A Year Later...

On this day April 19th was the I started the blogging to share my passions and stories year ago. Unbelievable, a year came by already, boy time fly by fast and . I have a wonderful time to share my artworks and stories since I starts it year ago.

Since April 19th, 2011:  2769 page views
Top three posts are

1. The Muppet's Fever 292 page views
2. Detroit Tigers 235 page views
3. Shark Week 96 page views

See you guys in few days for new post with brand new artworks...

Turbulent Weeks

It was turbulent week and half for I and my family. My father in-law went to hospital from heart from a day before my birthday. He was in critical condition on my birthday and very thankful didn't die on my birthday. Now he not in critical condition, still in the icu room and haven't move out into regular yet. There are some good improvement and some not so much.  But he doing good so far and very slow recovery one day at time.

Also my daughter catch cold on first day of her spring break, then my son catch it few days later and she feels much better. Not so much for my son Gabe, he have her cold and ear infection both ears at same time. That was fun adventures between him sick and my father in-law in hospital. Few days ago finally Gabe's both ear cleared, he all happy playful after fever goes away and now wife & I can't talks because we caught kids' cold. Lovely!  We just can't win from one to other things going on...

My wife and I going to be resting next few days to makes kids' cold go bye bye. Then I will return here with some good news, new artworks and big announcement coming up.

See you guys next time.....

Good & Bad Birthday

Yep, yestersday was my birthday and I turns 33 years old. I have a ok birthday, not the great birthday and there are a lot of things happened in one day I not expecting. First, I have a wonderful little birthdays party at work in morning. There a lot of yummy treats, ice cream and they sang birthday song to myself and Joan (her birthday on April 1st.)  It was very nice and cheers me up from difficult time.

About around the lunch time, I recieves unexpecting phone from my mother in-law and she wants me come over hospital soon as I track down my wife. After drop kids off at my parents, off went to visit father in-law and praying him for strength and recovery from mid heart attack. Far as we know that he doing alright so far and very slow recovery.  I thanks a lot from friends and family for supports and praying for us, my mother in-law and my father in-law the most. Best thing overall, he didn't die on my birthday and I'm very thanksful for that. Also I'm greatful to be part of praying group with their three pastors and then my dad come visit later afternoon to praying one more time around the my father in-law for best recovery before we leave the hospital. I stay strong best I could to support my wife and my family getting through difficult time and wait to hear good news.

After little while, we leave the hospital and off to my parents to celebrate my birthday to have a cake and ice cream. It was very nice and feels much better than all day along. I feels much better a lot.

Here is my newest toy additional to my art studio, it's Toshiba Thrive HD 10.1 tablet and it's freaky awesome.  Now I can do some digital sketches and drawings at anywhere I go. Stay tune for more updates my father in-law and upcoming post.

My influences of Illustrators

There are a lot of artists have influenced and wowed me past few years. Each artists have blessed me with educations, imaginations, knowledge, understanding and big bang my magical world from conventions, comic forum and comic books I read. I narrow down to four of categories are Illustrators, Comic Book Artists, Michigan Artists and The Most Influenced.


Starts with Cartoonist, here are six cartoonists who influenced me.

1. Luigi Lucarelli, I really love his cartoon style, I going to learns a lot from him and put my works into my graphic novel. So checking out his blog at Load Universe Into Cannon, Aim At Brain, Fire.
2. Dave Kellett, I enjoying his daily webcomic strip called "Sheldon" and always make laugh.
3. Ben Hatke, I discovered Ben about year ago from book that's my brought home from her school library and called "Zita the Spacegirl,"  I enjoy the book and artworks are amazing.  I really likes his Robot mini comic strip series at his blog Art & Adventure. Go there and checking them out...
4.  Les McClaine, webcomic "Tune," Monday, Wednesday and Friday and I recently discover this webcomic couple months ago. I really enjoy it the storyline and artwork.
5. Ben Caldwell, I discovered Ben while back from his how to draw book Fantasy Cartoon, it was awesome and learns a lot from the book. His website Action Cartooning

Stay tune for next category is Comic Book Artists...

Transformers

Gotta love Transformers!  I remember used to watch cartoon Transformers from 1980s and same to my wife too. Good times....

Recently our almost three years old son, Gabe loves Transformers really bad as Pixar movie Cars. It's drive my wife crazy through the roof while I at work full job. She really glad done watching Cars and Cars 2 for two months straight. Especially my daughter gets sick of tired watch them almost every single day when she gets home from school.

We routine first movie The Transformers, next day second movie Revenage of the Fallen and day after third movie Dark of the Moon. We trying have him to watch no more twice a day and skip few scenes to not let him watch.  We're good parents...  Best part from overall, he says "Thank you" when movie ended.

Here is a quick sketch of Bumblebee Head without use any references from internet, came out my head and done in ten minutes. Not too bad...  I wish have more free time to draw whole body, not at work and will do it at home when I have time someday.

Show him drawing last night and he loves it. He wants me to frame when I have a chance and hang on wall in his room.

There is a Bumblebee toy my wife brought for him that's he earned be very good boy while they food shopping last Friday. Since then he brought with him to bed and sleeps with it.

Don't asks why he wears bandage tape across on his forehead.

Be Strong & Courageous

I believe that I haven't post this watercolor painting yet. I did this for friend to help her be strong and courageous from her past.

Be Strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with whenever you go. Joshua 1:9

Jim Henson's Tale of Sand

Do you remember watch Fraggie Rock or The Dark Crystal or The Muppet Movie, the man behinds all incredible tv/movies and that is Jim Henson. He was brilliant, genius and very imaginations. Also he is one of my personal favorite people in top five people who influence me into art and imagination.

Finally gets my hand on this graphic novel Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand that everyone talked about it past several weeks at Facebook and Twitter. I heard a lot of very good feedback and reviews.

 Tale of Sand was originally a screenplay for a Jim Henson movie that, but never got made. Screenplay has sat in the Henson archives, gathering dust and until now. Archaia Entertainment has teamed up with Henson Co and his daughter Lisa to bring the screenplay to life as a graphic novel.

Tale of Sand is a story about a man who goes on a journey in the desert of the American southwest for unknown reason. There are a lot of don’t seem of make a whole lot of sense – part parody, part comedy and it’s a book that makes you think and make you look at graphic novels. That’s my kind book…

I could not put this book down for hours, enjoying every single page of incredible details of artwork done by Ramon Perez and he done really very well. It’s a must own for any fan of graphic literature. I highly recommend checking it out this book and you won’t disappointment.  I gives this book thumb up and 10 of 10.