Get Outta Your Head

He was tired of always being in his head. 

Surrounded by the echo of self doubt and hindsight. 

He had enough!...and so he decided today was the day and told himself 

"GET OUTTA YOUR HEAD" 

and meant it. 

on a side note...my blog template went away. now its been stripped down to the basics. im taking it as a sign to keep things simple. 

black & white

My favorite part about illustrating a piece is always getting to color it at the end. It's like being transported to 6 year old me with a coloring book and a big ol' boxset of 120 crayolas....with every hue of the rainbow with fanciful names such as Mango Tango, Razzmatazz, and Purple Mountains Magesty! pure heaven. 

But sometimes when a kid has 120 options, they get a little overwhelmed and don't know where or how to begin. So I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone and bring it back to the basics. I wanted to see what a kid would create if all they had was a single black sharpie. 

So far...its been actually kind of liberating as it lets me focus on a different aspect of me...Its allowing me to focus on the beauty of fonts and focus on shapes and silhouettes...here's looking forward to where this marker takes me.

subtleties and safety pins

I got the chance to see Her by Spike Jonze and it was eerie just how relateable the story was. It was filled with a beautiful hollowness that amplified the simultaneous wish/fear for connection. The movie made me deconstruct how we communicate as a society today with evolving social media and made me redefine what i consider a relationship/friendship. As a result, it made me wonder about the substance of all the likes, follows, and retweets out there in the world and if they really do connect us people. Ultimately though, the movie made me realize not to doubt the quality of the connection but instead embrace and celebrate that a connection was being made when needed.

There were so many layers to this film that i loved and still think about days after....but the one thing that consumed me while watching it was something small. I just couldn't stop staring at it. It was the safety pin that held Her perfectly in place in his pocket so she could see the world with him. It was such a subtle detail that made Theodore's and Samantha's relationship real to me. I could imagine him struggling to find a solution, perhaps placing a box of tictacs or tissues in his pocket to prop her up, or perhaps unsuccessfully pinning her crookedly into place a few times before figuring out the perfect height for her to share the world with him. All these things played out in my head and made him real to me versus just being a wonderfully written character being played by an actor. The safety pin  made me obsess about the subtleties that authors, illustrators, animators, and actors capture that transforms a fictional character into being real.

ferguson the meteorologist

Ferguson the Fox travels the world in a giant floating light bulb fueled by bright ideas. He spends his days chasing clouds and phenomenons and adding lightning bolts to his collection.

I've learned that everyone works differently. Everyone has their own routines and creative habits to get them to wherever they need to be in order to want to sit down and pour onto a page, canvas, or computer screen what's been dancing around in their heads and buried in their hearts.

Some people need a shot of whiskey to loosen the screws. Some people prefer a hot cup of caffeinated salvation to activate the nerves. Some people need the perfect soundtrack playing in the background to stir the soul. And for me it’s all of these things plus scribbling down a few words onto a yellow post-it note. There's definitely something about capturing the point of inspiration as soon as it happens. For me...it’s like bottling lightning in a jar. As long as I have these few words to go back to, I can reactivate the point of inspiration when I need to. But in the meantime...all these thoughts are collected and stored away for safe keeping. At this point, it feels like I've got shelves of jars filled with lightning storms waiting to be released and that's exciting to think about.

My post-it note for this piece read "chasing clouds and collecting lightning"

i wish i was a double-scoop icecream cone...

So...I’ve never been the kind of gal that could convincingly wear a "sexy" halloween costume and not feel silly. And let’s be honest…if you’re a girl and looking for a Halloween costume, sexy is pretty much all you got to choose from in the stores these days.

 But I guess that really doesn’t matter since I walk straight past the sexy woman aisle and streamline to the children’s costumes. The reason?  Simply because the magical option of being a double-scoop icecream cone exists there.

woodland wanderlust

moss, trees, woodland creatures constantly inhabit my mind.

maybe its cause i've always lived in the city. maybe cause i envy children that grew up with woods for a backyard. maybe it's cause i was a small woodland creature in a past life...who knows. i just know i've got a strong case of woodland wanderlust.

Seashell Souvenirs

 
I've been trying to take a few adventures lately in attempt to grow the soul a bit. Meet new people, eat new foods, see new things to inspire the soul. It's been an awesome ride so far and with each trip that i take, it only makes me realize how little i've actually seen of this world and how i long to see more. And no matter how big or small the adventure is...I've always been a collector of souvenirs of the places i've visited. I have certain clepto tendencies... may it be a rock, a receipt, or a giant shell from the sea...it makes me happy to know i have a bit of that of that world with me... just to tie me over until we can meet again.

these mementos remind me of the possibilities, to grow, and to remember to take every chance to make your soul feel brand new again.

dear world, thank you for being inspiring.
dear adventure, until we meet again!

and now in color! :)

Handle with EXTRA care : kitten grams

 mumbles and charlie decided they were going to need extra bubble wrap for their kitten grams.

Dearest friends,

I'm going to tell you a secret..cause we're friends and thats what friends do.

I know of a place, a magical place, a post office where all lost and undeliverable mail find a way to. For instance, a birthday parcel soaked in rain with a smudged adress label. A thank you letter sent to a hard to find address like the easter bunnie's condo. A love letter dated 40 years ago with the incorrect postage. These pieces of mail are all considered UNDELIVERABLES and are destined to one very special post office and crew to help them find their way home.

And this post office is called the Dead Mail Division.

Don't you worry, you can also go there for all your regular post office needs too! The crew will gladly help you with all your EXTRA fragile deliveries!

And in celebration of me uncovering this magical post office...the dead mail division crew and i are sending out postcards of the above image and of Undelivered Mail. If you would like one...please email/facebook me which one you would like, your name, and address of where its going by july 31st, 2012.

thanks for stopping by and yaaay for giving me an excuse to send postcards!
nhu

theres not many things i love more than baked goods but on the short list lies cute home goods. i love strolling the aisles for cute decorative pillows (cause you can never have too many), newly marked down frames, and vases that are begging for me to fill with flowers.

and since i'm not that great of a baker and everything i bake comes out of a cardboard box...i thought i would try my luck at making my first home good product! a pillow! just the perfect kind of flair for a baby's nursery, a frumpy chair that needs a pick me up, or in the arms of a grown adult that needs a hug.

the goal is to start selling them soon on my shop and at the upcoming cons. now...1 pillow down....about 30 more to go...wish me luck.

Undelivered Mail

trying to get back into the swing of things and my oh my...the wheels are rusty.

Lately, its been super tough just trying to even look at my artwork let alone actually posting it up for all of my friends and the interweb to see. i know...this is odd considering i am in a the profession where i should want to show things but call me strange..i just like having things huddled away on my desktop until im ready to show and tell. its odd...and really uncomfortable at times...but im trying. im trying not to care and to chuck all caution into the wind and to JUST DRAW AND POST THINGS and HAVE FUN. yaaaay! in a very strange way, with each post i make...ive realized blogger and facebook is like a poor woman's therapy for crazies like me. slowly but surely...i'll grow up into a real artist and want to show everyone my sketchbook and skip into the sunset. just wait and see. it'll happen. i'm getting my skipping shoes ready so be prepared.

in the mean time....this is mint. hes a growing jackalope and interns at the local post office with his twin sister chip. just testing out the waters...we'll see how far this one goes.

a funny thing happened....

A funny thing happened to me the other day.. I happened to take a look at a photo i took of a box of macaroons next to my"NOM NOM NOM" illustration. I couldn't help but notice the similar color scheme. Then it made me think about inspiration and how it sneaks up on you in all the darndest places. I mean if you're really paying attention to whats around you, the things you love are constantly on loop for you to see and to inspire. you just have to press pause.

With this new found revelation, I decided that I would combine my love for my new camera app and take pictures of the all the things that make me go "ooooh and ahhhh" with the hopes of making me slow down and "really" see things but also tracking where my inspiration seeps in from. Plus..it'll hopefully give me a reason to be inspired and create more art.

Here's hoping everyone finds things to inspire them!

THIS was a box of macaroons that someone kindly gave me. these were the first macaroons i've ever had and they were absolutely delicious. it made me happy and sad every time i had to say good bye to one. i quietly sobbed everytime i took a bite out of one. THAT: is a sushi picnic. i've never tried it but i think we all should, cause food when eaten outside on a sunny day always tastes better.

THIS was an awesome thing i found when i was antiquing in the orange circle. I don't know what it was besides that it was AWESOME and the size of my dining table. THAT was a bunny i saw waiting in line at the post office. i think he was in line to see if he had the right amount of postage for his parcel.

.

wonder woman's favorite past time

 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

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!

I think I'm in dire need for adventure.

the changing room

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...

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...

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

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

oh i wonder...

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

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.