Sunday, March 29, 2009

in lakech


in process...
30 x 30 canvas
mixed media
2009

i'm not near finishing but i am stuck...it's been sitting around for a week, well, i've also been busy creating other things...but i wanted to share what i'm painting...

my mind is already on 3 other ideas i want to work on, it's really hard to choose and try to seize the emotional moments...sometimes that energy is non stop and sometimes there's just a little bit...

i've got all the main parts down and the concept, it's a pretty solid one. briefly, it's a woman's human revolution and to empower female of our time to conquer all the darknesses within themselves. it's the 21st century, you make or break for no body else but yourself. to fight hard daily within yourself to reach your mount everest. no body will be doing this for you. as mothers, we shall teach our children, especially our daughters the importance of independence rather than the idea of finding somebody to depend on. it is a must, i've been saying this to my daughter since she was 3 years old.

while we are young, we must develop our sense of self love and confidence. then when we grow older, we will possess undefeated strength and wisdom to help others. rather than be in the minds of a young teen when we are in our 40s, 50s... how scary is that! but it is a fact, there are men and women who are into their 40s, 50s... whom never had the life experiences to develop their inner self.

i chose red as the robe of this woman meditating peacefully on a big lotus flower. the red is the same red as the revolution star and it also symbolizes luck and prosperity.



my galactic signature

around the head of this woman, you see the mayan astrology signs. i found it in connection with buddhism in th sense that the mayan astrology directs to the heart of who we have become in our present incarnation. our galactic signature provides us with a mission statement for our lifetime. each of us have our own mayan sign along with our galactic signature. we all have a purpose in this lifetime, but it's for yourself to discover it.

"as you look deeper into the meanings of the tone and tribe of your signature, you begin to reveal the source of who you are, how you create yourself in the world, and what the essence of your journey here on earth is all about.
you can begin to see your archetypal characteristics manifest adn grow through your interations with other signatures, whether they are the energies of a particular day, or acknowledging the signatures of those around you." find this here.

you can find out your galactic signature here, i need to spend more time studying this...but it's amazingly interesting, please check it out!

i'm thinking to title this "in lakech", i am another yourself...mayan

Saturday, March 28, 2009

taste of france

it's been a while since i've been in europe...

so, this weekend, got to check ou
t my friend's "taste of france", french bistro in huntington beach.

its nice to get a taste of france...lots of memories of europe came back and it's just so lovely to eat good food. here's a great article about
"taste of france" and photos.



i took only one photo.

7306 Center Ave

Huntington Beach, CA 92647
(714) 895-5305

what i loved the most about it was being able to sit outside and smell the ocean near by...i always thought it is a pitty not be able to eat outside when you dine out. drink coffee and nice conversations...learn new things...

anyways, i don't like mushroom but i had a whole bowl of their mushroom soup. it was so homemade and delicious! i had their tuna sandwhich with green salad. it was considerably good with some kind of honey mustard dressing (my favorite)! i'm still thinking about the mushroom soup...til the next time :)

best of all, you get the real thing, a taste of france for ridiculously affordable prices! and the waitress speaks french!

now, i'm going to start incorporating my eurasian lifestyle of food again back in my daily life. it's the healthiest and simple way of food!


Wednesday, March 25, 2009

a beautiful day...


"indestructible" earrings, wearable art!

i love these! i made them in black and red only! you can also find them at my etsy store

the weather was so beautiful today (outside)...i envied the trees outside the windows (my view), as i worked on many different things for a delivery tomorrow...i took a few photos of a few new items...

female empowerment...

Link
rosie the riveter, i made these on the request from a customer, i finally got around to them, i actually purchased a reproduction poster, photographed it, and did a little work in photoshop. you can find them here. i made many colors but i liked this one the most :)



candles...i love them!

what i had to drink while working...great instant coffee, seriously!


this is 59 cents each at the 99 cents store. surprisingly, it's made in taiwan. i was very attracted to the design considering it was on the shelves of 99 cents store. i didn't have my morning coffee so i thought of picking this up as i was there to get candles...i knew it would taste great because it is made in taiwan. there are mocha, latte and black flavors, so i bought all three. amazingly, they all taste great. my favorite is the latte! these are as good, if not better than mr. brown coffee!


this is mr. brown coffee

i've tried over 50 different kinds of canned coffee from many countries, the best was always made in taiwan. even when i went to germany, they had mr. brown coffee at almost any grocery stores and i remember being stoked about it! in germany, they had more flavors than when i remembered while in taiwan. now, you can find them at the 99 ranch market, i think there are also a few flavors.

l.r.g. sample sale is this weekend!


more great great music today...


guapapasea! gecko turner

this is a nice mix of brazilian music, jazz, afro-cuban music, guitar...

and i saved the best for last...this was just uhhhhhhh! both cds...



"cafe solaire is an fpen-air club in milan next to a lake, where several thousand househeadz celebrate the night. this edition of smooth, authentic lounge and house music was compiled and soft faded by william harley, better known as half of the deephouse duo harley and muscle from milan and louis k., the resident dj of the club...." more here...

these 2 cds will lift your spirits and keep your day lovely! an old good friend once told me that most of the vocals in house musics are always so positive and full of love...it's very very true. this is a must have! check it out if you can!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

good for the ears...

for a working tuesday afternoon...this unopened cd was calling me to open it and i love it...


  • Artist: basement boys
  • Rating: StarStarStar
  • Release Date: april 11, 2006
  • Genre: jazz
A conceptual album from the production duo that made crystal waters' "gypsy woman" so darn seductive, basement boys presents mudfoot jones is a rousing nostalgia trip loosely based on a fictional blues drummer from louisiana (accent on "loosely"). the mudfoot character crops up in the intro and interludes, but it's really just an excuse for the producers to explore and twist early jazz, blues, and gospel into stylish, funky dancefloor numbers. "everything's gon' be alright" is an up-up-up-uptempo joyful noise with a vocal sample that sits a little off the beats, a device that crops up elsewhere and gives the album an organic edge instead of a too slick sheen. more filling is the jazz-driven "jaybird," which combines live vibes and horns with the basement boys' backing track going from house to jungle. the "pray for me," "swingin'," and "that jazz" sequence takes the listener from a deep south church on sunday to the set of a josephine baker movie with tribal drums pounding, and then on to an after-hours jam session in cab calloway's basement. rangy, but those who know the basement boys work past "gypsy woman" know they're up to the task and smart enough to build a coherent album out of all this genre-blending. put this somewhat near your copy of moby's play, but closer to any herbert records you might own, then grab a tasteful, comfortable jacket and get ready for a finger-snapping good time. ~ david jeffries, all music guide

above article can be found here.

the basement boys present: mudfoot jones cd can be found here.


i really miss eminem, i patiently await for this new album coming out may 19, 2009!!!

this is what i found out:

2009: relapse and relapse 2

in september 2007, eminem called into new york radio station hot 97 during a 50 cent interview and said he was "in limbo" and "debating" about when and if he would release another album. he said, "i'm always working -- i'm always in the studio. it feels good right now, the energy of the label. for a while, i didn't want to go back to the studio ... i went through some personal things. i'm coming out of those personal things [and] it feels good."

eminem made an appearance on shade 45 in september 2008 in which he said, "right now i'm kinda just concentrating on my own stuff, for right now and just banging out tracks and producing a lot of stuff. you know, the more i keep producing the better it seems like i get 'cause i just start knowing stuff." it was around this time that interscope finally confirmed the existence of a new eminem album,with spring 2009 later being stated as the period span in which the album is due. in december 2008, he gave more details on the album, which he recently reported was being titled relapse. he said, "me and dre are back in the lab like the old days, man. dre will end up producing the majority of the tracks on relapse. we are up to our old mischievous ways ... let's just leave it at that."

in march 2009, eminem reported in a press release that he would be releasing two new albums this year. the first album, relapse, is set for release on may 19, while the first official single and it's music video are set for release on April 7. the second album, relapse 2 doesn't have a set release date yet, but eminem is currently in the studio working on the album, and it should be released in the second half of this year. eminem said in the press release, "we were on such a roll; we wound up with a ton of new music produced by dre. putting out relapse 2 will let everyone get all of the best stuff."

the above article can be found here.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

victoria beckham

something about victoria beckham...

i like looking at her, maybe because she's david's wife, or she's just sick. she's one of the most stylish icon and she's had 3 boys. yes, she's got some work done but she's just simply amazing!
i think the plastic parts of her are nicely executed which i find extremely attractive.



damnnnnnnnn...(after 3 kids @ 34 years old)

here she bends over backwards to look sexy in another smouldering armani lingerie ad, here.
i don't understand why people have to be so mean about her weight. there are people who just can't gain weight no matter how much they eat. people are just jealous of her. she is only 34 years old! she had 3 boys! and she's david's wife. she doesn't have to be overweight just because she had kids.



cute...beckham's offsprings...



pretty...i like



i'm not a fan of unnatural breasts, but i like them on victoria!



again, damnnnnnnnn... (excuse my expressions)


i like how they dress, casual or dressy, they always compliment
each other's outfits!


ohhhhh...what can be cuter than that! (besides shilo with brad pitt)

when they were younger...


they look so lovely!

i think they look better now. they are the same age so it's nice to see they age and grow together in the last decade and the future!


ohhhhh...spechless...

Thursday, March 19, 2009

invincible



"when i despair, i remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. there have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. think of it--always."~ m.gandhi


"invincible"
16 x 20 canvas
mixed media
2009

this was inspired from my "indestructible". it is about advancing your inner compassion to the greater level even after those evil and intolerable people/events which have occurred in your life. rather to succumb to hell, negativity, or hopeless, just simply change your mind. no one can do this for you but yourself. in nichiren daishonin's buddhism, it is called "ichinen sanzen" is the wish-granting gem. there are as many sides to this gem as there are living beings. each side reflects its own reality.

our life is a wish-granting gem.

when we peer into our lives we can barely see our own reflection. but when we polish our lives through chanting and making efforts to improve ourselves, we can see ourselves reflected clearly. when our gem is polished in this way we can see beyond our own reflection and see inside the gem that is the ultimate reality of all life.

a determination (ichi) at the core of your being makes real (nen) that self-pledge in all the realms (sanzen) of your life." the above can be found here.

this time, i did more thinking than feeling. i also looked at 2 different things. then i came up with a concept unlike "indestructible" but they both turned out very satisfying...

i will break it down to the main components briefly, so here i go...

if you look closely, there's spanish, english and chinese. now a days,in los angeles, we live in a trilingual world. the chinese words which are right behind quanyin says literally "is heart is buddha, is heart be buddha". to me, it means more like if buddha is in one's heart, then one shall act as a buddha. all the english are understood. as for the spanish, puta de hombre means man whore, and cobarde is coward. the chinese by quanyin's feet also means coward.

"courageous people can overcome anything. cowardly people, on the other hand, because of their lack of courage, fail to savor the true, profound joys of life. this is truly unfortunate."~d.ikeda



above, the "mayan codex" adaptation by millennium twain, its the mayan deities chaak (rain) and plumed serpent, kulkulcan. i was so attracted to this image that i had to incorporate it into this piece. of course, it's my own version. you have to flip the image to really see it. what i see in the original is an ancient mayan man squatting down making medicine with tools. my version is this 30 years old mayan man pretty much full of himself and killing himself, his own genital. the big long tongue represent the countless tale of his lies from this living being. there are several parts of the male and the female genitals around representing the ruthlessness of this man and this woman, maria dimarucut, possibly infecting others with HIV or STDs. these two can careless if others may want and need to life for the sake of their children.

i've been wanting to paint frida kahlo as quanyin bodhisattva and i thought this was the perfect opportunity as i chose quanyin. quanyin can be found here. even-though i don't worship any gods, i often find comfort in guanyin bodhisattva as i grew up learning about her from my mother. she always taught us the importance of compassion towards the less fortunate and stressed the importance to not deceive others at our own expense.

angels only exist in western religions. but i had to give her wings because i discovered that angels do exist in many different forms and even if quanyin is from the east or a myth or from thousands of years ago.

usually quanyin has been depicted with a gem or diamond on her forehead, mine is the revolution star. usually, she holds a bottle of holy water or spreads holy water from her bottle, my version is spreading the revolution stars!

in this piece, it was my intention to not have anything in front of quanyin as life moves forward, we leave all those ugliness behind no matter what. it's not easy to deal with when one steals from another, the truth or actual tangible things, however, its important to make progress daily. as long as there is progress, that's what matters. everyday as a human being, it is human revolution. there are people who are aware of habitual liars, even those who lived almost half of a century yet they chose to wreck other's life using fame, status, or money. i find that extremely sickening, but whatever makes them sleep at night.

"people only become human if they are educated as human beings. it is not birth that makes us such.only when we are raised as human beings do we become human. that's why education is so important."~d.ikeda

the 43 is actually the age of this woman, maria dimarucut, who is loaded with money, she is aware what this man does and is absolutely okay with it. one may wonder why. there are so many possibilities, if one has no children, no partner, they are probably willing to do whatever it takes to not be alone. i believe, as we age, we shall age gracefully with wisdom and compassion. as a female, using material possessions to purchase a human being is beyond unethical and sad. it's extremely hard to digest how thick people's skin can be and simply pretend they haven't harmed anyone directly or indirectly. however, we must possess compassion to those who have no morals or sense of value in life to really appreciate life ourselves. as the saying, the moon, the sun, and the truth cannot be hidden...
it's this kind of woman who nurtures this kind of man, for him to continuously take advantages of females in this world. it only require little intellect, we all know what the future holds for these two, be happy for them.

as a woman of the 21st century, i believe in standing up for yourself. it's so crucial for females to not just settle and accept their circumstances. it's hard for people to really take this kind of things seriously until it happens to their own sister, mother, friend, or themselves. we have just one life to live, you choose how you want your life to be, not be dictated by a man who just uses words.

"to possess both wisdom and compassion is the heart of our human revolution. if you have wisdom alone and lack compassion, it will be a cold, perverse wisdom. if you have compassion alone and lack wisdom, you cannot give happiness to others. you are even likely to lead them in the wrong direction, and you won't be able to achieve your own happiness."~d.ikeda




early stage...

the little diseased boy by the heart is about this mayan man who had put a curse on him under the higher power. a swear was made and shortly, this boy was diagnosed with "kawasaki" disease or here. not even science understand where it comes from. i firmly believe the higher power had to show this man that he just couldn't casually make a swear on the life of his own son in order to gain physical and material pleasures for himself. you just don't do that no matter what, if you are going to cheat or lie to another human being. be a man and take responsibilities of your own action, not your own child. the life of a child is so precious, one just can't go around using their own child to make believe. no one can top this mayan man.

"lies are truly frightening, because they not only deceive others but also destroy one's own humanity. ~d.ikeda

there are words on quanyin's clothing to represent the memories of the damages, they don't go away but they do heal. as holy as quanyin is, she's my version, she has "puta de hombre" on her wings because it will fly away with this one time experience of encountering a man whore in her life time.

a lotus flower grows and blooms simantenously in the muddiest water. it represent cause and effect in our daily lives. in this lotus, you should see that within this flower, there's the devil and the angle which equals to one. it is within all of us, however, we get to choose which one gets to dictate our daily lives.

as for all the eyes, they represent the higher power and all the eyes of all the kind of gods which humans believe in. believe it or not. some kind of power exist.

"ralph waldo emerson says "good nature is plentiful, but we want justice with a heart of steel, to fight down the proud." if people are merely good natured, then those who are arrogant and highhanded will have free rein to carry on as they please. only those who fight with hearts of steel are people of justice. "~d.ikeda

this lifetime will never come again, if another woman wrecks your home, let her have that trash you chose to throw away, you will be so glad you stood up for yourself. then just sit back and relax, enjoy your new life full of endless possibilities.

the end...

i have prints and cards for sale on my esty store. the image is printed on sumptuous, glimmering paper which creates a shimmer look. the print simply glows, it is lustrous, lively and lovely.

(all of grigio's art cards are printed on the same exact card stock). you have to see it in person, it's very nice quality!

i will have this image along with "indestructible" at the local stores in 2 weeks. i will have them in prints, cards, candles, buttons, magnets, etc.!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

working hard

march 15, 2009 giveaway winner >>>



congratulations to:

alexandria beckerman of ohio!


april 15, 2009 giveaway:


"believe" 2009



the above earrings will be the giveaway, you can see more photos through my etsy store. i will duplicate it but the skull will not look exactly the same due to the nature of "hand painted".
all you have to do is send me a message through email or convo me through my etsy store. i will randomly select a winner from the email messages. your email address will be only used for the giveaway for the month. i will notify the winner by email and i will post your name on this blog!


working hard...

Link
i've been working on these on and off for the past month and i finally finished them! yeh! i'm so happy! oh and they are so lovely, if you like big earrings, you will love these! (i love big earrings!) i posted them all up at my esty store, a couple of them i can replicate if i still have the same beads but i prefer just to make something new! i know these prices are higher than the others but it's obvious that they take longer...the thinking...the materials...the look...!!






very gross...

my cat, wawa, is so particular, she refuses to eat the new cat food that i picked up from the dollar store the other day. i usually buy them from target or walmart but not this time, while at michaels, there was a dollar store. hoping she would be greatful that i didn't forget her.

little man went to the back and told me he saw something dead by wawa. i didn't believe him (horrible of me), but he insisted that i go check it out. so i did, and this is what i found...


i don't want to even pick this up! it's so wrong!


don't buy this food if your cat is picky!


miss. wawa, chillin after the kill, spoiled...

this is the second time to my knowledge, then i remembered, this was the food she would not eat. i can't remember all the brands or the flavors she likes or dislikes...i just remember to get her food! i can barely remember to eat myself sometimes! especially this past week!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

stoked

fiber optics...


i finally switched today and it is amazing. if you are on the internet as much as i am, this is a must. i can't live without it. not only that, it is wireless. a verizon tech comes over for a good 3 hours and sets up everything for you. he was telling me that the speed which i paid for is the slowest one. well, it is wayyyyyyyyyy faster then DSL. i am stoked!

check out my friend brian's blog, when i had DSL, it would take ages to see one photo, now, not even a minute, that's how fast it is!

butterflies...


while i was waiting for the fio to get set up, i got a pleasant mail from foundhandmade that they featured my "yellow fever" hair clip on their blog today. i was stoked again! that was really cool!


Sunday, March 8, 2009

with gratitude...


the saints and sinners opening reception turned out amazing at the folk tree this past saturday! many thanks to my family, friends, and fans who took time out of their busy schedule to support me and their purchases!



i have to thank the folks at the folk tree for the nice spot for "pure" ! the other things were kind of scattered around but this was like the main section for my painting and the ornaments, "beauty in satans"!
i loved how the lights sparkled up the metallic paint on the painting! yeh!


yum yum! what a great place for my earrings, cards, and prints! i ate a lot of those crackers on the left!


and there's gale, the most awesome person! i was so impressed with her since the day i met her. she's extremely organized and skillful at putting all of these events together at the folk tree, all year round! and that's the entrance to the gallery.



i liked this


and this...this man was just chillin' on the wall...


so it was farewell to mr. and mrs. martinez, see below, one of my most beloved earrings. it was super high when it was purchased at my etsy store, but sadness at the same time. it's been a while since i designed couples, i think i should do it soon again! (i promise i will!) i had to blog this for my own memories! that's just how much i loved it!

when designing couples, it's not the easiest because they have to make sense and they have to be the same height, the same colors, similar materials, etc...but i do enjoy making them!


(mr. and mrs. martinez 2008)