well, i decided after more than a decade of
being a brush student, i had to finally attempt
people. classic chinese beauties, to be specific.
this is my third week working on the women.
people are hard to draw, hard to paint. i think they
are one of the most challenging subjects personally.

normally, i never share unfinished paintings. these are just
sketches i’m working with, striving for a final painting
worth backing and framing. but i just signed up
for tumblr, which makes it seem easy and casual to
just throw up a few images.

then realized it might be interesting for you to see
an unfinished painting. the journey to the final, as it
were. so here they are. both sketches. the subject is
definitely challenging but i’m enjoying it a lot. i especially
love painting their hair, their accessories and their dress–
they remind me of the two girls i’m writing about in my
current xia novel. =)

also, follow me on tumblr! http://cindypon.tumblr.com

*she looks rather kissy, doesn’t she? 8)

*the proportions are challenging. but i love this
one’s pose.

i don’t know which date or day it is at
any given time. november is gone and december
seems to be passing me by leaps and bounds.
and the only thing i’m certain of,
if you were to ask me, is where i am exactly in my
rough drafting of novel 3: issues i need to address,
inconsistencies that i’m concerned about, word choice
and dialogue. those, i can tell you in a snap.

but i’m afraid between holiday parties, kiddies holiday
performances, the special clothes they need to wear,
the secret santa exchanges, gifts for the teachers, donations
to adopted families, so on and so forth, i’m at a complete
jumbled loss.

what day is it again? =)

brush painting, as always, is my meditative sanctuary.
but while my teacher has been encouraging winter subjects
such as pine dusted in snow and plum blossoms, i’ve been
inevitably reaching for spring, as i tend to do.

thus, i present you with funny birds perching amongst
a burst of fragrant blooms.

and without further ado, i’d like to announce the
winner and honorable mentions for my nameless cat
contest. thank you so much for everyone who made
suggestions, so many of which made me smile!

the grand prize winner, with the actual name printed
on the back of my new cat cards is deborah with
“Inscrutable Cat”. congrats, deborah, who will be
receiving two of the cards as a prize! (i’d give deborah
a copy of Silver Phoenix, but she has already bought
and read it, ha!)

honorable mentions go to:

zombie joe with “Mr. Grumpy Puff”.

joan stradling with “Shady Cat” and the
hilarious caption: “If this tree touches me
I’ll turn it into a scratching post.”

and megan’s “SoPo Under the Bough” which
sounds all hip and sassy. =D

honorable mentions will each be receiving
one card in the post! thanks to all for playing!! xo

currently reading:

Brideshead Revisited by evelyn waugh

i was so pleased by my riot of blossoms with my
funny birds painting recently that i had to repeat it!
but this time, it is a funny cat sitting beneath the
blooms. this is my third cat painting! as i’ve said on
twitter, i consider myself more a dog than cat person,
tho i like both animals–but cats have a way of sneaking
into my novels–as cats will do. and apparently, into my
art too! my first cat was named Blobby Cat, my second
Surly Cat. i have no idea what this cat should be named.

want to help?

help come up with a name or title for this painting and
WIN A PRIZE! what will i win, cindy, what what?

eh. this is a haphazard half-arsed giveaway open
to all. let me surprise you. tho i’m sure it’ll be something
bookish or brush arty. =)

contest ends when i feel like it.
contest has closed!

GO!

after many months of not completing a painting
worth framing, i was happy to take home these
funny birds chillin’ under a riot of blossoms. i
personally think that a person’s art is a little glimpse
into her soul, and for me, my brush art definitely
caters to the charming whimsical side. i’m drawn
to cute creatures and bright colors when i paint–
it’s simply what i love and lifts my spirits.

when writing, i reveal much more darkness and
angst. my writing is more grown up than my
paintings. 8) even then, i have very little interest
in writing from an adult’s perspective: marriage,
children, grown up responsibilities and worries. why?
i live this! and all my artistic endeavors are about
escapism, catering to the sides of me that aren’t
expressed so often in day to day life.

i honestly believe that art and fostering your
creative side is so good for the soul. i actually call
it art therapy. this is my tenth year as a brush painting
student, and it’s been a wonderful journey for me.
it’s amazing how that decade flew by. i never considered
myself artistic when i was younger. i remember drawing
“still lifes” in pencil of my mini schnauzer, my stuffed
animals, and even one of my walkman (haha!) but that
was the extent of my interest. it wasn’t really encouraged
by my parents. writing wasn’t, either. they were just
hobbies that i did on my own.

this year, i’m volunteering for the bubs’ art class.
their new school has a dedicated art teacher (so
wonderful) who has her own studio. she asked me
yesterday to help with the annual student art show.
each student chooses one project they are most proud
of to display, and the show is on for two days, catered
with coffee and pastries–all fancy and a big deal.

i think this is wonderful! a show really lets the children
understand what it feels like to display your work, to
feel accomplished and acknowledged, and also to place
importance on art. because i think it truly is important
to a child’s growth and development, to encourage that
creativity.

it’s when the magic happens.

i received the actual hardcover copy of
Fury of the Phoenix in the mail today. it
never gets less amazing. seriously. and
the book is gorgeous. let me share with
you in this giddy author moment!

click for larger image, including a sneak peek
of the first page! =D

*my cover! with cassandra clare’s blurb on top.

*the binding with my calligraphy of “spirit” (hun). what was
carved on ai ling’s jade piece.

*the back, with gorgeous chinese brocade. a short teaser
from the novel and the rest of cassandra clare’s awesome blurb. woo!

*flap copy!

*chapter one with my chinese brush art chapter
decoration. and tiny daggers to mark the pages. genius!

oooh, getting so close. i’m all sorts of excited and anxious. 8)

happy early valentines day, my lovely
readers! i’m sharing Surly Cat early as a present
to you. =D i’ll be going out for a nice dinner
with the love tomorrow for a date night, and
am hoping i’ll finally get a few hours to write on
monday–actual valentines day.

i was trying to paint birds again last night, but
they were simply flitting away from me. after three
or four poor attempts, i decided to try a cat
instead. none of the lesson books inspired me,
so instead, i googled for cat images and found this…

haha! tell me it’s not the cutest thing you’ve
seen? so this is the cat that inspired Surly Cat.
i first tried to paint him in the orageish color but
that proved too difficult. so i rendered him in
black ink. what do you think? does he make you smile?

he makes me giggle every time i look at him!

this was one of those paintings where i started with the
first four strokes and thought, there is no way i can
paint this thing. but slowly and surely, he began to
emerge on the rice paper, coaxed by brush strokes as if
by magic. in art, as in writing, there is the comfortable
confidence of “i can do this, i’ve done this many times before”
and the challenge of “i don’t think i can do this, but i’m going
to try”. it’s the latter that makes us better every time.

if my oriole made you happy, i hope my Surly Cat makes
you giggle, as he does me. and finally, in celebration of
Silver Phoenix paperback release, i’m giving them away
over at the Supernatural Underground.

have a wonderful weekend and a happy valentines day!!

Surly Cat’s theme song sung to “Spider Man” tune:

Surly Cat, Surly Cat does everything
a Surly Cat can
Glares at you
Pouts all day
Is Surly as only a Surly Cat can!

yay lovely blog readers!
last night, i painted an oriole among blossoms.
it’s the first painting i’ve done in a long time
worth framing, mainly because i’ve been working
for months on my chapter decorations for Fury.

this was my second attempt for the night. which is
very good–as sometimes, i can make a dozen
attempts or more over multiple painting classes and
never get something worth framing.

i’m not a fan of orange as a color to wear, but i
*love* it as a color to paint. it’s just so bright and
happy and makes a bold statement. do you like him?
he makes me very happy when i look at him!

i’ve only a few paintings on hand as most i give
away or sell. so i’m gearing up to paint a few
frameable pieces for my annual art show in june
with the chinese brush painting society. if this little
guy doesn’t sell, i’ll most likely give him away as a
prize for promoting Fury of the Phoenix release!

something else that makes me smile.
some of you might remember a while back i
was lucky enough to win an original black and white
drawing from the talented natalie whipple of
ai ling and chen yong. click here to see a bigger
version of that lovely portrait.

i finally got a chance to get it framed after the
holidays and put it up right by our master bedroom
door. i wanted to make sure it was a place where i’d
pass it often, and be able to see it. thank you natalie
for a wonderful drawing!

i, in turn, gave natalie my Giant Lucky Pomegranate
painting, which she framed recently. i really loved the
color and feel of that painting. and it is indeed quite
a big painting. you can see it on her blog post here.

hooray for art, and happiness in art! please
don’t forget the awesome giveaways that are going
on at malinda, i heart monster, and ellen’s blogs!
and go out and get your Silver Phoenix paperback! 8)

also, congrats to jennifer for winning holly black’s
White Cat and Red Glove arc. enjoy!!

happy chinese new year! until the next…

i gift my brush painting teacher an amaryllis each
year. this year, i had chosen one that was a deep
rich crimson. this is my attempt at its portrait. =)
i used the same one and a half shuen paper i had
used for blobby cat with quasi-disastrous results.
the flower blobbed out more than i wanted in much
of the petal area, so it’s an imperfect painting (in my
critical mind). but i still quite like it.

my art show just ended today. i sold quite a few
cards as well as a hummingbird painting! (thanks
gjb and v!) which is always so thrilling! our long weekend
in SF is coming up in a few days and i’m eager to
play and see some friends. i also signed up for
a top secret class in the name of research that will
start next week! it’s not as if i weren’t busy enough, but
it seems the busier i get, the more ambitious i become!

in rather sad news, i think i’ve lost my wild bunny muse. =(
she was here every day and over a week ago, she disappeared.
it’s not like her during spring. some twitter and fb friends
suggested she may be preggers. which is likely! but i researched
online and it would seem wild bunnies have a life span for
about two years, and i think i’ve had the pleasure of her company
for two spring times. (honestly, i don’t even know if it’s the same
bunny but i think so!)

i had written a poem for bunny a while back and
completely forgotten about it. then came across
it again a few days ago. i’ll share the poem and a foto of
her from last spring, sprawled out and chillaxin’. =)
it makes me smile!!

Quiet and serene
Nibbling with wide eyes
Ears raised then tilted
knowing where I am
admiring from behind my window.
You slowly trust me but will always
be careful and wild.
This is why a glimpse of you, your
cottontail, is such a delight.
Mine but not mine, wild bunny muse
You bring your quiet and serenity
to my own day.

…

i hope another wild bunny finds our
secret garden. and this is why i can’t keep
real pets. i get so attached!! also, i’m lazy.

edited to add : MY BUNNY IS BACK! MY BUNNY IS BACK!
she made an appearance this afternoon. =DDDD yay!

linky love : come discuss the queen’s thief series by
megan whalen turner over at the enchanted inkpot!
why do you love this series? what are some of your favorite
scenes and quotes??

congrats to mike jung, winner of the signed mwt books
for our TGIFBM contest! and thanks to all those who entered!

currently reading :

the warrior heir by cinda williams chima

but sanity returned gradually and ideas are
percolating, especially after speaking with v and
brainstorming together.

of course, it’s short day all week for sweet pea AND
spring break the next, with a trip to san francisco
thrown in. as well as the art show that is taking
place right now through next monday PLUS some
personal happy stuff that is keeping me quite busy.
(no, i’m not pregnant. i’ve relinquished that superpower
to those braver than myself. =)

the reception was on a gorgeous summer-like
day and we have quite the show going. i’m always
so proud of our art shows and have so much fun
sitting at the gallery. as i mentioned, for the first time
this year, i have brush painting cards for sale too!

*wearing my lotus anthropology dress for the
first time. love it! i’m posing with one of my favorite
paintings, “lily nestled in rock”.

*writing friend deborah came! she’s a fan of
“blobby cat”!

*a view of the gallery from the front entrance. most of
the paintings are in the gallery space on the right.

*the brat pack also made it to cheer me on!
heather, me, amy and aaron. they are also fans
of blobby cat! =D

(and as an aside, every time i say blobby cat i sing
it in my head to the spiderman theme song : blobby
cat! blobby cat! does everything a blobby cat can!)

that is all until next time, when i have a moment
to poke my nose from words, story, colors, art, daydreaming,
brainstorming, and motherly duties.

happy news : Silver Phoenix has been included in the New York
Public Library’s “Stuff for the Teen Age”, under the kick a$$ section!
yeah!

currently reading :

tipping the velvet by sarah waters

i know spring is near when i begin to spy
my bunny in the back garden during the
afternoons. =) she disappears months in
the winter but continues to eat her carrots at
night.  who knew bunnies could be nocturnal?
well, i hope it’s her and not
a skunk or giant palm tree rat! =O

so spring must just be around the corner!

i had a rough rough week last week. they say
bad things happen in threes and sure enough.
we started on monday by taking sweet pea to the
ER. she was rammed from the back while on her
bike and went flying. thank goodness she had
a helmet on as the love said her head bounced
off the concrete. =( parents, make sure your child
has a helmet on always when biking or scootering, etc!

her left knuckle was really swollen and she has a splint
for two weeks. next monday, we’ll see how much
she’s healed. they think that nothing is broken, but
it’s hard to tell at her age, as their little bird bones
aren’t fully grown.

on wednesday i found out the mom of my childhood
best friend died. =( we lived across the street from
one another so our families knew one another well
and i loved her mom. i flew into phoenix same day
for the funeral service. and alas, another good friend
from high school lost his mom this past sunday.

i am well and my family is well, but my heart goes
out to my friends. <3 <3 <3

as always, painting was my therapy and quiet
retreat, as i worked more on my etsy shop as
well as painting pandas. to my chagrin, the panda
painting i did a couple of years ago sold without my
ever making a high res copy of it. so i painted
another (and i think better!) baby panda to be printed
into a card–yes, going into the etsy shop!

i continue to love the blobby quality of this new
one and a half shuen rice paper. i hope the panda
makes you as happy as it does me! =D

currently reading :

the glass of time by michael cox

eta : the winner of TGIFBM uk edition was sarah keery!
sorry, as i said, i do pick winners and contact them, but
i’m not so good about announcing here. *sheepish*