If you haven't noticed, these days, rather than embarking on long-term projects like my previous DIY, I've been instead trying to find how I can incorporate art in the simple everyday activities I end up doing. This is partly because I've actually gotten quite more busy during the day while still holding myself to the 1 post per day. (A challenge is a challenge!)

For instance, yesterday I was watching the Golden Globes and decided to sketch the gowns. Today, similarly, I also drew from a screen again--a computer screen, though. I was video-chat-streaming an episode of Sherlock (which should continue to stream until Jan 25 I believe!) with a couple of friends -- which is a funny story actually. Somehow I missed out on some friend telepathy going on, and upon receiving utterly confusing texts at the time of our scheduled meeting, I realized the two of them were in Boston at one of their apartments, expecting me to join them, when all along I thought we would just be streaming the episode online at the same time. That is, because I am a few states (mentally and physically) away. (It's a long story. I hope I captured it more or less.)

Anyways, here are sketches of Watson at the dining table and Sherlock in his study during the episode -- which I screen-shotted and sketched while watching (I'm not THAT fast).

Continuing with the theme of hands I guess... here's a sketch I made. Tbh, hands are a great go-to subject to practice drawing skills, while almost always looking really artsy. I drew these based on a photograph of my own hands. Hey, there's a nice DIY art project!


And here are closeups, of course, because I like them. :)

DIY Completed

Starting to figure out how to form the hands

 DIY Part 1.5

PSA: I now have an online store

Some Background

This is my latest piece, made this past summer, based on a photograph I took in Sedona, Arizona last winter break at one of the stops on the Red Rock Scenic Byway (right). The painting represents an idealistic view, highlighting a simplistic path to a detailed, grand summit.

I thought about indicating scale somehow in the painting to properly capture how amazing the view was. This location was quite a climb to get to, so the photo already discounts the height. And if you look in the original photo, I've circled in red a man standing among the rocks for scale. But I decided it would be fitting to leave it as it is, because an idealist's vision is often an isolated idea that isn't grounded in the realities of its fulfillment.



Feel free to share any impressions or questions by commenting!

Know of a Quote?

I'm collecting various quotes for an upcoming art/calligraphy works. Please message me if you'd like to share any empowering, humbling, inspiring truths or quotes, from anywhere, anything or anyone.

A Blank Canvas

The Challenge

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Happy Winter!

POSTS

The wedding toast scene from English Vinglish (2012), featuring Shashi (played by Sridevi - who's about 49 at the time!)

On the second day in Jaipur, Kumar-ji (our AIIS “Bhagvan” aka “god” - all knowing, all powerful secretary and administrator of everything) brought my roommate and me to check out and decide on a host home. In the taxi, when my roommate started speaking Hindi to practice, Kumar-ji explained to the driver that we were American students here to study Hindi. The driver laughed, delighted, and said "your Hindi is much more pure than ours!"

From then on, I've noticed, people in Jaipur are usually surprised, delighted, or entertained when they find out a foreigner is learning their language and welcome it. Whether I’m chatting with vendors, rickshawalas (rickshaw drivers), waiters, or just any strangers, people are impressed with the fact that I am learning Hindi, and even impressed with my speaking skills — when I know that my accent is far from accurate. It’s encouraging to know that my efforts learning Hindi in India are appreciated. Having this experience, however, makes me think about the experience of learning English in America and in the world.

Appropriately, our class watched “English Vinglish” (2012) (summary and review), a Bollywood movie about the struggles of Shashi, an Indian woman determined to learn English. At home in Pune, her family members make subtle (sometimes not), biting comments about her lack of English knowledge and in general, make her feel inferior. When she has to travel to New York for a niece’s wedding, she takes the opportunity to “Learn English In 4 Weeks” after seeing an advertisement.

Shashi’s struggles, growth, friendships, and romantic drama all amount to the climactic scene at the wedding, when she’s asked to make a toast and her husband, as usual, tries to silence her, apologizing to the crowd for her lack of English skills (what a jerk). But Shashi surprises the crowd and proves herself with a touching speech in English about love, family, and self-respect. Shabash, Shashi! (Way to go, Shashi!)


You should see the look on her husband’s face when he watches Shashi order food in English on the plane at the end of the movie — it’s like she has acquired new worth in his eyes. I found that uncomfortable. As cute and fun as the movie was, the whole premise of the film had undertones about language in India that I couldn’t ignore. Shashi’s story projected the idea that someone’s worth can rely on their ability to speak a language, specifically English, which reflects the reality in India and perhaps other similarly colonized countries.

Read this enlightening article I found from Forbes about “The Problem with the English Language in India” (2014) by Sahith Aula. It highlights and explains the oppression that results when a minority language is considered institutionally, systematically elite. With just 30% able, “to varying degrees,” speak English, and even less able to read and write it, there's a barrier to access for the vast majority of the country. As Aula states, “a person’s socioeconomic status in Indian society is approximately in line with his or her fluency in [English],” because so many institutions, including those of government, employment, education, and health operate in English rather than the local languages that the majority of people speak in each region.

This presents some kind of hierarchy of language where English and English speakers are higher up. The people in India who are surprised or happy about my learning Hindi find it unusual and ironic; one time a rickshawala said that, when local people find out Westerners are learning Hindi, they're wide eyed, because we are the ones who are trying to learn English! Furthermore, when I tell Americans that I'm learning Hindi, many have said, "Why? People speak English there!" — which is true. By speaking English, I can get around in India fine, because I have access to the most privileged spaces. So why bother learning a local language?

Well, my answer: take Shashi's story as a metaphor. Shashi wouldn't have felt compelled to learn English if she didn't already consider it legitimate to hold her English inability against her; her experiences with the English world and English speakers told her she was incapable and inferior, when really, she deserved the respect of everyone around her the whole time anyways. During that toast, her family members finally heard her when she spoke in English, and understood her, and were humbled (and in tears). Just because someone doesn't speak English, doesn't mean they should not be heard by those who do. 

"Jaipur City Palace" (2014) - a piece I made after my first visit to Jaipur

India - Take 3!