When I was back in California I found an volume series of art books that my father owned and something tickled my memory. A faint visual of climbing up the bookshelf and taking one of these books down and accidentally tearing one of the pages came rushing back to me. I then recalled going through the color plates and words I couldn’t read and picking my favorite pieces. Strangely, I recollect being really fond of the collection of naked women, probably in the volume about Flemish and Dutch art. I could be wrong. I will let you know when I find out because I can still kind of remember what they looked like.

I couldn’t fit much into my suitcase, so I picked one out of the 10 volumes. Volume Nine: Chinese and Japanese Art.

The first chapter really struck my interest. It stated that he comparisons of art is Asian cannot be compared to one another unless the difference between Western and Eastern art are established. (At least to a certain degree) The thinking and direct comparisons were something that never really occurred to me until I read them in a comprehensive manner. This came at the perfect time since I had just started my bamboo sumi-e practices. And working on my admissions essay into Cornish. Which, jahjesus, I haven’t written in essay in forever.

My hunger to study more just grew. I’ve been bashed in the head repetitively by the Western standards of art and art aesthetics. Not like western standards of female beauty was not enough!

As a result I have come to conclusions to keep learning, so when the time comes to study in Asia, I can go in with both sides of the spectrum, as which I told one of my students recently who ended up getting a totally different perspective on the social issue she had chosen to make a presentation on.

Which then led me to much excitement and practically at a loss of words when I stumbled across Vincent Van Gogh and Ando Hiroshige’s pieces. I always had known about Van Gogh’s inspiration of Japanese ukiyo-e prints that started to spread across Europe but I didn’t know about his direct try with Hiroshige’s One Hundred View Famous View of Edo Series. He tried to replicate two woodblock prints from the series with oils on canvas adding western elements and interestingly enough Hiroshige was known for adding western elements into his prints.

I could get really into it. But it’s being saved for my essay. And just check them out. They’re dope and make me feel all good inside and stuff.

In being settled here, I have never been so hungry and diligent about working on somesort of art. I feel like Hawaii was not serious play. Maybe it’s the people, the little pieces or the art tucked away at every corner, or the clouds. What’s changed? Besides everything? Maybe all was needed was a move to open those eyes and brain a little more.

The Isangmahal Arts Kollective (and this is the part I take from the myspace page I googled) “…was formed in Seattle, WA in 1997 to create a safe space for Filipino and Asian Pacific American artists. The kollective features spoken word poets, dancers, visual artists, MCs, DJs and community organizers/educators. The group has released 2 CDs, chapbooks from the kollective and from individual poets, and has been featured in various publications throughout the nation, online and offline. Recently, the kollective was featured in the book, “The Beginner’s Guide to Community Based Arts”…”

I have heard nothing but amazing things and know some pretty dope people that were apart of this. And that people are completely stoked for this night. I feel honored and super excited to be apart of it and around some of Seattle’s best especially as a new 206-er. Also to experience what this kollective is all about. I will report accordingly.

Sumi-e painting has been a recent practice for me. Been trying to put in at least an hour a day. Watercolor has been sparking my interest for the first time in a while and I have been reading about sumi-e and the history of Asian art, so it’s been making me hella extra nerd out and think doing something completely different to what I am use to doing on stage at Pipeline or Fresh Cafe in Honolulu. I don’t know why, or if it’s even gonna work out. But take me as I am Seattle!

Gonna say it again: Man, Seattle. This is what I’m talkin about!!

This is the last one.

Thanks for checking out the last days of Hawaii series. And even more so if you were apart of it, even it was just a glimpse of a great memory.

It also was great to share while I got settled into Seattle since I wasn’t producing anything but photos and crappy sketches waiting for my supplies to be mailed in. New art coming!

Thank you….Aloha Hawaii.

‘09 was a crazy year. The welcome of 2010 was filled with friends and family. And this was the crazy rush that went by way faster then you can imagine as the countdown of weeks and days left in Hawaii started.

I always thought my last days in Hawaii were going to be paradise. But leaving anywhere, even moving down the block, is insane! Thanks to the homies that hella helped us out. And made the effort to see us one last time.