Saudi Eyes

Shelina Kassam 2010 in Acrylics

Another stunning girl in pretty fabrics.

I have never met anyone more supporting than Shelina. I met her in her tomboy phase sophomore year. Sporty, short haired girl wearing a grey hoodie. She was new and i needed a friend for a change... of scene at Hotchkiss. who knew this girl would slam me off my feet into a grander world of more lively, more excitement, more social and fun extremes. If only saudi arabia would let me in, i would be glued to her like a rock.Though many years have and will pass, i won't let you slip away even if time does. we've been through such rough times together, like kliza's ap chem (those negative motivation worksheets were a killah), boyfriend girlfriend dramas, family problems and many more. all i can think about is thanksgiving when i get to frolic sillily with you at chicagoan beaches. as soon as we manage, i can't wait to hear about your summer adventures and precious memories in DR

Mon Amour

Because i can't wait to see you, i painted you.

Marcheta Kay Marshall, Summer 2010

i hope you're having a fabulous summer in Washington with chip and indulging yourself in heavenly things like foreign weddings. can't wait to see you pretty face in hong kong, roomie! je te verrai en Septembre! je t'aime.

l'été Projets

while listening to harry potter tapes, starting from the 6th to the 7th and then will go back to the 3rd and 4th. i've been busying myself with quality me time, painting, glueing and doing whatever that inspires me. designing my own set of clothing line, cutting up old clothes and re-sewing them together, bring back the eco-fashion. and finally BEDAZZLING anything everything.

I was shopping at lane crawford with my younger sister and one of their jewelry displays caught my eye a pearl necklace by some highend brand with designs and patterns painted on it. i thought why not do it by myself. then the more things i saw the more these crazy ideas came into my head. so my room became a workshop.

i bought a 2 dollar pearl necklace in the market, painted delicate roses on it outlined with sharpie and made it into something quite glamourous.

Thrangu

I don't understand my mother, and i probably will never. I'm having difficulty explaining this but today, my sister and i agreed that it's almost as if she's always holding a balloon with her brain in it. and whatever is in it goes with the wind.

Mother with her Rinpoche teacher, Winter 2007

My relationship with my mother is not like other parent child relationships. We treat each other like annoying best friends. It's actually quite funny. We'd be sitting at the dinner table and my mom would start stroking my arm pointlessly making baby noises like a pokemon,"beeby beeby beeby", i think she still hasn't realized that babies don't say 'baby", but rather ahgnga wahrr or whatever they make. She's also extremely blunt, burps in public and unzips her pants when she eats too much at nice restaurants. This is where we're in-common. But nevertheless, i do look up to her as a role model, sometimes. Deep down, i do love her and adore her, but really really deep down. we're still at the annoying stage, but it keeps our relationship interesting and exciting!

She's a buddhist, a real active one too. She spends about 50% on buddhism, 30% on family, 5% on shopping, 5% on work, 4% on technology and 1% on my dad. It's quite a balance, i don' t know how she does it, but then again, who does?

Right now, she is in the Final Stages of building a monastery in Vancouver. I'll be there in two weeks and at its opening ceremony at the end of July.

here's the website if you're interested!: Thrangu Monastery, CANADA

Last summer, my sibs and i volunteered to work there for a good 2 to 3 weeks. Look at us pound out these ornament blocks! So we developed an efficient work cycle amongst us four without being scolded by yanyan (Yanick, our supervisor)

This is how it looks like installed on the rims of the ceiling.

I go to a few buddhist retreats with my grandmother, mother,and sisters. It's one way for me to find mediation and balance in life. I am a buddhist, but not as religious as my mom's side. I do believe in karma, in reincarnation, in my next life. I do believe that i have to do good. .

This photo does crack me up a bit. i wasn't aware that they're trying to take a group picture. this was taken at the national park in Vancouver. It was quite a day walking around with a lot of red friends.

My father, on the other hand, is not buddhist. this where tension comes in.

A love story

My father signed my mother a cheque,

a thousand dollars to throw away her orchids,

which she loves most but he hates

for those hungry little bugs .

My mother bought with his cheque,

a thousand fish to free into the sea

for him on his birthday,

but he does not know.

Four summers ago, there was another retreat. At the same time there was a silent auction for participants, money went to building this monastery. So i drew a portrait of the 9th Thrangu Rinpoche, my mother's teacher. He is indeed a huge figure in buddhism. It was auctioned off at a hundred dollars, cha-ching!

9th Thrangu Rinpoche, Summer 2006, drawn in oil pastels

After all this, i can't resist myself putting up these family sillies from Tokyo 2007 at Hyatt hotel.

So earlier that day, i was at this junk store in Tokyo, and i saw this gold jumpsuit like the ones they use in human tetris, and i thought, "i have to get it". Then later on that day, i saw this at the mask store and i had to get that too.

So that night, at about 2 in the morning, my sister, kristine and i, woke up for our mission. I had asked my younger sister to let mom's room door open. So i crawled in, sat in in lotus position, in the dark, at the foot of her bed . It was a good five minutes before she saw me and bulged. enjoy!

Liquid Courage

Wifey, Alexis Gay

It's really obnoxious how we got married, but silly moments like this last a lifetime. I know that when we're both married to our loved ones, we will still laugh about it and so will our kids especially when we send them off to Hotchkiss.

And this is how i proposed and she accepted! Although she is no longer completely mine now, ahem*pat**, (i'm sure he's found that sweet angelic personality i found in her)

Alexis now lives in Sailsbury CT and goes to NYU! We met junior year but i don't really remember how. But i can say that it was not until she became a sick 3gLAXer that we bonded. she has a beautiful mother, Dori, a beautiful house (best-thrown parties), but a not-so beautiful dog. Haha, her dog does scare me just a teeny tiny bit. But i love everything about this girl. She is purely talented in the arts- the music, she writes and sings her songs and she acts on stage too! it's amazing. I miss hearing her voice, especially when she serenades me while i paint her from real-life. She was singing her own cover of "I want to hold your hand"

Alexis Gay and Guitar, Spring 2008

This is my favourite song by her and I wanted to be the first to type her lyrics, Laura Pulver will be jealous, so here it is:

Click here to Listen: Alexis Gay Music Artist-Facebook Page

Click here to Download: Liquid Courage- Alexis Gay mp3.

Liquid Courage by Alexis Gay—The punch bowl LP

I, feel a little chemistry,

sometimes between you and me,

but i'm afraid it's just my fantasy.

I'm not saying you bring me sunshine,

but you can read my mind,

I really need that sometimes.

How come when we're drunk and we're lying on the floor it's okay.

And you don't care what they think anymore and you keep me warm

And sobered up, tomorrow comes, i see you and smile

God forbid that your friends walk by will,

let's not pretend that you would say hello.

But i know, that if tonight i looked hot,

Then i will, have to watch you take another shot,

Come a little closer to me,

whisper something secretly.

then you grab my hand and pull me into a room i've never seen!

What does that say about you?

Does that say something about me too?

If i see you and your liquid courage

and i do nothing to discourage you.

Sometimes, I swear to god i think you're gay,

that you're really just afraid,

so tell me why do you behave this way?

Selfishly i'm hoping that i'm wrong,

like you say in that one song,

we all move along.

How come when we're drunk and we're lying on the floor it's okay.

And you don't care what they think anymore and you keep me warm

And sobered up, tomorrow comes, i see you and smile

God forbid that your friends walk by will,

let's not pretend that you would say hello.

But i know, that if tonight i looked hot,

Then i will, have to watch you take another shot,

Come a little closer to me,

whisper something secretly.

then you grab my hand and pull me into a room i've never seen!

What does that say about you?

Does that say something about me too?

If i see you and your liquid courage

and i do nothing to discourage you. (x2)

Please take the time and listen to it, i sing it everytime i shower, my roommate started listening to it too , it should definitely be on your ipod too, please leave comments!

and if this is your first time reading my blog, dont' forget to add yourself as a follower!

Next on Hong Kong Garden: My Latest oil paints!

Hong Kong,

My City of Lights

I felt earth escape me as the weight of my dog sunk upon my mattress. This unusual wakeup call forced me from my sleep as I then realized that a typhoon had hit Hong Kong. As I lengthened my spine, I alternated from a state of fear to reassurance, retreating into a moment of gratitude—another family day.

Hong Kong at Sunset, Spring 2008 Acrylic Paint

3 sisters, Spring 2009 Watercolor

Chung and Zero, Spring 2008 Acrylic and Oil Block Print

Grandmother & Hollywood. winter 2007 Acrylic

I am lucky to be born into this family and extremely fortunate to have two sisters and a brother. The four of us can joke when we refer to each other in terms of our silly animal resemblances. I am the pig, not the most flattering animal likeness but it well-describes my flat nose. Nevertheless this deprecation serves to give us a good laugh. Open criticism of each other is presented in such playful tones that we never stay mad at each other tomorrow. In this way, my family has always strengthened my confidence and nourished my soul.

So on that windy day, I suggested hosting a "best-dish competition". Perhaps it is not unusual to others, but my family is devoted to their own busy schedules. I have never seen our kitchen this crowded. Six of my family members crammed into a space generally suited to accommodate our one cook. Perhaps the funniest moment of this culinary extravaganza was not my dad in an apron, but my mom hesitant to drop the chicken into the pool of boiling oil. That day marked the first time we made dinner together.

Hong Kong at the Symphony of Lights every night at 9pm

Note to Readers: Dear Friends and Family! Thanks for your support in reading my blog, i hope you all enjoyed looking at my artwork. Just recently, one of my wonderful friends (my future roommate) Marcheta Marshall send me a link to her new blog, Gateau et Chateaux, and i thought, why not started re-blogging my old artblog, vliart? For new readers out there, pi beta babies or old friends, don't forget to add yourself as a follower if you have a yahoo or gmail acct! It would be nice for me to know that you're reading it! (which is also the reason why i stopped blogging the first time, i believed the only person reading it was myself, sad sad story)

Just a word: all the artworks posted are painted or drawn personally. If you have any questions about specific pieces, don't forget to comment and i'll respond to you! The writings are also personally written (most of them were on my college supplements, well they come into good use don't they) I frequently find myself copy and pasting them into applications or if not, translating them into my french essay assignments! Love Vickie

One of a Kind

Cameron Hough, winter 2007

This piece was another inspired piece by Martin Mull's collection.

The monochromatic background is a photo taken by a good friend who captured perfectly Hotchkiss' forests at its first snow.

(In photo: Cameron Hough; Rachel Schroeder)

Cameron Hough from New York was one of my true girlfriends throughout Hotchkiss. She's a wonderful, sweet girl. Although, i must say, i extracted some of her bluntness into mine. She would tell me if i looked awful in my morning mess or she'd point out my bad hair days. She also had a huge problem with feet, feet without socks, feet on her bed. But, of course, i never followed her rules about them. Currently, she's studying at Princeton University, having the time of her life with the grade-deflating curve. (she has the original artwork, hopefully it would be hanging when i visit her)

Rachel Schroeder, Fall 2007

Black and White study in Acrylics. This was probably one of my very first artworks-portraits. I love the strong lighting on her face and the overall graphic touch on her J-crew knit sweater. This photo was taken in my room in Buehler 209. At that time Rachel lived upstairs. I asked her to sit down on my chair and pose for me while i sketched her out in real-life, in Blind contour. For those who are not familiar with blind-contour drawings, they are drawings drawn in a manner, so that the result is Distortion. Your eyes are focused on the subject and your pencil is glued to the canvas. You are not allowed to look at what your drawing. It's a great exercise as your wrist tries to catch up with your eye movements.

Rachel Schroeder is one of the coolest, down-to-earth, silent (secretly bad-ass) rebels. I still remember myself cringing while i watch her get a tattoo (which she designed herself, a traveler's stamp) over Long Winter Weekend NYC 2008. I met her sophomore year through one of my besties Shelina Kassam, who was her roommate at that time. I practically slept in her bed everyday, watching the latest youtube videos. "Can i get yo numba?" I soon met her mom, wendy, who is extremely nice. For our 3rds Lax girls, she'd make us delicious yumyums fresh-cut oranges still cold, nomnomnom. Rachel was an amazing laxer, but unfortunately, she injured her knee that season, but, she became our assistant coach! i would not have survived a season without her. Right now, she's at George Washington University. amazing amazing talented girl, you should hear her recite a poem, which she wrote her senior year named "Biracial Rachel". Strongly independent and she damn-well knows where she's from and what she can do. oh also, she loves the chase too.