Sketching Process: Wild Blue Phlox
Aespa’s Supernova MV is an Explosion of Imagination
I wanted to be quick and write this post before their full album release on Monday because the Supernova release has been one of the most fun comebacks they have had I think since Next Level in 2021, which was how I found Aespa initially. This song has dethroned “Supernova Girl” from Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century as my favorite futuristic, y2k, outer-space-themed song. That is no small compliment, I’ve loved that song and the styling of the movie since 1999. That being said, Aespa blew me away with their ‘that tick, tick, bomb’ bridge and funky mix of Portal 2 sounds, reminiscent of the lasers and aerial faith plates, layered over the signature production of Dem Jointz. I wasn’t expecting that signature “Incoming!” line that I find on most NCT albums. This was the fun noise music style I was missing from the current comebacks of Stray Kids, NCT’s solo work, and the releases of girl groups so far in 2024.
Four Distinct Looks
I love a music video with a good costume change, and this one gave me four! The stylist for Aespa hit it out of the park with these experimental yet familiar pieces giving the eye a tasting menu of throwback futuristic pieces yet styled in a way that felt now and new at the same time.
In one short story, we move from streetwear with mesh and bright colors, to light pastel pleather for that space-age feel, to vibrant, shocking, and furry accessories that look like the star exploding, to a y2k jeans look in gray tones as the supernova is complete. The girls are blown into the wind.
My favorite look of them all happens to be Winter’s pink tutu look with platform shoes. She resembles a magical faerie or modern-day superhero without the cringy Hollywood painted-on catsuit. Other details I appreciate are the vampire fangs, pointy nails, intricate braids, colorful eyeliner, bubble hems, dual eye colors, chunky jewelry that looks DIY in a good way, and Gisele’s bedazzled cast.
Imagery of Supernova
Each member seems to have special powers in this music video. Winter can fly, Ningning can fire bend, Gisele can change time, and Karina has superhuman strength. They have the power of the “Supernova” and are a unified force to be reckoned with. I love that Karina falls to earth like an asteroid to open the scene. There is imagery of heat and destruction, darkness and light, brokenness like the dying star, and birthdays like a star reborn through the explosion. They are like a storm but are also a source of power.
Aespa Lore – Returning to Concept
This comeback feels like Aespa’s lore and concept coming full circle where other bands have drifted off into randomness, Aespa is keeping the story of Kwangya, Black Mamba, Naevis, and the real world all in its premise. Some were disappointed with the shift to being in the real world with Spicy (2023) and Drama (2023) as falling prey to the 2000s nostalgia bug sweeping the 2020s.
But I see their comebacks as chapters in one story like Ateez does so well. For Savage and Girls they were in Kwangya, Kosmo, and the Flat. They have fought Black Mamba then coming into the real world with Naevis in My World, continuing the fight in Drama. For now, it seems like Supernova and Armageddon are returning the girls to the other dimension but reborn with powers instead of being consumed by the destruction. I am very excited for May 27th to behold what is in store for their first full album!
Great White Trillium with Mossy Rock
Oil Pastel on paper. Sketched in pencil. Wildflower, rock, and weeds as I remember them on a late April day or early May day. To be honest, this month has been so chaotic I can’t remember when I went to the creek to sketch.
This drawing was sketched with a live subject, on the trail beside the creek in real life with the real soundtrack of water, birds, and insects buzzing. It was the first time in many years that I had sketched in nature like that and it was wonderful.
Drawing in nature, not only cleared my mind but helped me immerse my mind in what I was doing. This process slowed everything down for me and reminded me to go back to basics in my artistic approach. To take the extra time to draw careful pencil lines to indicate details I wanted to preserve, like the levels of the rock. To have that impression committed to pencil and paper instead of relying on an image from a phone or drawing something from my imagination.
From muddy base to jagged peaks where the moss grows to the lines of the leaves on the Great Trillium plant. It helped me remember where the light was washing across the form and what was hidden by shadow. If you would like to see more of the wildflowers from that trail check out April Wildflowers.
What is your favorite thing to sketch outside? Do you like to draw small details or sweeping impressions of landscapes? Are you more of a still-life or landscape person? I’m a sucker for flowers. I love their infinite imagination and stunning wardrobe.
My Spring 2024 Soundtrack
The Dawn Chorus – Robin at 5 am
Super Lady – (G) IDLE’s performance at the MLB Seoul Game
K.K. Bubblegum
Car doors shutting and opening
Japanese spoken in conversation – Coupy Camper Channel
Lose My Breath – Stray Kids (feat. Charlie Puth)
Bamboo Knitting Needles & the pulling sound of yarn leaving a skein of yarn
Endless Phone Calls – Samsung S23
Endless Text Notifications – Hala Hala by Ateez
S-Class Whistle – by Felix
A tin lid opening – Rooibos tea tin
Suicide is Painless – M*A*S*H
Wife – (G)IDLE
The rushing current of Wolf Creek tripping over rocks and weeds
Buzzing of bees and other insects pollinating wildflowers
Old WW2 jeep noises – TFL Classics
Dogs barking endlessly
Tap – by Taeyong
The sound of nothing – noise-canceling headphones
The sound of paper being shuffled while I organize
Fabric being cut by pinking sheers
A gentle clicking noise – Grammy’s Rotary Cutter
Arriba and Jongho’s high note – Ateez at Coachella
Slow even rhythm of a properly tensioned sewing machine
Sigh of frustration at Google’s AI Results update
Dash – by NMIXX
Branches swaying in the breeze
That’s very noice! – Felix, Hyunjin, and Chan
Scratching sound of pastel against paper
K.K. Soul
Killin’ It – P1 Harmony
Clarkson’s Farm Season Three Theme
Potato Technology: Back to Basics Collection
Almond Ribbed Wrap Top
Materials: 1.5 yards of stretch knit jersey. A remnant cut of fabric. This pattern was self-drafted by draping on myself and adjusting the lines with pen marking. As this was the first garment in this series, there was more trial and error with cutting pieces out of the fabric to reduce waste.
Inspiration: I was inspired by the iconic 1970s wrap dress, designed by Diane Von Furstenburg. I originally planned a wrap dress but scrapped the plan due to a lack of fabric. Because of this, there was probably 1/8 of a yard of fabric left over. With more practice, I’d like to reduce that amount to smaller pieces of scrap leftover.
Cherry Henley Ribbed Top
Materials: 2 yards of stretch knit jersey and 6 buttons. It is a heavier weight jersey and feels like a light sweater. This was a remnant cut. I developed my first official bodice pattern from this process.
Inspiration: 1900s men’s buttoned henley baselayer tops from the gold rush era in the United States. Think “old western” dramas, Deadwood, or Red Dead Redemption. I cut it oversized to carry the theme of it being a men’s garment. During the cutting process, I was able to utilize almost all the fabric with only 2-inch scraps being left over.
Stormy Seas V-Neck Tunic Top
Materials: 2 yards of stretch knit jersey. To utilize as much of the fabric as possible, I chose to get creative with my pattern cutting. To do this, I pieced together the bottom and portions of the sleeves to use up almost all of the remnant, with 2in or less scrap pieces left over.
Inspiration: I was inspired by the design lines of early medieval tunics. I like the simplicity of the lines and the lengthening effect it has on my proportions. For more information about Viking Age tunics, I recommend checking out Project Broad Axe for historical recreations and additional background on the history of Viking Age tunics.
Focal Point: A Learning Process in Art
I remember sitting in Art class, the last class period of the day, half listening and half daydreaming, while my art teacher explained the fundamentals of art to my class. I recall perspective, positive and negative space, color, form, repetition, etc. I wished I had paid attention more because I realized I was forgetting an important one – the focal point.
As I previously mentioned in Koala Drawings in Pencil, I wanted to improve my drawing skills by sketching a muse that made me happy and would challenge me. I found my koala inspiration photos on Instagram from the account @gohachi__ which captured images of koalas with so much expression. In my first drawing Koala Scott in Oil Pastel, I mentioned I was thrilled by how it turned out! I loved how the inspiration photo gave me a great perspective of the image and was pleased with the oil pastels for the texture it gave to the image.
I hoped that my second koala drawing would produce the same result but this is not what happened, and it took me a while to figure out why. The original sketch had positive and negative space, and form, and had a focal point – the koala crawling across the main limb of the tree. But, once I added color through my oil pastels, the focal point became murky.
Now is this because I used the wrong medium to add color? Possibly. Or it could be that there are so many details in the original photo and I let those details distract from the focal point of the drawing. Art and photography are related, but different. They are mediums of expression that capture moments but in different ways. Photography creates a scene or captures a moment in time, whereas art can live in a world of imagination. When we look at art it gives us an illusion, connects to an emotion, and gives us an impression of a moment. It’s not a one-for-one match-up. I realized my mistake was that I forgot to think like an artist, instead, I focused on replicating the image which is not going to provide the same emotive qualities that good art does! In my Koala Scott drawing, replicating the koala was the right move because the focal point was clear.
The photograph I used was zoomed in and focused on the koala and its expression. I could let the background fade out of focus and let the koala’s emotions and communication be the star. But the koala crawling across the limb, framed with smaller branches, added clutter to the image. As a photograph, it works because the composition is made for it. As a sketch it was fine, but as a piece of art with color and texture it falls flat. I’m not satisfied with it.
Final Thoughts
As a perfectionist, I hate making mistakes, but as a student, I know that making mistakes is an opportunity to learn! Comparing the two finished drawings I can see how I can improve and that’s exciting.
I think we should be more open to looking at our work, mistakes and all, and look at what went right and what we can improve on. It doesn’t mean we have failed. Learning is messy but practice is how we grow so don’t give up if you’re frustrated with your progress on a skill. Growing takes time. Don’t compare yourself to others, judge your work by your past work and see how you have grown! I hope this encourages you to keep trying and keep growing in whatever endeavors you are embarking on. You got this! ❤
Sorry, I have been a bit absent on here for the last two weeks. I can’t wait until I can explain why I have been distracted because it is a really good story. Thanks for taking time with me dear reader and I wish you a wonderful weekend. Until next time 🙂
Making a Star Plush by Knitting
To continue my 2024 yarn stash-busting, I got a little creative with my process. I present this little mint-colored star! I’m so proud of her. I made this intending to make multiple stars to decorate my new noise-canceling headphones.
I didn’t have high hopes when I started this project because well, I don’t see many small objects being created through knit, it’s usually crochet. But I decided to give the technique a go, why not?
It turned out to be a fun little project that gives me joy each time I look at it. To start, I cast on one stitch, next row expand to two, next three, then four, and onto five. I knit another row of five and began reducing. I reduced one stitch on each row until I was back to one. Time to cast off.
You are left with a diamond. I made four more of these diamonds. Next, it was time to sew them together into a star shape. I joined the ends at the center and anchored the edges together to make the star. I repeated the entire process until I had two stars.
Finally, I sewed them together, with the sewing sides on the inside, and finished sides out. It actually worked! It even looked like my crochet reference photo!
#54 – Keep Flying
Happy May! This is my favorite month of the spring season. The flowers have bloomed, in their vibrant glory of fuschia and periwinkles. The leaves come back! I love seeing the trees all dressed in the green finery for another year. The warmth of the sunshine as it washes me in its light. It’s the joy of feeling warm without that roasting heat of June and July. We have wildflowers, the days are still growing long, and a whole season of outdoor activities stretching out in front of us – it’s a great time to be alive.
This May is going to be a whirlwind for sure. It’s happening in good ways and bad. I can’t exactly say why yet, but I’d like to share something this month is teaching me – how to remain calm when I have no chill because big life changes are happening. Does anyone really? I’m not convinced, but I see that being able to step back from times of shaky ground and change to find peace in the storm of confusion is the secret of adulthood.
I’m learning to stick to a plan and focus on the finish line. It’s teaching me how to push my worries back into my head relax my shoulders and turn my attention to something else. Am I doing this perfectly every time? Heck no! I was frustrated and worried, completely done and ready to wave the white flag last night. Staying calm is such a tricky thing. It feels like a balancing act with fine china ready to smash with any small shift. A tightrope act of processing my emotions, making a plan, feeling overwhelmed, getting tired, and usually I would feel looped in this circle of stress, unable to turn my mind off and get a breather to recharge.
Growing in faith and maturity has given me a new perspective on this feeling. I don’t like it and I actually want to do something about it. I don’t want to be tossed around by the sea of life. I want to roll it. Be someone who can accept what they cannot change and keep moving forward with joy in my heart. So I have been applying new strategies. I only complete one big stress task per day and then I move on to a normal task and a creative task. I’ve been more honest with the people around me that are my support system and have actually let them support me without isolating myself in a state of overwhelm.
Talking has reminded me of the bigger picture and that although there are some big things on the horizon, it’s going to be okay because I have people who love me. I’ve sought out fun things in the evening like watching familiar favorite TV shows, video games and good meals. I’ve been challenging myself to eat healthy instead of giving into stress eating patterns. I’ve been drinking herbal teas for my immune system and emotional wellbeing. I’ve been pushing myself to either workout or get outside, away from scrolling to clear my head and relieve stress.
It’s not just a bunch of Hocus Pocus it’s truly been helping. And personally, Kyle and I praying together, has been a game changer. Getting on my knees and praying instead of praying at my desk, or in the shower, or as I do tasks throughout the day, has made a big difference. Which to be clear, those are not bad ways to pray, in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 literally says, “pray without ceasing.” I’m learning a lot from all that is happening and I think, however everything pans out I am getting valuable life experience to keep going when it feels confusing or scary. Like it says in Firefly, find a ship, find a crew, keep flying.
I hope wherever you are, dear reader, that you are having a lovely day. I wish you a wonderful week and believe that it will be no matter what you are facing. There is a bigger plan at work. Thank you for spending time with me today, it means the world to me that anyone would take the time to read my blog. ❤
One Rabbit Riot 