*foto courtesy of k!

i failed to mention a few weeks back that
my lotus painting with the delicate dragonfly
(the one featured on my bookmark!) won the
third place ribbon at the fair this year. yay!

and here’s an anecdote to go with that winning.
all artists were invited to a reception to preview
the exhibit before the fair opened–it was also
when they’d announce the ribbon winners. i commuted
with my fellow brush art friend and we were a little
late. we climbed up to the second floor and queued up
with everyone else, writing our names on stickies
only to realize it was for the photography exhibit.

whoops! so we climbed another two floors to the
fine arts ceremony. we were barely there ten minutes
when they announced the winners for asian art, with
me being the first one called. as background, i had
entered the lotus painting and my most adored bunny
painting and called them “untilted I” and “untitled II”.
only because i had an art show when i had to submit
my entries and didn’t know which paintings i would
put in the county fair.

so when i won the white ribbon for “untitled I”,
i didn’t know which painting it was for. i was hoping
for my back garden bunny. =)

we all converged downstairs on the ground floor
to view the exhibit after the cermony. i was standing
in front of my paintings with some other people when
one man pointed at the sticker on my shirt (because being
cindy, i thought it’d be cute to leave it on, why not? no
one else had one.)

man : you’re cindy pon! *pointing at my name
tag then at my bunny*

cpon : yes! that’s me! and look! i won the ribbon for
the lotus painting too!

the man is with an attractive, petite blonde with
curls piled up on her head.

i go on to explain how much i adored my bunny
painting and it visits every day and i feed it carrots
and it was my muse and inspired my fantastic painting
and it’s going in my picture book coming out with
harpercollins, etc etc. and i couldn’t remember which
one was “untitled I” and was hoping it was the bunny
that had won the ribbon.

and the blonde woman turned to me and said :

do you know why i gave the lotus the ribbon instead?

cpon : =O

JUDGE : i gave the lotus the ribbon because it had
more components, it was more complex.

cpon : *taking foot out of mouth* YOU gave me
the ribbon?!?

JUDGE : i judged this category.

so i went on to say why yes, the lotus painting is
lovely (and truly, it is, i love it) and yes it does have
many more components and thank you for giving
me the ribbon, etc etc.

haha! it’d only happen to me, i tell you.

but psst!! between you and me…
the bunny was A LOT HARDER to paint.

i’ve got two interested buyers for the lotus
and one buyer who would like both paintings.
and usually, i’m not one to be sentimental. i’ll
definitely favor some paintings, but if a person
is willing to pay for my art, (there’s something
wonderful in that because the only reason they
are buying it is because it brings them joy in
some way–art is an absolutely frivolous purchase–
altho i’d argue that it feeds the soul) i’ll sell
it 95% of the time.

but i don’t think i can part with my bunny!!
not yet anyway.

i’m off to chicago on friday! it’ll be my first time
on a plane by myself since i’ve had the bubs! it’s
going to be a packed weekend and i’m super
excited to meet my editor as well as toast neil
gaiman on his newbery medal! eeee!!!! i’ll be
signing this saturday.

ala chicago signing
saturday 7/11/09 @10am
harpercollins children’s booth #2011

also got confirmation on my comicon panel today!

comicon san diego panel / signing
thursday 7/23/09 @3.30pm in room 3
THE EVOLUTION OF FANTASY
signing immediately after one hour panel
in the autograph area. book also avaiable
at mysterious galaxy booth #1119 in the
exhibit hall and at their website!
Panelists: Jacqueline Carey (Naamah’s Kiss);
Lynn Flewelling (Shadows Return);
Patrick Rothfuss (The Name Of The Wind);
Thomas Sniegoski (The Fallen);
Greg Van Eekhout (Norse Code) and
Cindy Pon (Silver Phoenix : Beyond the Kingdom of Xia).
Moderator: Lev Grossman (The Magicians)

and heather z interviews me over at
her blog (full of spoilers!). i answer why i wrote
the ending that i did for Silver Phoenix and also
get the recipe for one of my favorite chinese dishes!

i’m making steady progress on the sequel. only wish
i could write faster. am not bringing the laptop to
chicago–i’ll probably be too busy to write. but i’m
bringing the good old notebook, if i really need to
write. i hope that i do!

also, my eternal love for pulp of 1995. it always
plops me right back in london with the love. me
at barely 21, he at 25. a different class album is
pure genius.

do you remember the first time? by pulp

this entry wins for MOST TAGS EVER! =D