Chris Hsu Illustration

Dog Portrait Commission: Miles Davis

2012-01-31T22:02:00.000-08:00

Just finished this portrait commission of a great dane from Pensacola, Florida named Miles Davis. Based on the reference pictures he seemed to be a combination of stoic, chill, and slightly goofy humorous - all of which I tried to simultaneously translate over into the illustrated portrait. The features that stood out the most to me were the nice gray markings (especially the patch around the gleaming blue-greenish eye and the big triangle on his back), the spotty pink nose, and the stark, simple black collar that seemed to be a really nice punctuation mark on his overall appearance. The Notre Dame football prop is a reference to his owners, who I am told are ND alumni.

Football Sketch

2012-01-15T19:20:00.000-08:00

Just for fun while watching the NFL playoffs this weekend, did this quick sketch. Saints and 49ers...crazy game!! Tebow Time over for now, but man what a run this season. And the Giants once again toppling a giant.

"What an Irritating Gift!"

2012-01-05T19:32:00.001-08:00

New illustration appearing in this month's Odyssey Magazine for an article entitled "What an Irritating Gift! Thank You, Dear!" The story, by Nick D'Alto, talks about the birth of pearls through a process of irritation and layering. The setting for the story called for a charming dinner setting where a young marine biologist uses a chocolate covered cherry to explain the process that a oyster goes through once an irritant is introduced within its shell.

The Hoover Dam

2012-01-02T23:27:00.000-08:00

During my very first visit to the Hoover Dam I quickly learned that the structure is one of those things you'll see from afar and think, "Ok, so it's a big wall of concrete holding up a river," but once you go in for a close up and learn about it's history, construction, and influence on the development of the untamed landscape of the West you'll truly appreciate it's place in American history. The concept of humans having the technology to divert and control a powerful river is impressive in itself, but when reminded that this thing was built out in the middle of nowhere under the ridiculously harsh Nevada climate without the use of computers it's really amazing. It was fascinating learning about the types of workers (puddlers, scalers, etc.) and to think about how these Depression-era men were motivated to migrate out to this unforgiving landscape for the opportunity to be a part of something big.

What would it have been like to be a rural settler in the '30s out in the middle of Arizona, Nevada, California or anywhere in the Southwest really and to even hear that a massive dam was going to be built into the mighty Colorado River? And then what if they told you that very dam was going to also eventually deliver electricity to you from hundreds of miles away? Would you even believe it to be possible??

On a side note, one thing you have to get close to the Dam to appreciate is the streamlined, simple, and beautiful Art Deco details of it's architecture; from afar you wouldn't even know the designed in such a style. It's unusual because Art Deco is a look that we usually associate with the big city, so to see it out isolated in this pristine valley of vivid red rock makes for really bold contrast. There's also nice works of art and reliefs all about, including the bronze winged statues and some cool mural illustrations by John Rush.

Mars Rover "Curiosity" Blasts Off!

2011-11-26T11:05:00.003-08:00

I think with all the amazing technological advancements that we have here in our daily lives like tablets and GPS as well as the out of this world, fictional technology in modern movies, it's so easy to take for granted that humans ACTUALLY have the technology to send unmanned rovers to a distant planet in real life. It's not even the launch that blows me away but more so the technology that allows for a foreign object to land safely on Mar's surface. NASA's constant ability to "wow" on a large scale is why they're the testament of what is possible through collective human ingenuity. Can't wait to see pictures from the surface when Curiosity lands in August 2012.

Also, if you've never been to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida I highly, highly recommend it. Not a tourist trap by any means; it's an actual working facility that just happens to open it's doors to visitors to learn more about what they do. Seeing the old Saturn rocket in person will really give you an appreciation for the old school astronauts who were willing to strap themselves into a literal bomb for the pursuit of science!

Sneak Peek: Odyssey Magazine

2011-11-16T14:06:00.000-08:00

Here's another look at two rough, cropped-down sketches for upcoming spots in Odyssey Magazine. Had fun with both assignments!

8-Bit Halloween Costume

2011-10-13T10:52:00.000-07:00

Need a last minute Halloween costume? Then this probably isn't for you. Last year my buddy and art colleague Dan Liuzzi created an intricate 8-bit graphic model head of himself, which is currently featured on Photojojo as one of "7 Photo-Worthy Costume Ideas to Inspire Your Halloween Attire!" Took him a few weeks to build it but it was definitely worth the wait.

Sneak Peek: Odyssey Magazine

2011-10-10T12:33:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peek, cropped down sketch for an upcoming illustration in Odyssey magazine (Cobblestone Publishing.) If you're wondering how a guy in a suit with a waiter in the background will be pertinent to a kids' science magazine, then tune into the January issue to find out the answer.

My Table Magazine: Houston Culinary Awards Issue

2011-09-27T04:11:00.000-07:00

I had the honor of being asked to illustrate this month's cover for Houston's My Table Magazine celebrating the 2011 Houston Culinary Awards and recognizing the seven Chef of the Year nominees (Mark Cox, Anita Jaisinghani, Randy Evans, Hugo Ortega, David Denis, Ryan Pera, and Marco Wiles.) Launched in June 1994, My Table is a critical guide to dining out – and dining well – in the greater Houston area. Special thanks to the great editorial staff at My Table for helping me put together this fun assignment.

For the past four issues I've also been having fun as the regular contributing illustrator on the magazine's "Tasting the Town" segment where one single food item is ordered and compared through various local restaurants. Previous featured items were calamari, Vietnamese iced coffee, garlic, and Asian steamed dumplings. Keep track of future issues of My Table to see what other delicious items will be featured!

Boston MFA Pencil Study

2011-09-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

Taking advantage of living in the Boston area by trying to regularly visit the MFA. Very nice museum, awesome Sargent murals in the rotunda, and nice collection of a little bit of everything. Always good to see more of the Monet haystack series in person too. I sat down for this little sketch not too long ago, one of my first sketches in this new Leuchtturm sketchbook. Sketchbooks are sketchbooks for the most part, but I bought into this one because it said "Bound in Taiwan" on the packaging and I just couldn't resist.

Boston Adventures

2011-09-18T17:13:00.000-07:00

Latest update EVER. I moved to Boston back in February to start a stint with Clambake Animation as a background artist on an upcoming animated series. Here's a description from the official Adult Swim May 2011 press release:

"Tight Bros is a new animated comedy that follows two moronic "clergybros" who are on a quest for fat beats, hot chicks and tricked out cell phones. Vince and Aaron were called by God to spread a holy message: one of peace, love and tearin' up the club. By day the two sell religious kitsch at a kiosk in Viceroy Del Sol mall. By night they hunt for babes, but only with mega tans and super smooth waxes in place. Premiering in the spring of 2012, Tight Bros is created and written and executive produced by Sam Johnson and Chris Marcil."

Banana Ripening Rate: A Study

2011-01-18T15:27:00.000-08:00

I had a banana here that inspired me to make this elaborately scientific yet humorous graph today...

Urban Meyer Quick Sketch

2010-12-09T21:24:00.000-08:00

Quick sketch of Urban Meyer, who yesterday stepped down from the Gators head coaching job. Experimented with a ink line type of drawing with three tones for the head. Boy did we Gators do a 180 in the wrong direction this season. In an overall odd year for college football where all the perennial powerhouses finished as duds, here's hoping that next year brings a successful start to a new era of Gator football.

Frank Drebin

2010-11-30T11:28:00.000-08:00

A sketch tribute I did yesteray to one of my favorite characters and movie lines of ALL time. Thanks for the laughs Mr. Leslie Nielsen, you will be missed.

Wayne Rooney Quick Sketch

2010-10-17T20:53:00.001-07:00

Just started messing around tonight with a little bust sketch of presently troubled and consistently benched Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney. After a few layers of basic line and color info, it turned out pretty interesting I think. In other news my ESPN Premier League fantasy team did very well today...woohoo!

On Display at Starbucks in Jacksonville

2010-07-16T22:16:00.000-07:00

Currently showing at Starbucks in the trendy San Marco district of Jacksonville is my "Aesop Revisited" series. Since San Marco is a historic district, this particular Starbucks has this old existing brick wall inside that works in great contrast to the rest of the modern, hip look that a Starbucks normally has. The works will be up until the end of July. Each painting is 16" x 20" and done with acrylic on illustration board.

Orlando Weekly Cover

2010-07-08T09:34:00.000-07:00

This illustration was developed for the cover of Orlando Weekly with the main story pertaining to the future of outgoing Orange County mayor Rich Crotty and the humorous possible career paths for him moving ahead.

And speaking of Orlando, I went to EPCOT this past weekend for the first time in a while and noticed they updated many of the rides to keep up with modern technology (which makes sense considering the park is supposed to be dedicated to technological advancement and cultural showcase). I remember way back when Spaceship Earth, aka the big golf ball, used to show the "future" at the end of the ride by showing two kids from different continents communicating on a video screen conference of some sort. Who knew the "future" was so imminent??

Happy Fourth of July 2010

2010-07-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Did this little doodle for fun. Acrylic with pencil, 5x7. Also, while you're feeling patriotic today please enjoy this crazy rendition of The Stars and Stripes Forever played out on a single guitar by Chet Atkins. It was originally arranged by a Guy van Duser and I imagine there's only a small percent of super adept guitarists that can play it with such articulation. It's got the melody, bassline, even the very recognizable piccolo part. John Philip Sousa, are you seeing this??

Palette Preview

2010-06-28T19:51:00.000-07:00

Here's the palette from a group of four illustrations I just finished. These were cut from side strips of my board where I just sort of tested out colors, but in the end I thought they made for some pretty interesting patterns in themselves.

Pensacola Independent News Cover

2010-06-17T04:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Samantha Crooke over at the Pensacola Independent News for giving me the opportunity to take on the cover for the annual "rant" issue. It was very open ended, so I had a lot of liberty with coming up with a concept. With most ranting these days done anonymously through the internet, I came up with a sketch that reflected that while also using references to the local, white-sanded Gulf beach and the oil spill that is currently affecting that region. The issue is on stands this week.

On Display at the Taipei MRT

2010-05-22T18:29:00.000-07:00

Currently on display in the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) system in Taipei, Taiwan is my "Subway Phone Courtesy" poster (see a few posts below for the poster image.) It is on display with the other winners of the 2010 poster contest at the underground Zhongxiao Fuxing station on the blue line near the center of the city. I like to think it is doing it's part to remind everyone about train etiquette, for my goal was to do an image that could be universally understood by anyone of any age and nationality without relying on Chinese text to get the message across.

More photos to come later hopefully...

Survivor Russell's Hat Is On Fire

2010-05-16T21:47:00.000-07:00

And why is his hat blazing other than the fact that Sandra threw it in the fire? Well, he's peeved...and he should be.

While watching tonight's Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains finale I sketched this image of the infamous Russell, who in my opinion is one of the more entertaining for tv contestants they've put on the show. Every Survivor finale tribal council sore losers are in full force, taking their moment on the stand often to berate those who outsmarted them with lots of overly dramatic and patronizing statements (ex. Sue "dying of thirst" monologue, Marcus's "winning at life, that is" laugher, Corinne's "crying over dead pops" speech, etc.) I like to think that the producers purposely direct them to be more confrontational then they might normally be to make for good tv, but Russell had some great moments this season that genuinely must've eaten away at the ego of beaten contestants.

Is Sandra the "best ever" as she proclaimed? Not by a long shot. Going two for two certainly seems like a statistical argument, but let's be real here there's so many styles of play and unpredictable factors in Survivor it is impossible to call one out as the best. It's like saying one guy is the BEST ever at blackjack.

Russell is justified in being peeved by the format of the show...but the show is also designed so weasels like Russell don't win, and that's a good thing too. This is just another instance where a coattail rider rode to the end and then was voted winner basically for being the one who didn't outsmart the jury and make them look like fools on national television. CBS knowing that Sandra was the winner would've edited more Sandra footage to justify her being a winning player, but the fact that they didn't include much must indicate that they didn't have any to work with to begin with. I guess the whole laying low thing is considered a "strategy" too technically, but that's a pretty loose term in this case and an insult to players like Parvati, Boston Rob, JT, and Russell who take the term "strategy" to different levels. If anyone of these final three, Parv was the most deserving to win.

It was a slightly anti-climactic ending to otherwise probably the most entertaining season of Survivor ever!

Animal House Midnight Movie Poster

2010-04-28T15:13:00.000-07:00

Be on the lookout for the May issue of EU Jacksonville for this promo for a late night showing of "Animal House" at Jacksonville's 5 Points Theatre. I had a lot of fun with reinterpreting the iconic John Belushi aka "Bluto" Blutarsky in a humorous, contemporary style apart from the ubiquitous "College" sweater image of him. Printed posters should also appear around town so keep your eye out for those as well. I had never actually seen "Animal House" prior to doing the sketches for this assignment but having seen it now I can see why it certainly has cemented its place in American pop culture, essentially setting precedents for college party genre movies that are made even still today.

Taipei Subway (MRT) Poster Contest

2010-04-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

Even though this news is a few weeks old, I'm happy to say my entry for the Taipei MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) poster contest was a winning finalist. The contest was to illustrate one of eight different rules of subway courtesy or safety (ex. giving up your seat to the elderly, refraining from smoking or eating, etc.) with the only parameters being a size requirement. I worked on the "using cel phones tactfully" category because it's a personal peeve of mine. Using animals prevalent in Asian folklore I tried to make an image that appealed to the masses, yet didn't appear overtly preachy in tone.

Having been born in Taipei, Taiwan it's fun to be able to now have my art go on display there.

2010 Final Four

2010-03-30T10:29:00.000-07:00

We can be pretty certain the NCAA and CBS are banking on a Duke vs. Michigan State final, but will Butler or West Virginia have a say in the matter?

Acrylic with charcoal pencil.

Michael Moore

2010-03-27T22:18:00.000-07:00

Weathering the Storm

2010-03-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

Parvati's Manipulative Smile

2010-02-25T20:46:00.000-08:00

...was the topic of a lot of airtime on tonight's episode of Survivor and seems to be drawing a lot of ire from tribe mates including the Black Widow and Dragonslayer. I always try to give people benefit of the doubt knowing that reality tv can edit anyone to look likeable or not, but I gotta admit it's very obnoxious so yea, I'm with you on this one Dragonslayer...

Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino

2010-02-25T14:47:00.001-08:00

Get OFF my lawn...

Vancouver 2010 Sketches

2010-02-18T23:03:00.000-08:00

The American skated excellently, the Russian and his quad were robbed, and the rock star of skating stole the show with his post-skate crown of roses. Olympic figure skating never fails to produce drama and memorable moments and this year's men's competition Cold War certainly lived up to its billing.

A 10 minute digital sketch. Evan Lysacek, Evgeni Plushenko, and Johnny Weir.

Boston Rob Spaces Out for a Moment

2010-02-18T18:29:00.000-08:00

On tonight's episode of Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, Boston Rob seemed to have had an unconscious, out of body, and hallucinating experience. With as much time as these folk spend out in the jungle, I'm actually surprised this doesn't happen more often...

Getting the axe tonight was tough gal Stephanie in an awkward and confrontational tribal council. Let's not miss the bigger picture here though. As if Episode 1 wasn't edited already to make her look like a tough gal dislocating her shoulder and popping it back in place, it was late revealed by behind-the-sceners that she in fact did so, and THEN returned to the wrestling challenge. For some reason they edited it so it appeared the dislocation sidelined her for the rest of the match. Tough gal indeed!

Quick sketch...digital.

Lane Kiffin Napalms Tennessee

2010-01-19T19:21:00.000-08:00

Here's a VERY quick illustration based off a Chris Low ESPN.com article where he writes:

"Let's face it: For all Kiffin's talk about leaving Tennessee in better shape than he found it, the reality is that he absolutely napalmed the place.

At last count, he had one more win at Tennessee than he did secondary violations, and he left behind an NCAA cloud that's still hovering."

At least the other so-called traitors to their players such as Rich Rodriguez or Brian Kelly actually improved their programs before skipping out of town on the greenback. And now what's this about Kiffin wrecking the Lexus leased to him by the University? This has to get the all-time award for most unintentional yet accurate use of symbolism ever to describe a coaching tenure.

All I'm hoping for out of this is a Tennessee-USC bowl game matchup or something next year. Now THAT would be entertaining.

Tim Tebow

2009-12-08T10:29:00.000-08:00

Acrylic and charcoal pencil on illustration board.

Charlie Weis Sketch

2009-11-22T22:47:00.001-08:00

Digital

Red Clay, Georgia (or Tennessee)

2009-11-17T18:57:00.000-08:00

About a month ago I drove through the Southern Appalachians for a friend's wedding and made a few interesting stops along the way. On an extended stop I stayed in the town of Dalton, Georgia - aka "carpet capital of the world" because of all the carpet and flooring that is made there - to visit for a few days with a friend. A quick Google search of the area led me north right across the Tennessee border to Red Clay State Park, which was the last tribal council grounds for the Cherokee in the East. Technically it is where the infamous Trail of Tears began, for it was here where the Cherokee leaders heard the news that they had lost their lands and had to prepare for a trek westward.

The grounds are very serene and almost ghostly when you think about the history of the location. I strolled around looking for a spot to set up my easel and maybe try a small painting, which I finally did near a reproduction of a pavilion that they believe is in the spot where tribal leaders once met.

Back in Dalton I walked around a little downtown where it was a little quiet and kind of sparse. Couldn't help but wonder if this was the work of the struggling economy, especially for a town like Dalton that is so dependent on the new flooring needs of the residential and commercial sectors. Here's a little sketch on Hamilton Street of some storefronts.

A few days later I headed back out towards Red Clay, but this time ending up in Red Clay, GA (not Tennessee) where I explored around a little in my car. I saw signs for a road (can't recall the name) that stated it was a "scenic byway" so being the explorer that I am I had to drive it to see what it had to offer. It was completely rural land full of everything you'd expect to see in the countryside: farms, cows, barns, really vintage trucks, and people on horseback. I stopped in one field and tried to discreetly set up my easel off to the side under a tree facing a hayfield for a quick painting. I've ALWAYS wanted to work in a hayfield...guess I've just studied too many Monet compositions.

About an hour l came up with this little image.

Just as I was packing up to leave, I realized my spot was not as discreet as I thought. A pickup truck (vintage of course) rolled up the hill beside me and a man peeked his head out the window. "Just wanted to see what you were doin' up here...wow, that's pretty nice there fellow," the rural gentleman said. Of course I knew I was treading on private property, but what I didn't know was if I was going to be in trouble for it. "How much longer you gonna be out here?" the man asked.

"Actually I was just packing up," I replied.

"Well I was gonna say, maybe you could do a painting of my boss's house over there yonder. My son and I work on this land and I thought maybe that'd be somethin' nice to give her as a gift," the man said. And for the record I think this was the first time I had ever heard "yonder" used in real life.

The man pointed out the house from across the way and said he wanted something that maybe included the house with the hills and haystacks around it. Fortunately the property was large enough (I think he said 10 acres?) that I was able to find a spot up on a different hill to set up discreetly. I told Jimmy to go do whatever farm work he had to do and to come back in two hours.

As I was working I was thinking about how peaceful life must be out here and how depressing it was going to be to go back to the concrete jungle. It's not to say one is good and the other is bad, but both types of lifestyles have qualities that should be appreciated. There weren't a whole lot of elements to work with on this bright day, so I made the best of trying to put the house in the context of its surroundings in a way that future family descendants who might see this painting would be fascinated to see how open their land once was.

Three hours later (yep, one hour late) Jimmy returned to complete the transaction. During the wait I opened the door to my car and took a nap to the sound of the trains slowly chugging by, so actually it wasn't a big deal. Jimmy, slightly inebriated by now, held the painting and kept staring into it saying, "Man, that's somethin' I tell ya. You could be rich paintin' pictures! You ever thought about doin' that?" I thanked Jimmy for his patronage and told him not to be surprised if I showed up on this field again in the future. I only hope that the slightly inebriated Jimmy heeded my instructions to not touch the painting for at LEAST two days...

Happy Hour Flyer

2009-08-13T16:15:00.000-07:00

I came up with a flyer for Sakura, the best Japanese restaurant in Jacksonville, FL to announce that they are now offering a happy hour. The original sketch began with a single character which I eventually thought looked a little too lonely. So I added a companion, lengthened the table, and featured more food and drink to make a more lively atmosphere. I always find it interesting to see the process in the artwork of others so I thought I'd share a little of how this image evolved into the final product.

Anyone feel like sushi now?

Adventure Awaits!

2009-07-23T18:23:00.000-07:00

Hey look, a non painting or illustration related post! Enjoy this little clip of Celina and me playing the main theme from Pixar's "UP." She told me how to play the piano part for the left hand which I then improvised over to the guitar. The piano is slightly out of tune, not the guitar. In all my years of growing up playing this piano, I think I recall it only being tuned one time. By the way, if you haven't seen the movie I'm really not sure what you're waiting for...it is excellent on so many levels of visual design, storytelling, and everything else.

Ft. Mountain Landscape Sketch

2009-06-30T19:27:00.000-07:00

On the drive back down from Ohio to Florida, I made a couple stops including one in Dalton, GA to visit a friend. While she was away at work one day, I ventured out around the small town and saw signs for "Ft. Mountain State Park" which sounded pretty interesting, so I followed them thinking it was just down the street. About 30 minutes later I realized I had actually driven up a mountain to get to it. I thought the "Mountain" was a nickname, but it turns out the "Fort" part of the name is actually the nickname.

Venturing around the park I found great overlooks, pristine forests, massive rock formations, and two mysterious stone structures believed to have been built by natives. With my easel and paints already in the car, I decided to try a small 5x7 landscape sketch even though the midday lighting wasn't exactly producing very inspiring compositions. I set up at the East Overlook on a viewing platform and about an hour later came up with what technically is my first ever painting of mountains now that I think about it...

Straight From The Crate

2009-06-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

Now on view at Shoparooni gallery in Cleveland is a group show "Straight From The Crate," featuring artwork made on or from old vinyl records. Here's my contribution, entitled "Life On Mars." It's acrylic painted directly onto the partially gessoed surface of the vinyl.

If interested, click here to go to the gallery's online store.

Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox

2009-06-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

Here's my imagining of the folk legend Paul Bunyan, who to me is the symbol of hearty strength and hard work.

In designing my rendition of Babe the Blue Ox, I imagine him to be generally playful and docile being Bunyan's loyal wilderness companion. But because it is the wilderness, I also imagine Babe can be fierce when necessary.

Happy Birthday To My Sister

2009-05-28T21:06:00.000-07:00

A lil' something I drew up for my sister's birthday. We both really like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.

Survivor Tocatin's Coach: The Dragonslayer

2009-05-17T23:21:00.000-07:00

Every season of Survivor guarantees a few standout characters, this season's by far being Coach, the self-proclaimed "Dragonslayer." It's been a while since a contestant has been this amusing to watch, though completely unintentional on his part. Even Probst couldn't help laugh along during the season about Coach's wild adventures, constant warrior-related metaphors, and spontaneous quoting of philosophers. But he wasn't a mean-spirited contestant by any means so you couldn't dislike him like you would a villain. You just couldn't tell if this guy was completely full of it or totally full of himself...or both? Either way, he'll go down as one of Survivor's most colorful characters. Coach here is about 5"x5" painted in watercolor.

Update: Received a special request for a Sierra illustration today. Thought I'd give her a triumphant pose in her trademark "black and white stripes" which ironically was the name her tribemates referred to her as on the very first day when they tried to oust her. After that, Sierra became the underdog that I think so many of us could relate to and gave us some memorable moments this season as well. And towards the end there even in the jury I think most of us were living vicariously through her facial expression reactions of "Is this guy for real???" to Coach's Last of the Mohican-ish, warrior ways. This Sierra spot is about 5.5"x2.5" and also in watercolor.

As usual, if you're interested in a commission or buying any original art contact me at chsu10@gmail.com. Check back again later, I may do more Survivor-related illustrations.

To Not Sketch Would Be Illogical

2009-05-13T01:13:00.001-07:00

I went into the new Star Trek movie with very little knowledge about the story and franchise outside of the usual pop culture catchphrases, costumes, and impersonations. I left the theater surprised having seen a very well made film on many levels. It was great to see a high budget summer flick where the amount of CGI (though superb itself) had very little to do with carrying the success of the story and characters.

I know I'm way behind in my knowledge of Star Trek, but I thought the contrasting personalities between Kirk and Spock was engaging. As I started studying the faces to sketch out the two characters from the film, I began to realize they made it a point to cast actors with physically contrasting faces as well. Spock is round and smooth; Kirk is square and angular. Spock sports the trademark thin eyebrows high over the eyes; Kirk has heavy ones that sit low to the eyes. Where Spock has almost no forehead showing, Kirk has a vast forehead. Spock has thin, narrow, puckered lips; Kirk has full upper and lower lips that stretch wider across the face. Spock has a more bulbous prominent nose; Kirk has a thinner one with narrow flaring nostrils. To me it is no coincidence that almost everything about their features are opposites.

Following on the heels of my last Lebron sketch, I was still itching to work with watercolors. And in case I didn't mention already, the movie is excellent...go see it.

LeBron James...

2009-05-09T00:47:00.000-07:00

...is just on an absolute tear this season and so far in these playoffs.

The painted area is about 4.5" x 2.5", watercolor on paper.

Dueling Skate Decks

2009-04-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

My two skate decks entitled "This Town Ain't Big Enough" are complete and will be on view along with many others starting this Saturday until the end of May in Lakewood. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a love for history in general - the Old West being one of my favorite periods - so this particular image was fun for me to develop.

I thought I'd share my process on this one. The idea began with two tiny, tiny thumbnails that resolved the basic composition and major shapes and lines. After developing the drawing further using reference material from the period, I transferred the gist of it onto the decks via grid drawing. Moving into the acrylic stage, I worked in varying layers of transparency and opacity, gradually building up the values and intensities. Originally I had planned to paint an opaque background on each deck but when I realized the wood surface was a very complementary touch I let it be, even at the cost of exposing pencil construction lines that had already been sealed in. For the majority of both paintings I used only ultramarine and burnt sienna along with gesso. A touch of cadmium red and yellow ochre highlight a few small areas.

Update: 5.02.09

The show opened tonight with a great turnout! Thanks to Keith Corocan for putting everything together and doing up the space nicely. For those of you in the greater Cleveland area, the show will run until about the end of the month.

Perez Hilton the Hypocrite

2009-04-23T23:54:00.000-07:00

Once again a beauty pageant ends and no one has any idea who the winner was. Instead the controversy surrounding Miss California Carrie Prejean and Perez Hilton (real name Mario Lavandeira) and his gay marriage question have taken center stage on the internet. Most people have seen the clip from the pageant but make sure you watch his post video blog rant to truly see what a hypocrite sounds like.

They both stand by their beliefs. Great. Good. That is expected. The DIFFERENCE though is he went on to call her a "dumb bitch," pointing out that he actually intended to use the c-word originally because her answer didn't match what he had hoped. For a drama queen who will pretty much complain about anything if it garners attention for himself, he says she should've said something more politically correct, though I think it's safe to say all that would've changed would be that we'd be hearing an immature internet diatribe about how she cowardly dodged the answer. You cannot expect others to be tolerant of your beliefs and then crash hate down on them when they don't agree with yours.

If any other guy or girl judge had demeaned Miss CA as a "dumb bitch" afterwards they would be destroyed by the public. What gives a person like Mario free license to behave such a way? A guy who wanted so badly to call a contestant the c-word is qualified to judge, of all things, a beauty pageant of women?? At any rate Donald Trump certainly knew what he was doing because people are still talking about his pageant days after it has passed.

Perez is a leech on society that has made a "living" blogging insults on the A-list celebrities he wants so badly to become. In his proud proclamation in his video rant about "I was the Youtube moment!" it is evident he is more concerned about raising awareness about himself than any cause. You don't need to be for or against gay marriage to recognize a hypocritical bigot when you see one.

(The sketch is pencil on paper with digital color.)

Another Skate Deck Show

2009-04-20T21:48:00.000-07:00

Working on a pair of decks for another skate show, this time for a gallery in Lakewood, OH. As usual, the deck format is a challenging format to compose on and being a lil' bit of a skater myself, I like to try to work in regard to the truck placement too.

As far as the subject matter this time around, for now I'll just say "The Old West"...

Character Sketch

2009-03-13T10:53:00.000-07:00

Here's a character sketch page from my watercolor Moleskine. When I started this I imagined the guy to be a athletic coach of some kind, or maybe an angry sideline dad at his kid's sporting event.

Gouache and pen.

Gouache Self-Portrait

2009-03-03T22:40:00.000-08:00

A quick little experiment with gouache paints and a mirror. I never used gouache a whole lot before but after this I think I might try them out a bit more.

Is Christian Bale Malfunctioning?

2009-02-04T10:15:00.000-08:00

In my opinion, no. In the newest celebrity rant heard 'round the world, Christian Bale let loose on the director of photography during filming on the set of Terminator: Salvation. I can only imagine what it must be like to psyche yourself up for a scene (in this case, a very emotionally intense one according to an associate producer) and dive into it only to have someone bumble into it from off camera.

Certainly Bale went a little overboard with the rant, I think no one will argue that. But I'm not going to be so quick to throw him into the Michael Richards pit, that'd be going too far. Alec Baldwin survived his rant, I think Christian Bale will be fine too. If you're curious to read an account of what caused the outburst, go here.

Feb. 6th update - Bale calls into KROQ radio. There's a little play button near the top of the screen.

Barrack Hussein Obama = Prez

2009-01-31T13:14:00.000-08:00

I actually drew this eleven days ago after the inauguration so this is a late posting. The ceremony had a very different feel to it this time around, in fact I don't remember paying much attention to other ones in past years. The energy of the crowds made it feel like I was watching ESPN College Gameday or something, but times a million. This was a really cool pic taken at the event, you can even zoom in close and look for celebrities in the crowd. It's been a while since the US has really felt like it hit a pivotal turning point. Optimism abound...hopefully it'll be a turn for the better.

This lil' sketch is watercolor and pen.

Skate Deck Show

2009-01-19T20:17:00.000-08:00

My deck is complete and the All Hands On Decks show is up on display in the gallery at the American Greetings world headquarters. I'm not sure the exactly how many decks are on display but I do know there's at least 50 different illustrators, designers, and artists working in all different techniques for the show.

Since I decided I wanted to paint directly onto the board, my choices were limited to acrylics or oils. I went ahead with acrylics on this design entitled "Alternate Mode of Transportation." The deck has been sold.

Target Valentine's Day Card

2009-01-10T13:42:00.001-08:00

My very first American Greetings card has finally reached the shelves at Target and AG stores! It was a simple assignment, requiring a neb character to run through the door of a heart. The card design was planned by Jody Adams.

"All Hands On Deck" Show

2009-01-09T23:11:00.001-08:00

I'm participating in a group skate deck show, which I'm excited about because I've always loved the long format of skateboard decks as art, especially when a lot are displayed at once like when you walk into a really cool skate shop. I'm kinda joining in last minute and as far as what I'm gonna paint on it is still up in the air.

In other news, my MacBook has been resurrected!

My MacBook: Dead at the Age of Two!

2008-12-27T16:09:00.000-08:00

My MacBook went to sleep and never woke up. I dunno why. The Apple Store says it'll need to be sent off for repair, so now I have to make the perpetually annoying technology-related decision to pay a bunch of money to fix an out of production model or just get the newer one. So for the time being, it looks like there won't be any computer generated art to be made or posted.

Happy Holidays

2008-12-25T11:15:00.000-08:00

Dog Portrait: Nattie Gann

2008-12-22T21:19:00.000-08:00

Did a caricature-ish portrait commission of a dog named Nattie Gann, a funny lil' gal with a lot of energy. The pooch is enjoying her first winter up north here in Cleveland and it sounds like she's adjusting just fine, although I heard her tennis ball froze yesterday while she was trying to play with it. The painting is 5" x 7" watercolor and pencil on illustration board.

Dogs are the greatest invention ever.

Christopher Walken

2008-12-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

Christopher Walken! According to IMDB, he always tries to work a jig or dance into his movies. I have noticed he likes to dance...my fav being the Fatboy Slim video for "Weapon of Choice" which this portrait is a reference to. In my opinion one of the most versatile actors out there. Always plays the convincing creepy guy, unstable guy, funny guy, fatherly guy, etc. When it comes down to it, isn't that what we all want as artists? Versatility?

"I've got a fever...and the ONLY prescription is more cowbell!"

Secret Santa, Claire, and Bob Ross

2008-12-18T17:45:00.000-08:00

Ah, I finally became a Claire Mojher line drawing! My colleague and friend Claire made this for me for a outside-of-work Secret Santa thing here in Cleveland. It is a lil' guy, pen on paper and includes many symbols of my personality. Her work is a combination of elegant linework and charming simplicity so if you're interested, check out her blog by clicking on her name above or in the sidebar of this page.

Since we're on the subject of Claire-related art, I'm posting up this birthday card I made for her back in October at work just for fun. Doing these lil' cards gives me a chance too to experiment with different ways of working, in this case employing a sort-of woodcut print look. But por favor, don't try to understand what is going on in the card, the whole thing is pretty much based on inside jokes and conversations between her and me so I'm quite certain it will seem arbitrary and confusing to most others.

What did I do for the Secret Santa thing? A small caricature of Bob Ross, the well-known, soft-spoken, big-haired painting instructor for Dan Liuzzi, another fellow AG illustrator. It is executed in watercolor and pencil on watercolor paper. Click on the pic to see the bigger version of it. Interested in a little caricature of someone?

Bush's Iraqi Shoe Incident

2008-12-16T21:48:00.000-08:00

So I was watching TV this past Sunday and I saw some great defense in both the NFL...and in Iraq. Hm, never thought I'd use "NFL" and "Iraq" in the same sentence.

Two days ago President Bush had a pair of shoes thrown at him at a press conference. Like everyone else who saw the clip, I was IMPRESSED with Bush's reflexes...wow! He dodged that first shoe like he was boxing on the Wii or something. Iraq's president went on defense though on the second shoe, throwing his hand out in front of Bush to deflect it Obviously he didn't make diving stop as depicted in my drawing but wouldn't that have been much more impressive?

My next thought after watching the clip was, "What was the Secret Service doing???" They didn't show up until well after the second shoe was thrown, and even then they just kinda walked quickly up to the stage looking slightly confused. I think it's safe to say the Secret Service has gotten complacent, which is odd because you'd think they'd be the total opposite of complacent while the Prez is in Iraq during a period of war. But if you can't trust a reporter to not throw his shoe, who can you trust?

The "Ugliest" Survivor Ever

2008-12-14T21:35:00.000-08:00

So there I was, working on a sketch of George Bush getting a shoe thrown at him when something else hit me. I usually don't go out of my way to be mean, but watching Corinne on tonight's CBS Survivor finale really irked me.

Yea there's been plenty of mean-spirited comments made at other finalists during the final tribal councils before (the pioneer of such comments being Season One's Sue and her infamous "if you were dying of thirst, I wouldn't give you a drink of water" diatribe) but Corinne's sore loser cheap shot at Sugar's dead pop was way out of the realm of being out of line. EVEN more disturbing was the satisfied look on her face after having having let loose her premeditated spiel as if she had accomplished something. EVEN more disturbing than that was her blase attitude on the live reunion show later when Probst asked if she regretted saying anything. He understands filming is stressful and always gives the contestants on the reunion the chance to apologize, laugh about it, and blame it on the game but she just went on making childish excuses. In fact you could tell Probst himself was appalled even behind those gigantic dimples of his.

People like her use the excuse that "I'm just being myself, I say what's on my mind, that's just how it is" and think that they are coming off as strong, independent minds when in reality they are incredibly insecure pitiful human beings. Even looking at the reference pic to do this sketch really started getting to me.

And that concludes MY diatribe.

Rod Blagojevich Thinks He's An Auctioneer

2008-12-11T21:49:00.001-08:00

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich tried to auction off a senate seat to the highest bidder?? Could you imagine the listing and final seller fee if he had listed it on eBay?

When you see this kind of corruption in politics, it makes you think back to "The Dark Knight" and Gotham City and how you wish there really was a Batman to take care of business...

December 14th update - Obviously everyone wants this guy to resign, but he won't. It's like that episode of Seinfeld where George Costanza refuses to leave PlayNow even though everyone there hates him!

NFL Fumbles 150 Employees

2008-12-09T20:23:00.001-08:00

Not that there aren't enough indications out there that we are living in tough times, but now the NFL is laying off employees? The NFL is probably the richest sports league in the world! I understand they're doing this not because they're struggling right now but instead in anticipation for potentially weak sales next year, but it is still just ANOTHER sign of the times.

OJ Simpson and Karma

2008-12-07T08:44:00.001-08:00

Looks like OJ will be spending the next nine or so years in prison for something completely unrelated to the double homicide of years ago. Who'da thought? It seems his search for the real killer will be put on hold for the time being. Let's be real though, even though this guy has been "free" for the last thirteen years, he's basically been a social pariah for all of that time and that is no way to live a life.

And for the record, I do believe in karma.

"Australia" King George Sketch

2008-12-07T07:02:00.001-08:00

Last night I watched the new Baz Luhrmann movie "Australia" which I thought was very visually stunning. There was this one character, an aboriginal, nicknamed "King George" who just kept popping up everywhere. He was such a unique looking character after the movie I came home and did this quick digital sketch from memory. I hope I got it right.

And if you saw the movie than you probably also noticed how he always stood like this. The movie really gave the illusion of being in a wild, adventurous, colorful world...it was hard to get back outside to mundane snowy Cleveland.

Birthday Illustration for a Friend

2008-12-06T14:01:00.001-08:00

Having never received one in her childhood, a friend expressed her desire for an ice cream cake for her birthday, just a slice, with something like a dinosaur on it.

I may have taken that a little too literally in this sketch.

Chen Shui-Bian Arrested Sketch

2008-12-04T11:15:00.001-08:00

I know this story is a couple weeks old already, but give a hand to Taiwan's former president Chen Shui-Bian for knowing how to turn a public arrest into an iconic pose for the media.

Tour of the North South Korean Border

2008-11-14T06:35:00.001-08:00

The DMZ, or Demilitarized Zone, is the buffer area between North and South Korea where no military exists. The following is my account of our two and a half hour tour written from notes kept in my sketchbook along the way:
2:00 - Our bus tour begins at the tourist stop in Paju city. The bus is full of Korean, Chinese, and Western tourists.
2:01 - As we're pulling away from the lot, a lady interjects that she left her camera in the bathroom. We pause for a moment.
2:03 - We're moving along slowly in the countryside where harvested rice fields are prevalent. The bus driver speaking in Korean points out that photos cannot be taken while in the moving bus, but only at designated stops along the tour.
2:08 - We stop at a South Korean military checkpoint where a young soldier boards the bus to check the passengers and cargo. We have our passports and IDs in hand, but the check is a cursory one consisting of him just walking up and down the aisle looking side to side.
2:10 - We're moving along a very empty road. The driver points out that fifteen more minutes along this road will get us to North Korea, but of course we'll be turning off before then. He informs us that only a handful of vehicles use this road per day, mostly tour buses and military transports.
2:12 - We pass a truck checkpoint where North Korean factory trucks enter to deliver goods.
2:17 - We make our first major stop at a place called "The 3rd Tunnel." We're instructed to put our belongings, including cameras and my sketchbook, into lockers and put on blue hard hats. We sit onto a series of cars on a narrow track (like an amusement park ride) three in a row and fasten our seatbelts. I notice the track leads into a tiny tiny hole in a wall.
2:24 - The "train" begins a slow descent down the track into a ridiculously narrow tunnel. If you are highly claustrophobic I recommend you skip this part of the tour. I'm sitting in a center seat where the tunnel diameter is at it's highest and even my hard hat is nearing the top. Passengers along the side seats are sometimes forced to lean inwards to avoid scraping along the rocky tunnel. The cold dark tunnel is lit by spotlights at points and a green neon light running along the roof.
2:26 - The entire trip is a steep downward decline. Speakers along the side (spoken at English at some points) inform me that this "3rd Tunnel" was dug by North Koreans in preparation for a surprise attack AFTER peace was supposedly established. The South Koreans discovered the tunnel in 1978. The downward decline is explained by the North Koreans needing to drain the water backwards during digging.
2:31 - We reach the bottom point of the tunnel available to tourist access. We disembark the car and find ourselves standing in a narrow rocky tunnel like cave. The roof of the cave is wet with moisture. I walk north along the tunnel, crouching down the entire way to avoid scraping my hardhat against the roof. Again, this is not for the claustrophobic. At one point in the tunnel there are traces of coal along the walls, although I learn that the North Koreans planted these markings in order to use the excuse during withdrawal that this tunnel was for mining purposes. No coal exists in this area. An informative sign in the tunnel reads "Again, we feel the double-sidedness of the North Koreans."
2:39 - I reach the end of the tunnel available to tourists. I wonder what is on the other side of the wall that reads in heavy red letters "RESTRICTED ACCESS." There are only a few points in the tunnel where I can stand upright comfortably and for the record, I am 6 ft. tall.
2:45 - After drinking from a natural spring water faucet down in the tunnel, my group and I begin a walking ascent back to the surface via a professionally drilled tunnel by a South Korean company after discovery of the secret tunnel. After arriving at the surface, we take some pics in front of a statue (pictured above.)
3:00 - We go into the DMZ Theater and watch a short movie about the history of the border. It feels a little propaganda-ish but in the end the hope is that in the future this area will represent the peace that is resolved between the two halves of Korea.
3:23 - We hop back onto the bus and continue along, passing a military checkpoint freely without stopping.
3:31 - We disembark the bus for our next extended stop, a building colored in camoflauge with Korean writing foreign to me. I notice a balcony behind the building where most of the tourists have gathered so I prep my camera and make my way over there. As I near the balcony I notice a yellow line on the ground indicating "no photography past this point," realizing that the balcony view looks into the DMZ and North Korea. I draw a thumbnail sketch of the vast landscape in my sketchbook. Other tourists feed coins into binocular machine and peer over the balcony. A North Korean factory is visible in front of the mountains. Aside from that it the DMZ is very quiet and beautiful.
3:45 - We hop back on the bus and head downhill passing the same military checkpoint without stopping again. The young Korean soldier salutes the bus as we pass by.
3:47 - I see what look like warehouses approaching. I learn that these are storage facilities for trade of goods with North Korea. Dorasan Train Station is visible.
3:49 - We get off the bus for Dorasan Train Station, a small but nicely architectured station. From what I understand it was built during a previous government in order to open travel between the two Koreas. For some reason, government related I have to assume, the station feels abandoned, yet new. We walk in and there are a group of soldiers standing inside. The ceilings are high, the windows are large, the entire station feels like it hasn't even been used. Above the turnstiles a directional sign reads "To Pyeongyang" and the light up board which would normally show arrival and departure times simply flashes the brief history of the station. While taking pictures I wonder if the next time I come here, whenever that may be, this station will be bustling with actual train travelers.
4:04 - We hop back on the bus
4:10 - We make the obligatory souvenir shop stop. A bunch of people smoke. Some go inside to browse. I just walk around outside the bus and enjoy the quiet peacefulness of the area that has resulted from the DMZ. I look up and watch the myriad of birds flying in V-formation and remember learning during the tour that the DMZ has indirectly become a natural haven for endangered animals because of the lack of human presence there.
4:30 - We arrive back at base camp in Paju. I wonder how different this tour will be five years from now, ten years, so on and so on.

Paul Newman

2008-09-27T11:36:00.001-07:00

Though not of my generation, I thought his voice work in Pixar's "Cars" brought a lot of added sincerity to the movie. Thanks Paul!

Painting a Self-Portrait: Movie Clip

2008-09-06T18:53:00.001-07:00

Olympic-Sized Olympics

2008-08-24T18:21:00.001-07:00

Wow.

That is really the best way I can describe this year's Olympic games, starting from that amazingly grandiose opening ceremony, which I thought was a great balance of sheer power and graceful precision. As I sit here watching this beautiful closing ceremony I'm reminded of how quick the Olympics come and go and how for two weeks you kind of forget about everything else that is going on in the world. When I was in Beijing last fall and took this picture in front of the very much work-in-progress Bird's Nest I could not have imagined the spectacle that was to come only half a year later.

China made their statement, there is no doubt. You have to feel a little bad for jolly ol' London for having to follow this act (seems like anything short of reviving actual Beatles will seem insignificant) but really China's resources and manpower are beyond compare. What few notions and stereotypes the average person in the world had about China have been shattered I'd say and anyone who doesn't believe China is the future is in denial.

I love the Olympics because it makes heroes and stars out of people who are defined only by their dedication to their passions. Forget reality stars. Forget those who are celebrities simply for being dumb, rich folk. Forget the spoiled elite who have everything handed to them in life and strut with a sense of entitlement. Pretty much all these Olympic athletes are "regular" people, which is why it is so easy to cheer for them when they succeed and sympathize when they fall.

It's a shame the Olympics are only every four years, but then again that's what make them so great.

Don't Eat The Popcorn?

2008-08-14T05:38:00.001-07:00

An excerpt from a conversation with a coworker (who we'll anonymously call K) yesterday:

Coworker: "Well if you are going to Disney, don't eat the popcorn."
Rest of us: "What? Why not?"
Coworker: "Because they put dead pigeons in it!"

There are definitely a lot of entertaining urban legends floating around our culture about Disney but this one was the best one I've heard in a while. I guess the legend was that if someone found a dead bird in the park, they'd toss it quickly into the popcorn bin to hide it from the park goers. I think shoving it into one of those rolling freezers that they sell the Mickey Mouse shaped popsicles out of would be more practical (especially in the blazing Florida heat and humidity) but really what do I know about corpse removal in a themed environment? What I do know is as long as there are always interesting urban legends, true or not, there will always be something fun to illustrate.

Greetings Cleveland!

2008-06-21T06:45:00.001-07:00

So I'm two weeks into a stint at American Greetings in Cleveland, OH and so far it's been great. Gotta say my preconceived image of a greeting card creative studio being overrun with old ladies painting watercolor flowers and dogs was way off...it's inspiring being surrounded by many talented and contemporary illustrators and designers. I'm working in humor illustration in the creative studio and lovin' it so far. My very first card is a Valentine's Day card that should be out on shelves next year.

American Greetings is in the greater Cleveland area, though I'm staying in the city of North Olmstead west of downtown Cleveland. One of the first things I noticed arriving up north here is how messed up the roads are, surely a result of the harsh winter ice and snow so prevalent here. The best thing though I've discovered about the Cleveland area is the Metroparks, an amazing park reserve system that runs through 7 cities of greater Cleveland. It's not an urban park like NY Central Park...it's pretty much wilderness in the middle of the city the way it once was, set aside for preservation, education, and enjoyment. In my opinion, every city should've done something like this.

So far so good...

Outdoor Mural

2008-05-13T21:03:00.001-07:00

A while back I started this outdoor mural over a koi pond at our restaurant in Jax, FL. Surprisingly it's held up pretty good but I decided it was time for a drastic retouching. You can clearly see the difference between the left side, which has been reworked, and the faded right side. The fish make a great audience.

Tiny Painting (4"x5") of a Large Blue Vase

2008-04-05T20:56:00.001-07:00

You Can Never Get Enough Practice...

2008-02-29T21:21:00.001-08:00

I Heart Language Evolution

2008-02-13T21:19:00.001-08:00

Have you noticed that there seems to be a growing number of people who pronounce today Valen-TIMES day? Well, keep your ears open...

Superbowling

2008-02-04T22:07:00.001-08:00

Like many I too was shocked to see the Patriots lost to the Giants in easily the most exciting Superbowl game I can remember, but there are a few things that vex me now the day after that I'd like to share:

1. What is with all this post-Superbowl media "I guess the Patriots weren't as good as everyone thought" talk? The amount of focus it must take to go undefeated through a 16 game season in a competitive league is ridiculous. This isn't some college football fluke season where a team - say Ohio State - plays nobody of significance and coasts 11-0 into a championship game under the veil of being "invincible." The Patriots just lost a game that was so close it was basically a coin flip.

2. Why does the NFL call the winner of the Superbowl "World Champions?" Last I checked we weren't competing with teams around the globe.

3. Please let this be the first and last year of this confounded "red carpet Ryan Seacrest" tomfoolery. This is a sporting event! I don't need to see attention starved celebrities walking down a scarlet pathway, getting photographed, plugging their careers, and being asked who they think will win the game.

4. And finally...I like dogs and I like Gatorade, but I did NOT get that Gatorade dog commercial at all. At all.

Bud Selig: Commissioner of Major League Baseball

2008-01-15T20:28:00.001-08:00

Instead of watching my usual Sportscenter this morning, I noticed ESPN aired live the congressional hearing regarding Major League Baseball and steroids. This is a sketch I did of commissioner Bud Selig during his segment alongside Donald Fehr.

Personally I think it's a shame when competition is tainted because it completely distorts everything for everyone else involved. But let's be honest, those who profit from the homerun love the homerun by the truckload - including players, trainers, and owners. Besides, if I want to watch juiced up superhumans beating up on regular mortals I'll just turn to NBC's revival of American Gladiators...

Happy New Year 2008

2008-01-01T10:29:00.001-08:00

Wow, it's 2008! Is it just me or does Ryan Seacrest look like he can't wait to take over Dick Clark's "Rockin' New Years" gig? And we were supposed to be in flying cars by now...

Anderson Cooper: News for a New Generation

2007-10-24T12:58:00.001-07:00

New illustration added today to my website www.chrishsu.net of Anderson Cooper from CNN. I remember watching Anderson since back when I was in high school when he was on Channel One always reporting from hotspots like in Africa and Eastern Europe. I recall always thinking, "Man, this guy is always in the line of fire - literally of bullets - no wonder he's graying so quickly!" If you don't know about Channel One it was (and I suppose still is) a national news program played throughout schools in the mornings to inform teens of world events. For the record, I really liked watching it every morning but some of the other punk kids found it was a convenient time to quickly scrounge together their vocabulary homework and avoiding the wrath of the grade book...

Fat Centaur

2007-09-07T13:01:00.001-07:00

Landscaping

2007-08-01T02:24:00.001-07:00

Getting ambitious in the short time I have left in California this summer. This is a spot I've been scoping since three summers ago but felt a little intimidated by it. Everyone has some "thing" that calls to them, whether it's a hill you itch to climb, a pair of shoes you yearn to buy, or even a show you gotta Tivo. This is how I feel about this spot. The large sheet of drawing paper practically blinded me today since there was no overhead canopy of any kind, but twenty or so minutes was plenty to throw down a perspective and proportions study to bring back to my room...

In the meantime, my pedestrian walkway painting is wrapping up as well as this Gum Grove one (seen here in early stages.) There's still a few compositions around Seal Beach I'd like to tackle but that might just end up being for another day.

El Salvador Self-Portrait Series

2007-07-22T10:35:00.001-07:00

This is looong overdue...don't know why I forgot to put this up on my blog weeks ago when it was finished. It's the fourth installment of my self-portrait travel series.

Long Time No See

2007-06-30T20:50:00.001-07:00

Reunion in Santa Monica! If you didn't know, I studied Mandarin in Taipei, Taiwan back in 2001 before heading off to art school. Met lots of interesting folks there from all over, including Gwen and Susanna who I've seen individually since then but not together until today. A shared anecdote here and there about the wild world of dating and suddenly we are off again in separate directions. I need to dig up and sort through all my video footage from Taiwan 2001 one of these days...

In the meantime, my brain is occupied with this little painting under a pedestrian walkway in Long Beach. There's a busy road directly behind my position so the noise pollution is unending, but other than that it's a nice secluded spot. Those beams are making this an tough exercise in greys, which I'm quite enjoying.

Back in the U.S.S.A.

2007-06-27T21:40:00.001-07:00

Back to the concrete jungle also known as Southern California...I am having El Salvador withdrawl. There are way too many differences to point out so I'm not going to try, but I will point out that it would be unfair to say that life is indisputably better in one place over the other. After all, there are many ways to measure "quality" of life other than by amounts wealth and conveniences.

I'm jumping back onto the artmaking wagon by revisiting some of my favorite sites around Long Beach for some landscape drawing. It's not nearly as green here as Central America, but the water power plants that dominate the Long Beach skyline around here continue to interest me. I forsee a painting in my future...

El Parque Imposible (Impossible Park)

2007-06-21T00:21:00.001-07:00

Parque Imposible...our final outdoor adventure of the trip. It is the largest protected park in El Salvador, green like you wouldn't believe, and a botanist and birdwatcher's haven from what I hear. The road to get up there is basically one strip of winding, steep, rocky, mountain road flanked by some occupied mountain shacks and overrun with dogs and chickens. Some of the countryside kids run out and wave to you as you drive by. But again, it's bumpy as hell so be sure your car is equipped for the trek up. If you really, really want to be prepared, then maybe learn how to change a flat tire on a slope too...

Once there we were assigned a guide volunteer named Andres (pictured above) who gave us some hiking route choices. It was $6 for me (gringo) and $3 for Viki (salvadorian resident). We opted for the hike down into the valley to a river junction which was an overall 7km hike down and back uphill. It is said this park is the best example of a mesoamerican rainforest and the guia Andres was well educated about the ecosystem. No armed policia this time...he said in this park it wasn't necessary. I believe they assign guides here because 1) they want to make sure you don't pass out in the middle of nowhere unnoticed and 2) they want to make sure you're respecting nature. He was super nice though.

The terrain here is rugged; even the simple routes would be a little tricky for a noob hiker. The fun thing about hiking to a water source is hearing it as you're nearing it...motivating you to keep going. When we finally reached the river, we were shocked at how crisp it was. Andres said that the park tests it frequently for contaniments, which it is completely free of. The fish looked like they were flying, the water was so clear. Being in the water was therapeutic; I actually felt cleaner having swam in it, which is odd for a river these days. This was the way water was supposed to be, the way that nature intended it to be. Andres even filled his water bottle up in the river in preparation for our ascent.

Normally, the hike back up would have been challenging but after Cerro Verde and Izalco last week, this was muy facil. You constantly have to look down at your feet to watch your footing of course but don't forget to look up every once in a while. You'll see some crazy exotic trees, gigantic empire-like antills, and of course local wildlife. The rainforest canopy is beautiful.

On the drive back down, seeing a chicken on the side of the road indicated to me that we were back in civilization (and no, I'm not being sarcastic.) As we neared the capital San Salvador, I spotted this pickup which for me wins the award for being my personal favorite of the entire trip. I mean, I've seen some precarious pickups these last two weeks, but this one takes the pupusa. All the junk being hauled seems to be methodically secured using only a few ropes. Look closely too because you'll see a kitchen sink at the top. What I don't understand is how one goes about unloading this truck? Once you cut one rope the entire thing is going to come crumbling down, right? I'm sure there's some ancient Mayan secret I don't know about...

Last night in El Salvador. Tagged along with Viki's family for dinner at a friend's house/restaurant. Time to start packing...

El Boqueron and the San Salvador Volcano

2007-06-19T10:24:00.001-07:00

Another volcano adventure today, no hike though, just a drive up to the crater. It's called El Boqueron which I believe means "giant mouth"...a pretty accurate description I'd say. Not sure I'd have found it on my own so fortunately Viki's dad is a good navigator. This girl was selling I think six or seven avocados on the side of the road for $1. Ah, things are so much cheaper when you cut out the middle man.

On the way up we did pass by a building marked with the letters "MS13" in spray paint which told me that it the structure was gang territory. There were lots of young adult males hanging about, one standing up on a wall almost like a lookout or something. Obviously I wasn't planning to hold up my camera and snap a picture. The gang is a LA gang, but they do now have recruitment locations throughout Central America. Google them.

On the way up, Viki suddenly noticed from the car a little hand grasping onto the rear windshield wiper. I reached back, knocked on the window, and saw a little boy jump off who was trying to hitch a ride to the top. We let him grab onto the side of the car instead which was much safer and before we knew it we found ourselves with a little tour guide named Gavin. Upon reaching the top we were swarmed by kids like Gavin excited to have new visitors to the area. I figure they get at least a couple a day, maybe more on the weekends.

Take that Brad and Angelina! Check out my new adopted family. The kids know how to be hospitable. They'll show you the paths to the vistas and share information about the area. The little girls would even grab pretty flowers off of bushes and give them to the girls in our group, in this case Viki and CK. We followed them up to the crater where I finally realized why they call this place "giant mouth." It was a breathtaking view of a GIGANTIC hole, steep as ever along the sides. It was like something straight out of Star Wars. It's supposed to be an official tourist attraction I think, but the government visitor center at the top was totally abandoned. They say you can hike to the bottom of the crater...a possible adventure for another day.

The kids are super photogenic too, sporting smiles as big as the crater they live on everytime you hold a camera up to them. Part of it I know is the excitement of having temporary vistitors on the mountain; the other part of course is knowing that city slickers like us carry quarters on us. It's fine though...give a quarter to a kid in the States and he'll/she'll be like "That's it??" The kids we met up here were happy, constantly laughing, and enjoying the simplicity of their little world in the mountains and away from the electronically corded jungles of the modern world that tangle up our lives. I envy them in a way.

When our little tour around a portion of the crater was done, we headed back to the car and the kids prepare for their uofficial payday. And obviously you can't give one kid something and another nothing unless you're okay with the saddened look of a chiquito salvadareno's face on your conscience. Some probably hitch back down to a local shop and blow it on candy. Others probably give it to their parents.

I'm finding that El Salvador is a country full of high views. It's probably the greenest and most mountainous country I've ever been to. We caught this view of San Salvador on the way back down from El Boqueron under some extraordinary light conditions feebly captured by this picture. I like to think that even members of the local MS13 gang stop between member initiations and enjoy the views offered by their beautiful country...

Dos Dias En Guatemala

2007-06-18T11:09:00.001-07:00

Hold onto your pimped-out buses, we're going to Guatemala. One thing I love about Central America is the super colorful public buses, often covered in designs, decals, pictures of Jesus, roof racks...some even have slick grills up front. I don't believe it's an attempt at showboating though, because like I said, these are public buses. It's just an overall more colorful culture, literally and figuratively. We took a car, by the way.

Border patrol on the El Salvador side was two uniformed officials sitting under a tent. One friendly old lady was spouting a lot of spanish while checking our documents...I did pick up the word "peligroso" which I knew meant "dangerous." I had already heard the Guatamalan side near the border was a bit ghetto anyways so yeah, it was the first time I had actually felt a little nervous entering a new country. Scenes from the movie "Proof of Life" kept running through my mind. Border patrol on the Guatemalan side was an abandoned station, completely nonexistent. I guess they have an open policy concerning traffic from El Salvador.

The second morning in Guatemala was spent in Antigua, a little town situated in a valley. There were a lot of caras blancas abound - I hear lots of gringos and euros retire there. There were a lot of Angelina wannabes too, carrying around their newly adopted Guatemalan babies like they were accessories. I did notice all the local women, young to old, wore traditional colorful and patterned clothing which I thought was beautiful.

From what I've seen, all the little towns here in Central America are centered around a central plaza or park, where the main church is situated. Church and community it seems are the foundations of society here. The look of this town was very similar to Apaneca and Suchitoto in El Salvador except Antigua was a more restored place, likely due to the tourism. The borrachos you always see hanging around the central plaza are hilarous.

That night, I tagged along with Viki's family to their cousin's graduation party in Guatemala City. The grad parties here are very much like the gringo prom, the main difference being that the parents take part in the festivities too, at least for the normal portion of the night. Music, dancing, elaborate dress...at a glance it looks like an episode of MTV's "Sweet Sixteen" except not one person is the spoled center of attention. I actually quite like this tradition here compared to the gringo prom, which is basically an elaborate party held for no particularly special occasion.

And don't let the Antigua pictures fool you, Guatemala City is quite modern and bustling. This video (if you can see it) is however the countryside...

El Salvador: Part 2

2007-06-15T01:15:00.001-07:00

It took my leg muscles about two days to completely return to normal after the Izalco hike...just as anticipated. The confused look on my face in this pic with my buddy CK is a sign of my overheating and exhaustion carrying on into the night, though they were quickly alleviated by drinking copius volumes of ice water. Thank the volcano gods, for that night we dined at their "cousins" house on steak. Something about being out in a jungle all day brings out the animal instincts in you I think because when I saw that red meat in front of me, it triggered an impulse and I devoured that slab as if I had never seen meat before.

The other day we visited a friend's reptile farm slightly outside of the city of San Salvador. The whole experience felt very Jurassic Park complete even with an electric perimeter fence, although this was one for keeping out theives as opposed to containing T-Rexes. This little fellow sitting on my shoulder I believe is called a bearded dragon. Por que? I don't know. I had never seen so many reptiles before in one place. Small ones, large ones, red ones, brown ones, green ones, shelled ones, spiny ones, slithery ones, cute ones, creepy ones, jumpy ones...well, you get the picture.

Before entering the turtle section of the farm, we had disinfect the bottoms of our shoes. It was like a happy little turtle civilization with turtles as far as the eye could see. Off to the side they housed the giant turtles which to see up close in person is quite amusing. You stand there looking at this slow, shelled, almost comical-looking creature and wonder how the shell it has survived since dinosaur times...but indeed it has and so you can't help look at it with a bit of reverence. To sit on it was a treat too; it makes one feel a bit Super Mario Brothers-ish...

During my time here in El Salvador so far, I have been enlightened to the magical place that is simply known as "Pollo Campero." It's the tastiest fried chicken chain across Central America. So far I've only eaten there twice but both times were muy rico. I know you're thinking it looks like a pretty normal meal in the photo, so you'll just have to trust me on this one. Keep a lookout on the street for a sign with a big yellow and orange cartoon chicken!

Volcano Izalco Movie Clip

2007-06-14T23:56:00.001-07:00

Filmed and narrated by my hiking buddy, this clip is taken at the peak of the volcano El Izalco. It feels like standing on a giant crater island floating above the clouds. In the background you can see our other hiking partners, our guide, the two armed policia, and me eating an apple.

Cerro Verde y El Izalco: Take Two

2007-06-12T23:48:00.001-07:00

We went back to Cerre Verde as planned in hopes of making it for the morning volcano hike. For 1$ a person a guide will take you to the volcano and back, a hike they estimate at 4 hours. Fortunatly three other adventurers arrived to put us over the two person minimum. Rain fell at 10:30 am, but the hike was on. They said we could tip the guide (this time, a 17-year-old kid named Danny) but it wasn't necessary to tip the security guards who were accompanying us on the trip.

Whaaat? Security guards? Armed police to be specific. Two of them.

We began with a brisk descent 2,030 meters down Cerro Verde in the rain, though under the canopy of the forest. We reached the base of the volcano (seen in first pic) where luckily the rain had stopped. Wide-eyed optimists, we began the trek straight up the side of the volcano on barely a trail. After 1,870 meters of maneuvering on a constant, rocky, steep, uphill grade, we finally reached the top of the volcano Izalco. Here in the second pic our two armed security enjoy the view that they apparently see twice a week. Apparently in the past hikers had been mugged and/or raped along the trail - hence, the reason for the government to install guards to protect tourism. Now you know.

Honestly these pictures do the experience no justice at all. To stand at the top of a black volcano above the clouds and look into it's fuming crater is exhilarating. To stand so high on such a steep and primitive slope for me was disorienting, but rewarding. All you could hear up there was the wind, the sound of your feet crunching along the rocks, and your breath. Walking around the huge crater, I saw some of the craziest, alien-like insects I had ever seen.

Also exhilarating? Standing practically up in the clouds and hearing a thunderstorm brewing literally beside you as opposed to above you. A bit scary in fact. A few booms were enough to set us 8 travellers out for the volcano descent quickly, this time down a different path of mostly red sand and rocks. Tricky footwork, controlled sliding, and clever weight distribution was required, but the impending storm was enough to hurry me down the volcano in fear of a mudslide or worse. By the time we finally reached the protective canopy of Cerro Verde, the rain was pouring down. In hiking, what goes down must come up; the brisk descent down Cerro Verde was not so brisk on the way back up. It was an interminable series of turns and dirt steps, each one leading to more and more forest each time. Sweat and rain were indistinguishable. If you could ignore the dizziness and vertigo, you could really take in the dazzling atmosphere of the misty forest.

In the end, we basically walked 2,030 meters down a mountain, then 1,870 meters up a volcano, then 1,870 meters down a volcano, and 2,030 meters back up a mountain. In my opinion, it is DEFINITELY NOT for the beginner hiker or the faint of heart. To my constant amazement, our two police guards and 17-year-old guide never looked tired, let alone phased, throughout the entire hike! They were super-friendly and helpful the entire time. It was by far the most grueling physical challenge I've put myself in front of, but no matter where I go in life, I'll ALWAYS know what it was like to stand on the fuming rim of a black Central American volcano...

El Salvador: Part 1

2007-06-10T22:53:00.001-07:00

Que chivisimo...loving everything about El Salvador so far. Scenery is complete with lush greenery and cows on the side of the road. Day 2 Viki and I drove up to Cerro Verde looking for volcanoes. It's amazing to see in the green landscape a huge black mound billowing with fumes...I guess it explains why the beaches here have black sand (which is really cool by the way). Tomorrow we return to hike up the actual volcano itself since we missed the required guided-hike up. And in case you find this interesting, a guided hike is 25 cents per person. Yes, a quarter.

Safety first, ninos! Just when you think you've seen the most packed-in pickup truck ever, another one will always drive by and amaze you. Usually the passengers stand in the back, especially when there's a big group. There's usually a roll cage type thing for them to hold onto, because as I said earlier, safety first ninos! Sometimes there's even a lawn chair in the pickup bed for elders to sit for the duration of the ride. It's efficient, that's for sure.

Day 3 we took a canopy zipline tour over the wooded mountains of Apaneca. Well worth the $30 to zip across 12 lines over totally primitive woods and farms with the wind whirring over your ears. I felt very much like Spider-man...or a monkey...one or the other. The "bus" ride up was pretty cool too, a very rugged road through the jungle. And of course by "bus" I mean the back of a pickup truck, although this one had seats and a canopy roof.

Check back for more...

Branding Idol

2007-05-25T02:22:00.001-07:00

Talk about marketability! Yes, I'm talking about you, Jordin Sparks. Not only does she now boast the most gigantic smile in showbiz, she has the talent to back it up. Her young age will allow teens to relate to her, yet her mature appearance will draw in older fans as well. She found a good balance between humility and confidence during the season which made her well-liked among all. She will be well-received by different ethnic groups, though that's really dependent on how the big wigs brand her. Simon and his gang are no doubt estatic to turn this blank mold into something big and lucrative.

I mean, what marketer wouldn't love to have a product with a huge fan base way before the product is even for sale??

The American Idol formula is invincible. The machine rolls on and I gotta say, it's entertaining. And for the record, I was indeed a Jordin fan this season. Some of those kids just looked like a bunch of noobs next to her...

Sidewalk Arts 2007

2007-04-28T19:40:00.001-07:00

A video clip of sequential photos I took while working on my square. Nice day, nice turnout, inconsistent judging...

The Pursuit of Beautyness

2007-04-26T20:31:00.001-07:00

Yay, get out your mirrors! It's time for the annual "The 100 Most Beautiful" issue...or inversely "The Other 299,999,900 Ugly Folk" issue. Really, that's just a half-full or half-empty thing, depending on your take on society creating exclusive clubs based on looks. To say I'm not a big fan would be quite an understatement...

Kien and The Bone

2007-04-25T20:56:00.001-07:00

The weekend took me into my first journey into South Florida, where ol' Gainesville buddies tied the knot. Beat it Nick and Jessica...this one's gonna last for sure. Mainly though it was a nice college reunion of UF buddies, sans Kien and The Bone. If you didn't live in Murphree Hall Section A or M in 1996 or 1997, then that last part of the previous sentence must have sounded like some weird movie found only in the backrooms of the most ghetto video retailers...

The Hindsight Blame Game

2007-04-18T11:27:00.001-07:00

I'm sad about Virginia Tech, don't get me wrong, but at same time I am completely tired of watching the media playing what I call "The Hindsight Blame Game." Actually, it's not just the media, they just happen to be the ones perpetuating it during their 24/7 coverage of any massive tragedy. Same cycle happens after every major tragedy.

This is the equivalent of finding out a girl has been sexually assaulted, then asking dumb questions like "Why didn't her friends lock her down once they suspected she was going out dressed in something cute, knowing that someone out there liked her?" rather than blaming the individual who couldn't control his impulsive behavior. Let's get one thing straight about this VT incident...the only person to blame here is this whiny kid Cho and his failure to integrate and cope with society. But unfortunately, the coward is not with us anymore to be the pinata of blame so as always, the masses look elsewhere...

"But why didn't administration lock down the school after two people got shot at a dorm?" they ask. Probably because evidence suggested it was a domestic dispute that escalated into violence. It is a residence hall after all where people laugh, argue, cry, etc. all the time. Who could've possibly predicted the ballistic rampage that would soon follow? No one, that's who.

"And the warning signs, and the creepy writings were all there and no one did anything about it!" they say. Then does this mean we lock up everyone with any history of stalking, alienation, and antisocial thoughts? We would if this was the movie "Minority Report" but unfortunately we don't have the technology of psychic triplets just yet.

"And how could this kid get access to such weaponry so easily?" they ask. Well, a long time ago a group of powdered wig-wearing revolutionaries decided everyone had a right to a gun. Better get accustomed to it too because that's not going to change.

Point is, if someone wants to kill, they're gonna kill. Who can really stop that? Life will go on the way it has, without metal detectors at college, without having to submit three letters of recommendation from your teachers when buying a gun, and without shutting down entire towns the moment someone gets shot. The best we all can do for each other after tragedy is spread support all around and stop having to find someone else to blame.

To those who want to continue to point the finger at others, I say stop acting like you saw it coming because you KNOW you didn't.

300 Self-Portraits in Vancouver

2007-04-11T17:53:00.001-07:00

New trip, new movie, same design. Enjoy!

If you haven't seen my other travel self-portrait series movies, click here to see them. I have two others from Asia and New York.

I'm No Bandwagon Fan

2007-04-10T21:47:00.001-07:00

I'm no bandwagon fan, that's for sure. I remember back when it made our season to beat Kentucky in a regular season game. I recall the excitement of finding out that a Florida basketball game was to be televised on ESPN. I remember when they started this whole "Rowdy Reptiles" gig. I remember cheering our uncanny one-eyed player Fast Eddie. I remember watching Jason Williams showboat on the home court, then later with the Kings. I remember calling into Billy Donovan's weekly show with my roomates and asking questions about Dupay.

I'm no bandwagon fan, that's for sure...and that's why it's so rewarding to have watched the Gators take the championship again. Besides, is it so wrong to reward a group of kids for staying in college to repeat as a team rather than scurry for certain NBA millions?

I'm no bandwagon fan, that's for sure...and that's why it'll be fun to start over again next year and watch an all new team.