May 31: create a painting - COMPLETE

It is the end of the month, which means the end of my first goal.

If I could describe painting with one word it would be, challenging. I'm not going to lie, it wasn't a walk in the park like I thought it would be and I feel as if I rushed to achieve something I could have put more time and effort in. Life does come in the way but that is no excuse, if you want to do something you really have to put your heart and soul into it and give your self time to finish it. Giving myself a deadline really does help though because then you're pushed to keep going and finish something by that time. So honestly give yourself a dead line it really truly helps! That is probably what I've learned the most from my first goal, even though I thought I'd learn more about painting - funny how things go isn't it?

What I think of painting; it is very different from drawing, more than I expected. I took a lot of time to learn about the different paints I had, because in the kit I was given I had water colours, acrylics, and oil paints. Learning how all of them are used was a task all on it's own and I found you really need to know your stuff to make the style of painting you want. I'm so used to shading with a pencil that actually taking paints from a darker colour to a lighter version was interesting and I can say I had a little too much fun with that, diluting the red until it was almost white, that was probably my favorite part and you can really tell it was in the painting. Oil was my least favorite as it seemed to clump and dry quickly when I tried to use it, which you can tell in the branches but it had to be learnt sooner or later. Besides painting the picture it was really relaxing. This month I had a couple days where I wasn't in a pleasant mood (We all have them here and there) So I'd plug in my ipod and listen to the upbeat songs by Jason Mraz (The lyrics of I wont give up still rings in my ear) or John Mayer and suddenly find myself happy as this painting came more and more to life. It's the small things that can really lift your spirits back up and realize that what you were bummed out about wasn't that big of a deal to begin with. I'd recommend painting to those who just want to take their mind off something and maybe you'll even create a masterpiece with the anger held inside of you! 

Why I chose to paint what I did. If anyone really knows me they know how fascinated I am with anything and everything that comes from China or Japan. (Being a quarter Chinese also gives me something to brag about, aw yeah) I loved the movie, Memoirs of a Geisha and after that I've always been intrigued to learn more about them and the culture behind it. A Geisha is an art it self and literally means performing artist. So since I am an artist I loved the idea of having an artist itself in my painting, with a bold red colour in the kimono that would fade into a soft pink like it was eluding into the wind, then in the back I focused on a yellow hue that would represent a sunny, happy feel that would also fade into a softer yellow for comfort. It felt empty with just that so I added a branch with cherry blossoms (I will be the first to say my cherry blossoms look horrible in the painting, but I will practice and get better!) and I also added a little detail into the kimono to not make it look so plain. I want my painting to give that warm feeling, something that just makes you feel happy.

It's my first painting and it won't be my last I really want to learn more about it, hopefully I can take a few classes in University that will teach me more about how to paint and skills used to making a beautiful painting. I understand this painting isn't amazing but it is my first and we all got to start somewhere, not everyone is gifted right at the beginning, you have to work hard to achieve what you want.

My first goal is complete and I feel so inspired by myself and even you - the people reading my blog. I came on a few days to check and my first post had 330 views! I've found people on Pinterest re-pinning my blog, Facebook people are sharing it, retweeting it on Twitter, and even Google plus getting it out in the circles. You reading and showing other people my blog is amazing and all I can really say is thank you from the bottom of my heart, it actually means a lot. I really hope that I'm giving you some sort of inspiration to achieve your goals as well because that's what I am truly doing this for! 

I find though that writing only at the beginning and end of the month isn't enough so I think I'll also post in the middle just to write about my progress. 

So starting tomorrow - June 1st I will move onto my next goal! 

Fighting!

Savi

Now after all that reading lets show the painting!

May 1 Goal: Create a painting

Hello again!


So now begins my journey of one goal, one month and all I can say is I am super excited. I've decided to plan my goals in a certain way, starting from the simpler ones to progressing into the harder ones that I'll have to work more towards. I'm not completely sure how I will write posts, maybe one at the beginning of the month, one in the middle and then at the end, but we'll have to see how it all goes.


So let's get to the point of my first goal, "Create a painting".  
There are so many different styles of art; drawing, painting, sculpting, dance, singing, sewing, cooking, etc. But not everyone is good at them we may fall into one of the categories and be a natural at it while we struggle with the others, like myself for example. I have the voice of a hyena when it comes to singing, I may as well have two left feet when it comes to dance, my cooking skill can barely pass making tacos, and sewing...Well lets just not go there. But there is one thing in this category I was blessed with and that is drawing.


 I was five years old when my brother passed away and a family friend gave my mother, sister and I these journals to write in about him. In this journal I would draw pictures of my feelings and get my mom to write beside it what they meant. As I got older I would start drawing more and write little descriptions of my own. Soon though I found myself drawing out of the book and just onto paper, these drawings started turning into stories of my own and I would make little comics, now I don't know anymore what they were even about because I was so young. At the age of twelve I learned what anime was and started to get these crazy fantasy ideas and started drawing out my own 'characters' then making a background that turned into stories and I'd draw for hours - though I kept all of this a secret, I think only my mom knew back then. Sometimes friends would come over and somehow find my hidden drawings and would tell me how good I was, I'd be too embarrassed and just hide them again. My family started to see more of my art and I started to open up because it was never negativity I received, it was always compliments and how I should show more of my art. I started making drawings for my mom and she'd hang them up at her work place, as a secretary everyone would see and she'd always come home telling me how clients loved my drawings. I remember one of the clients that came in to her work saw them and was opening a Japanese restaurant and wanted me to do a mural on their wall, being thirteen at that time I felt way to nervous and shy so I declined. 
As I got older I started to challenge myself, I'd try realistic, scenery, you name it I tried it. There were times I'd sit there and get frustrated, even a few tears here and there but I'd never quit. I knew back then it's hard to find a good paying job in the art industry and my dad told me to be a tattoo artist, at the time that wasn't what I wanted to do, I wanted to make comics so I could also make stories and see them progress into cartoons (or anime). At sixteen that dream started to fade for some reason, I can't exactly remember why, but I got my first tattoo then and I really saw how amazing it is that you can take a piece of art and put it on your skin forever. I started getting more interested in tattooing and ever since then it's been one of my goals (But we're not at that goal yet!) 


So why try painting? I feel that painting can be close to drawing, though I could be completely wrong, but doesn't mean I don't want to try and find out for myself. For my nineteenth birthday my dad got me this huge painting set, I can't honestly say I was pleased with the present because it wasn't really something I wanted to do but my dad told me to try a different style of art. I kept telling him maybe one day but I think I've procrastinated long enough and this will be a perfect first goal. To me it looks foreign because I have no idea what to do with it yet but I'm going to figure it out! 
I won't say what I've decided to paint because I want it to be a surprise at the end of the month, I'm nervous and excited to try it out, even if I do end up making a not-so-good painting I can at least say that I have tried so here's hoping it looks good so I can brag!


Fighting! 
Savi


PS. If there are any actual painters out there that could give me tips, I would love you forever. 


PPS. If you'd like to check out more of my art check out www.facebook.com/savichan while you're at it, give it a like! To get you interested in checking out my art I'll even add a few drawings I've done in the past nyahaha (That's an evil laugh)