There were times...

When I thought that I should have gone to Ireland, or Germany, or followed an MCAD program.

But I knew that I have made the right decision in coming to China.

I knew that it would push me as an artist, I knew that I would find something here that I couldn't find in America, Ireland, Germany, London, any other place.
Because I am interested in my heritage. Because, it is my culture and one looks for their own self before finding other things.

There are so many traditions that have been left behind since my father came to America.
There are so many words that I don't even KNOW in Chinese.
There is a poetic language that I do not understand, nor will I ever because I don't know how to read or write.
There's a culture that I am slowly understanding, but I will always be American.

There is however, and opportunity for me to put together my Chinese culture that I know so little of and create it with the American culture that I grew up with.

Though I am Chinese, and I know many traditions in our family, I'm still very Americanized. I am so grateful that my father spoke to my brother and I in Chinese. I am grateful that my grandmother taught me the traditions in our family. I am thankful that my family still speaks to me in Chinese, because I want to be able to keep the language. My brother and cousins are slowly forgetting Chinese and it is very sad to see.

I have 2 months left. And though I have been in the studio a lot and working on animation and not being able to travel like everyone else, I am still learning SOOOoo much. I learn something new everyday (though, I do learn something new everyday in America as well..haa) but it's something that makes me think contextually about my own art and about life in general.

The people I meet, the customs in which they have, the way they speak, the way they are...

The landscape is really amazing here, and though it is so normal for people in China, I am glad that I wake up to a mountain, a little lake, people picking tea leaves from the bushes and the people speaking in Chinese. I go outside of my room to look at the environment every morning.

And there were times, when I wished I had gone with everyone else, that I wish that I was not so stubborn. Stubbornness is my greatest strength and biggest downfall.

Not sticking to one thing, is also my biggest problem. I have went through thinking of every major that I possibly wanted to do.
Advertisment, Illustration, Fine Art studio, Photography, Interactive, Film, Graphic Design, and of course I stuck with animation.

I stuck with animation because I was stubborn and wanted to learn everything in one. I wanted to do my own thing, I wanted to get a job when I get out of college. I have never, ever, been happy with my animation work. I can't draw right, I can't stick to one frame, I always have to do straight ahead. But I sometimes can't even get straight ahead right.

So I complain about not being a good animator, putting myself down, thinking that I shouldn't be an animator because I want to do so many other things, and I was always unhappy.
But I am happy that I stuck with it. I'm happy because now I understand film, photo, illustration, fine art, advertisement, whatever. I picked this major for a reason and the reason was everything that I wanted to do, just not the way I wanted to do it. And now I have realized that.

I talk a lot, I get really excited and I think, "I want to be the best. So I will be the best!" How can I be the best if I don't even understand my own major? How can I show people that I can do this if I can't even finish an animation?

I will finish my animation here. This is no lie. I don't know if it will be the best. But this is the first time I have done a short animation with the things I have learned from MCAD and CAA.

It's about time that I stop wandering around, thinking that I should be doing other things besides animation.

At least for now. <3

Chinese Painting

So I've always wanted to learn how to do Chinese Landscape painting.
I did a piece in critical studies sophomore year, experimenting with the inks and paper and everything.

Self Portrait through landscape- 2007


But it's not the way that I was suppose to do it, I cut the mountains and then made another layer, (this is was intentional).

Anyway, so ling lao shi is a very, strong artist, he has made an animated feature film, has a studio, does design, sculpture, film, animation, everything, you name it. And of course Chinese landscape painting.

This is him and his painting that he is doing for someone:


And here he is doing the other half of that painting.





I am amazed. He says he will teach me, I think it would be amazing. <3

Uhh Fuck Mosquitos

For realz.

I have about 17 mosquito bites on my legs...about 13 of them I got TODAY.

LOOK AT THIS:



WTF IS THIS SHIT!?
I have more on the back of my leg and even on my foot.

Never again am I going to wear a dress in China without tights. Ughhh.

Strange how small the world is.

Soooo, If you haven't seen my fb album I posted many pictures of the Animation Festival that was held in hangzhou. It was pretty sweet I guess? Lemme refresh your memory:

















My new Animation Professor looks like an asian Piotr hahahaha





Anyway, it was great times and so today, CAA held an opening for all the animation directors. I met a man named Ron Diamond and he is the guy who created awn.com and acme films. So he is a very important man in the states. 0.o I talked to him and he ended up knowing Tom Schroeder! It's funny how the world is so big...yet so small. Also wanted my contact information and gave me his business card.
Excellent.
And then I talked to this really cute Chinese French guy named Cedric Ih, he has a company called Red Cheese and it's in Hong Kong, but he does commercials and all that jazz. He was really nice, gave me a business card and said he wanted to see my film after it was finished here. So I can get it done and show it to him. Bahahaa.
Then I saw the people who made Spongebob, Kung Fu panda...other short film directors. It was crazy...Kind of like being in Hollywood but in China. Hahhaa.

Sadly i didn't get any pictures of the event, I had no time. Lol. My professor was like, "COME WITH ME." And dragged me to the 2nd floor and started talking to all these directors. I felt really under dressed cause everyone was wearing tux and like dresses..and crazy things. I don't even know. Perhaps I can get a few pictures from the school. :/ it was a sight to see.

Lol, but while i was talking to some people my mentor was like, "Pst, Ja Mei, come here." and so then we talked about how lame openings can be and he's like, "but FOOD ISN'T LAME! COME ON LET'S GO RAID THE FOOD TABLE." Lol. He's still a kid at heart. Lol.

Today was crazy and full of "important" people...Yeah, about time to start lookin at that career. . . . . .

YoCai Hua

I dunno what these flowers are called in English, but in Chinese they are called YoCai Hua. And they look like those yellow flowers I posted before.

But all the yellow flowers fall off and everything is bare and green


However, they have the prettiest surprise. <3
Their leaves turn multi colored and beautiful.







Also, I have the worse stomach flu ever, it started yesterday and I couldn't even move, I had a horrible fever and I felt like I was going to faint every ten seconds. I got on my bike and was going to die. I have horrible sharp pains in my stomach and feel like going to throw up.
Well I'm better now, but I still have horrible pains in my stomach. Sean says I have a virus caused by people not washing their hands and cooking followed by something about feces on the food.
Gross.
Which also means that I am 2 days behind animation. -_-'

GOD CHINA WASH YOUR DAMN HANDS.

I feel oh so loved. <3

I got your lil present today. <3
Thanks Allegra<3 Much loveee.

Snipt of some Animaton, yes? Okay.

Thought I might give everyone a little preview of my animationnn.
In terms of backgrounds. Not a lot, just a lil, lil bit.
Check dat:




This picture of his mother is unfortunately is not a huge part in my animation. It was going to be, and then my mentor said that it was too realistic. Lol. So I must change the picture again. Wamp. The picture of old shanghai is there for reference. <3 Though it would be nice to do some cut paper things in here. :/

But all I want to do is this:

Nothing.