Progress Report

More progress on Spud the Giraffe:

Spud's neck, Acrylic


Spud on my wall, Acrylic


Spud on the floor, my feet on a chair. Acrylic

Spud is basically done though I want to go back to the bottom square and work on the shading more. This is also considered unfinished because I still want to make the entire giraffe, but unfortunately my apartment walls are not tall enough for my life sized Spud to exist.... Also I want to add a large tree in the background. Lots of things to do with this one, but so far it's perfect the way it is ;)

My painting for my mama:

Underpainting, Acrylic


Finished background, Acrylic


Mommy and Me, Acrylic

This is the first time I ever painted people, and also the first time that I distorted the background to create a blurry feel. I like how things turned out, but I still want to go over some details to make it better! Personally, it looks better in real life!

Dear Ally,
Its been hard this week knowing that you'll be gone.. but that's what this blog is for. When you grow older, I hope you'll read these posts of your 21 yr old sister and just know how important you are in my life.. this transition into something new is so hard to bear because I don't want to be separated from you or from mom and dad. You're so precious to me. Right now you're only five but I can see through the trials our family goes through that you'll be a strong, tough cookie. You're so much fun, so kind, and so loving to all the people who are blessed to have you in their lives.

Ugh, I really hate how you're going to be across the world in just a few weeks.

So while you're there amongst our distant family (though they wont be as distant to you as they are to me), I'll be here painting.. with you in my heart and on my mind always.

I love you.
Much more than you know.
I miss you already..
Your heart-broken but hopeful sister,
Sheila

Life size fun

Dear Ally,

I had a dream last night, and it wasn't pretty. I want you to know that when you go through a really tough time, as we all do at many points of our lives, you can always come to me and I will always listen and offer a million hugs. You will always be reminded that you're loved and that you're never ever alone in this world.

Just sayin', yo sistas gotcho back gurrrl.

These past couple of weeks in my drawing class has been spent making a life sized forest! I grouped up with two other girls and we made a replication of a tree on campus. The class then proceeded to make life sized animals to live in our forest. It was extremely kiddish but so much fun to create...

Tree, Charcoal. Group: Kaitlyn Mar, Sheila Chen, Shazia Manji


Koala, Soft Pastel

Hopefully by tomorrow I'll also post my life-sized giraffe I painted! And by next week I hope I'll be able to show you a painting of your mom and me.

I love you Ally. I'll miss you when you're in Taiwan.
Love,
Sheila

April Showers Better Frkin Bring May Flowers

Dear Ally,

Someday you will walk across these dreaded birds named crows. They are not your friends. Sometimes they will be perched on a fence that you often walk by to get to the bus. They purposely plan themselves so that you cannot avoid them, no matter what. Sometimes they will not move from the fence, despite the fact that you're two feet away and most animals will run away at that point. After walking away from the bird, it sometimes might fly from behind you and think your hair is worthy of nesting.

I advise you, dearest Ally, to take a large stick and whack the daylights out of it.

Love,
Your Very Angry but Alive Sister
April 5, 2011

"Fckin Bird" Sketch, graphite

Dear Ally,

We're a strange family. For some reason whatever living thing our mother feeds (plants, fish, dogs, us..) they sprout like giraffes. This is why giraffes are your sister's favorite animal. They're weird, they're abnormally tall, and they appear on commercials as mini giraffes that make your sister laugh with an "ooh hoo hoo hoo hoo!"

Get a giraffe.

Love,
Your Giraffe-stricken sister
April 18, 2011

"Walking on Library Walk" Tanbark

Phase one, Acrylic

Phase 2, Acrylic"Spud" Acrylic (not completed yet)

Goodbye Winter Quarter

"Spud the Giraffe" Acrylic

"Rooted Conflict" Water Color, Acrylic

"Silent Massacre at Home" Acrylic, Based on "Massacre at Chios"

"The Elite" Acrylic

"Invisible" Pen

I am lame.

Sorry. I lied. I did not post my figure drawings as promised on FB.... MEH.

It's been a rough quarter dealing with a TA that is extremely... irritating and unfair. I say this after 8 weeks of trying to give him a chance and discussing this course with a fair amount of peers.

Meh. School is draining of inspiration sometimes, especially with professors that make you doubt some of the greatest artists of our history (Uhh, Da Vinci?!) and TAs who are more into their own penis (actually) than other perceptions of art.

Fortunately there are students who share the feeling of suffocation and are willing to join forces and find outside outlets for creativity. A friend and I have found a figure drawing public opportunity ($5 for three hours!) and just with one morning I feel enlightened again (the hot model might have something to do with this. Dang that girl was... attractive!)

I will put an alarm on for Saturday to post my sketches! Especially since this Saturday is going to be my first experience with a two hour pose. I'm debating how to tackle this time; painting or really intricate charcoal? I am leaning towards painting... I've never painted a nude pose! I'd put my sketches on right now, but I'm on campus from 8-11pm.

---

Going back to why I am lame. I feel like just writing on this blog is boring for you guys to read and I should be just be putting artwork with maybe a description. But then I realize that writing here helps me move forward. I mean, blogs are supposed to be selfish anyways, right? This blog in particular is my artistic outlet. Obviously I haven't been very artsy. I need to focus and get back into this.

Okay class is almost over. Until next time! Get ready for some nudity! ;)

Dreams Come True When Giraffes Fly

Flying Giraffe, Digital Art

So here's a flying giraffe. I'm getting to my dreams, even if I have to create a way. :)

Love,
Sheila

Happy Holidays!

Ally and ZhuZhuPet (Cutie), Digital Art

It's been a while, but come back to "Dear Ally" with a new attitude and a new means of reaching my dreams. I have the best friends you'd envy-for my 21st birthday they chipped in to buy me an INTUOS 4! A replacement for the tablet that was stolen from me last year....

Oh man.

This kicks ass.

Cheers to more updates and more artwork!