Old Friends

I had the chance to visit some old friends in Orange County this past weekend.  It was so nice to see familiar faces and catch up on life. 

It was also really nice to see my four-legged friend, Tomales.  He is such a good dog!

Cody and Tommy playing fetch in the park in Irvine.

 

Cooking Updates

I'm trying to cook seasonally, eat healthy, and incorporate more Korean influences into my cooking these days.  This talk helped me consider eating mostly vegetarian during the week so that weekends can be free-for-alls (ok, maybe not free-for-alls but having more freedom to indulge with friends and family at gatherings and dining out).  *Oh yeah--and also for social and environmental reasons as well.

Shared Meal, I think we should have a Korean cooking session and blog about it :)  You can cook, I can style the photos.

Speaking of taking advantage of seasonal foods, my friend C and I recently tested out her new canning equipment by making some late summer pluot jam.  It was a very fun process!  I can't wait to taste our jam.

Free Art Show on Saturday, November 12

I'm participating in a small community art show on Saturday, November 12 from 3-8 pm in Gardena.  Please stop by if you're free that day.  I'll be selling some of my work, including cards and other handcrafted items.  You can find more information here.

The last time I was in a show was like in junior high.  I was actually quite an active participant in local community arts as a kid . . . I'll have to dig up some old photos and post them at some point. 

I'm excited for the opportunity and look forward to meeting some other creatives!

Stalking Bloggers

Have you heard of Design*Sponge?  It's been my go-to online source for all things related to design, DIY, and eclectic interiors for the past few years.

Grace Bonney, the founder of Design*Sponge, recently came out with a book.  I attended the book signing in Los Angeles last month with my friend M.  It was a fun night filled with glasses of prosecco (which I had never had until the event but now I'm a fan), and delicious desserts all hosted in an Anthropologie (of course . . . lol).  I spotted another favorite design blogger of mine at the event but she had left before I had a chance to say hello.

Is it weird to go up to bloggers and tell them you're a fan?  I had also wanted to go up to these bloggers once and tell them how much I admired them but restrained myself.  Man, I wish I did approach them.  Everyone enjoys feedback!  Maybe next time.

 

My Art in Other People's Homes

I have a lot of my own work hanging around my house.  It's not because I think I'm that great--it's because hanging paintings on the wall is a way to store them.  Hence, it's always delightful to see my work hanging in other people's homes--such as in the Y family home pictured below.  That's the best form of affirmation an artist can receive so thanks friends!

 

New Project

I finally worked on a new project this past weekend! 

I was starting to fear that I was stuck in a creative rut but it all came together as I sat in my room Saturday night and started carving (thank you, dear colleagues and friends for the art supplies gift card).

I was inspired by the gates at the Glendale Narrows shown in my previous post:

To create this:

And these:

I was excited with how the stamp turned out and look forward to fine tuning my printmaking skills.  There's something so earthy and imperfect about handmade prints that I love.   

Friends, you will probably get a variation of this print this Christmas season.

Hidden Beauty

I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Glendale Narrows (a part of the L.A. River by Griffith Park and the 5).  It's amazing that I drove past this area so many times without ever realizing that there was such vibrant nature flourishing along the 5 freeway.  I know that the L.A. River is getting a lot of attention these days, and some much needed restoration from organizations such as Friends of the LA River.

I look forward to the day when a lush, green river full of wildlife exists next to our freeways . . . or at least I can imagine of one.

Poster Contest

I'm thinking of entering this poster contest going on here.  If you have any good suggestions, let me know!  If you're also an artist or designer, you should enter.