Oct 1st, 2nd!!! APE (the Alternative Press Expo)!!

I'm sooo excited!

come and say Hi to me and my talent friend Shawna  at table 308!!!

Tribute to Kazu project

I decided to start this project because I was stunned the sudden lost of Kazu, my mentor. I wasn't sure what can i do, so i want to gather as much as people who share the same feeling with me.

The project is called: "Here's to you, Kazu", based on the song, Here's to you,Mrs. Robinson of Beatles, one of Kazu's favorite band.

here is the project blog:

http://tributetokazu.blogspot.com/

I remember the very last time Kazu talked to me, it was a Sunday afternoon, on a voicemail which I was not available to pick up the phone. He told me he could not make it for the very last class for the semester, and he was not available to reply emails from us due to the hospital was not offering internet. 

He sounded tired, but he tried not to let me worry, he briefly informed me his situation, but most of the time he kept reminding me to let all the student in his classes that he was sorry he could not be there for us.

This is the Kazu I know. Passionate about art and teaching, and dedicate himself to all his students.

I was never the most talented student in the class, and I didn't have a solid art training background before I came to AAU. Most of the time, I was almost struggling being an artist. I was lucky that my last two years in school, Kazuwas always a part of it. He helped me so much of finding my art path, and encouraged me to embrace who I am as an artist. What he touched me the most is: He never wanted me to be who I am not, and he always tried to help each one of us in the way we needed.

I was my honor being his assistant in the last year, I had a chance of learning from him more closely. He was a very thoughtful and generous person, he was also full of humor. I admire him a lot from his attitude towards art, he was always challenging himself and looking for new solutions of painting technique even until the last few weeks when he was fighting with his cancer.  And I'm grateful to know him as a mentor who was so sincere to all his students, not just guided them in art, he also put everyone in his heart. 

His lost was too sudden that I still have a hard time to believe. 

It feels like he just went into the forest for a trip, and he will be back anytime soon.

I hope the place he went is as peaceful as the light lavender color he used so often in his painting.

Thank you Kazu!

You are always remembered.

with my heart,

GingerBread Boy

Hi all!

it has been a while since my last update.

This Gingerbread Boy project is an assignment from Joann Hill (Art Director in Disney-Hyperion )for the SCBWI illustrator's Day in South San Francisco region.

for this project, I'm hoping to create a stronger sense of my own style, at the same time developing my own technique through out the process of painting.

I got some good comments on the work, and also some new direction of my coming illustrations.  oh yeah more works to do!!!

Enjoy!  The Gingerbread Boy