moments of clarity

wonder woman's favorite past time

2011-11-20T21:39:00.000-08:00

not hopscotch, not kickball, not hide and go seek
not the jungle gym, nor the slide, or even the swings!
the only thing she ever wanted to play during recess
was always the same...

what was wonder woman’s favorite past time?
jumping rope with her shiny gold lasso!

garage sale signs

2011-10-24T04:17:00.000-07:00

so....i know everyone says it but....inspiration comes from the darndest places.

i have a confession. i love flea markets, garage sales, estate sales. my heart skips a beat whenever i see a hand painted piece of cardboard taped on a street corner as it gleefully shouts to me"garage sale! you must come and find treasure...NOW!" i know...i know...im silly but i love them so. i wont bore you with all the reasons but i'll share the most important reason for the time being... cause i found treasure...and by treasure i mean this amazing frame. i've had this treasure for over 5 years now and it's just been patiently sitting and waiting for me to do something with it and finally...i did something! i drew a pony!

When i grow up ...I'll be my own knight in shining armor. this one goes out to all the ladies. (please imagine me pointing at you and cheesily winking). don't be a damsel in distress. go find your own pink unicorn pony and grab your trustiest vanilla cono sword and make things happen. happy things. the best of the things. the end.

ps. the best thing about the treasure..the word "Dad" written in cursive on the bottom of the frame. isn't it the sweetest?

Going places. destination: ADVENTURE!

2011-07-07T07:19:00.000-07:00

I think I'm in dire need for adventure.

the changing room

2010-10-28T01:35:00.000-07:00

the day hello kitty and catwoman (julie newmar) looked into their closets and decided they had absolutely nothing to wear....a serious dilemma every girl struggles with in this country.

Their solution: changing outfits for the day

its that time again...

2010-10-28T01:11:00.000-07:00

BUTTTONSS!!! i love me some BUTTONS!

its that time again...the time of the year where nhu wants to be snazzy and try something creatively new. this time...its a CON! long beach comic con to be exact. i will be sharing a booth with my awesome and talented friend abe. we will be at booth #2004.

so if youre in the long beach neighborhood this halloween weekend...why dont you come by and and say hello or a trick or treat. there will be art prints for sale, FREE buttons, and most importantly candy! and if you cant make it...do not fret my friend....this is what you can do.

step 1. try on last halloween's batman/wonder woman costume
step 2. eat a handfull of mini twixs
step 3. peruse my prints at my online shop
step 4. then close your eyes and just pretend like youre at the con (minus the body odor). yaay!

by the way...i got 200 buttons to hand out and can i just say it took everybit of self restraint to not try on every single button....but dont judge me if i post a pic later on tonight with 200 buttons pinned to my pajamas.

sigh...

2010-08-03T02:15:00.000-07:00

playing hooky
listening to: jack johnson: breakdown
drinking: a grande soy chai latte

my morning commute takes me about an hour and half...give or take....and the only thing that makes it bearable is a good cup of coffee and a good soundtrack for the day... but on really beautiful days...where there's a gentle breeze and warm golden rays of sunshine....it takes every ounce of will power that i have in my body to not turn back around and play hooky. cause all i really want to do is go to the park, take off my shoes, and watch the day go by.

lucy's thoughts

2010-07-28T02:50:00.000-07:00

a quick study on the the daily thoughts of my cat lucy.

oh i wonder...

2010-07-26T04:02:00.000-07:00


wonder woman! (activating spin transformation)

once upon a time i had a blog. it was the best of blogs. it was kind and patient and a true friend. it gave me an outlet for all these curious thoughts in my head and encouraged me to remember the act of creating was fun....but oh how i wonder just how did we grow apart. oh bloggy...please forgive me...lets be friends again.

so...to kick off this rekindled friendship with bloggy...this is me...just trying to have fun...nothing fancy...just drawing some inspiration from the comic con...tis WONDER WOMAN!

mental note for next year at the con....
-avoid poppy seeded hot dog buns and steamed hot dogs that have turned purple. why hot dog were you purple!? why bun did you roll around in poppyseeds? what cruel and unnatural things did they do to you?
-avoid networking with poppy seeds stuck in your teeth cause it is not very professional.
-avoid saturdays at all costs.. these days are just too hip and crowded for no fun mcgees like myself.
-and remember... if a stranger creepily caresses the back of your head...kick them in the shins to teach them a lesson.

The curse of the caffeine monster

2009-01-30T22:47:00.000-08:00

hmmm...where to begin. Well...my friend dee is co-curating the L.A Myth group show and i was sooooo excited she gave me and many fellow neopetters the opportunity to partake in the fun and festivities. I must admit....i was EXTREMELY hesitant at first especially since i've never really done a show before. I wasnt really sure if people would sit around my piece and booooooo quietly and throw tomatos...but since my new years resolution this year was to be more crafty... here i go 2009...this is me trying to be more crafty.

so naturally i skipped on over to the art store to buy supplies. I picked up some acrylic paints, a canvas, and some new found hope that maybe all those failed painting classes were just a fluke...that painting boring fruitbowls and vases was the sole reason that deterred me from uncovering my untapped potential...that this time...painting and i would be BEST FRIENDS FOR LIFE! ummm...not so much. i think once i took home my shiny 2 oz. tubes of paint...they all banded together to take me down. They pointed and laughed and threatened me with filed downed paintbrush handles...it was a little scary for awhile.

so making a short story VERY long....i decided to do a digital piece for the show. i felt a little cheesy at first but i quickly got over it as i realized the other option was to hand in finger paints or an interpretive dance for the show...and so this is a list of thoughts i had after doing my first "official" piece.

-varnish, friend or foe? both.
-buying the biggest printer EVER made has its consequences...it takes up 2/3's of your room but its REALLY cool to not be confounded to the man's 8.5 x 11! damn the man.
-digital ROCKS!!! but i still need to learn how to paint...maybe not BEST FRIENDS FOR LIFE but maybe not mad dogging eachother from across the room...baby steps.

so if youre in the area and want to check out my lonely little piece, it would be so happy to see a friendly face and if it had arms...it would give you GIANT bear hug. heres the info.

hope.

2009-01-19T16:59:00.001-08:00

"be the change you want to see in the world." -ghandi

happy new year! yes...i know im a tad bit late but really...can you think of a better occasion to post something? its almost time for our 44th president and i cant be more excited, hopeful, and proud of what has happened in our country...dont get me wrong...i know its going to be a very hard four years but this reassures my belief that hope is beautiful, hope is powerful, and the world is good.

heres hoping that everyone has an AMAZING 2009!

oh...and by the way...when i grow up....i want to be president....please welcome america's first teddy bear vice president.

When I grow up...i want to join the circus!

2008-05-24T21:13:00.001-07:00

when i grow up...i want to join the circus and take my act on the road.

ladies and gentlemen...introducing the world's strongest teddy bear!

hmmm....this was supposed to be a three parter but i stopped short at two. i was all circused out! i think the funniest thing about these two pieces is the teddy bear's handle bar mustache. im not usually all about the facial hair but i think hes definitely rockin the stache!

hitchhiking on a goldfish

2008-05-13T19:07:00.000-07:00

yes....in my world there are goldfish the size of baby whales living under the sea. yes...your eyes do not deceive you ... that is a merbear and he is holding a baby trident ( i think "he stabbed a man in the heart"- anchor man) .

"when i grow up...i want to be a (fill in the blank)."

2008-05-08T02:30:00.000-07:00

hmm...so im trying a theme out....its going to be focused around "impossible" occupations...kind of like the things that might come out of a child's mouth as they finish the sentence...

"when i grow up...i want to be a (fill in the blank)."

lets see...kind of like when i grow up i want to be a superhero. i guess the moral of the illustrations is to show kids...nothing is impossible...as this little red head and her teddy bear always finds a way.

okay...now if anyone has any "impossible" occupation suggestions...i would love to hear them. :)

Happy Belated Earth Day

2008-04-23T17:34:00.000-07:00

happy belated earth day.

go hug a tree...
maybe two...
or even three!

growing up

2008-04-21T16:22:00.000-07:00

inspired by a little pirate named alyssa

so my family tells me the other day...
"why dont you go back to school to be a dental hygienist or go back to the bank. Your animation degree was just for fun and now its time to get serious. "

interesting... its as if i told them i wanted to be a pirate when i grow up, not sure if that would be better or worse than an artist...and i guess my response to that is...PIRATES UNITE!

teamwork with a capital T

2008-04-20T22:34:00.001-07:00

so...luis supplied the wonderful concept sketch , i flashed it out and burt supplied the original concept for the pitch. isnt teamwork great?

so this is the birdman. he doesnt have a clever name just yet...so hes kind of stuck with birdman until he starts to look like someone...maybe a harry, a walter, a finnius, a george, a paco. :)

Karate chop!

2008-04-08T04:32:00.001-07:00

well world...meet lee. shes small but full of spunk and ready to kick some serious booty. can you say karate chop?

hmm...it seems like ive been drawing a ton of kids lately. i also think the world would be a better place if we all had a paisley lunch pail and some bruce lee shoes.

little girl with her little pail

2008-04-03T22:54:00.000-07:00

testing color variations

well...she doesnt have a name yet.... but shes supposed to be best of buds with molly the giraffe i posted awhile ago. hopefully luis, burt, and i will someday get back to our pitch bibles. fingers crossed.

p.s. on a personal note...a quart of yummy, strawberry, haagen daz, ice cream...friend or foe?

kiddies!!!

2008-03-27T19:49:00.001-07:00

property of animax, character designs

so here are some kid concepts i created...they all kind of make me giggle for different reasons.

i choose glass half full...

2008-03-26T22:58:00.001-07:00

sooo....i guess it depends on how you look at things but i and a bunch of talented friends from work have been let go. it was a sad day but im happy to reflect on what i have gained from my experience at the company...meeting so many amazing, kind, and talented people. it has also given me a moment to step back, take a deep breath, reflect, and figure out what is next. perhaps its a blessing in disguise so i can work on my own stuff and get inspired again. sigh.

oh snowy day!
property of animax, a bg for website game

doghouse
property of animax, a bg for website game

property of animax, a bg for website game

tea paartay!!!
property of animax, a bg for website environment

yummy!!! in a perfect world i would have a whole garden full of cupcakes!
property of animax, food plant concept art

one giraffe, two giraffe, three giraffe, FOUR!

2008-02-10T17:45:00.002-08:00

can you believe it? FINALLY! its not gracie but a giraffe!!! well...im experimenting with different styles...not sure if im happy with any of them but theres aspects in each giraffe that i do like. maybe i can combine them all to make one SUPER GIRAFFE!

hmm...they kind of look like theyre all in a line up for committing some sort of crime...some horrible crime of cuteness i think.

what else but more timmy and gracie stuff..

2008-02-03T10:47:00.000-08:00

timmy's were supplied by LUUUIISSSS!!!

so i guess it seems like drawing is against my religion these days. its beeen FOOOREVER since ive drawn anything. i know...i know shame on me but i swear one of these days im going to draw something that isnt timmy and gracie related. one of these days...i can feel it!

gracie in spacie

2007-10-08T00:34:00.000-07:00

gracie is in spacie!!!! this is just a little exploring for me....still working things out but seriously...how cool would it be to have a space scooter?

one day...

2007-08-30T00:51:00.000-07:00

hmmm...going through old stuff....one day i'll get to these and make these super fun. another pinky promise...for now they'll just stay "eh" and will be a constant reminder for me to stop procrastinating.

something old...something new....something blue

2007-08-29T23:37:00.000-07:00

so....this is something old that i just wanted to revisit so i guess its kind of new too...still not happy with it....i guess you can i say im blue about it but ive been soooo creatively drained from work that i just needed do some art for nhu....one day very soon i will post new stuff...new concepts...i pinky promise...but for the time being...i guess it will have to do.

feeling chubby...

2007-06-25T23:15:00.000-07:00

just a doodle...feeling a little chubby these days and in need of some serious physical activity...i guess hula hoops are always an option.

weddings!

2007-06-01T21:40:00.000-07:00

okay...so anyone that knows me...knows i have a relationship with stationary. its weird...i know...but my heart pitter patters when it sees paper goods...therefore it just made sense for me to illustrate my friends wedding program...she had said she just wanted to put anything together and didnt really care what it looked like and inside...my little heart GASPED! so this is the cover i ended up making just to add that personal touch that weddings should have.

update...and a couple of years later...this was their baby shower announcement.

suspenders, hats, and a vest...

2007-05-08T01:46:00.000-07:00

suspenders, hats, and a vest...so i have a soft spot for all of these things...i think they should make a comeback...

oh flash...

2007-05-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

oh...flash....where have you been all my life? well...ive been doing some stuff in flash and having a lot of fun playing with vector art with some of my old sketches....who would have thunk flash could be so fun.

oh winnie...

2007-04-24T03:35:00.000-07:00

happy earth day...dont forget to hug the planet!

making the world a cuter place...

2007-04-21T00:43:00.000-07:00

trying to fix the world with cute....one tshirt at a time.

i heart STATIONARY!!!

2007-04-12T22:47:00.000-07:00

so i havent given up on the stationary just yet...

sea otters are the BEST!

2007-04-11T17:58:00.000-07:00

so...theres not that many things on earth that are cuter than sea otters holding hands. i saw a video on youtube and i couldnt resist....TA-DAH! and then comes the birth of joels 25th bday card.

Kitchen concept

2007-04-06T01:04:00.000-07:00

hey guys...

its been forever and a day since ive posted....good grief! but i finally was able to get back into my blog only after recreating the whole dang thing...technical difficulties....arrgghh. well i hope everyone is well and i just wanted to post my kitchen concept for "breakfast w/ timmy & gracie."

love.

2007-04-06T00:59:00.000-07:00

love...sigh.

eugene!!!!

2007-04-06T00:54:00.000-07:00

still a work in progress but meet eugene the elephant! he wants to grow up to become a circus director.

lucky ducky

2006-08-11T21:06:00.000-07:00

please click to view my animated short....drum roll please...Lucky Ducky!!! i hope you enjoy it:)

who doesnt love good stationary?

2006-07-05T22:55:00.000-07:00

okidoki...i love stationary. i think it was all the trips to hello kitty when i was a little girl. well i just thought i would see how gracie would look on her very own stationary:) im hoping to sell some on etsy.com. let me know what you guys think. still working on some more designs...any suggestions?

a little low on imagination...

2006-07-05T19:26:00.000-07:00

hey guys...

well its been a very looooooooooooooong time since ive posted anything. i think ive been a little low on imagination. i guess trying to find a job and becoming a grown up will do that to you. :(im posting a rough illustration just to let people know im still alive. its definitely a work in progress! i hope everyone's doing okay:)

2006-04-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

hola guys! well...1 week and counting and lucky ducky is coming to a hault! Its almost over!!!yea!! sigh...hope you guys enjoy the big, fluffy, swirly clouds. i had fun making them. :)

darkness falls...

2006-04-21T15:54:00.000-07:00

hey guys...its been awhile and i just thought i would post a new scene from my film. in this scene ...lucky gets tossed around by the water...poor lucky. hope you guys like it :)

yea!!!! for gracie and friends

2006-04-10T00:30:00.000-07:00

this web stuff is muy hard....but i finally figured out how to set up a picture for my profile. yea!!! for gracie.....yea!!! for blogger...yea!!! for yummy coffee & donuts!

oh....by the way...this is gracie, one of my characters for lucky ducky. she says hola and nice to meet you. here are some designs ive modeled in maya and some final designs of my characters.

meet sally the swan.

and last but not least...herb the duck.

just a few more layouts

2006-04-09T22:08:00.000-07:00

lucky feeling not so lucky...

a storm is brewing.....

a walk in the park...

2006-04-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

hmmm.....another layout for lucky ducky.... i just want to finish my film....sigh & fingers crossed.

just thought i would join the fun

2006-04-09T21:42:00.000-07:00

hey guys... looking at everyone's stuff was just so inspiring....so i just thought i would join the fun. hope you guys enjoy. :)

this is just one of my layouts for my senior short, lucky ducky.