Hello...2009

It's almost the end of March and it's the first entry for the year! I forgot I have this blog. So much has happened since the last entry.

This country is in hell in a handbasket. I'm surprised it happens so fast. With it came a decline in business which has been going on for a long time. I read so much of this impending doom more than a year ago. Now we're here. I didn't buy any gold coins. My mutual funds which I was hoping to help pay for my kid's education all have lost money. The government bailouts will just cause a devaluation in our currency. All the money I have in the bank will be eroded by inflation.

We got a new president. But I just can't obtain an Obamagasm. More social programs to fix this fix that. The bill will be stuck to the middle class in higher taxes.

The OL monku at me about getting a job. I cannot find a job. Just a higher number on the blood pressure.

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We took down the exhibit, Icons of Presence at the Chinese Culture Center early January.

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I did the graphics for Day of Remembrance again. Originally RT did the postcard, but JH did not want that design, so after RT and LS got all pissed off about the rejection and re-do, they just walked away from it.

JH had me do the design. Here's what postcard looks like;


Then there was the flyer and poster;

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This time I saw to it that I got paid for it instead of doing it for JTA. I figure I did my share.

Ten Christmas Wishes

1. Actually, I don't celebrate Christmas. But what the heck, let's wish. I wish I had more biz, thus more income, hopefully without the headaches that may come with it.

2. I wish the I had a bigger space to work.

3. I wish I don't have to worry about money, so that I can create freely.

4. I wish Louis would talk a little bit more and show some initiative in pursuing his interests.

5. I wish the ol's monku'ing stop.

6. I wish for good health and happiness to the family and I.

7. I wish I will have all the latest apple computer, digital camera, wide format printer.

8. I wish I can get a good night's sleep.

9. I wish I can travel anywhere anytime I want.

10. I wish peace on earth...no wars, no famine, no suffering (now that's really christmasy)

Carabao ( Noom Bao Sao Parn )

Link

If I didn't have to worry about money....

that's one of those lines the multi-level marketing scams always pull on you. or what would you do if you had an extra fifty thousand dollars...ha! that was a funny one. Carol's hubby is into some multi-level market scam and tried to fish me in. We had coffee at the Blue Danube and that is what he asked me before I realized what the hell he was trying to do. We talked and talked about nothing, then he gave me this book to read. I never read it. He asked for it back when he called to ask me if I read it or not...of course not. I left it on the outside of the house for him to pick up. God damn scammer!

State of the Art

It's been awhile since my last entry....I was not able to log in. I got to remember...this is connected to my atowngraphics at gmail account. And the password is liondrumsflag.

So much has happened since my last entry...let me see..it's been seven whole months.

I just printed JBBP's poster. It's the second time we printed this poster. We did it last year too. It appears that it has been profitable for the program for their silent auction.

We decided not to do the poster printing in the classroom this time because I just read the fine print on the container of ink. Don't want kids to be around this stuff.

So we went into the class and showed my prints. I was surprised that they actually listened for that long. I kept it simple to these third graders by repeating, "I drew that!", and explained to them how I copied this and that.

What was really tough was that I had no screen with working mesh. A lot of the mesh from our previous project has ripped from being moved around too much. The week before I went out the Midwest Sign Supplies and got some mesh. Wow...it's $45 a yard now! I can get two screens per yard. With tax and all, that comes out to $ 25 a screen. I got four yards which was over $200.

My film positive connection in now Dolphin Graphics...and they charge $40 per film! Whereas last year through Sherman it was like $25.

I bought squeegees for myself. 2-14", 4-10", 2-8" and that came out like $200 also!

After I did the math with screen prep and all, it cost us $358. (not counting my squeegees)

It was interesting to see an inkjet textile printer at Midwest. It's made by Brother. It costs over $20K...now that's no small change. Any thing digital nowadays have a shelf life of three years. So that would be $7K a year. That machine has to generate $21K of profit a year to stay afloat.

My days as a screenprinter are numbered.

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Here's another postcard I did for Day of Remembrance. I dunno...sometimes I feel like such a sucker for community causes.

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A simple shirt for SFBC. A very small run.

My second commission check

Oooh...I got my second commish check from Pacific View Press for a book I illustrated back in 2001, Undertanding Chinese Culture, A Guide to San Francisco's Chinatown for a whopping $116.15. I'm not complaining. I am surprised the book is still selling.


Click here to see the illustrations.

state of the art

OK...what's up with the art.

When I say art, I guess I'm talking about my drawing, designing and screenprinting. Well...not a whole lot is going on. I haven't had a drawing commission in so many years, that the only drawing I've been doing is drawing money from the bank account. Designing...I haven't had a designing commission so long, that I got bored earlier this year and did a design practically for free for the Day of Rememberance. It turned out to be a lot more work because JH made me do a lot of changes and adding more text, then changing it. Screenprinting...not much. My latest was the Nikkei Walkathon shirts and that was over a month ago now. Tai gave me this shirt order, but it involves a lot of artwork and I don't think he would want to spend a lot for that.

I'm going to print a couple of postcards with several of my designs. Hope it's not a waste of money.