So it is now coming towards the end of my second week of my 3 week mid-year break from college, I have been hibernating for the most of it and now I'm bored lol...Guess what? I have come across an opportunity to sell some of my work in a store in Paddington. I am freakin' out with excitement and I can't wait to finish my artworks and finally get something out in the world. I literally worked my butt off last term (no joke! from the stress and lack of sleep i actually lost weight) and I really needed this break so that I could pretty much stuff my face before I commit myself to a busy-working mind frame and hopefully do better than last term.
But enough about college, today I was surfing the net and I came across this!!! No need to explain, just enjoy lol...
[PS: turn off the music in the side bar b4 watching]
Here's a page from my sketchbook, I finished it a couple of weeks ago and have only just scanned it like two days ago...That's pretty much my usual pace of things...It's how I roll lol...I was inspired by some graphic artist in a Graphics magazine, I can't even remember who it was or what the name of the magazine was HAH! Go figure! I've also uploaded this to my Myspace page along with another sketch that was inspired by my buddee Ipek...I've added the link below:
A few nights ago I stumbled upon this blog by a fellow Tongan by the name of Anapesi @ www.anapesi.blogspot.com and I found it somewhat liberating to have come across this movement that is slowly taking over and reaching people all over the world. H.Y.P.E. stands for Helping Youth Pursue Emancipation and it's a movement that encourages the youth to break free from the typical stereotypes and constraints that have been keeping them from becoming what they truly dream of. I can't believe I didn't stumble across this sooner. I think that the message that they are trying to convey is one of empowerment, courage and action and I believe it is something that not only pacific islanders, but people of all nations can relate to.
I remember back in high school, I was more into my art in all mediums than my sports and when I received recognition for topping my class it amazed me the number of people who would come up and congratulate me thinking I was awarded due to something sports related. To be honest, I found it a little frustrating, I mean don't get me wrong, I do love the fact that there is an area where we can excell and I am proud of that, because in a way it kind of paves the way for the rest of us to go forth into the world and achieve our own dreams of success. I just don't want there to be a cemented mind-frame set among Tongans (and all people alike) to think that that's the only way to it. I sit here running over countless stories in my mind of people that I grew up with who have fallen down the wrong path that ring true to the stories mentioned by the young children in the H.Y.P.E. Movement commercial above. And those kids, just by appearing in the commercial have already given us (and themselves) an immense head-start into our future.
I am proud of what we have accomplished already and am overwhelmed at the thought of what we can further achieve. I can't stress enough the hugeness of what we can grasp and to what lengths we can take it to. Join the movement, because I have. I am currently studying for my Bachelor of Design, majoring in Fashion. Once that's complete, I intend to take on the fashion industry head on.
Just a quick note to acknowledge a wonderful woman who was layed to rest on the 9th of April 09. She was always such a positive energy with a distinctive voice and the ability to always bring out a smile in you. This is how I remember her growing up as a child in Newcastle and although I had not seen her in several years, my memories of her great heart will never diminish.
I think it's pretty obvious that my love for all kinds of art (especially street art) becomes apparent as soon as you lay your eyes on anything that I do.
Hence why the necessity for a second thought was thrown out the window when I attended the May's Lane Street Art Exhibition at Carriageworks a couple of weeks ago. It was AMAZING!!! Huge boards of art everywhere and my phone was in overdrive as a camera as I rapidly clicked shot after shot after shot. It was inspiring and I definitely have my favourites.
See the whole thing started when the director of the curated laneway Tugi Balog, moved to May Lane in 1999. Back then May Lane was a hotspot for theft and grafitti. So when Balog felt the need to do something he erected five massive interchangable boards for the grafitti to take place. Soon thereafter artists were coming from all around Australia and even overseas as well to energise and give this city a little colour. Tugi Balog does more than just put up boards but pitches in $30,000 a year to make sure that it continues to run year after year.
<--This one right here is my NUMBER1 choice of all the artworks there that day. It was just so different to all the others and if you saw it in person and witness it in it's large scale, you could actually see so much detail and appreciate the amount of work that went into it.
You can view all these pictures at my Myspace page...
OK! first of all, I have taken off the Beyonce tour post in fear of being sued lol plus the video was actually removed by the owner so if it wasn't working when you were trying to play the video, THAT'S WHY!!! lol. I am currently on break from college and low and behold I have done diddly squat! Which is good because once college starts up again I will up to my neck in fabric swatches and sewing needles. SIDENOTE: Beyonce on the cover of US VOGUE magazine April issue, how good is that! B2WIWS* - Afew things have happened since I last posted so I'll do that ASAP...It's funny because I have already updated photo's on my Myspace page...
I've added a few pages that I've scanned from my sketchbook onto my Myspace page... It's pretty much where most of my work is at the moment.
This sketch right here----------------> Is actually one of the characters I created towards the third quarter of last year. You've seen her in the other artwork I've done, except in that one she has two wings and in this one she just has one, symbolizing some sort of an imbalance keeping this angel earth bound. It depicts a rough transition into letting go a childhood that doesn't exist anymore.
I admit, I photoshopped those black cyborg-like holes in the image but I think it adds something to it...
This term at Raffles I'm not doing much but Theory subjects so I came up with a small personal project of my own. I'm in the middle of designing a few things to create for my sister who will then model them in a small photoshoot, to which I'll photoshop and add some awesome effects to add to my portfolio.
<---Here are some of the sketches
Everything is still in early stages but i hope to get everything, designs, photoshoot and all done by April. Fingers crossed!!!
Today commenced the 3 day "TATTOO EXPO!" And it was awesome to say the least. So many tattoo artists from around the world, Japan, UK, USA, Belgium, NZ etc... I must have spent 3 hours there at least and I think I walked around the entire Hall about 7 times. I'd do my first lap and people were just sitting to get their tattoo stenciled, and then my second lap, the artist would actually be drawing their tattoos on, 3rd lap they'd be tattooing the piece and so on and I saw some of the craziest tattoos you have ever seen. And when I say crazy, I mean crazy as in 'Can't-believe-I'm-witnessing-this-Awesomeness' crazy. It was far beyond inspiring to be there.
I even saw this Tongan tatooist by the name of Carl Cocker who is one-part of the duo that runs KALIA TATTOOS. He was in the middle of tattooing somebody so i left him alone lol.
There were two Japanese stalls that stood out for me. One was an Artist by the name of Masa-Shi who also had another two tatooists tattooing simultaneously at his station. Masa-Shi runs the IV ETERNITY TATTOO parlour in Japan. And the other one was ECCENTRIC SUPER TATTOO lol. I watched Sabado as he drew his design freehand onto his clients abdomen, outlined it with a darker colour and then when I came back round to his stall he was already in the middle of tattooing his piece.
But there was one small stall that I saw that killed me because I wanted to get a tattoo from them SOOO friggin' badly. It was an Indonesian artist by the name of Durga with his shop of the same name. I was going through his tattoo portfolio and I just died. There were heaps of crazy-awesome tattoo artists at the expo with mad skill but I just thought that this was for me. It's funny, recently I've been drawing this hindu goddess by the name of Durga who has 10 arms and in each hand she has a different weapon of some sort and a lotus. She's considered to be like this warrior aspect of the divine mother while manifesting fearlessness and patience and a sense of humour lol. And I've been drawing non stop interpretations of this goddess and then I run into a tattooist of the same name - coincidence? I think so? (not)... Another funny thing is, He did alot of tattoos of this elephant deity called Ganesha, which just so happens to be the child of Durga.
Anyways, back to the expo. What can I say, I thought it was awesome. There were all different stores there, clothes-tattoo magazines-tattoo healing creams/ointments-henna tattoos and these:
This expo runs until this Sunday the 8th so Don't Miss Out. Here are some of the links:
You are now on, what i think just so happens to be, one of the sickest blogs on the internet (VAIN much?). This is a form of my creative outlet, where I showcase my work and persona. I'm creative to the bone and have design in my blood so it was inevitable for me to embark on such a path. This is a humble start for huge things to come.
