CUSTOM CARD

For Paolo, who happens to have an innate ability to communicate with cats like no other.  If anyone is going to set the trend of owning 50+ cats", he will...  Wish I had more time to spend on this quick, rough painting...

KITTEN EYES

Acrylics on cold pressed paper 4.5" x 8.5" (2010)

Happy Earth Day!

Every so often, we are reminded of how fragile life is... A single-celled organism abruptly develops into a ravenous contagion; spreading like wildfire and garnering death along its path.  A species can dominantly escalate to the top of the pyramid of life; ignorantly desecrating the soil with insurmountable waste and raping the magnificent mountains of trees.  Pure air transforms into concoctions of pollutants. Pervasive oceans carry potent toxins.  Resources become scarce--triggering wars beyond the hapless, illusory boundaries that humans selfishly declare as "their" own... Whatever possessed us to claim these lands and its diverse inhabitants for our own benefits? They were never solely ours to own, but to share. 

Soon enough, nations begin declaring war to monopolize the very gifts Mother Earth harnessed.   Acts of desperation and survivorship displace remnants of generosity.   Compassion, empathy and diplomacy become fabled virtues of the past.  Like a disrupted pond stabilizing into a fixed reflection of reality, it slowly becomes clear how detrimentally futile our corrupt concepts of politics, monetary value, greed, social reputation, pride and segregation pale in comparison to the true values of life.   It is surprising how quickly unexpected events can leave our concept of existence hanging on a thread.

SPROUTING SEEDLETS

Outside "La Casa Luna" aka Alison's house (Seattle, WA).

However; within the volcanic ashes of a ravaged forest lies a delicate seed with the ability to rekindle a nourished dream of new life, hope and regeneration; a life untainted by environmental degradation, depleted wildlife habitat, and human injustice; a life devoid of insufferable acts and cruelty; a life filled with understanding, inter-connectivity and respect.  Whether we like it or not, we are intricately woven into an ornate tapestry; each string recognizable as a separate thread but tied together to form a single, elaborate piece.

Cherish the Earth as if it were your soul and very existence.  The rivers are your veins.  The water is your blood; propelled by every breath of life and a beating heart .  Cherish the Earth not because it yields the resources you need but because it is a part of all of us.  Revel in the majestic canyons and ancient forests.  Celebrate the beauty of pristine lakes and lush meadows.  Dance amongst the symphonic melodies of unruly sea breezes and ocean waves.  There is such a wealth of pure joy and beauty around us and the vision of sustaining it together is invaluable and indispensable. 

Celebrate Earth Day everyday!

EARTH CAKE

Baked with love for my colleagues at work. ♥ Wind energy!

Strawberry Yogurt Cake recipe inspired by "Happy Homebaker" with the liberty of making a personal couple of adjustments. I actually cut the cake in half to add in a layer of home-whipped chantilly crème and freshly cut strawberries.  The crème was also used to decorate the cake surface with silhouettes of what was initially supposed to represent the seven continents but due to rushed efforts, I did a rather rushed, sloppy job of depicting the Earth.  This whole cake was an experiment.  Turns out people would only be able to devour 4.5 continents instead. 

Mug Design

For Hugh: company beer mug design.  Det Norske Veritas literally translates to "The Norwegian Truth."  Does that not sound like a cult?  Too bad it actually isn't... That defintely would've called for an interesting job description... 

DNV MUG LOGO
Micron pen on paper 8.5" x 11" (2010)
Text added in Photoshop

Soccer Crest

For Hugh: Due to the final stages of Global Energy Concept's (GEC) acquisition by Det Norske Veritas (DNV), we have now fully adopted the latter name as our company identity. Unfortunately, that meant that all apparel bearing the former name could no longer be worn.   Moving forward, our new soccer jerseys were redesigned to reflect these changes.  Per request, the team leader was interested in placing a soccer crest on the front.  The back of the jersey would bear the official DNV logo.  Funny enough, our company colors are coincidentally similar to the Seattle Sounders.  What are the odds of that?

To view last year's soccer jersey designs, please click here.

DNV SOCCER CREST

Drawn digitally in Photoshop (2010)