Since COVID-19 started on March, we work from home. I thought that I could have more time to work on my art projects beside working from home. I was wrong. So stressful to create anything that make sense. I spent the next five months to sew masks and contribute to others. I did not count but roughtly 400 masks made and gave away to family, friends and others.
I did none of drawings or paintings for a long six months. In the last five years, I had a series called Trafic Jams and Vietnamese Coffee when I painted/collage traffic james scene in Vietnam where every body on the street on motobikes honking and all wear masks. Now it become the reality globally. Could you believe that ? I stop painting/drawing that. So depressed !
However, finally I started to quit again after first week of October. Trying expereience with triangle and half- square after seeing virtual BAM show of Rosie Lee Tompkins on YouTube. The show is stuning.
Show some pictures of what I did in 2020 during this one of the kind pandemic.
The jacket was done like....two years ago but this is first time I posted publically.
Will shared jacket project later. Have been sewing jackets the last two three years now as my resolution of not buying new clothes.
This time just to show off the yellow wall. I did not paint for such a long time. I must paint something. And the yellow acrylic was the one I have left at that moment.
Here is the quilt that done after watching the show, on the old blanket that my friend gave to me while back. The blanket is thick. I did the design for both sides. That so I can quilt both quilts at the same time. ( and have two quilts. Hahha). The final quilt is supper heavy. The blanket is so thick I could not hang up the the wall with pusk pin to take a better picture like other quilts.
Very happy with the outcome. I machine sew supper fast this time. I got a new heavy duty machine that can get throught thick layers of fafric without breaking my needle.
I started a second one instandly after finishing the first one. I worked full time 8 hrs and continue to work on quilting until 11 pm for one week to finish this one , both sides , red and yellow theme. used a lot of Vietnames silk fabric that traditionally used for bride/tet holiday outfit. Go back to one of my theme red and yellow felt sastificed and filled.
My husband said look like a wedding quilt.
Another one with both sides with green and blue/white domimant . This one bleached out a little bit red into white portion after washed but insignificantly noticed if I did not say anything thing. well, now I already say it. Hahah. However I still got a little mad because of that. Not sure the red is from thread or fabric. I thought all my fabric already washed/used. I will have to wash several times for the bleach go away. But that is ok. I am very happy when done. After finished sewing, washing the blaket give the fresh and cozy feel. Love it !
Three of the quilts above are square/more or less 5 by 5 feet.
This one is on the progress. Finished one side during Thanks Giving 4 days long weekend. I worked straigth up to 10 hrs per day for 3 and 1/2 days. Very happy just spending time cutting fabric/sewing/a lot of ironing/arranging them together and then cutting again. Watching a lot of Netflix/listening to meditation music/auto books while doing this. Life is perfect !
The next Monday after Thanks Giving, I was so tired and not ready to back to work. I had to set up alarm two times aparthahahha/finally woke myself up with eukaliptic oil over my head.
But look at the quilt. Worth my effort. I am so happy to get back doing art. This one is 5 by 6 feet. All with sewing machine. Love it.
This is another quilt I worked during COVID-19. This made of my children JP10 years ago/all recycling material from their clothes. When they grew out of the blanket and our dog, Happy, dog inherited the quilt. He chewed the quilt when he alone like crazy. Often time, I have to mend the holes for him until it went so bad this year. It had so many holes/all the coners chewed off made the quilt shaped like the battle field . Hahaha. I was about to throw it away but my husband wanted to reserve the quilt/too sentimental for him to throw away I guess. I have to shrink the quilt back into a picnic side to fix it.
This is so thick I could not use the sewing machine ended up fixed the quilt by hand every night for a week. Now become my husband's favorite. Hahahah. Happy would have a better and newer quilt.
Toys/inspired from The Little Prince Fox. I did a lot of them three years ago. COVID-19 was stressful to deal with /Soft toy helps. So I sew several more. Give several to friends.
The series done with ink on collage paper on canvas/tittle Land Dragon. Continuing of 300 book series I made back in 2011/2012. I guess. The big canvas on top ( 72 by72 in) was huge and ambious project that took me two years to finish. I could not finish until one night I dreamt of my mother. She stepped into my studio, which was very dark. I was sitting down and inking this painting. She looked at me and said sternly," finished it." I made effort to finish in the next two weeks and the gallery called me for the show. Hahhaha. I did not apply/submmit artworks for that show. They just called.
The meaning of this was posted in another "more professional blog." this one for me to quickly jotted down things that need to remember for this year.
Begining of 2020 I was invited to join a group show at Exchange gallery. I did not go to see the show for the openning because I was out of town. Back home COVID-19 lockdown, gallery shut down as well. They send me this picture instead.
This is a crazy year. I managed to do the best I can with art. Cherish very moment of this. Embrace the bad as well as the good of 2020.
One more month to go.
Three of the quilts above are square/more or less 5 by 5 feet.
