Last night I was having such a difficult time finding my swagger with doing a simple illustration of F. Scott Fitzgerald. The drawing part is easy enough... but its the swagger... MY swagger that I can't find!
And then the topic of feeling like crap came along. And then I remembered that one time when I was driving from East LA on the Olympic Art Deco style bridge going toward DTLA. I was feeling like crap after a long day of work and just feeling really down when I passed by an overpass with the largest piece of letters I've ever seen. It read: YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.... in big bold block orange letters. It honestly made my day and gave me the biggest smile.
...and just 30 minutes ago... I had the sudden urge to vandalize something and I came up with this:But I couldn't find my brushes... So I used the next best thing: an airplane toothbrush from Asiana (best airline EVER!!!)
Have you ever painted with a toothbrush? It's the weirdest feeling. It feels like you're brushing a surface clean, but you can't because you're vandalizing your neighbor's garage wall. Its almost cathartic. Like you're instilling those words onto your skin until you've scrubbed yourself raw.
And then it dawned onto me... maybe the reason why I find illustrations such a pain is because I'd rather be vandalizing really huge things!
I've almost forgotten that I even wrote this article!
This is how I got acquainted with Heff's work and she is RIDONKALOUS! Now if you ever find yourself in the cheeky *wink wink* Left Bank of Paris... make sure you go to the Apostrophe Hotel.
So I've been a terrible blogger of late... well at least regarding work and such. So here is what came in the office while I was away: Melissa "The Boss" Diner's shoot at Rex Botique, Aynouk Tan of L'OFFICIEL at Weber's and Anna at Konk.
Also, Becky and NatASS reprinted on Lemon Tree Korea. HOLLA!
On Gayley, while Kellen was getting in a an argument with an old man about how loud his bike was, these bros were like "hey man! you guys dress to impress! the jacket, the hat..." We didn't complement his clothing.
And while we were passing by The Brite Spot, this hipster guy said hi to us.
I think I am glad that TOPSHOP is nowhere near this side of the pond because I will never be tempted or be allowed to buy a pair of sequined leggings that cost $79. If it is, it will be the death of me...
...that and a big, buff and burly Irish man who lives in the country.
Yup. Those two will be the death of me. The end of life as I know it.
The lovely ladies of Post Fact hosted a Masquerade Party at the Unknown Theater. 5 with 10 without.
A stolen fake plant, a piece of duct tape and one Elboob Room later... Geofferey, Africa, Joe the alligator wrestler and Edith the flapper come out to play.
I'm back in Los Angeles and my first night out as a legal beer drinking mosh pitting American was at The Echo with Dan Deacon. Honestly, I just got dragged to it by V. But the wristband didn't come easy. I had wrestle the bouncer for one!
It got too touchy feeley at one point though. It was just creepy and uncomfortable. But then again maybe it was the jet lag.
But when I tell myself, I mean really tell myself, actually converse with myself, not the talk to yourself busy doing work talk to yourself or the talk to yourself laughing at the TV talking to yourself, the talk to yourself that takes five silent seconds and think... "hmm... I'm gonna a douchebag and do it"... kind of talk to yourself.
It took a lot to give up pork. Two years later, I gave up beef. I had to talk to myself with the latter because I love sketch ass Korean buffets.
I never plan on any of this so it's really dangerous when you give me a thought to ponder and I talk to myself.
This time I'm thinking of growing my hair. This is going to be so hard because I like my hair short. I like being different. I'm not thinking of growing it out of vanity. I'm thinking of donating it to Locks of Love.
In a way, by keeping my short hair... I feel like it's much more vain rather than growing it out.
....ok now I'm really thinking of growing it just to prove that I can let go of my short hair personality.
Today I walked around with my parents in their little hometown.
I think its so funny that almost everyone tried to get in every picture I took. Or at least tried to get my attention to take their picture.
This one is my absolute fave for the day. He blatantly told me to take his picture, but he was running away.
I love how it's a pretty big town, but its so small. We ran into Ate Min and Nano while we ate at my favorite place. I call it Ong Pin... because I don't really know what the hell they call it.
Alright, so Ate Min picked me up at my house around 9ish- slightly Filipino time. It's been such a long time since I've seen her. I was honestly wee high!
I was ecstatic to take tons of pics and even packed my super zoom lens in my douchebag superfluous purse. And then midway through the trip, I realized I left my memory card on the laptop! Haha! I'm such a fucking genius!
Right after that we hit a fuck load of traffic on some highway -typical- and so we are rushing as fast as we could because Nano has a book signing at MOA.
Ah! Did i mention there was a huge ass spider in the car?
Alright so we get to Silverlens Gallery and they are showing sick ass photography by Frankie Callaghan of the slums. I absolutely love it! Who cares if he used PS or not! It reminded me so much of Ismail Farouk and his take on urban slums in South Africa and Los Angeles.
So the car decides not start. -At this point, I'm feeling soooo amazingly lucky!
We walk on over to Manila Contemporary and I absolutely fell in love with Navas' work. They say she doesn't sell as well as everyone else because her work is so thick. People just don't get it! We head on over to Evangelista to try and get the car fixed. "How does it sound?" Says the mechanic. "Tic tic tic." By this time, I'm laughing my ass off in the back!
That was a fail. We get dropped off at MOA and the car to Toyota. Some Savory Chicken while we're at it. It'll take two days says Toyota. Right then and there we decided that we'll take public transportation to get to where we were going while Mama Ai will go back along with the car.
(Notice that I'm switching my tenses from past to present? Honestly, I'm such a bad writer)
The book fair at MOA. Sucks! But Ate Min did buy me a book by Lualhati Bautista. So that was pretty awesome! I've never read a book in a foreign language. Don Quixote doesn't count!
And then it pours! Really hard! ...according to mama Ai who, by the way, is an environmentalist who works for an NGO. Honestly, my family never ceases to amaze me!
We take an L300 or something like that to take the MRT or was it the LRT? Anyway, it was CRAZY!!! Theres a line that separates boys and girls because apparently, when it wasn't segregated, dudes would grab them chicks tits and ass, which I thought was HILARIOUS. We headed to Tri-Noma to kill some time until the gallery opening. Sushi anyone?
We take the jeep to WEST Gallery and that ride was pretty fun! Like always!
West Gallery! Amazing! Geraldine Javier! I was so fortunate to have met all of ate Min's peers! Artists, collectors, writers, directors and bloggers alike!
I met Lyra and she liked my Thakoon dress. Upon doing much research, her work is beautiful. Painful, but beautiful.
Which I noticed is a common thread among the Manila Art Scene. Theres that dark painful longing for something more and that is what makes it beautiful.
I was over at Heathcliff's dashboard looking at the snippets of everything I've written for this blog and I'm laughing at all the crap shit I've written. I know vain! But I was entertained!
My cousin Yasmin Sison promised that upon my arrival in The Philippines, she would take me to go gallery hopping. And so yesterday, she did, along with her husband Mariano Ching. I knew they were artists, but it wasn't until yesterday that I fully realized how prominent they were in the Manila Art Scene.
Silver Lens Manila Contemporary WEST
West Gallery, by the way, had a gallery opening showcasing Geraldine Javier. I was fortunate enough to meet the artist and practically everyone noteworthy in the the Manila art scene.
But I couldn't find my brushes... So I used the next best thing: an airplane toothbrush from Asiana (best airline EVER!!!)
