Happy Holidays!

 

 

Happy Holidays fellow humans, leopards, and elephants! You're all invited to this Ugly Sweater Party. Try not to be too much of an onlooker, and dance on. After all, that's why we're here.

Happy Birthday Mom

Happy Birthday Mom, 

May you embrace all that is beloved in the clearing of your heart...

Stillness

This drawing was inspired by a walk through the SF Botanical Gardens. I found myself sitting on a bench staring into the reflection of a beautiful Japanese themed lily pond. The clouds and sun in all its resplendent glory looking back upon me in the still of all things, only water striders causing a ripple here and there.

Oddly enough, this image actually came to me earlier in the day while watching telly. It took this trip to the park to confirm that I had to record the feeling. Sometimes, time waits for noone.

I found this Rumi poem went nicely with it:

This moment
This love
Comes to rest in me
Many beings
In one being.
In one Wheat-grain

A thousand sheaf stacks.

Inside
The needle's eye,
A turning night of stars.

Cradle the Sun - A Picture Book

I have been working diligently on a picture book for the past half year. It's been a truly experiential journey in all the ways a creative endeavour can be. I've been through various ups and downs of whether or not to make it purely visual, caring critiques via peers of what works and what doesn't, and slowly but surely falling in love with the characters that I've created. The latter has been the most fruitful part of the ride, as it's taught me a lot about tuning into myself, which has only helped to give a voice and intimacy to a story that started out as a challenge and became more and more personal over time.

The story in short:
A young boy and girl, each on opposite sides of the world, suffer a tremendous loss. Through ancient songs and the aid of animal spirits, they find a way to meet at the edge of the world to forge a new beginning.

In many ways, I feel that this story found me more than I found it. The subject matter is definitely not the conventional fodder of an already rich children's lit field. I am actively resisting a genre or categorization for it. My only hope is that it resonates with readers and they remember it when they have the opportunity to help a stranger or loved one.

As this is my current passion project, I will try my very best to keep you updated with progress, insights into my process, and teases of the work itself (above for instance, a side by side shot of a storyboard and finished page). Thank you as always.

Yours truly got interviewed!

Recently, a very cool blog on all things Asian pop culture, contacted me about a possible interview. Once I said yes, I was treated to some wonderful and in depth questions about my career and process. I tried to make it as interesting as possible for a reader. I hope you agree!

Japan Cinema Creative Spotlight Episode #176 - Kevin Ang

New Paths...

So what kind of official art shenanigans have I been up to in the last few months you may ask?

This time last year, I embarked on a new path in unveiling my personal work in a more public venue. I had the chance to do both a solo show and a group show. One of the nuggets I gleaned from the experience was seeing just how my work connects with people. What was even more interesting is how over and over again, people would remark that they see stories in the pictures. A few months later, I found myself in a bookstore inquiring after an art book. They didn't have it in stock, but what they did have was a schedule for upcoming conventions at the store, one of which was a Children's Writers & Illustrators Convention. If only lightbulbs actually appeared above people's heads ...

I've always wanted to do children's books. Up until the last few months, it's been a voice in the back of the theater that's quietly but stealthily climbed forward row by row, until its gentle, but resonant tone could not be denied. I've found out that this audience member is in fact a storyteller, speaking in an ancient tongue, one that I have no choice but to take the torch from. What's taken shape is finding my voice in a writing group, going to conferences big and small, finding new peers in picture book clubs, and generally finding out how rich and fulfilling story is in our lives.

So here's to new adventures...

RIP Lonesome George

Oh my oh my, I've been MIA for almost the length of a full term pregnancy. Mind you, enough has happened in the past year that one can argue that I am bringing some new life into the world creatively speaking. More on that goodness later!

In the meantime, this posting is dedicated to the memory of Lonesome George, the last tortoise of his kind, who passed away from heart failure yesterday in the Galapagos.

I am getting back into scratchboard illustration, and this seemed like the perfect subject to do so.