Inspirations

So far, a lot of the little things in life inspire me. I can't help but to notice the details of things, and imperfections of the earth itself, as well as people, but it's what makes us who we are. Earlier on this semester, we made inspiration boards, and talked about what inspires us. I'd like to take some time to talk about the things that inspire me in life, academically, socially, emotionally, and whatever else may take its toll on me. First off, I'd like to start with my family.

This is a picture of my family before I was born. My parents and my older brothers. They have been the biggest inspiration thus far because they are family and family always comes first.

Here is a picture of my parents and I when we first arrived in San Francisco. We took a cable car down to Fisherman's Wharf and explored what the city had to offer. It was a lovely day and it was the day before they left me to be on my own here in the lovely bay area. I also believe we attended the Giants game not too long after this picture was taken.

All of my family members are important to me, including my grandparents, but I particularly chose this picture of my dad's grandparents because just a year ago, they were both diagnosed with cancer. My great grandmother passed away in June 2010, and later reunited with my great grandfather in November 2010. I dedicate my whole left arm to them, as I currently have a birdhouse(which my great grandfather used to love making), a blue jay(the state bird of New Jersey; where they are from), and a hummingbird(her favorite bird). I will add more soon. 

This dog truly changed my life. We got her from a friend of my brother when we visited Hawaii in 2001 for my grandfather's funeral, and we named her Hokulani. Hokulani means heavenly star in Hawaiian, and she was a very wise dog. She protected us and alerted us when trouble was near, and she was always loving to kindhearted people. In 2008, she started losing weight and stopped eating. She was diagnosed with severe diabetes and we had to put her down because treatment would have just meant suffering.

After our sad departure with Hoku, we brought home Pono; a half shitzu, half poodle fluff ball. a year and a half later, he was joined by Puka; a half maltese, half poodle hyper little ball of love. They go by the Eesters, because Pono is known as Mister Pono or the "Meester", and Puka is his sister, aka "Seester." They are doing well today and I will get to see them soon enough. Moving on, I'd like to talk about my best friends. 

Kaitlin Rose Evans. I have known her since the sixth grade, and I've gone to school with her as well as played sports with her. We kind of lost contact through the middle of high school, but we started hanging out a lot more and I am very proud to call her a best friend. She is there for me through my best and worst times. Being at different schools makes it hard, but we manage to find time to skype and talk over the phone about new things everyday. I'm super excited that she's always there to greet me with open arms and a smile. We have the same attitude, and you mess with her, you're messing with me. 

Zaira Stephanie Benavente. We've been off and on great friends since the fifth grade. We started taking more classes together, hanging out, going bowling, to concerts, and to eat sushi, even to just enjoying my mom's cooking. Sometimes we do have little fights, but we always know it'll get better. We have this friendship that is so real, we can be so upfront about anything with each other without getting offended. I've let this girl dye my hair different colors and I've even worn her clothes. Even though we are both tough-minded sometimes, we get along very well, and enjoy most of the same things. She inspires me to not care what others think and just to move on with things, because life doesn't wait for anyone.

Bree Cruz. It's unfortunate to think that people can drift apart, and I'm truly sorry that this has happened between us. We got along so well, that it was quite scary, and then we started making decisions that the other person didn't agree with. Bree has actually inspired me to be proud of being a female gamer, and a minority. I'm trying to motivate her to get back into shape for softball, because I'd love to see her play a sport that we have talked so much about and spent so much time working towards. I never got the chance to see her play because she hurt her shoulder and got surgery prior to us meeting. I won't be back in San Francisco with her in the fall, but hopefully she can find the courage to do things that she wants to do and not be held back by anyone or anything.

Alia Kelly. Wheremydadat? was our legacy in high school. We were the dynamic duo on the softball field and off it. Leaving her for college was hard because she is two grades younger than me, but I can gladly say I will have the opportunity to reunite with her this fall at my new school. We always had this presence everywhere we went, and even in our worst times, we found something worthy to enjoy, whether it was how ridiculous we looked, or how we just cherished each moment that we got to spend laughing at stupid jokes. She has inspired me to let loose and be obnoxious, because sometimes, it's just what we need. I'm super excited to know that we will be a strong defense and offense next spring. I have confidence that we will go far in softball, school, and our friendship.

Noah Ramos. The man who helped me record and edit my informational interview. My brother, my friend, and a memory. Noah is a Jewish Mexican who proudly announced it to a Christian protestor at Hippie Hill on 4/20. He is outgoing, quirky, and has the best intentions. He is one of the most level-headed people I have ever met, and he has been the one who has helped me most with my self-confidence issue. It's really sad that we will be two states away next semester, but I'm hoping to still remain close and visit each other during breaks from school. I am proud to call him my brother, even if we aren't related at all, because that's what he has been to me. Nothing is ever awkward or not appropriate between us, and I find that to be an important quality in a friend.

Next up would be art and games. Art is everywhere, and so many people play video games. I have been studying game design at the Academy of Art University and it has been one of the best experiences of my life. I have such a greater appreciation for art and the art in games. I never realized how much work drawing really is, or how much work creating a game could be. Music is art as well, and music keeps me going through my days, whether its during homework, working out, or just relaxing. Each person I have encountered that is involved with art in unique in their own way, and it is really interesting to see what people can do. 
Last, but not least, I would definitely have to say that Hawaii and Seattle both inspire me. Or better yet, where I'm from.

I moved to Seattle from Hawaii, and I was stupid to leave for college. Washington is gorgeous, and I am excited to go back home to see my friends, family, and to go to more shows because the music scene is great. A lot of people say it rains constantly, but the weather in Washington varies so much, and it's really nice to actually have seasons. 

Where it all began... I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and raised in Waipahu. I never knew that life could be so different until I moved away, but I miss living there everyday. The weather is amazing, and the island hospitality is one you could never forget. We'd call people that aren't related to us auntie or uncle, and we'd all act like we've known each other. Everyone is so giving, and so laid back. It's what keeps me calm. I love going back to visit, just to think about the times when I was younger, carefree, and of course to remember my roots.

There are many other things that inspire me, but the things I've noted are the most important to me, and they reflect who I am as a person. I am proud to be affiliated with these people and these places. Every day is a new opportunity.

Vallen Brewer

FRONT

BACK

These pictures were taken of the business card made for class. I had some help from a Graphic Design major Ian O'Connor. We put this together using my basic contact information and came up with my initials in the corner just as a logo. The background picture is of the Seattle Space Needle because I live in the suburbs of Seattle. Unfortunately, I did not include the url to my blog. The back is also really simple with just a black background and my logo in the bottom right corner. I tried to keep my logo abstract.

Havok Developer Support Engineer Sean Thurston

I recently was fortunate enough to get the time to sit down and interview a Developer Support Engineer by the name of Sean Thurston. Mr. Thurston works for Havok, and in the gaming industry, Havok works on the physics of games. I apologize for the sirens in the beginning, due to the fact that this audio was recorded in Yerba Buena Park in downtown San Francisco. The company is located on the eleventh floor of 49 Stevenson St. near First and Market. Upon Mr. Thurston's requests, the interview was only recorded on audio. I greatly appreciate the time of Mr. Thurston, and got his permission to post the interview here.
All video credit goes to Noah Ramos. This interview was recorded and edited by Noah, and the questions were asked by myself.

Death Dance or Drunk Dance?

This is a picture that was recently posted on the LA 151 class blog, which is written by our instructor, Carleigh Kude. She has assigned us to critique this picture.


I really love the organic feel of the piece, as well as the color and textures used. It really appeals to the eye and it flows well. It really does show the artist's expression and overall, I love the way it catches my attention.
The only bad thing I think of when I look at this picture is that it kind of seems like a drunk girl in different stages of a dance; especially since the figures do not have faces, though I am not sure if it just me or not. I also think it kind of lacks a central theme. I mean, we can all interpret this in a different way, but I'm not really sure what the artist is getting at, BUT like I said, I really do love the way this piece catches my eye. It really is beautifully organic and mysterious. If I were to ask the artist a few questions, I might ask one of the following:

What inspired you to design this piece, and what gave you the idea to use an actual texture on a 2 dimensional piece? Why did you choose to leave the figures faceless? What does this piece represent (personally) to you?
Some of the unanswered questions of this piece may be who the girl(s) is(are) and what exactly she(they) is(are) doing. 

Fascination of Art

So recently (about a week ago), my class took a trip to the de Young Museum in San Francisco, at Golden Gate Park. Our assignment is to chose at least one piece of art that inspired us, moved us, or just caught our attention. 
During my walk-through of the permanent exhibits that we were allowed to view, I was able to see many different styles of artwork that have come from many places and time periods. 


For my assignment, I have chosen these pieces of art to write about:

Seattle Ladder 1970

<--- This piece of art is named Seattle Ladder. It was created by Therman Statom in 1992. Statom is known for his glass scuplture. He cuts, paints, and assembles the glass, as well as adds more glass to create spectacular artwork. This particular piece of work was created with plate glass, blown glass, glass fragments, paint, and silicone. I believe Statom named it as he did because he began his earliest years of education in glass art about an hour north of Seattle, in Stanwood, Washington. This piece caught my eye because I live between the two cities, and Seattle is very creative when it comes to art. I mean, we do have a wall of gum, that many people have placed there already-chewed gum onto a building, and people go to visit it. The artist chose a ladder because his best known pieces of art are architectural designs such as ladders, chairs, tables, miniature houses, and box-like paintings. I do not believe that this piece of art reveals anything about the time it was created in, but I do believe that it reveals a lot about the artist himself. The message I seemed to perceive when I saw the Seattle Ladder was that glass can be made into anything, and that the artist has a fine taste for architectural objects, as Seattle is a very industrial city. Time management and setting both had a lot of impact on Statom to create this piece because as I have said, it is very "Seattle-like." Being around the city or the area must have been his motivation, though I am not completely sure.

Coffin in the shape of a cocoa pod ca.1970

This next piece of art is called Coffin in the shape of a cocoa pod. It was created by Kane Kwei ca. 1970. It is made of wood, paint, and cloth and was of African; West African; Ghanain descent. It was created in Ghana as a ritual object. He owns a carpentry workshop that creates coffins intended for funerals. The reason this piece of art caught my eye was because of its unusual design; shape and color. Kwei was the inventor of fantasy coffins in the early 1950's and his work shows his pride in his home and his ethnic traditions. I do have to say, his coffin designs are interesting, because they are not boring by any means, and they do not convey death, sadness or scary images. 

Azaleas and Apple Blossoms 1879

<--- Azaleas and Apple Blossoms was painted on canvas with the oil paint in 1879 by Charles Caryl Coleman. The title is suitable due to the azaleas and apple blossoms in the painting, titling itself. This piece of artwork caught my eyes because of the simplicity of the setup of the painting, but yet how beautiful and intricate the flowers become when intertwined within each other. The colors of the flowers are soft, as the vases stick out in the painting. Though the European tabletop still-life tradition is in place, the Japanese art of flower arrangement called "Ikebana" really adds to it, and they both work together really well. I feel that while Coleman was in Rome post-Civil War, he was inspired by his European surroundings, he also wanted something a little different, that would work beautifully with the European style.
The oil painting on canvas also gives it a little more texture and really makes the painting "pop." 

Flanged cylinder vessel
with the god K'awiil A.D. 600-850

The intricate piece of art to the right is known as the Flanged cylinder vessel with the god K'awiil. It was created in Mexico as a late, classical Mayan piece. The Mayans were all about complexity and I feel that this piece was made to honor the god K'awiil, as it states in the title. It's a very detailed, symmetrical sculpture. A flanged cylinder is a piece of spun metal, and carved into this artwork. This definitely represents the historical era of the Mayans. I feel the motivation of this artwork was simply the time and surrounding of the Mayans and their gods, and what they believed in. We have all looked up to the Mayans, as we simply have based our calendar year and time off of their findings and writings. So far, we believe in the Mayans because many of what they have said was going to happen, has happened, even if they were off by a few years. The controversy of 2012 is still debatable, and we will not know until the time comes, but recent findings suggest they were off by around 50 years.

Smart or not?

In my second semester at the Academy of Art University, I was put into a class called Seminar for Academic Success because I was one unit shy of not having to take it. At first I thought that it was stupid and a waste of time; that I was too good for it and blah blah blah. After a few weeks of actually being in the class, I lightened up about it, and it is actually quite interesting, though i do have more homework for it than any other class I am taking. We only have a few weeks left, and we have been given our final project for class. One thing we need to do is start a blog, which was very convenient for me because I had been wanting to write one prior to our assignment. In this class, we have come up with SMART Goals, and I will publish one that I did not include in my assignment packet. Here goes nothing.

Specific goal:

My specific goal is to write a book, whether it is a biography, autobiography, a book about philosophy, science, or anything intelligent, even though books aren't being read as much as they used to.

Measurable:

My goal will be measured by the time is is published and organized to present to an audience.

Attainable?: 

Is my goal attainable? YES, I do feel my goal is attainable.

Resources:

The resources I will need to complete this task will be my time, my knowledge, my opinion, paper, ink, a computer, printing/binding, and the proper techniques for writing a well-organized book.

Timetable:

I do not have a specific timetable for my goal, I just want to get it accomplished sometime after I figure out what my career will be.

Steps: 

1. Prewriting- brainstorming/ writing my ideas down

2. First rough draft

3. Edit

4. Revise and print second draft

5. Edit

6. Revise final copy

7. Publish (print and bind with necessary information)

Well, that is my SMART goal, which hopefully one day, will be accomplished. I hope to become a concept artist in the field of game design, with a background in Physics or Computer Science/Networking, as well as an author on the side. 

Big dreams for a small girl, but anything is possible.