Tag: creativity

Have Fun Along the Way

, , Slice of Life, Well-being2 Comments on Have Fun Along the Way
"Traveler's Notebook and Fountain Pens" Austin, 2017
Photo info: Motorola Moto G (4), 3.64mm, f/2, 1/40 sec, ISO64
 “Traveler’s Notebook and Fountain Pens” Austin, 2017

こんばんは。How’s it going?

At my work, we have 6 core values, and my favorite one is “Have Fun Along the Way”. It’s actually a great value to live by, isn’t it? Anyway, whenever I pick up a new hobby, I tend to get obsessed with it and do so much research, watch videos about it, spend lots of money, etc. I’m sure I’m not alone in this! But what I am trying to do with my current watercolor/stationery hobby is to slow down, take it easy, and not go overboard. I want to make sure I don’t burn-out over it. And by going slowly, I make sure that I maximize the time that I am having fun along the way!

As I grow older (I am 48 as I type this), I start to think about making things last for the rest of my life. For instance, the things I buy like bags, pens, watches, or sandals… will these last me (and will I want to keep them) for the rest of my life? That now goes into my purchasing decision.

And then I think about the things I do… will the new things I learn add anything to my life? I know that interests change, and that’s fine, but as the years go by it seems to be more important to focus on things that have real importance. When I was debating on whether or not to get the regular tickets or VIP tickets to see the band Scandal, my friend asked me, “When you are on your deathbed, are you going to be happier that you met the band or happier that you saved $50?” Of course, I bought the VIP tickets.

I think about that a lot when I have to choose things in daily life… “On my deathbed, will I be happier that I binge-watched another episode of Parks and Rec, or that I worked on a painting?”

When I was in high school and college, I loved creating things. And in my career, I’ve always had a job that involved creativity. I haven’t really given it too much thought to be honest. But it’s something that I can be proud of, and happy that I lived my life this way. So, my “new” hobby of watercolor painting is something I can fully enjoy, without any guilt. And it certainly fits the “Have Fun Along the Way” value!

"Color the Trees" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO800
 “Color the Trees” Cedar Park, 2017

I hope you had a nice day!

またね～

Gyoza, Clouds, and the Search for Grey

, , , , , Food, Slice of Life3 Comments on Gyoza, Clouds, and the Search for Grey
"Gyoza Dinner" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/100 sec, ISO2000
 “Gyoza Dinner” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Tonight’s post will be a bit scattered, but whatever. I’m not writing to win any awards. 😁

For dinner, Koa and I had gyoza, which I am getting pretty good at preparing. We usually buy pre-made, frozen gyoza and so I just have to heat them up… not really cooking, just preparing. Anyway, the method I use it so arrange them into a circle in the skillet, with the flat side down. Next, add some vegetable oil and sesame oil to the bottom and fry over medium-high heat. After a few minutes, I add in about 1/3 cup of water, then cover the pan with a lid and steam for another 4 or 5 minutes over medium heat. Then, remove the cover and cook until the liquid disappears.

Finally, I take a large plate (that is wider than the gyoza circle), place it over the gyoza, then flip the pan, plate, and gyoza over. That way, the crispy golden part is facing up for serving.

Serve with a dipping sauce of ponzu and rayu, and bowls of white rice and you have a nice meal!  I only wish we had miso soup to go with it…

"Today's Clouds" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/8, 1/3000 sec, ISO200
 “Today’s Clouds” Cedar Park, 2017

Lately there have been some pretty cool cloud formations in the sky, so of course, I had to take photos of them. I think the clouds in Texas can get pretty huge and impressive and I am always amazed at the natural beauty. I still don’t fully understand how clouds form, and frankly, I’d rather not know and keep the mystery alive. 🙂☁️

"Looking for Grey" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/100 sec, ISO2500
 “Looking for Grey” Cedar Park, 2017

Lastly, I did a little bit of research on how to create a nice grey color using the paints I currently have in my watercolor palette and I think I found a good combination. It’s basically pthalo blue mixed with a bit of orange, and a touch of red. It’s easy to make it warmer or cooler just by varying the ratio. I also produced a nice grey using the prima blue that came with the watercolor set I bought.

Next, I want to try to make some dark colors for shadows. I am not sure I can produce that with the colors I have now, but I read that pthalo green is needed to make the color I want. We’ll see!

I hope you had a nice day.

またね～

Packing Sketch

, , , Slice of Life1 Comment on Packing Sketch
"Packing Sketch" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4.5, 1/50 sec, ISO3200
 “Packing Sketch” Cedar Park, 2017Oac

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today I made a pen and ink sketch of some of the main travel items I took on our trip to Morocco and Spain, I was inspired to do this after watching this video from an artist that I have been following on Youtube.

I think it turned out ok, but there are a few things I would change. For instance, I would sketch the items smaller, so I could fit more on the page. Also, I forgot a bunch of things that I should have included, for instance, my Kindle, headphones, notebook & pencil, and maybe my clothes. And the passport didn’t need that yellow part. 😅

Teoh Yi Chie’s packing lists are so cool, I want to create more packing lists, or even a “what’s in my bag” sketch. So fun!

Today I bought a few more art supplies, including two more watercolor tubes, a #8 brush, 3B pencil, and Micron pen. I still need to figure out how to create a nice grey color using the paints that I have… I don’t want to resort to using the pre-made grey or black paints… so I guess more testing and research is needed.

Well, I hope you had a nice weekend!

おやすみ！

Watercoloring

, , , I Like It, Slice of Life1 Comment on Watercoloring
"Watercolor Table" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/100 sec, ISO1000
 “Watercolor Table” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。Today I sketched a bit and did a watercolor of La Sagrada Familia. For my first watercolor in many years, I think it turned out ok. There are a bunch of things I would change, and I’ll probably do more versions of the same pic just to experiment. But it’s a good image to use for practice. And lots of fun because it brings back the memory of the great time I had in Barcelona!

"La Sagrada Watercolor" Cedar Park, 2017
“La Sagrada Watercolor” Cedar Park, 2017

For the painting, I sketched using pencil, then applied the watercolor. After that, I erased the pencil marks that were still on the white parts of the paper. I like the shape of the cathedral and detail, but the trees in front are just cloud-like blobs. I also should have extended the cathedral down a bit on the left side so that it looks more like it is behind the trees and not sitting on top of them. Still, I am pleased with my first attempt!

"Prisma Classics" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/100 sec, ISO1250
 “Prisma Classics” Cedar Park, 2017

For this painting, I used a new watercolor set: Prima Marketing “The Classics”. It’s a compact tin, with 12 colors in half-pans. I was surprised at how small the tin is… it’s not even the width of my LAMY Safari! Before I bought the watercolors, I watched a couple of reviews, and decided on set by the same brand called “Tropicals”, but it was back-ordered at Amazon so I ordered the classics instead. There are a few colors that I don’t really like, or perhaps don’t know how to use, and a few colors I would like to have from the Tropicals set, so I’m not sure what I’ll do. Perhaps I will just buy some empty half-pans and tubes of paint. Thankfully Teoh Yi Chie has a review of the tropicals set and I can use that as a good reference as I build my palette.

"Pilot Kakuno" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/100 sec, ISO1000
 “Pilot Kakuno” Cedar Park, 2017

Also, my Pilot Kakuno arrived! It’s such a cool pen. I love the fun design and blue color and it’s pretty compact in size, which I like. I’m going to use it as just a basic writer, with the black ink that came with it, but it’s a joy to use and gives me more pleasure than just using a generic ballpoint. Why not try to brighten up your life, even in small ways?

I hope you had a nice Saturday!

またね～

Trees and People

, Slice of LifeLeave a Comment on Trees and People
"Trees and People" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/100 sec, ISO3200
 “Trees and People” Cedar Park, 2017

Hello! Today’s photo is of some small sketches of trees. I watched a Youtube video today about adding trees to architectural drawings and thought they looked pretty cool. The same person also has a video about how to sketch people which I also practiced a bit. They are in a photo from a few days ago. I think they look pretty good actually! As I sketch more, I think the figures and trees will come in handy. Especially the figures for people in the distance or crowds. Plus, they are fun to draw on their own!

I’m really enjoying sketching. When I was in college, I only took a few drawing classes. I didn’t have much talent in sketching, and so I gravitated towards painting and graphic arts. So, even though I have a degree in Studio Art, drawing is still a challenge. However, I’m finding it a lot of fun these days. It’s great to be getting back into creating like this!

I hope you had a nice Friday. I’ll leave you with a photo of the sunset:

"Sunset" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5, 1/600 sec, ISO200
 “Sunset” Cedar Park, 2017

おやすみ！