I don't remember if I posted this before, but this is an updated image of my art improvement meme from 1994 to 2010. This shows the changes in the improvements as well as the style.




It was hard work searching and collecting my artwork for this meme, but I'm glad I did it!

I started drawing with pencils and crayons at the age of eight. I still have some of my old artwork back then, but I don't really have time to dig them out and scan them. I've always loved doing pencil art (as well as colored pencil art) until I learned that it is possible to paint and draw on the computer. Back then, we never used computers and everything was on pen and paper. I got my first Wacom Tablet in 2006 and my passion for digital art grew since then. And from viewing art through books, magazines and online art communities, it has inspired me and I've learned so much from different artists.

After highschool, I continued art as a hobby. But as you see, I skipped some years of doing art because I had a busy life working and schooling at the same time. And sometimes I feel I loose my creativity... you know, ever get one of those "artists' blocks'?

In 2009, I did mostly photography work. Since my little baby was born in September 2008, I took a lot of photos. And also he took a lot of my time from doing artwork.

I have a very diverse art gallery; from traditional art to digital art to photography stuff to handmade crafts... I like all kinds of artwork and I like experimenting with different things. My art improvement meme focuses on my digital painting skills. I still try my best (always), and this new year I want to make a BIG improvement with digital painting.

CURRENTLY, I am STILL aiming my goal; my dreams, to be accepted in the game art industry.

The In-Laws decided to pave the lawn in the backyard and it is finally done. The grass had been dug out and bricks were layered over the evened-out mud/soil. No more grass to cut.

With the solid ground, we will be doing BBQ there from now on instead of the deck. It would be better because we don't want the smoke to go into the house. And we can place the big swimming pool we bought last year that we haven't had a chance to use it; maybe this summer.

I've taken some before and after photos to show how the backyard looks now. I forgot to take photos with the grass, but imagine it with the grass. The bricks are supposed to be kind of reddish/maroon. It looks light in the picture because of the dried mud on top. What do you guys think?

Macro/close-up shot of a fully bloomed lavender-colored rose taken from my garden during the sunset hours. No cropping has been done nor edited. Just experimenting with the new lens that I just got, the Canon 500D Close-Up Lens, which fits nicely on my Nikon. Stay tuned for more photos.



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© Jennie Yuen Photography
My work is copyrighted and may not be reproduced, copied, or edited in any way without my express written permission.
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One Savvy Mom is hosting a giveaway for an Apple iPad 16GB. One lucky winner will be randomly selected. Contest ends June 25, 2010. Sorry for the late notice, but I just heard about it today. Check out her post [HERE] for more details.

If you are looking for macro capabilities without spending a whole lot, take a look at the Canon 500D Close-Up Lens. I was deciding on the AF-S Micro Nikkor 85mm f/3.5G ED VR DX for my Nikon until my hubby and I discovered it. We have the Canon 52mm Close-up Lens 500D which fits nicely onto our 55-200mm.

The Canon 500D Close-up Lens is a small double-element lens that threads onto the filter threads on a standard lens. It allows the object to be focused at a much closer distance, and without getting too close to the subject. The Canon 500D Close-up Lens is intended to be used on lenses with a focal length of 70mm-300mm. The quality of the Canon Close-Up lens is very good.

I'll post some photos and examples later on.

First of all, hope everyone had a Happy Father's Day. It was an unexpected and spontaneous road trip to Whistler. Hubby didn't tell me about it and kept driving on the 99 Highway. I thought we were just stopping by the Park Royal Mall in West Vancouver, but he just kept on driving. I'm like, "Ok, I wonder where he's taking us? This should be exciting." On our way, we saw some beautiful sceneries and nice weather.

So we arrived in Whistler and stayed around Whistler Village.


Just a few more photos I took. Look, there's snow on the mountains!




It was just past 4pm and we've seen almost the whole area. It was time to go back, so we left Whistler Village. We arrived in West Vancouver and stopped by the Park Royal Mall for a washroom break. There was The Keg Restaurant so we decided to have dinner there.




I wasn't too hungry, so I ordered French Onion Soup and a Ceasar Salad. I didn't expect the salad was quite a big dish.



Hubby's dish was Ahi Tuna with rice palif.



And we shared the food with our little Brandon. He ate mostly the bread. And for our dessert... Banana Caramel and Cherry Cheesecake (mini versions).



It was great.

It was Father's Day weekend and hubby decided to go to West Restaurant for just the two of us. We left little Brandon with his grandparents for a short bit. This was our 2nd time experiencing the excellent food at West Restaurant and already know their high class service and kind of food. It's a bit on the pricey side, but it is something I would go once in a while.







Since last time I ordered roasted duck, I order a different dish this time. I ordered the Kurobuta Pork with Risotto. Hubby ordered his Beef Tenderloin. As for appetizer, we had the Albacore Tuna (listed in the first course here. The menu for the main course (with pricing) is available for viewing online here as well.










It was nice. If you like trying new things, I would recommend this place.

It was friday and the Summer Night Market started. We decided to go to the Night Market in Richmond after having dinner at my parent's place. It was a warm and clear evening for a nice walk and to check out the market to see what they have. There was a lot of people as usual. The Night Market hours are Friday & Saturday 7pm-1am, Sunday 7pm-12am, and holiday Mondays 7pm-12am.





I ended up buying a butterfly hair clip. I'm glad I bought it because it was really good quality (stainless steel and not the cheap plastic ones). I looked at their stuff and went back the second time and bargained.

I'm looking into getting a new hairstyle. I feel kinda bored with my same 'ol look, but I'm still keeping my long hair. I can't decide what hairstyle to go for: wavey or straight or something else. I recently bought a ConAir hair curler, so I think I'll make good use of it sometime.

What do you guys think of these hairstyles?

Ahh... this is my first attempt at making mini ice-cream cones; not too bad, but I still need a bit more practice. I made a couple of them and other goodies for this batch. If there's interest, I'll make more. They are now available at my ShopHandmade Store online.






Description: These are mini Ice-Cream Cone Charms in strawberry and this is my first attempt creating ice-cream miniatures. Can be used as necklace pendants, cell phone charms, earrings, etc. penny-sized diameter. Includes a 2" black dangle strap/cord.

I've been starting to make new batch of miniature clay accessories and charms again. These are mini French Macaroon (macaron) Charms in various pastel colors. This is my first attempt so it came out pretty good. They can be used as necklace pendants, cell phone charms, earrings, etc. Nickel-sized diameter.

Includes a 2" black dangle strap/cord. Available for sale at my Shop Handmade Store.

Materials used: sculpey clay, wire, pliers

We have a winner for my 34K pageview kiriban contest of my DeviantArt Profile gallery at http://sweetcivic.deviantart.com. The lucky winner gets a random 8x10 art print by me! Thank-you ~i-am-yaser for the [link] to your screenshot. If some of you've missed it again, you can still have a chance for the next contest for every 1000 pageviews until the 38K is reached.


Congratulations to ~i-am-yaser, who got the exact number!


As mentioned... if you missed it, you'll still have a chance for my next 35K kiriban contest. Prints will be 8x10 high quality print, laminated, and double-sided (that means you'll get 2 of my artwork pieces).