Under Construction

I'm happy to say that my author/illustrator website is almost done. Still have a page or two of content to complete but it's almost ready to launch. Above is preview of my site's opening page. I've designed the site map, created page layout in photoshop and passed the files on to a very talented web guy named Alex. This arrangement has worked very well since I specialize in print work and he's very knowledgeable and skillful with web media.

I tried (really I did!) to learn dreamweaver (crash-course style) but I didn't catch on fast enough. I have since gained a profound respect for those folks who make coding, Java scripting and CSS managing look so easy! Me, I'm sticking to print until I am good and ready to devote time learning the ropes of web design. Hey, there's only so much time in the day to write stories and paint pictures. But I'm gettin' my website done... Stay tuned!

I've been Tagged!

Thanks to my illustrious illustrator friend Karen Lee I've been tagged. So, here goes...

4 jobs I have had:
- Waitress - Anna Banana's, biker bar with upstairs music joint in Honolulu where I was frequently asked: "What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?" hehe
- Hostess - El Crab Catcher Restaurant, Honolulu, HI - Greeting and seating hungry people.
- Production Artist - The Honolulu T-shirt Company, Honolulu, HI - I "lived" in the darkroom.
- Picture Framer - The Nature Company, Berkeley, CA - Used ALL the tools of the trade.

4 movies I could watch over and over:
- A Christmas Story - You know, the story about Ralphie, who wants a BB Gun really baaaaad!
- Hedwig and the Angry Inch - Fantastic storytelling and movie-making. Great soundtrack!
- Mary Poppins - Okay, so I'm a big kid!
- Rivers and Tides - Love watching Andy Goldsworthy's process as an artist. Inspiring!

4 places I have lived:
- Keflavik, Iceland - A magical place to live as a child.
- Honolulu, Hawai'i - With addresses all over Mo'ili'ili!
- Osaka, Japan - This was "home base" during my 7-month dance gig in Japan and Taiwan.
- Oakland, CA - Good 'ol Oaktown. From our apt. we could see Alcatraz Island on a clear day.

4 TV shows I love:
Not into TV, but when I turn on the boob tube, here's what I'll catch:
- Project Runway - I've not missed a season yet! I'm hooked!
- The Daily Show - Yay, Jon! (Stephen Colbert runs a close second!)
- Saturday Night Live - When they have good guests and the skits don't suck.
- What Not To Wear - Leave it to the Brits create a show from fashion-disaster therapy.

4 places I have been for vacation:
- Big Trees State Park in Calavaras County. Love those giant redwoods!
- The island of Hawai'i aka The Big Island. Volcanoes National Park is awesome...
- NYC. Okay, so I tied this vacation in with work but it was a lot of fun!
- Lake Tahoe. Absolutely gorgeous! Get a place with a view of the lake.

4 Websites I visit everyday (not really everyday but, mostly):
- SCBWI Discussion Board
- The Blue Boards (on Verla Kay's site)
- The Huffington Post
- Random writing sites like this one.

4 Favorite Foods:
- Tempura (prawns and veggies) Only the authentic batter and cooking style will do!
- Muligatawny Soup! A savory Indian chicken soup that warms the heart and soothes the tummy. :-)
- Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Cheesecake. Heavenly!
- Lumpia. I learned how to make these festive Filipino spring rolls from my mom!

4 places I would rather be:
- Hanging out on a beach in Hawai'i, no particular island.
- In Reykyavik, Iceland, exploring the quaint village I knew as a child.
- Lake Tahoe. Any season. Love the deep blue lake!
- Anywhere in Polynesia: Cook Islands, Tahiti, New Zealand, etc.

4 people I am tagging:
Laura
Kelsey
Mark
Kerry

Illustration Friday: Help

After many moons, I am posting a piece for the latest Illustration Friday theme: Help. This image is a painting from my newly launched picture book, THE SLEEPING GIANT, A Tale from Kaua'i, depicting a young girl named Pualani singing a new chant (or oli) and coming to the rescue of the villagers of Kapa'a, Kaua'i.

Just for Fun

I haven't been around for a while because I've been ultra busy. However, today I had time for something fun and easy. It's a kalaidescope image that I created at this cool website.

You can do it on any computer—mac or pc. I created mine on a mac, took a "photo" of it and modified it in photoshop, adding a black border and feathering effects. Try it out just for fun!

Illustration Friday: Tattoo

Aloha! I'm back from Hawaii and I had a great time! Last month, I performed with my hula halau at the beautiful Hawaii Theatre in downtown Honolulu. My husband and I stayed a little bit longer, caught up with friends and visited our ol' hangouts. The day we left, we stopped by the Honolulu Academy of Arts and took in a wonderful new exhibit called "Life in the Pacific of the 1700s: The Cook/Forster Collection of the Georg August University of Gottingen (Germany). We saw artifacts from ancient Hawaii, Tahiti and Samoa, including ancient tools for tattooing. Tattoos originated with Pacific Island peoples like the ancient Hawaiians. As a hula dancer, I've studied a little bit of tattoo design and have incorporated them into my costuming. The above sketch was created recently. It remotely pertains to Hawaiian tattooing as there is kaona or hidden meaning in the words--on the girl's arms, the "ly" on the bird. These refer to a poem titled "Softly."

Illustration Friday: E is for Elephant

The elephant that jumped over the fence from a playground rhyme called "Miss Mary Mack." As a child, I loved singing and playing this hand-clapping song with my friends. Little did we know that it dated back to the early American slave lore of the Gullah people. They spoke a Creole blend of Elizabethan English and African languages and lived along the southern coastline. Listen online to Miss Mary Mack. Just scroll down to the third CD titled "Feel Like Journey On" and click on the songlist title: Miss Mary Mack (Traditional). Enjoy! :-)

Miss Mary Mack

Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack
all dressed in black, black, black
with silver buttons, buttons, buttons
up and down her back, back, back.

She asked her mother, mother, mother
for fifty cents, cents, cents,
to watch the elephant, elephant, elephant
jump over the fence, fence, fence.

He jumped so high, high, high
he reached the sky, sky, sky
and he never came back, back, back
'til the fourth of July, 'ly, 'ly.

Illustration Friday: Sea

Girl by the Sea. I painted this way back in high school. My art teacher showed us how to stretch paper, handle a paint brush and mix colors. Best of all, she let us paint anything we wanted. This came straight from my imagination. Used no visual references so it has a naive look to it. I loved beaches, crashing waves and surrealism, can ya tell?

Illustration Friday: Flavor

Happy, delicious 2006! Good riddance for the spoiled Imperial Brand of 2005! Take in the BEST flavor of New Year! Okay...what's with the "tasteful" art and writing? Let's just say I am duly inspired by: Bush, manga art and engrish! Hope you enjoy... ;-)