Sketchbook Girls / Chloe

Kitty N. Wong, 2014.
Chloe. Gouache and pencil on paper.
27 cm x 19 cm.

A new sketchbook girl I've been working on these last few nights. Inspired by Amanda Seyfried's Givenchy ad. I always think Amanda Seyfried's name is Chloe for some reason, probably from that one weird Canadian movie she made and all us Torontonians got really excited because it's the only movie that's filmed in Toronto that is actually set in Toronto (see also: Scott Pilgrim).

In other news I went to see Caravaggio at Asia Society today, the film screening and the exhibition which closed today, what a perfect movie seen in a beautiful setting.

Buy a print of the Chloe painting on my Etsy shop.

Sketchbook Girls / Vincent Van Girl

Kitty N. Wong, 2014.
Vincent Van Girl. Gouache and pencil on paper.
27 cm x 19 cm.

I've been working on this the last two nights, I had planned the background as simple polka dots and then it morphed into a sort of turtle shell pattern and then finally into a sort of homage to Starry Night.

Speaking of Van Gogh, I've been to this very cafe which he painted in Arles when I cycled through the little provincial town with an ex-boyfriend many years ago on bicycle trip through southern France.

Prints of this painting are now available on my Etsy shop.

Sketchbook Girls / Blue Moon

When I was little, I had a dream dictionary and I was obsessed with anaylizing my dreams and figuring out the grand meanings behind each one. Then I realized that the symbols in my dreams were nothing more than a reflection from the mundane details I had picked up throughout my day.

Inspiration is a bit like that, you could dissect your inspiration like your dreams. This is a sketchbook entry I did last night before bed. I had been listening to Snowblink's gorgeous rendition of Blue Moon all night and was probably inspired by it to paint the blue orb polka dot background. Earlier that day I had watched the Tate Shot: Lorna Simpson video and was really fascinated by the white paint that the analog photo retouchers used in her collection of vintage photographs. Even though I had mostly forgotten about the video, I subconsciously felt a need to outline the figure like in the photographs.

Just as our brains declutter our minds by dreaming, I like the idea that nightly sketchbooking clears out my mind and gets my subconscious onto paper. It's a kind of meditation. 

Did you guys do any type of meditation? And do you find it makes a difference in your life?

This illustration is available as a print in my Etsy shop, go and have a look, I'm always uploading new things.

March TMI / This Month I: Drew Everywhere

This month I drew everywhere, I got out of my studio and into the real world which takes a real effort for most illustrators, its a career where we spend most of our time in front of our easel and hand in assignments via email. The most interesting place at which I set up this month was at the Star Ferry Pier in Tsim Sha Tsui. I did a special pop-up live sketching session and invited friends and strangers to get painted for quick portraits right on the promenade. My friend photographer Josh Tam is making a video of the event which is coming soon!

This beautiful Polaroid is from photographer Dickey Lai.

Here's one of my lovely little models from the day, she was so shy and waited behind me for almost an hour hanging out watching as I did my other portraits, but after a little urging from her dad, my friends and I she finally came around and didn't want to stop posing even after we were done. So cute!

I also got to draw at the Affordable Art Fair for Sassy Hong Kong, see the drawings here. 

And then some more live drawing for the Sassy Mama Awards. I set up a booth and did live portraits for the guest of the events, and it was extremely popular - 2 hours of non-stop drawing! It was exhilarating to interact with real people who were so interested in my work.

And of course, being out in the real world means you should have your business cards ready especially in a city like Hong Kong where it's all about giving out your "card". Make it rain bitches! I ran out of my self-portrait cards and get some new ones printed with my Cat Marnell painting on the back.

Mango, peach and cantaloupe, it was all bright and sweet with Paola, designer of Tangram at the M+ NeonSignsHK exhibition opening party. The night was sponsored by J.Crew and held in a park near Temple Street, directly across from one of the most impressive neon signs in the city.

Photo courtesy of M+.

In an attempt to declutter, I started a new habit where I cut out bits from old drawings that I liked and collage them into my sketchbook which helps to slightly dismantle the mountain of old sketches that are not really good enough to save but of which I feel too precious about to just throw away.

 I drew a lot of girls in my sketchbook, which you can read more about here.

I updated my Etsy shop with new postcards and prints. Go check them out here and get some lovely gifts for your friends (or yourself).

Phew, that was a busy and fun month. And now it's APRIL! Which has so far been very gloomy and dark. Happy Spring everyone and for daily updates get over to my Instagram - @kittynwong.