Artwork: Contemplation (Heritage Series)

. Art by Sherrie Thai of ShaireProductions.com

This is the second piece of the Heritage Series I started concerning human atrocities in Asia, particularly the Khmer Rouge–a tribute to my family and to the countless innocent people caught in the crossfire.

The inspiration of this composition was from an old photo (perhaps National Geographic) of an Asian male digging through a pile of bones, looking for the remains of his relatives. What furthered my interest was a photo my friend, Ricky, took while visiting Angkor Wat; it was a simple image of monks looking off into the distance. Merging the two, I came up with this piece. The colors are subdued, with accents on the focal points–the robe and the flames surrounding the bones. The image on the right contains the monotone graphite drawing. I chose not to apply color to the monk’s face to give a sense of humanitarian loss–of being a ghost in a world of struggle and hate.

Artwork: Uncle Sam, Big Brother is Watching You

Uncle Sam: Big Brother

I’ve contemplated whether I should post this artwork up. As a commercial graphic designer, you are in a constant space of negotiation, seeking approvals, business etiquette, and customer service. With fine arts, it’s based primarily on the artist’s intention, so sometimes, when misunderstood, there is more scrutiny. Throwing caution to the wind, here’s my two cents. . .

About this piece: I’ve always been drawn to political and social art, especially propaganda pieces. Regardless of the society and the context, political art is powerful and many are great works of design. The I Want You Poster and George Orwell’s theme “Big Brother is Watching You” (1984) inspired this piece.

The intention of this is more social than political. The artwork and message is a reminder that society is not as rosey as it may seem–we have to be aware of ourselves and of the world we live in with respect to those around us. Orwell’s words gives the artwork a slightly ominous slant, but just don’t take this too seriously. The presence of eyeballs and the ultra-bright red color lightens the subject matter, making it more approachable in a tongue-in-cheek humorous way. I recreated Uncle Sam in my simplified linework style. Originally intending to create an apparel design, this may have a better life as a poster.

B-boy Media

I photographed this Iron Monkey dance crew member at The Crucible Fire Arts Festival. Although blurred, I think this photo captures the speed and technicality of break-dance movements. I just purchased a digital Canon XTi camera, so I had a bit of fun experimenting with the slow shutter speed.

B-Boy

Roxrite vs. Lilou-Red Bull BC One 2007 Roxrite has an amazing range of movement that’s just incredible to watch. Don’t blink!

Artwork: Variation of a Theme

Bebo Games

This is a recent design project promoting a Beijing Games app. The project scope was to create several profile skins highlighting several countries, so on my part, it was a test in creating a brand which was able to extend to different markets. My background in identity and package design was pretty helpful–color and design elements help differentiate the brand in unique ways. The digital illustration was created in Adobe Illustrator and the layout was created in Adobe Photoshop.

Fire Vortex: Touch the Sky

Fire Vortex is a live sculpture of fire from the mind of Nate Smith, displayed at The Crucible’s Fire Arts Festival in Oakland. This was one of the most incredible sights I’ve ever seen. Witnessing the taming of the flame and constant evolution of shape was beautiful.

It was so hot I was worried that my new lens would melt somehow, but luckily all is well. For more info, check out Nate’s site: Fire-Arts

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