#theartassignment / EYE GIF

Kitty N. Wong, 2014.
It Makes Me Feel Good to Look at You. Pencil and gouache on paper.
Animated GIF.

I made this GIF for PBS's The Art Assignment, it's my new favourite Youtube show and I feel so happy to be living in a time that something like that is being made and distributed. Making this GIF feels super relevant as I just went to see 'Her' last night, what a beautiful melancholy movie. I absolutely loved the art direction and the video games in the movie, "Perfect Mom"!

Are these eyes not unnerving you a bit? I like how after she blinks a little bit of mascara is left behind on her lower lid. It makes it feel so lifelike, the paper on the whites of the eye gives an allusion of depth and with 'Her' fresh in my mind, maybe even adds a sense of artificial intelligence to them. 

The theme this week was the 'Intimate, Indispensable GIF'. My eyes are probably my most indispensable body part and what I think about most when I think about me. Apart from the obvious visually dominated world I live in as an artist and illustrator, my eyes are especially important because they represent a journey of change and self acceptance. Having gone through and still dealing with hyperthyroid Grave's disease, one of the most obvious symptoms for me were the protruding of the eyes which at the beginning I was so very very self-conscious about. But now after 3 years, on a good day I can sometime say that my eyes are one of my favourite features about myself.


What is your most indispensable body part? Take a look at the video to see artist Toyin Odutola's GIF of her most essential body part.

Rooftop Drawing Dates

Hi guys! Sorry I haven't been updating this week. I'm working on a new illustration project for a wonderful Hong Kong clothing brand that's launching a lingerie line and it's been taking up all my time. But I'm really excited about it and here's a glimpse at one of my rough sketches for it. Stay tuned!

I've been having a bit of a rough week, got called into the hospital on Monday because my bloodtest came back really hypothyroid (I guess the RAI worked after all!) so I had to go in and get my new hypo med to bring my levels back up. And the new meds have been making me feel quite shitty while my body is re-adjusting.

But our new rooftop patio furniture arrived and it's so great! It's so peaceful and feels super luxurious. Every time I'm up there I always try to say out loud to myself "Well if this isn't nice then I don't know what is.".

I've been trying to do some work up there but it's a bit annoying to work outdoors and to lug all my stuff up there so mostly I'm just snacking (on pomelos) and reading my new book Salt: A World History -- I'm on a major non-fiction kick these days.

Sketches from NYFW #1 / How To Be Sick but Creative

NYFW Sketch #1: Geometric Prints at Jeremy Laing 

It's been almost 3 months since I've had radioactive iodine treatment for my overactive thyroid, since then I've been recovering at home and dealing with the anxiety that comes with my hormones going haywire. I'm so thankful to be living in the age of the internet and to other sick people who have reached out to others using vlogs. It's so comforting to know other people are dealing with the same things and feeling the same way. It's hard to talk about your life when everything isn't going perfect.

It's hard to be sick, not just physically but it's also embarrassing in a way. You worry a lot about how other people think of you. Do people think you're lazy? You worry that everyone is going to forget about you because you never go out anymore. And you burn all the pots because you're so absent minded all the time.

Health issues aside, this is a really good time for me to concentrate on drawing and building up my portfolio which at the moment is just a sad jumble of drawings on Behance.

I've been drawing a lot more this past year and some people have noticed - thanks friends! Sketches mostly, what I'm missing are strong portfolio pieces. So I hoping to take these next few weeks to make some more editorial style illustration and experiment with layout and drawing styles, with inspiration from the continuous influx of images coming from fashion weeks happening around the globe.

So here's my first one - Jeremy Laing at NYFW 2013, I used to intern there when I lived in Toronto, it was my dream internship and I learned a lot there.
Here's to hoping and drawing these illustrations get better as the weeks go on.

The Secret Art of Happiness

Sorry I haven't posted this week. I've been busy designing and illustrating an entry for the Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers competition, cutting it close the entry is due in 4 days and I've got nothing finished yet. This week, I've been dealing with health issues with my thyroid (again) and the anxiety that comes with it.

Found this nice quote by Mikao Usui while fooling around on wikipeida, it fits this week.

The secret art of inviting happiness,
The miraculous medicine for all diseases.
At least for today:

Do not be angry,

Do not worry,

Be grateful,

Work with diligence,

Be kind to people.

Every morning and evening, join your hands in meditation and pray with your heart.
State in your mind and chant with your mouth.
For improvement of mind and body.
Usui Reiki Ryōhō.

The founder,
Mikao Usui.