Lemon Land

Bunny visited Lemon Land!

In Lemon Land, every citizen is well documented with size, level of acidity, and favorite color. 

Bunny saw the nursing quarters for babies. 

And where they lock away the bad lemons. 

And witnessed their natural defense mechanism. 

Run bunny run!!

Bunny committed burglary by taking candy without paying and was trying to escape in the midst of people firing bullets all around. Let this image be a warning to you all: crime doesn't pay, people!

Bunny vs. Elevator

Bunny has mixed feelings about elevators.

Bunny's always afraid that the desired floor number isn't available.

Or that the space suddenly feels very, very cramped.

And how do you know EXACTLY what's outside the closed doors?

Nevertheless Bunny always arrived safely, albeit a little less graceful.

Bunny's magical cover

 Bunny has a magical bed cover that bunny never parts with.

You can put anything that needs repair or mending under it.

  And after a good night's sleep,

Things are magically alright again!

French Succulent

I wanted to work my way up to paint nature scenes again so I'm baby stepping it. I found this photo of succulent plant I took while in France that I wanted to paint as soon as I saw it. I'm quite afraid of simplifying leaves in nature so I thought succulents are good practices to start with.

Life Drawing

Today's model I've already drawn her twice from the right, so I moved to her left and I borrowed a fellow artist's "watercolor crayon" which I've never used before. It's a crayon stick that you dip the tip into water every few strokes and it lends messy and interesting results. It's good for quick gestures cause it's so un-precise. I took some pictures of her longer poses hoping that some day I'll do a painting of that.

Life Drawing

Today's model was that curvy one again, she really have very interesting lines, I just wish the studio lighting wasn't so bland, otherwise the tonal change on her could be fascinating.

Bunny in the Zoo

Bunny visits The Zoo of Large and Intelligent Animals during their Monday night reading hour. The book of the month is The Complete Collection of Short Stories by P.G. Wodehouse. 

Runny Honey

Raspberry honey from local farmer's market.

Life Drawing

Today's model was a beautiful young girl full of Asian tattoos and pink short hair, she looked like one of those Japanese anime girl character. I find it amusing that people like me whose English is the second language and we try very hard to improve our vocabularies, loose our accents, and blend in with the western society as best as we can, and once in a while we see this white girl trying very hard to be Asian.

Fragrance study

More nice-smelling objects.

Lavande and Life Drawing

I never uses perfume but ever since I read the novel Perfume and saw the movie, I'm enticed with the power of scent and how it evokes memories and emotions. During my trip to France I especially made a to trip to Grasse and their perfume factory, and saw with delight that the process of making perfume was exactly how the movie portrayed it a century ago.  I bought this lavender eau de toilette and it was a beautiful bottle, sometimes owning small elegant things can elevate one's mood instantly. 

Today's model is another round and voluptuous lady, though a little too smooth for my taste. I prefer lumpy.

Life Drawing and Pears

This week's model was a wonderfully Ruebenesque lady who has very interesting lines.

I took a picture of my underlying tonal sketch first, and then I didn't see it again I'm posting it now. I think I like the stronger shadow in the sketch, but I'm too lazy to change it for this post. Ahem.

Camera case and life drawing

I've been meaning to bring this camera to a local camera shop and see if they can help with figuring out whether this camera is still in working condition but I couldn't because I'm painting it! My dad-in-law informed me that they're still producing films for these Twin Lens Cameras and I'm curious if this one will see the light of day again. 

Life drawing today is a curvy model who's been here before. Curvy model needs curvy lines, I discovered.

My Orchid

I bought this $5 orchid in a farmer's market after I came back from France and it is still alive! These blooms here are actually seconds! I'm stunned with its will to live under my care, though I did pay more attention to it  then I would before. I water it the same time every week with the same amount and I play piano to it cause I heard plants prefer pleasant sounds than cacophonies. My fingers are crossed and hoping it will live for awhile longer.

Life Drawing

This week's model was also a repeat, she's got a super curvy booty that can give JLo a run for her money.

公公的相機 Grandpa's camera

A few years ago I was watching my aunt digging through her storage closet and I spotted this old camera in it. I asked if I could have it and no one seemed to object. I've never learned how to use this type of camera and I don't think I will, since digital ones are so much more convenient. However I've since found a bunch of really old family photos taken by this camera which I gathered and scanned into computer just in case one day those old photos aren't around anymore. Those old photos are of my mom when she was a teen and grandma when she was my age now. This camera had been there in the last generation for family birthdays, captured the joy of new born children, and witness the loss of loved ones. It is one of the oldest piece of possessions that this family have, and it is so magnificent and respectable looking with such gravitas that none of the modern day digital ones can ever compete. I'll probably do a painting of it later and keep this camera around for as long as I can, perhaps to pass it on to future generations with stories from the past. 

Heavy Lemons

These are lemons from my cousin's lemon tree, which has been producing lemons for at least 20 years I think.

Life Drawing

Life drawing has resumed, and today's model is that really well built male dancer. He has really good muscle definitions. And nice butt.

Cup Study

My one and only lovely cup.

My Gardenia

Last week my dad demanded : "Draw the trees in your garden and show me."
I was like : "Uhh...."
So I'd better draw some this week cause he might forget but he might not.

Also I discovered the secret of gardening. Location is everything. If the plant is in a good spot, you can just let it be and it'll have a wonderful life. If it's in the wrong spot, no matter how you fuss over it, it'll give you more misery than the Plagues of Egypt. So, buy plants from nursery, wait for the gardener, and let he tell you where is a good spot to put them. Yeah.

Bunny took a vacation

Bunny took a vacation to the stars using a piece of flying lawn.

 Bunny took photos of the galaxy,

waved to the astronauts,

and tried to catch the big dipper.

Madam's dressing table render

I'm still not sure if I've finished... It's like running a marathon and after you cross the finish line you're not quite sure how to stop. I guess posting this makes it final.

Life Drawing

This time the model has been here before, and I was flipping through my drawing of her before the session begin, just to see how I did and how I can improve it this time. It turned out that 70% of her poses were exactly the same as the first time I drew here, even down to the angle of the pose. When I realized this I should have switch seats so I can a different view at least, but the workshop was full house that day so I couldn't move. Still there are some different poses I haven't seen before.

Dressing Table Work in Progress

Modelling and UVs are done (love Headus UVLayout!), now prepping the color concept and gathering references for Mari painting. I'm so glad I took so many reference pictures in Versailles, especially in Petit Trianon.    

Tour de France 5

 A girl in a Lebanese restaurant. I was spying on her behind my sunglasses and drew her discreetly. Sometimes I'm glad that I'm not a dude who might look creepy if I got caught staring at people intensely. 

 A girl reading at the beach.

 While drawing this rocky mountain during lunch a few waiters came by and watched my draw. They were a very nice bunch. Either that or they just wanted to clear my table. 

We went to two towns in the south of Provence that has this gorgeous clear green water flowing through, they're my favourite places during this trip. If souls can fly anywhere, mine would go back and stay there, under the water with the fishes, and just feel it flow.

Life Drawing

Today's model is a middle age lady who reminded me of an older version of Mad Men's Betty.

Tour de France 4

 While I was drawing this in the town of Roussillon, a tourist ask me if he could take my picture. Since I'm wearing a broad rim sun hat and dark sunglasses and there's no chance of anyone recognize me I said sure. Also I sat on the edge of a flower box for an hour and my butt got really stiff.

 Had lunch in the town of Bonnieux, it was a mountain top town, the waiter has perfunctorily chippy greetings.

 Dinner while still in Montmartre, it was a very decent restaurant and we came back again. On this trip (or any other time) we seemed to find ourselves in restaurants and tours that populates with senior citizens. I think we are actually a couple of old geezers at heart, we'll fit right in with the 4am crowd at Denny's.  

Bonus post: my darling husband and his many chins.