Orchid tea party

Today was our very fun-full day. We started early morning by biking around neighborhood, went to the park. I did some watercolor sketching at the park and took some more pics for future painting. On the way back I bought a big bunch of red orchids. I put them in our big vase in my studio table with additional story book dolls, and small tea cups... and Valla !!!. I got my still-life set up. This is about 9x11 inch watercolor. I had fun today.

My portrait

It is now at the top of page as a background for "Ai Arts". After one paint out with the University of Alabama Women Painters at the dam park overlooking black warrior river in Tuscaloosa. AL, one painter named Dorothy Lott later gave me her 9x11 inch watercolor of me. I was bemused because I was not aware that there were someone painting me while I was painting. I just love this portrait. I later become good friends with Dorothy Lott.

So my observation, wearing a hat when you go paint out. Besides, it help your eyes, someone might decide to paint your portrait and surprise you. I saw this similar one in Mel Stabin book as well that he painted a painter with a hat in Provance.

Plein air at the Evason

These are two small plein air watercolor about 5x7 inch, done at the Evason Hua Hin's main guest gazabo. I feel I did not do their justice and I have problems with what should be kept and what should be left out. I am glad I get to do plein air never the less.

Evason Hua Hin Resort

Well my faculty had an annual seminar in a beautiful tropical resort, 3 hour drive from Bangkok. I am lucky that this year I got to stay in a villa with a private pool and 2 person outdoor bath tub in the middle of tropical garden and fish pond. I spent a day and a half in a faculty seminar but Tone and Iris did roam and relax. Iris did a 3 hour day nap in a big soft white bed. We never saw her nap that long in day-time before. She must love the bed so much. I did jump in a pool with Iris when time permits. The resort is by the sea, a part of the gulf of Thailand which is called Pranburi. Iris still does not want to play with the wave yet. She hates it when the sand gets between her toes, LOL. I hope she will learn to enjoy the sea more in the future.

We had a good 2 night and 3 day relaxation.

First art from the new studio

I was about to do tax on my new studio table; Tone stopped me and said the first thing created in that room should be my art. I couln't agree more. So I did this Conte crayon painting from my memory of a Thai vine called Soi-In-ta-nin, which climbs all over the univ. library's gazebo as the first piece under the new studio set up. It is about 8x11 inch.

Studio set up

The semester almost finishes. I still need to go to the faculty 3-4 days a week for doing other admin stuff but I don't have to teach for 2 months. So I get to work on my own studio. Well it is another unused bedroom, painted in warm yellow with plenty of light. Before there was an electric piano, a TV & Sterio set on the floor and one corner occupied with Buddha shrines (as seen in the top pic), the other corner was a big teak closet.

So I start the studio by purchasing a big white table that I always dream of. I don't know what I gonna do with it but at least I want to sit in front of a big white table to read, think, draw, and paint.

I bought another good adjustable shelf so now the bottom shelf hold my art books. And I put TV and Sterio on the top shelf (as seen in the 3rd pic). So now I can paint and glancing at my DVD at the same time.

The 2nd and 4th pic. show the room in other perspective. You could see I have move the Buddha shrine to the top of our teak closet. I plan to move more art stuff in the house to store in this closet. The bamboo Thai xylophone (on the floor) with the purple mat was our heirloom piece from my grandpa.

I feel the happy creative vibe in this room already.

Plein Air in the Park

I am back to feeling well again. I remember I swear when I was sick that I would walk/run 100K this year or bike 200K after I recover. So far I did walk 2K and bike 3K. I am so thankful for good health.

This weekend we headed out to the park for a change. I did some waterlily studies. The park surprised us with wonderful beds of cannas and holly-hock in perfectbloom. It did them pleinair with Conte crayon. I was very happy to sit on the grass hill overlook those flowers in the cool morning sun. Life is good.

The holly-hock & orange cannas are 8x11 inch in Conte crayon.



The waterlily are also 8x11 inch in Conte crayon. I think the blue top part of the water lily was a mistake so that was my learning lesson to sketch first.

Down with a flu

Well I have been under the weather for almost a week. I have seen the doctor and rest some and work some. Today I decide to take another day off. My great colleague helps to fill in my work for me. I have lots of art ideas in mind but they are hampered by the sickness. So I decide to post a recent work (December 2007). It is one of the two color pencil ATCs I like most. This one is called "A Walk in the Garden#1".