Realism.

I think this may be the first time my drawing on paper genuinely looked like the picture I was using as a reference! I haven't done some realism in a while...

I'm a Foodie.

It seems that art has been taking over this blog!
Here's one more quick sketch to add to the pile. 

Peach Arizona Drawing

A close second to Green Tea Arizona.

Olaf Drawing

Disney Character series!!

Peter Pan and Wendy Drawing

Disney Character series! One of the cutest couples on screen!

Kevin the Bird Drawing

One of my favorite characters from a Pixar movie.

Arizona Green Tea Drawing

One of my favorite drinks. Call me basic, I suppose!

Poem Analysis ~ The Legend by Garrett Hongo

Although I don't read poetry too often, the poems that I do read really stick with me. The Legend by Garrett Hongo is an example of one of these poems. I genuinely enjoyed this poem, from it's artful vocabulary to it's flowing prose. The poem had many different tones and I thought that I would upload my analysis of them!

In the poem “The Legend,” the author Garrett Hongo ponders the lack of compassion that people of the world have towards strangers around them. This insensitivity is displayed in the poem when a crowd of onlookers ignore the cries of an ordinary man who is shot down by a thieving boy. Hongo’s disturbance towards society’s indifference is made clear through the remorseful and elegiac tone he takes on towards the end of the poem; thus moving the reader to emerge from apathetic habits into empathetic actions.

            Many different tones are used throughout the poem, and each is established through the use of many literary techniques. For example, in the first stanza, the author utilizes soft language to create a calm and contended tone. The intricate visual and tactile descriptions of the “warm laundry and crinkled paper” (7) demonstrate simple joys the poor man enjoys, pulling the reader towards the development of a personal connection to the man. This connection that the reader makes with the man at the beginning of the poem allows for a stirring of sympathy when the man is unjustly murdered. Furthermore, the use of alliteration, “snowing softly” (1) and “wash for the week” (2), along with soft language and sounds allow the reader to get comfortably acquainted with the homely man as he carries out his simple chores. The abundance of soft sounds and alliteration that soothes the reader is contrasted with the sudden chaos and rigid sounds that follow in the second stanza, thus shocking the reader into the realization of the great injustice that has been committed against the innocent man. The use of these subtle details in the first two stanzas contributes to the serene tone that the author establishes.

            In the beginning of the second stanza, Hongo develops a factual and objective tone that depicts the man’s insignificance and simplicity. To begin with, the repetition of verbs at the beginnings of lines 17 through 21 show parallelism in the grammatical structure. This parallelism indicates what the speaker assumes are simple, repetitive, and unimportant habits of the man; it contributes to the construction of the slightly detached and factual tone. The author also exposes the poor man’s alienation from the rest of society. In line 13, the man is described as “Asian, Thai or Vietnamese, / and very skinny, dressed as one of the poor.” His unrecognizable identity and plain appearance show how negligible he is to those around him, including the speaker. Everyone’s dismissal of the man as unimportant comes to shape the tone of remorse presented towards the end of the poem. The alienation of the man is further exhibited in line 34, when Hongo states: “The noises he makes are nothing to them.” Nobody around is able to understand the dying man, let alone comfort him, thus leaving him in an isolated position for which the reader cannot help but feel sympathy. The author makes an effort to evoke this compassion from the reader through the use of a somber tone, therefore underlining the fact that people of the world must aim to be empathetic rather than apathetic.

            Hongo’s remorseful tone is clearly projected towards the end of the third stanza, contrasting with the detached tone of the previous stanza. He becomes much more direct and personal through the shift from third person to first person, even candidly stating, “I am ashamed” (43). The speaker’s admittance to the guilt he feels for his insensitive and unresponsive manner is critical in encouraging sympathy. The guilty tone is also reflected in the curtness of the last few lines; this terse structure represents the lack of words one has when experiencing strong feelings of shame. Overall, the idea of compassion for others is stressed repeatedly through the intensely ponderous and remorseful tone.

            Finally, a solemn and mournful tone is established in the last stanza. The author uses very comforting language to send off the man in hopes that he will find peace in the afterlife. For example, in line 44, Hongo states, “Let the night sky cover him as he dies.” Since the connotation of covering someone is very protective, the speaker’s words provide the man with the sympathy and care that he was unable to offer earlier. He hopes the man’s afterlife will compensate for the injustice done to him on Earth. In addition, an allusion to the weaver girl legend is made; much like the how the universe allowed the weaver girl and her lover to meet once a year in the sky, the speaker wishes the universe would show compassion to the man and ensure that he is comforted in the heavens.

            Throughout the poem, the author weaves the different tones together to create one underlying message of the need for sympathy. He instills in his readers a hope that society will emerge from a state of indifference to connect with the rest of humanity. Through the poor man’s story, Hongo immortalizes this message of compassion and will pass it on for years to come, truly honoring the man his appropriate title: The Legend. 

Drawing of Lucky the Dog

Taxi Drawing

David Drawing

A graphite sketch of the famous David sculpture by Michelangelo. 

Took a couple hours to finish, since it's my first time attempting human realism!

Happy September!

Summer Must Haves

A visual list... before summer ends!

Sleeping Beauty Drawing

Although it's been a month, here is the second installment to my Disney character series as promised. 
Sleeping Beauty! Enjoy!

Soccer World Cup!

Go Korea!!

Mulan Drawing

After rewatching one of my favorite childhood Disney movies, I thought I would draw one of my favorite childhood Disney characters. 
P.S. This may become a series...

Songs of Myself

So we recently had a project at school where we had to write about songs that were important and meaningful to us. I thought this was a very interesting project, since music plays a HUGE role in my life. Since I enjoyed doing this assignment so much, I thought I would share! Hope you enjoy! 

From soothing tones that drift lazily through the air to thumping music that shakes the walls and drives my parents crazy, music has always been a part of my everyday life. I have played several musical instruments growing up, including the piano and the guitar. Every day since I was about 5 years old consisted of practicing these instruments; I remember it being incredibly entertaining to patter away at those ivory keys and pluck at the golden strings of my dad’s guitar. Ever since I discovered my love for music at such a young age, I have never stopped listening to it. Music has come to mean much more than a simple song I play on the piano; it has become my therapy for times when I feel dispirited and glum. The mellifluous tones and meaningful lyrics give me the strength I need to get through a particularly bad day or a high-stress situation. I find myself being continuously amazed by its astonishing power to greatly influence one’s mood, perceptions, and even one’s life as a whole. Music possesses the ability to alleviate my anger when my mom forces me to clean my room, wipe away my tears after I watch “The Titanic,” and help me to finish essays for English class the night before they are due. It has always held a special place in my life and has been the reason I have been able to persevere through stressful times. I have compiled a playlist filled with songs that have provided me with the energy to keep on keeping on:

1. “Blackbird” by the Beatles
                        This song brings up very pleasant memories of a summer I spent in Okanagan, British Columbia. The people that we spent the summer with were talented folk singers who performed an exquisite cover of this song at the bonfire by the lake on a warm night; I can still feel the cool breeze coming from the mountains and hear the crackling of the fire. The captivatingly melancholy quality of the song fit nicely with the fact that it was our last night in Okanagan, therefore making it feel all the more special. That night filled with beautiful song was the perfect end to the trip.

2. “Moon River” by Audrey Hepburn
                        When I was about six years old, I came down with the flu and was sick for two weeks. It was a miserable time for me, especially the nights due to the fact that my fever and stuffy nose prevented me from sleeping. There was one particular night when I was shivering all over with a high fever. That’s when I remember my mom coming into my room and singing “Moon River” as she held me. This song was so comforting to hear at that time and helped to lull me to sleep; to this day, I still love the song dearly.

3. “Paradise” by Coldplay
                        When I was in middle school, I had to suffer through a run every week during P.E. class. It was a very intensive run of about 3 miles, and to make the run more bearable, the P.E. teachers would bring out huge speakers and blast a playlist that always seemed to have this song on it. Believe it or not, “Paradise” was what got me through the run; the rhythm perfectly matched the strides I took and the lyrics were quite encouraging, despite the fact that all I could think about was all of the things I would rather be doing than running in 80 degree weather. Now, whenever I listen to this song, I think of when I was running and it makes me feel free and alive.

4. “Hallelujah” by Rufus Wainwright
                        This song brings back fond memories of a sleepaway camp that my friends and I attended over winter break in eighth grade. We had gone up to the mountains to a beautiful retreat center that was blanketed in snow. On the last day when we had to drive back down to L.A., the snow began to come down quite hard and driving conditions became difficult for our bus driver; the drive back home ended up taking about 5 hours, stretching into the wee hours of the morning. At around one in the morning, as I was nodding off, I remember hearing this song play on the radio and seeing the snow fall outside. Although it was a long bus ride home, that moment was pure bliss.

5. “My Way” by Frank Sinatra
                        On the morning of the day my family and I moved from Vancouver to Los Angeles, the realization that I was leaving my hometown sunk in and I felt quite upset to be saying goodbye. As I rested my head against the window and watched the familiar scenery whiz by for the last time, my parents popped in an “Old-Time Hits” CD, and “My Way” began to play. It was the perfect song to listen to as we were starting a new chapter of our lives, and I will forever hold the song close to my heart.

Happy Easter!

Thank God It's Friday.

TGIF. That is all. 

Sketch of Girl

Not to be a complete creeper, but I sketched (on my math homework) a girl sitting at the park reading a book. She was sitting very still and was a perfect model for my drawing LOL
Enjoy!