A Mocking Bird

This is a 4x6 inch watercolor wash with Sume-drawing ink on watercolor paper. It is a team effort of Iris and I. This afternoon I was just about to try on the Chinese brush painting but Iris interrupted me and wanted to join along. She laid down the first yellow wash as it was her favorite color. Then she wanted to do the Sume ink. I had to give in and handed her the Chinese brush. She pressed the brush quited hard and scrubbed down five various sizes of black blobs on the top of the yellow wash. Then it was my turn so I added the brown madder as the bird's mouth. I think our effort has a sense of a flapping wing bird. It was fun.

Amazing Day#2

I teach computer science for living. I also got nominated to run our bachelor degree program in computer science (English program) in June 2007. It is quite challenging to me to become a part of a middle management team that is responsible for three hundred Thai undergraduate students. There are many times that I feel the stress of this managing position. I try to work using my passion rather than using my business sense, which I am not so sure I have. Anyway, sometimes, things that I try work; sometimes they do not. Sometimes, the students break my heart (like taking the tuition money from their parents but not using it for the registration fee, etc.). Sometimes, the students are just so inspiring and show me how much heart they do have to strive for their goals (like last year we had a group of three students competing for a Microsoft software competition in Thailand, and we won third prize).

Last week, during a departmental meeting, one of the staff mentioned to me that my picture had been used as part of our university's 48th anniversary open-house campaign. And my picture is on several big billboards installed on several spots on the roads leading to our campus. I was shocked and got so excited. The next day was Saturday, so Tone and I hopped in our car, drove around and found one of the billboards, and took my picture with it. I am so proud to be included in this university campaign, much more than when I got promoted to be an assistant professor a few years ago.

It has not been easy to step up to do this extra management position while maintaining the same teaching load and trying to balance my hectic career with my family, and my passion for painting. This billboard reminds me that I can have it all; though the result is not perfect, it has turned out pretty darn good !!!


Recently I watched an episode of the Oprah show which talked about "The Law of Attraction", in which one should focus only on the positive. Then, good things will roll your way. So I like to think of this billboard as a very positive sign for me to enjoy my journey and be less critical of myself. I hope many more good surprises lay ahead for me.

Amazing Day#1

I am sure every parent thinks of each step their kids make as an outstanding accomplishment. The past weekend, Iris was putting the construction toys together as a string with a horse head. I was in awe. She was smiling so proud of herself. I am proud of her too, I think, because she did something big people like us deem a small thing, but for her it is such an impressive milestone. Kids really give you a new perspective. If I did not have her, I would never experience "my high" just from seeing a three-year-old cross her first step to the land of a new thing. I am grateful to witness that. And that makes me so happy. I never want to trade any other thing in the world for my time with her.

Carousels

These are the two watercolor art trading cards I did for an art exchange project on Wetcanvas. I am glad both arrived to Canada, and India safely. The two cards were done from public-domain photos on flickr by ibobvw, and twoblueday respectively.

I first did not think of anything much except their happy colors attracted me to paint until my arty friend, Rose, point it out that I was longing to something in my childhood. May be that has some truth in it but my childhood in a very modest upbringing in a quite modest country like Thailand could not be that bright and charming as depicted in the referenced photos. Yes, I did ride some carousels here, but it was so old looking, old enough that it did not register any vivid memory in my mind.

I am glad that after thirty something years of upbringing now I can show a very nice mini carousel to my daughter in an American style fancy shopping mall near our house. The ironic is that Iris was scared of it when I put her on it four months ago. I will definitely try to put Iris on a carousel again soon. After all, every child deserves to have a happy memory on a carousel.

November -- NaBloPoMo

I decide to do NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) or blogging daily for November. I suppose I can try this though my daily work is getting crazier each day. I hope you can join along or at least check me up from time to time. I think my NaBloPoMo will be a mix of arts and life around me. So here we go...