half awake & dreaming

Moved

2012-02-22T16:08:00.000-05:00

I'll be over here from now on.

Book Dreaming

2012-02-16T21:00:00.000-05:00

A book is the only place in which you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it, or explore an explosive idea without fear it will go off in your face. It is one of the few havens remaining where a man's mind can get both provocation and privacy.
– Edward P. Morgan

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Back Story : I always like the idea of some kind of back story for anything you create. So I thought I share a little something about this piece.

Supplies : paper, pencil, scanner, Adobe Photoshop & lots and lots of time

The above piece is first titled, 'Summer Dreaming' but I think it's more fitting to be called, 'Book Dreaming'. The original is actually 4 pieces (as in 4 pieces of paper) that I scanned into the computer and combined together in Photoshop. If you really look closely, you can see some sort of discontinuation, like the bend in her hair where it is actually separated. I tried to blend the pieces together but sometimes the separation is still visible. You might think doing it digitally makes it easier but it's actually harder. I have a small scanner so I have to scan the drawings separately and then combine them in Photoshop. I cannot tell you how much time I spent on this piece but it is certainly a large amount. I worked on it off and on, depending on my mood or if I remember to finish it.

I decided in the beginning that the colors should be a little faded, but not too much. I was going for the aged look but I don't think it work out. I don't know how I ended up with all these pink and blue hues. It's really quite random at first until more colors are added and I see how the whole piece will look. I really did try to pick more varieties but sometimes what's in my head doesn't always translated into what it actually became. And sometimes it's best to go with the flow.

I was watching a lot of tv shows and movies and concerts on dvds while I work on this piece and most pieces. I don't do well without some sort of secondary distraction. Working in silence is not for me. Now and then, the shows/movies/music can sometimes influence the direction I'm going but mostly they are there so I don't go mad doing the same thing over and over. And I do, do the same thing over and over. Whenever I zoom in for a close-up, I see something is off and will likely try to fix it. In the end, I half-reluctantly accepted these flaws because if I don't, I would never finish a single piece.

Some of the titles on the books are real. For example, 'Somewhere in time' by Richard Matheson is about a man traveling back in time to meet his dream woman. I'm particularly fond of the movie version. I did a little research for book titles with "time" and "summer" in them but there don't seem to be too many, so I make some up.

I wondered after finishing a piece if anyone gets what it's being said or what particular message do people get when viewing someone's creation. I see stories in many of my pieces but that's probably because I have make up stories for them even before I finish.

Supposedly the story for this piece goes something like this: On a bright summer's day, a girl fell asleep reading books on time and summer. In time, her dress and shoes became tattered and worn but within the books and on the covers, she remained youthful and beautiful. Her slippers never fade in their brightness. Her dreams are always shaded by the trees above with spots of sunlight making their way down to her now and then to keep her thoughts in their vivid home. The girl, whom you may called Cinderella but never Cinder or Ella, never make it to the ball. Instead, she stayed behind to catch up on her reading.

No Separation Anxiety

2012-02-16T11:31:00.000-05:00

Update February 16, 2012 : From now on, this blog, Half awake & dreaming will be only about my drawings. The other blog, Beautiful Persuasions will have my photography + writing + other miscellaneous things.

Visit the other blog here or click on image above.

Pick Your Favorite

2012-02-14T20:17:00.000-05:00

Which piece do you like as a print? Pick your favorite one and then any others that you like. Leave your opinion in comments. The ones with most votes will be available for purchase at Zazzle. (Click on each image for a larger view.)

(1) phoenix queen

(2) tree girl

(3) beauty

(4) tangled

(5) queen of thorns

(6) tree of heaven

(7) little house on my head

(8) maroon without you

(9) follow the rain home

(10) sleepless

(11) fly

(12) cinderella's coffee break

(13) solace

(14) umbrella season

(15) wallpaper girl

(16) butterfly heart

(17) doppleganger

(18) bedtime stories

(19) moon boots

(20) she grows books

(21) tree of dreams

Color This

2012-02-09T13:42:00.000-05:00

I'm borrowing an idea from Heather at Rose Hill Designs - an uncolored drawing for you to color. Below is one my favorite creations. See my color version here.

Right click or control click the image below to save image. Simply print it out and color it or you can do this digitally. Have fun!

Note: I don't know if the image is too dark, if that is true for you, let me know.

Creative Tuesday : Pattern

2012-02-06T23:18:00.001-05:00

For Creative Tuesday: Pattern

Mini-Art Giveaway

2012-02-03T15:36:00.000-05:00

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UPDATE: Contest closed. The winner has been sent an email.
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For those who enjoy art in small forms.
Here's what you'll get (click on image for a larger view):

2 postcards & 1 greeting card from My Heart Art by Geri Centonze

2 postcards & 1 greeting card from me

The Rules -- please read :

01. Leave a comment with your email.

02. Contest closes on February 12th.

03. Open to everyone, including outside U.S. & Canada.

04. The winner will be selected randomly.

OPTIONAL: 05. I don't have a name for my work. 'Polaroid Heart' is a stand-in which I'm thinking of using. Suggest some other names for me.

Please Note: I am not responsible for lost or damaged mail. Any questions, send me an email at lissawrites(at)gmail(dot)com.

Sunshine in the rain

2012-02-01T22:27:00.000-05:00

This drawing is by Heather Stillufsen at Rose Hill Design. She offered it as an uncolored original in which we can choose to add our own colors. This my interpretation, though I think I used too many colors. The original is here.

Beauty

2012-01-26T19:13:00.000-05:00

My favorite fairytale has always been Beauty & the Beast. I don't know exactly why but maybe I just like the idea of transformation through curses and kindness.

Sunday Sketch

2012-01-22T13:12:00.001-05:00

More Sunday Sketch here.

Get-Rid-of-Stuff Giveaway

2012-01-19T21:17:00.000-05:00

Update: I've decided to close this contest since there's little interest. I'll be emailing you who gets what. Thanks for playing.

The name "Get-Rid-of-Stuff,' says it all. I like them enough but I'm don't think I'll ever be reading these books or watching these shows again. That and also I seem to have brought the same item twice and only found out about it when I sort through my things. Also I think some people has the same taste as me and would like these things. Either that or they just like getting free stuff.

For the tv/movie lover (dvds)
- New Heart (Korean drama with English subtitles)
- Damo (Korean drama with English subtitles)
- The Handsome Siblings (Chinese drama with English subtitles)
- The New Adventure of Chor Lau Heung (Chinese drama with English subtitles)
- Back to the Future - 25th Anniversary Trilogy
- Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre dvd set

For the book lover (paperbacks)
- North and South by Elizabeth (Wordsworth Editions)
- The last will of Moira Leahy by Therese Walsh
- Postcards from a dead girl by Kirk Farber
- The little giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
- We have always lived in the castle by Shirley Jackson
- Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits by Robin McKinley & Peter Dickinson
- 100 Selected Stories by O Henry (Wordsworth Editions)
- Stories and texts for nothing by Samuel Beckett
- Basic Crochet Stitches by Erika Knight
- Woe Is I - second edition by Patricia T. O'Conner

For the gadget lover
- 6GB iPod mini in blue with headphones - If you choose this, please note this iPod is not new but works just fine. I used a Mac so I have no clue how or if it will work on a Window machine. Choose this at your own discretion.

Rules (revised):
(1) Choose two (2) items from the list.
(2) Make sure to leave your email with your comments.
(3) If no one picks the same 2 things as you, you'll get those items. For example, if you pick 'New Heart' and 'North & South', and no one picks either of them, you'll get them.
(4) Must be U.S. & Canada resident.
(5) Contest closed on February 14, 2012.
(6) Winner will be selected not quite randomly (read rule #3).

Please note: All items are NOT new. The books may be slightly wore. I am not responsible for lost or damaged packages. If you want to know what the books or tv/movie is about, check amazon.com or yesasia.com. If you have any questions, just email me at lissawrites(at)gmail(dot)com.

Creative Tuesday

2012-01-17T19:15:00.003-05:00

Click on image for a larger view.
More Creative Tuesday: Bubblegum here.

Sunday Sketch

2012-01-08T11:12:00.000-05:00

More Sunday Sketch here.

To Wake, To Grow

2012-01-03T11:23:00.000-05:00

If every day is an awakening, you will never grow old. You will just keep growing.
- Gail Sheehy

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-26T15:08:00.000-05:00

Wishing you a Wonderful Holiday and a Very Happy New Year!

Sunday Sketch

2011-12-04T12:26:00.001-05:00

More Sunday Sketch over here.

Phoenix

2011-11-27T20:12:00.001-05:00

It's best to have failure happen early in life. It wakes up the Phoenix bird in you so you rise from the ashes.
- Anne Baxter

Tree Girl

2011-11-14T21:13:00.000-05:00

Hello Again

2011-11-09T15:04:00.000-05:00

Here I am again at a new blog home. I'm here simply because I find I needed the change. I never could stick to a blog for too long. Could it be I have a problem? Is there a program for blog addicts that keeps changing blogs? Though I will still be posting at 3 Blogger Friends.

So what's new? Apparently nothing. Those few weeks without a laptop were strange time spent idling and feeling lackluster. I did a few things but mostly I just listened to the cd albums that I have accumulated over the years which is an awfully lot of music. Anyone interest in Asian/Cantonese/Mandarin Pop music? Just email me and I'll send you a box of music.

I recently read an article on author Haruki Murakami and how he picked a certain piece of music that he used for his new book 1Q84. I've not read 1Q84 but I've read some of Murakami's books - very strange fantasy worlds that I would never like to be stuck in but interesting read especially when you're stuck on a train or a plane. You can read the article here.

So what's Murakami has to do with me? Nothing. The article just occurred to me. I'm so random these days, even I don't quite know which direction I will go. But one thing is certain is that I will never give up blogging. Well, you know what they say about never - 'Never give up, unless, of cause, you think you should.' I think I read that somewhere. My scatter brain often does not know where things come from but they come from somewhere. I think.

Happy blogging to you!