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July 27, 2006Sunny Day
July 24, 2006Play with Me As I walked down the street in the scorching heat, I noticed a white cat with a pink leash and a gold, heart-shaped pendant sitting by the window of an upstairs apartment looking down at me and following my every movement. It made me feel less alone.
I stopped to admire its beauty and interacted with it from below. If only it could be free to roam the streets, chase after other animals, climb up trees, and experience life outdoors, it might not look so sad. I love the grace and stealth of its movements. I wanted to play with it. July 22, 2006What's in the brown paper bag?On a hot Saturday afternoon, many objects caught my attention. If I look carefully, there's always something different and exciting about my environment. Here's a sample of what piqued my interest. Click on thumbnail to view image. Press "n" to view next image and "x" to close.
July 21, 2006Stream of Consciousness
July 19, 2006Sculptural Things I've been experimenting with creating 3D objects, both on their own and within space. Maya and Adobe Illustrator CS2 are two programs that I spend many sleepless nights on lately. I like 3D objects for their sculptural beauty. They are the closest thing to reality. Afterall, everything is a representation, as RenÈ Magritte declares in his painting, "This is not a pipe."July 16, 2006Simple Pleasures Temperature must be over 100 degrees today in Los Angeles. I took a walk around the neighborhood with my boyfriend and my dog and noticed many yard sales, and kids gathered at the park to play on the swings and in the sand. I ate two ice creams. One drumstick at the park and a strawberry popsicle on the way home, both bought from the ice cream carts. They were quite an indulgence on a hot day. It's the simple things that add up to a meaningful existence. I value the time I spend with family and friends, just hanging out. I like eating strawberry ice cream, walking my dog, and taking pictures.July 11, 2006Density
David Hockney Portraits Yesterday, I went to see the David Hockney Portraits exhibit at LACMA. It was a pretty straight forward drive straight down Wilshire. I paid my $12 admission and entered into a room, filled with warmth and a sense of mortality. The moments Hockney depicted were gone, people changed, died, and all we are left with are memories, that he is sharing with the viewers. On display were his personal photo album and numerous sketchbooks. He has deep relationships with his subjects and that special bond translates well into his artistic expression.
Because of his focus on portraits of his family and friends, often in his studio, the room exuded a deep sense of humanity. His polaroid compositions appealed to me. I saw the influence of photography in most of his work. They captured an intimacy between the subjects and also revealed his relationship to them. His heart came through in his work and that made each piece great. At the end of the show, I saw a clear, plastic glass, with lipstick-smeared rim, stuffed with cigarette buds and napkins. It was the most striking object to me. It reminded me of a life lived. Hockney's work put me into that frame of mind and the glass symbolized everyday existence, as life is lived one day at a time, each moment the most unique and special. July 9, 2006Cigarettes and Newspapers
July 5, 2006Sparks Light up the Night Sky
July 4, 2006What's in a tag? Is it art? Is it vandalism? What motivates people to tag? What's at stake? Tagging or grafitti has a history. I can see the tension in the strokes of the tags on the wall. They are beautifully expressive.
The Wooster Collective is very much interested in this form of subversive public art.
The Plainness of the EverydayThe plain, mundane, everyday life captures my imagination. It is all those moments that pass without notice that I pay attention to and they sum up our lives at the end. Life is ephemeral and all that we encounter and create have their beginning and end.
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July 3, 2006 |
Recent Features The Plainness of the Everyday
         
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Copyright © 2007-2013 Kathy Chin, All rights reserved. |
Illustration has become one of my favorite activities during my spare time. I use Adobe Illustrator CS2 to create my digital artwork. I like experimenting with colors. My sunglasses are my latest creation. I use the gradient mesh extensively on it. I appreciate the time I spend creating art - drawing, photographing, and painting. The creative process makes me feel alive. It's gives my life meaning and joy.
Recently, I've been enjoying the great summer weather and slacking off on my sketches. I love to doodle in my sketchbook and today I had a sudden urge to pick up my pen and draw. When I sketch, I am happy if my work ends up revealing what's on my mind. That's when I know it's successful.
I have been intrigued by the density of the city for a long time, since I grew up in the city of Los Angeles most of my life. Recently, I've been creating digital work in Abode Illustrator CS2 that abstracts that sense of entanglement and crowdedness that I experience from the looming skyscrapers, the multi-story apartment complexes, and equally towering electric lines.
Firework displays turned into competition among neighbors as we each tried to out do the other with bigger and louder explosions. Hanging out in the backyard, the pool-side view was spectacular, especially the ever changing reflections of the sparks on the surface of the dark water. I had a great time, hanging out with family.
