Author Archives: Jessie

As of Late

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As of late, we have all been caught up in the whirl-wind activity of a new school year! Personally, I feel like I have jumped on a boat that I am trying in vain to steer through churning waters, (Anyone else?).  So what’s been so crazy about the beginning of this school year? – the real question is what hasn’t been crazy about the beginning of this school year?

For starters, dad, Maddie, and I had our annual Fall Camp, a high school retreat, last week!  Maddie is discovering the “joys”of a high school homework load, and I am discovering the “joys” of three AP classes.

Over in Hong Kong, Michael just returned from a church retreat which was very encouraging for him as he begins his sophomore year at Hong Kong University!

Rachel has been busy as a bee at home. She’s our “sweet little fairy,” baking delicious desserts, working in the blog room on her goals, and supporting us in school. Rachel too has been unusually busy this week; it seems that the news of her baking skills are getting around.  This week she has baked 2 layer cakes, pavlovas (tonight to satisfy me and Maddie’s meringue craving :), and biscotti. Sadly, the only above dessert we get to try is the white fluffy cookies in the oven now. The birthday cakes were made for a friend and a client!

On top of ALL of that, add the usual homework load, dentist appointments, student council work, and time spent with friends then you’ve about nailed down our lives as of late!

Me and my Fall Camp team during the campfire stew competition! ~Smokey~

The 3-layer Lego cake that Rachel baked for a boy in our community turning ten. It is a vanilla cake with multi-colored layers (red, blue and green), meringue buttercream filling, and marshmallow icing on top!

Michael’s Church retreat – seems like he had fun!

Construction in Progress!

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The chilly breeze that met me this morning as we hurried to the bus stop reminded me that fall is on it’s way.  You know what that means, the whirl of business is upon us!  Fall and Spring always seem to me like the busiest seasons and right now I am definitely feeling it.   Student Council retreats, upcoming SAT exams, AP homework, and school trips are overtaking me like a tidal wave!  However, I know that if I work at it little by little and rely on my Helper and Provider I can ride this wave.  Speaking of which, I have here a few of the projects I am working on right now – you could pretty much say that time management consumes my life right now!  I am currently working on four different art projects, my beloved Elk painting, a “start ship”, an oil pastel parrot, and my little squid friends…

This elk portrait was a spur-of -the-moment project.  Michael and I got inspired when visiting a construction material market. The goal was to create an art piece on transparent plastic with a leaf, silhouette border. After many discussions, lots of paint, and a thistle broom, an Elk emerged from the plastic!

I was inspired to create this “star ship” by Michael. In this post you can read a little more about the process and idea behind it…

Above is my oil pastel parrot which I am quite pleased with so far.  This piece has definitely been a learning experience for me, being my first time using oil pastels.  Using this medium gives the feathers a very vivid color

You may recognize these squids from my Aquatic Sketches that I posted earlier this summer.  They were my inspiration for this piece, incorporating three squids ascending into a UFO.

 

 

Ukuleles and Gell Pens

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Now that I am an upperclassman I have been giving more thought to what I really love to do. Last year, when Michael began Architecture at HongKong University, he often reminded me that I should choose a career/school that I will love and be passionate about. So I began to explore new hobbies.

One hobby I picked up about a year ago was sketching in a little brown-paper pocketbook. By practicing, I not only realized how much I love putting pen to paper, but how much I enjoy the thought process behind creating different types of art!

I have always loved music, both singing and playing. Before last Christmas, the only instrument I had ever played was the Clarinet. However, when a friend came to China for a visit, I was inspired by her (who was an amazing Ukelele player), to get one of my own! It is the most challenging yet rewarding hobby for me.

My beloved Ukulele ~ I love you!

A sample of my most recent art endeavor. Michael had an idea of a “star ship” while we were listening to – you guessed it – “Star Ships” by Niki Minaj. This is actually a X-Wing Fighter from Star Wars bejeweled in gel pens! Stay tuned for the finished product ~

Since Michael spoke to me last year I have realized so much truth in his words! Do what you are passionate about – this will bring you joy. Some days when I feel really uninspired I just play a few songs on my ukelele and it really brightens my mood! Don’t brush off the things you are interested in as unimportant – dig deeper into those passions and develop them.

Aquatic Sketches

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One of my goals for this summer – I say “one of” because there were many – was to begin sketching ideas for the art class I am planning to take next semester. For some reason I keep sketching aquatic animals; I guess I just like the movement of these deep sea creatures.

Here are a few tips for those who are sketching with pen. (Pen is one of my favorite mediums because of its clean crisp look.)

1. When shading with pen you obviously can’t just smear it around like graphite. Instead use lines to shade; the closer the lines the darker the shading and vise verse.

2. Don’t be afraid to try out colored pens. This was my first attempt at a colored pen sketch and the color really brings this picture to life. Though it may not be apparent at first glance I also added some peach undertones.

3. Another shading technique in pen drawing is dotting. Speckling your sketch to achieve more depth may take a bit longer, but it definitely pays off in the end!

MeMaw What’s Cooking? Blueberry Pie!

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Since arriving in Texas I begged my grandmother, MeMaw, to go blueberry picking – something I haven’t done in four years! On our way back from a long shopping trip we spotted a blueberry picking sign on the side of the road and knew… it was time to pick some berries! Upon arriving at the blueberry farm we plucked and munched to our heart’s desire. Rain clouds finally rolled in, forcing us to finish up. We paid for our 20 pounds (about 30 cups) of blueberries and returned home. The following day I succeeded in talking MeMaw into making a blueberry pie with me; this was the first blueberry pie I ever tasted let alone made! And let me tell you, it turned out delicious!

The secret ingredient to a crunchy crust : almonds!

Tartness of blueberries matched with sweet sugar yields the most delicious pies! Tip: when baking pies or crisps, the more tart the fruit, the better the pie… you don’t want those four cups of sugar to overpower the flavor of the fruit.

Summer is a great time for pies, and if you cannot find blueberries: look for peach, strawberry, or even rhubarb; any of these will make a delicious pie!

Another trick: add a layer of granulated sugar directly under the crust, making a delicious blueberry syrup once baked.

Couple your pie with a glass of Southern Sweet Tea or some cool whipped cream.
Beautiful.

Mom’s Office Friends

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As we close a chapter on another school year, there will be some changes in the office at school where mom works. She has been so blessed to co-labor with a Chinese American lady who grew up in Nanjing, China, in very difficult living conditions. In my World History class this semester, Mrs. Kimmel was a guest lecturer for one of my class periods. I learned from her about many sad things that happened in the course of Mrs. Kimmel’s childhood. In God’s great providence, Mrs. Kimmel married an American man and moved to the US in the late 1980’s. She and her husband became Christians, and after 17 years of living in America, felt a calling to return to her homeland of China. She is a remarkable woman of faith and perseverance. Here is a picture of my mom with Mrs. Kimmel, she is the one wearing glasses. Other ladies pictured are Korean liason/translators and our Chinese school Registrar.

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Six Piece Style Collection

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Reporting from Texas here: I am having a hard time believing that I’m actually back in America again after two years! When I returned I discovered that my grandmother had her cave-of-a-laundry-room transformed into a delightfully styled one! I was so inspired with the style and all the individual pieces that I just had to share some of the pictures!

1. A adorable Spoon Fork painting that my grandmother found at a antique market (antique markets have some serious hidden treasures!)
2. A framed vintage paper doll – one of five framed in her laundry room. Love it!
3. A little wooden desk with a slide up cover
4. (Just had to take a picture of this) Uniquely shaped wooden light switch cover (none of that cheapy plastic stuff!)
5. A little straw hat that was hiding behind the door
6. Old wicker basket





My Little Brown Pocketbook

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My little brown pocketbook traveled over 680 miles, from ShangHai to Tianjin China, before it came to me as a gift. For many months I disregarded it’s small brown pages, however one day, when I was feeling especially artistic, I started scribbling a few designs in it. I found that brown paper coupled with black pen gives the whole drawing a new, interesting feel. I am extremely pleased with how my sketches have turned out! Below is a gif of a few of the pages in my little pocket sketch book! Enjoy~

PS: If you enjoyed perusing my little brown notebook as much as I’ve enjoyed filling it’s pages, please leave a comment and I’ll try to upload some more soon!

Birthday Breakfast | Crepes

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Happy Birthday Maddie! This morning I got up early – well, as early as I could pull myself out of bed – to start preparations for Maddie’s Birthday breakfast. We made her favorite, crêpes! These French pancakes are delicious, especially when served with whipped cream, jam, or lemon. I scrambled around, touching up the table settings and decorations, every minute expecting Maddie to wake up and catch us unprepared. I should’ve known that Maddie never wakes up on her own accord, though. In the end the breakfast was delicious. It is suffice to say that I wasn’t able to eat another bite until two in the afternoon!

To my lovely sister: I hope you had an amazing birthday today! You daily make me smile with your cheerful attitude; today I hope that I could give you at least a piece of the surprises and fun that I enjoy when I am with you! It is a blessing to have you as my sister! <3 Jessie

Geometric Collection | Audrey Hepburn

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My latest addition to the Geometric Collection is well known style icon, Audrey Hepburn. The vintage fashion of her outfit and the general cool attitude expressed through this photograph really captures my attention, even at first glance. Her sophisticated elegance must be the reason why this shot is so well known. I hope you enjoy this piece as much as I did making it!