AGO Gift Shop

My favourite artist, Sean Martindale is having a show in AGO. The show title is NOW. The opening party is this Friday 7pm. He was very kind to invite me to be a part of his project of taking over AGO souvenir shop. I was super excited to be part of it. I drew on bunch of art-print greeting card boxes and on individual cards. There were 20 cards in each box, and I drew original drawings on them all! I also drew on AGO souvenir pop-up cards. They can be available for purchase in February, but you can see them at AGO gift shop in a meanwhile.

Here is the opening party facebook invite:
NOW Facebook Invite

I love the clever idea (I wish I could take credit, but it was Sean's idea!) of making mass-produced art-print items back into original art. 
Here are some shots of the gift shop items. I'm really sick right now. Head spinning and everything! So please pardon me for the poor writing + photograph qualities.

BOX 1

These octopus-like aliens have collective brain. They transimit outer-space broken heart, but they don't feel no emotion. Maybe they just stream thoughts without feelings. Look at that card bundle. I drew on each one of them! (actually, it was fun to do)


BOX 2

This one features bunny destroyers. It's from my sketch thinking about War of the Worlds. These bunnies are relentless destroyers. Hostile beings in space.


BOX 3

Monsters and boxes-within-boxes drawings.

AGO Souvenir Cards

AGO has these ghetto 3d pop-up cards. I got to draw on them!

Lastly... look at all those cards I drew in. Santa Maria. I was a machine, yo.

I have a lot of other news but just could not find time to post them. Please stay tuned for more news. :D

Sneeze!

Sniffle!

Over and out! xoxo

From London, with Love (Process!)

From London, With Love
48" X 36"
Mixed media on wood
Created for amazing Jason B.
Left building is Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and the building on the right is a building in front of Bank Station in London, UK.

Happy Happy New Year!
My apologies for the lack of blog post in the month of December. I usually disappear, sucked in by the black hole during the holiday seasons. I've been working at my parents' store for the past 13 years of my life during the holiday rush. We have a store in a mall in Brampton. It is a monstrous place. I worked average 13 hours a day, listening to eternal loop of Carol songs and being yelled at by angry mall customers. I don't understand. If Christmas stress them so much, why bother celebrating? Anyways... my parents usually go on annual vacation on the Christmas day and come back at the end of the first week of January. So my brother and I had to take over the store while they were gone. But this year had been different. They could not afford the annual trip. It's very sad... but I got to have my first ever New Year's Eve, ever!
There were parties, countdown and everything. Just like in the movies. Staying warm inside with one of my favourite movies, Strange Days, I had the best New Years ever. 2011 had been kind to me. I hope 2012 is better than ever. I have a good feeling about it.

To start off 2012 blog post, I present you with the first ever process photos! With my bad memory, I always forget to take photos between steps, so I never got the complete process photos until now. This painting, "From London, with Love" is for Jason B., I am very grateful for his commission. It was the first time for me to paint on such a big canvas (48" X 36"). I worked on oversized papers before, but never painted on a giant canvas. It was challenging and fun at the same time. I'm going to paint more giant paintings in the future for sure.

Lining the floor with newspaper, made sturdy with masking tape. I should really buy a sheet of tarp or something.

Masking out a rough building shape.

Paint paint paint with a giant brush!

Draw in building details. Notice a waving bunny in one of the windows! Can you spot him?

Paint in the River Tame and determine the spot for the pink monster.

Determine the spot for the double decker.

Size comparison! (and show off my new tank top) Thank you very much Lee for taking this photo. I also thank him for helping me deliver the giant painting.