Michael and I went lunch together today. He told me some extraordinary experiences he had from the past.
He is the Producer, Director, Designer, and Editor of Lightning Bolt Pix, a surfer, and he travels often. On top of his countless shooting projects, he has been working with UCLA for 12 years for the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center documentary project. The architect is I.M. Pei, a great wise man whom I adore greatly. Michael is hired by UCLA to produce a film to persuade FEMA and to pass a substantial budget for building a world-class facility hospital. It took only 2 weeks for Pei to come up a brilliant plan for the new building. Because of funding, it took UCLA 12 years to complete the project. The final total budget is 1 billion. Hundreds of patients from the old Medical Center moved in in June 29, 2008. Michael is going to NYC this week to do the final shooting with I.M. Pei. He is going to ask Pei to talk about how he came up the extraordinary plan for building the Medical Center.
Michael has many beautiful stories from the past 12 years working with Pei and UCLA. With a limited budget, Pei asked Carlo Mariotti, the owner of a family company since 1895 in Tivoli, Italy and the supplier of many prestigious projects worldwide, for help. Mariotti donated more than 3 million pounds of travertine marble. Michael told me that Mariotti wanted to show his gratitude to the UCLA for saving his life twice, Mariotti supported Pei's request without asking further.
I.M. Pei is working together with his son Didi Pei, Michael's son is also used to work with him, and now Mariotti's son is running the family company. It is marvelous to see when two generations are working hand in hand for a greater goal. And it is certainly a blessing for both generations.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
For Ramla Roussel
The Sky Having Fallen, Have Clouds for Breakfast
21.4 x 29.5 cm
acrylic on paper
sue-ching you © 2008
Ramla and I had lunch together at Fritto Mistro. I was very surprised that she had been lived in various places: Germany for 2 years, several trips to Nepal from the past 10 years , India, China...
Ramla is an Angelina, and she used to work as an legal consultant before she came to the 18th Street Arts Center. She is a Tibetan Buddhism, and that is the reason why she has been traveling and living in Asia for years. She also is interested in studying Fengshui.
She asked me to paint "The sky having fallen, have clouds for breakfast". Ramla has been wanted to paint this optimistic attitude for a long time, and this attitude matches her personality well. She is a warm and soft spoken mom. Whenever I am around her, I feel calm and delightful. She has a very magical aura around her.
When the viewers see the paintings, I hope you will realize that an optimistic attitude is within yourselves. You are the one who is capable to see the bright side of any challenge. The painting is just a hint of reminder.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Xavier
Xavier and Michael stopped by Yvette's studio last month, and we met for the very first time. This morning, I met him again. He was trying to send an e-mail via his asus mini laptop. We chatted a bit. He is a film maker from France, and he is working on a new movie with Michael from Lightning Bolt Pix, Inc. at the 18th Street Arts Center.
His new moive is about thousands years ago when nomads changed their living style and started developing society and civilization, from his research, one of an important factors is-changing of climate. He said that now we are facing a same situation of global climate change, and his film is about this interesting topic.
He is leaving on this Friday. Best wishes and luck to him.
His new moive is about thousands years ago when nomads changed their living style and started developing society and civilization, from his research, one of an important factors is-changing of climate. He said that now we are facing a same situation of global climate change, and his film is about this interesting topic.
He is leaving on this Friday. Best wishes and luck to him.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Miguel R.
Miguel came to the open studio for the first time with his family (wife and 4 children) on 9/27. This morning, he was trying to fix the Continuum's sky window, and he stopped by to borrow the switch and transmission in my studio.
Almost noon, I invited him for lunch, and we chatted a bit. Miguel's mom is from Oxaca, and his father is from Jalisco. They met in Yaqui, Sonora and got married there. His father is the only child in the family. It is not too hard to see why Miguel has 11 brothers and sisters. Each of them is 2 years apart -24 years age difference from the oldest sibling to the youngest.
Every year, a 7 days celebration of reunion takes place everywhere. Miguel told me that they would kill a cow in every hour to give a continuous feast for everyone. It was a celebration combining religion, tradition, feast, music, and dance, etc...
He visits Yaqui from time to time. It will take him driving 20 hours to get there from LA. He and his family usually leave at 3 am and arrive around 10 pm. Most of people in Yaqui seldom leave the place. It is a large closed community. A highway in between divides the people into two groups -east and west. People from the east do not do business, go to school, communicating with people from the west and vice versa. Miguel said during his elementary school years, he made some Native American friends, and they still keep in touch with each other. He visit them whenever he goes back to Yaqui.
He will let me know if he has a topic for me to paint and to participate this project.
Almost noon, I invited him for lunch, and we chatted a bit. Miguel's mom is from Oxaca, and his father is from Jalisco. They met in Yaqui, Sonora and got married there. His father is the only child in the family. It is not too hard to see why Miguel has 11 brothers and sisters. Each of them is 2 years apart -24 years age difference from the oldest sibling to the youngest.
Every year, a 7 days celebration of reunion takes place everywhere. Miguel told me that they would kill a cow in every hour to give a continuous feast for everyone. It was a celebration combining religion, tradition, feast, music, and dance, etc...
He visits Yaqui from time to time. It will take him driving 20 hours to get there from LA. He and his family usually leave at 3 am and arrive around 10 pm. Most of people in Yaqui seldom leave the place. It is a large closed community. A highway in between divides the people into two groups -east and west. People from the east do not do business, go to school, communicating with people from the west and vice versa. Miguel said during his elementary school years, he made some Native American friends, and they still keep in touch with each other. He visit them whenever he goes back to Yaqui.
He will let me know if he has a topic for me to paint and to participate this project.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
For Yvette Gellis
Wave
21 x 29.5 cm
acrylic on paper
sue-ching you © 2008
Yvette is Vedran's neighbor, and we met at the Kim Light Gallery, a representative of Yvette's large scale paintings. The first impression that Yvette gave me was lively and warm. Since last month, she has showed us around the city and visited China Town, Beverly Hills, and the Getty Villa. Today we went to Torrance Art Museum (TAM) for a Curator's Talk with the Artist-Eric Johnson. TAM is a nice boutique like museum. Yvette would like to have an exhibition there someday.
Vedran said that Yvette is a curious person and she has great potential to be successful. Yvette used to be a dancer, actor, opera singer, and a model. She chose to be an artist because painting to her is an ultimate combination of performance, musical, and personal expression that can be last for a life time. She likes to talk about her family, especially her children. When she is around, it's never dull. She likes to laugh a lot, too.
She asked me to paint about "immigrant" from a female perspective. She is going to send the painting to her best friend in Napa, California. Her friend is also an artist, and she believes her friend will be able to contribute some great opinions to this project.
Vedran said that Yvette is a curious person and she has great potential to be successful. Yvette used to be a dancer, actor, opera singer, and a model. She chose to be an artist because painting to her is an ultimate combination of performance, musical, and personal expression that can be last for a life time. She likes to talk about her family, especially her children. When she is around, it's never dull. She likes to laugh a lot, too.
She asked me to paint about "immigrant" from a female perspective. She is going to send the painting to her best friend in Napa, California. Her friend is also an artist, and she believes her friend will be able to contribute some great opinions to this project.
note from 11/7:
A few days ago, Yvette told me that she would create another painting for responding my painting for her, and she would submit our paintings to the Korean Cultural Center Art Gallery's Call for Participation-Women Artists on Immigration. I show her the finished painting today, and she likes it. I really think that she understands those unspoken words in it. A BEAUTIFUL collaboration project!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
For Yumi Takayama
Sasha
26 x 29.3 cm
acrylic on paper
sue-ching you © 2008
Yumi went to the same college with me. We have a mutual friend, Francoise. When Francoise knew that I was going to be in Santa Monica. She gave me Yumi's e-mail, and we met again for the very first time after graduation in 1999.
She now lives in Santa Monica, married and have a two-year-old daughter. We had lunch together for catching up updates from each other.
She asked me to paint her daughter and she will give the painting to a couple who made the announcement of husband and wife for them at the wedding ceremony.
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