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During elementary school, I habitually doodled on almost anything I could get my hands on, including books, the school desktop, and even bathroom walls. As a result, I often found myself in trouble with my teachers and parents. However, this habit helped me develop my eye-to-hand coordination, and I began trying to draw things as realistically as possible. After graduating from high school, I didn't see a future for myself in art, so I decided to join the US Navy and train to become a jet mechanic. Despite my best efforts, I was no mechanic. I could have done better at this job, but I didn't enjoy being a grease monkey. Although, I did excel on the Petty Officer's advancement tests, which allowed me to reach the rank of E5 within three years. Which is above average. Nonetheless, I remained a terrible mechanic. I knew I wasn't going to stay.
I came across a jet engine assembly book in the Navy filled with illustrated parts breakdowns. I was captivated by the drawings, knowing that I had the ability to draw those illustrations. I decided to take drafting classes at the community college. Eventually, I landed a job as a drafter in Silicon Valley in the early 80s. However, I quickly learned that there isn't anything creative about mechanical engineering drawings, despite my efforts to bring an artistic touch to them. My thoughts of creative grandeur were squashed like a bug getting swatted by the slipper. If I wanted to stay employed, I had to throw my artistic shit out the window.
My foray into the digital design realm commenced with using Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software. Adapting to the shift from pencil drafting to computer-assisted drawing took some time, but it presented me with many new possibilities that I had yet to consider.
At first, I struggled to see engineering drawings as more than technical documents. But eventually, I came to appreciate the creativity in logic diagrams, schematics, and assembly drawings. In fact, creating efficient communication graphics is an art form in itself. What a geeky thing to say, and you wonder why techies are called geeks. It's geeky to think, but everything man-made around us was likely made using a picture or drawing to show someone how to make that thing. “So with every manufactured thing I see, I imagine drawings morphically emerging from them." I was conditioned to look at design as an engineering communication structure. There was nothing artistic about it.
I have been proficient in computer literacy for over four decades. I never imagined that my established work experience in programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, and various engineering CAD software could help me create personally expressive artwork. My experience in these programs allowed me to experiment and explore new design styles and techniques outside my regular work.
After years of using digital design programs in a professional environment, I now applied my skill set to create digital art for personal expression. Now that I am retired, I am thrilled to continue exploring my abilities and expressing myself through art. These illustration blocks are examples of my digital art outside of work.
The possibilities of where this passion could take me are endless, and I am excited to see how far I can go.
Go to my Pinterest page to view samples of my work.
Artwork overlap layering is the best technique used in digital arts, as far as I'm concerned. After teaching myself to paint and using layering in a permanent sequential method, I've appreciated the layering capability in almost all digital arts and CAD programs.
Shaping pieces and lapping them together gives you more freedom to create quickly rather than just trying to draw your digital art on one layer. I encourage the use of many layers to categorize pieces in logical order.
As you can see in the example in the layer column, each art piece created has its layer. The beauty of this system is that you can position each art piece before or after any other art piece while making modifications.
Without creating digital graphics for work anymore, I found myself searching for a new direction to channel and test my digital design skills. As a result, I was inspired to combine digital design with my ethnic background and delve into the rich cultural history of Filipino-American and Hawaiian Kama'aina cultures that I identify with.
These collections of graphics and stories are a direct result of those endeavors.
My book, "A Fil-Am Journey," is entirely dedicated to that effort. You can sample and buy my book on AMAZON.
This scrapbook is a treasure trove of captivating and heart-warming tales born from my parents' journey to America. Each story in this collection is a unique reflection of the Filipino-American experience, packed with humor, creativity, and valuable insights. It is not a typical research-based book but a beautiful compilation of family stories that can be shared with future generations. Through these stories, readers will get a glimpse into the challenges, struggles, joys, laughter, and celebratory moments that are an integral part of being a Filipino American.
As I gazed out at the vast open fields of Silicon Valley's Golden Triangle, I couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia. The wild mustard plants that once flourished in these fields grew rampant, swaying in the gentle breeze like a joyful dance. It was here, amidst this breathtaking scenery, that I spent my childhood days running and playing with my friends. But now, the landscape has transformed beyond recognition, with towering tech companies and luxurious hotels replacing the once-peaceful fields. The area, nestled between highways 101, 880, and Interstate 237, has become a bustling hub of commercial activity, a far cry from the idyllic playground of my childhood.
Ah, the early 60s - a time when the world was different and full of life. It was a time when these plants grew everywhere before the towering tech companies took over. I still remember seeing Italian people picking these plants, and it reminded me of a similar plant that grew wildly back in my home countryside. The Italians were the first to teach us the intricate techniques of harvesting these delectable mustard greens, with their vibrant green leaves and crisp texture. Over time, the Asians quickly caught on and learned to expertly pluck and prepare these greens, unlocking their full potential and creating dishes that are a true delight for the senses.
As you venture through Silicon Valley, keep an eye out for the mustard plants scattered throughout the area. These hardy plants can flourish in unexpected places, like the pavement crevices or the unattended spaces between buildings. What's truly remarkable is that these mustard plants are native to this region and have been thriving here for many years, even before the tech industry arrived and transformed the landscape.
Spiritually, Lady Bugs are a symbol of GOOD LUCK. Much like finding a four leafed clover. They indicate coming SUCCESS.
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My dad loved ladybugs and let them be. These were natural predators of the aphids—a bug that would infest the rose bushes my dad grew for my mom. My dad said these bugs are good luck and not to kill them. I thought they were unique, like something out of a Transformers movie with a double set of wings. At flight, the red-and-black dotted cover would lift, and long wings would sprout. I was amazed at how well the wings were concealed.
Ladybugs lay their eggs directly in aphid colonies to ensure their larvae have an immediate food source; how excellent! They’re like transformers, and body snatchers rolled up in one.
At our home in Silicon Valley, my dad used to grow vegetables in the backyard. I believe he must have loved to grow vegetables and fruit trees from working as a farmhand in Hawaii and California. He would grow bitter melon, string beans, eggplants, tomatoes, tabungaw and upo squash, and other varieties every year. Back then, they didn’t have Asian supermarkets. Many vegetables for Filipino dishes were unavailable, so they grew their own and traded with other friends and relatives.
The Tomato Monster
I have fond memories of these tomato hornworms. They were the baddest creatures in the backyard garden; no one messed with them. I would collect them and save them in a jar for caterpillar gladiator fights. I would put a black hairy caterpillar in the pot, and the hornworm would always win. These tomato monsters can grow to a massive four inches long before they turn into a dull giant brown moth.
King of the Tomato Plant
Although I dwell in the darkness of the tomato leaves, I fear no one as I climb the vines to reach the fruit. Aphids bow down in awe of my massive green muscular body while other insects and caterpillars escape in fear at first sight of me. As I climb the largest red fruit, I look down on my surroundings as I reign supreme over the entire tomato plant, but alas, something inside me calls to me to hang off the vine and encapsulate my body. A peculiar obsession I must proclaim as I hasten to encase myself for a long slumber sleep and look forward to a new dream.
Calrose was initially used for the medium-grain japonica rice experimentally cultivated in California. Calrose was developed at the Rice Experiment Station near the city of Biggs and released to California growers in 1948.
In Hawaii, they call this rice the sticky rice, preferred by Hawaiian locals. The sticky characteristics of this rice make it easier to shape foods, like musubi and different types of sushi.
I prefer this rice over other brands just for its taste. I was raised on Calrose rice, and it was the only rice my parents bought.
As homemakers back in the ’50s and ’60s, my mom and aunties were very resourceful—not wasting anything that could be reused as something else. The rice sack was one of those items.
My mom would cut the sack into squares or rectangles, overlap the edges, and sew them together to make kitchen towels. Back then, those rice sacks were made from 100 percent cotton and were pretty soft after washing a few items.
When visiting Filipino friends and relatives, I saw these rice sack towels hanging from the drawer cabinets in the kitchen. I wish I had saved one of them. I would’ve framed it and hung it on the wall as a novelty item to remind me of our mother’s resourcefulness.
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