see that so many alumni are willing to give back to the school. This is something I have never experienced in China before. After the Telefund, I decided to contribute my first salary to the School Annual Fund because I felt an urge to say "Thank you!" to Cranbrook, too.

This is my second home in America, and this is where my dream starts.

Recent Sketching

I have more spare time to draw during the second semester and I'm picking up my old hobby of reading Japanese manga (a kind of Japanese cartoon).

I started learning sketching when I was in 3rd Grade because I was so interested in manga. My love of manga gradually faded away after I came to America because 1. I found a new interest in Michael Jackson :D; 2. I thought manga was shallow and merely for entertainment.

However, after experiencing so much in the past two years, I actually have a deeper understanding of the whole manga culture than I ever did before. For me manga is really the incarnation of youth. I looked back at my first manga book; the story is silly but the energy and determination it generated in me was incredible. My parents were very liberal at the issue of reading manga comparing to other intolerant Chinese parents; however, they had a bottom line and discouraged me to indulge too much in manga. At that time, I had so much passion in manga and I was determined to become a cartoonist.

Manga was the only thing that made me shout at my parents and locked myself in my bedroom crying in 5th Grade; I had never confronted my parents before and I never did later (my parents are my best friends and I never need to fight with them :D). Becoming a cartoonist was my first serious dream.

Personally, my passion in art began with manga, but now, I realize that manga serves as an important part of Japanese culture. People of all ages read manga in Japan because there are different kinds of manga for various age levels. Although I have never been to Japan, I've heard numerous stories about how manga influences Japanese pop culture. Manga about basketball, soccer, and baseball popularizes competitive sports in Japan; scientific manga about the relationship of human, nature, and technology provokes profound thinking of the readers. Unlike the Chinese cartoonists, who concentrate solely on money-making and always tell cheesy fantasy stories, Japanese cartoonists use manga to tell stories and convey important ideas just like writers do. Manga is art.

Anyways, I just have some reflection on my long-time interest in Japanese manga. Now I draw a little manga in my spare time just for fun. These are all quick sketches (10-15 minutes each) and I hope you like them!

Sino Night!

We had a great Sino Night for Chinese club last Saturday!

This is my last Sino Night at Cranbrook, and also the first Sino Night that I performed. I can play three instruments (piano, guitar, and saxophone); I performed a lot when I was little, but I never quite enjoyed it. My coolest experience was that I was the guitarist in a rock band in my middle school for three years, and we performed in various shows. Yeah... It's hard to imagine me playing rock & roll on stage......

This time, I drew a traditional Beijing Opera Mask on stage while others were singing and dancing. It was a lot fun and I'm glad that I can put my artistic skill into use!

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BONUS:

 A picture of me at home after a talent show, 7th grade. What a cool hairstyle!  :D

Scholastic Art Award

   My sculpture, Behind the Mask, got a Certificate Award in Scholastic Art Competition last week!

   Unfortunately, "Mom, it hurts!" did not get any award but it is now on display in Kingswood building hall way.

    I have been disappointed for several times in the Scholastic for the past two years. However, I understand that judges have different standards. My sculpture teacher, Gary, explained to me that the reason my sculptures don't do well in art competition is probably that they are too delicate and the judges just don't want to send them elsewhere for higher level competitions because they might be damaged in the transportation process.

    Winning award is never my purpose of making sculptures. I make sculptures for fun, and for an outlet to express my thoughts and to send positive messages to the world. Like many other things, awards and compliments are merely by-products of the hard work. For me, inner fulfillment is the most important thing, and I will continue to create more art work as I have deeper understanding of the world around me.

   By the way, I am presenting in our school's World Affair Seminar in February and this year's topic is Cultural Talk. Shirley (my partner) and I just made our poster last weekend and Behind the Mask fits perfectly with our theme.

The Final Look of "Mom, it hurts!"

Two weeks after Christmas break, I finally finished my sculpture, "Mom, it hurts!" .

Different from the previous human head sculptures, this sculpture includes only the face of a crying baby, a baby's hand, and a lot of scene setting. This was my first time working with natural materials, such as rocks, moss, and twigs; I felt that I was shooting a tragic movie scene.

Also, the facial expression of the crying baby was another challenge for me. Surprisingly, I started to feel the twisted muscle and bone structure flowing beneath the baby's skin as soon as I touched the clay. I've always been wondering if there is really some "spiritual connection" between me and the clay because magic happens when my hand touch the clay every time..... ;D

I will still be in Sculpture Studio next semester and I can't wait to make another human head sculpture! Also, I'm picking up drawing again because I'm curious about how much my drawing skill has improved and I want to test it out!