san francisco, 2è

Collected scenes from around town, deuxième edition.

The annual Bay to Breakers run/drunken slog from downtown to Ocean Beach (with tortilla toss and requisite naked dude and Waldo), the Russian honey cake at 20th Century Café, Church of 8 Wheels roller disco Thursdays, Nightgarden Piano at the Botanical Garden in  Golden Gate Park, Kabuki Springs japanese baths, brunch:  the citywide weekend sport (waiting in line until you are nothing but desiccated, benedictless bones), Café Jacqueline for a romantic soufflé, frozen yogurt with olive oil at Souvla, gin at Whitechapel, Victorian arcade amusements at the Musée Mécanique.

san francisco

Collected scenes from around town.

The big rainbow flag at Harvey Milk Plaza, Castro Theatre sign, Pirate Store at 826 Valencia, dahlias (the city flower), Inclines & wires, Boba Guys tea, Dia de los Muertos in Garfield Park, Karl the fog pummeling the neighborhood in Fogust, the Wiggle (the only way to get from Market Street to the Panhandle without dying), purple chandeliers at the Fillmore, Baker Beach (with nude area, setting for the first Burning Man), giant Mission burritos, steam buns, Trouble Coffee’s Build Your Own Damn House breakfast (a coffee, cinnamon toast, and a coconut).

talking to new moon girls

Some of you may remember that in the ’00s I was a frequent contributor to New Moon Girls, an awesome feminist magazine for girls about 8-12 years old. They sent an editor to interview me for their column Women’s Work about what I was up to lately and the illustrations I used to do for them. The full article is in their May/June 2018 issue (pages 22 & 23). As an introvert, it’s kind of agonizing to see myself in print. But it’s exciting too. ;D

Hi girls!

kampung

My cousin Siti at our nenek’s house in Malaysia in the 80s. From a family photo.

the secret show

A comic about a secret show we went to last year. It was so magical!

bigger panels:

in progress:

café jacqueline

I keep meaning to go back to Café Jacqueline in North Beach for a soufflé. This is Chef Jacqueline’s egg bowl that she’s been using for ever with a pysanka perched on top of the pile.

march for our lives

Hitting the streets with the students today & thinking of two high school friends who died because of easy access to guns. It’s way past time for gun reform!

in my studio

At my art table, on a sweaty and somewhat frantic day.

Fun fact: I still use the art table my dad bought me for christmas in high school.

life drawing in rose

From a life drawing session at the workshop I went to over the weekend. The model had very expressive hands! Pretty happy with my new Daniel Smith watercolor tube, rose of ultramarine.

women’s march 2018

I broke out a 22 year old shirt from my baby feminist marching days to support women today.

Unfinished foray into documentary illustration (I will never admit to regretting not taking that damnable perspective class in art school):

enchanted forest birthdays

Sketching out my friends’ Enchanted Forest birthdays party to remember it by.

The magical birthday girls…

…and me, their friend the nasturtium sprite.

arnold lobel-ish pattern

Pattern based on plant borders Arnold Lobel drew on some Frog & Toad covers, I think. Or maybe it was Mouse Soup. He was so good!

Some uses for the new pattern: inked and in that millennial pink I keep seeing around, as wallpaper in crumbly goth parlors, in tea colors for backgrounds.

my sister’s orchard

My sister’s house has a very diverse and tiny orchard behind it.

repeating roses

I probably should have learned how to do repeating patterns in photoshop ages ago, this was so fun. 🌹🌿👩🏽‍🎨🌿🌹 Surprisingly easy and satisfying!

messing with new pens

Three Liza-ishes! Messing around with a new pen, the Zig Cocoiro. I like the brush refill, it’s like a Pentel brush pen but smaller. You can really mash a Cocoiro extra fine tip and it doesn’t seem to mind. The only bad thing is it isn’t waterproof.

darkroom

From my sketchbook. When I was in high school, my family was numerous, loud, and chaotic. The darkroom was the only place in the house (besides the toilet!) I didn’t have to let the little kids into. I’d put on music and feel sly and enjoy being by myself.

the dressmaker

fascinating fashion movie!

hugo weaving exits the house with a piece of fuchsia italian silk to the sound of the flower duet in lakmé:



fine frocks in the dusty outback town of dungatar:




kate winslet and hugo weaving looking fab at a funeral:

the red dress:

gert stole my wedding fascinator:

drinking teh tarik

Teh tarik is a milky tea you can get in Malaysia that’s frothy from being hurled in the air. You can either drink it at the the stall or take it to go in a plastic bag with a straw. Plants: a young banana tree and caladium. Bugs: atlas moths.

uji time

I looove Japantown. This was so. Good. 🤤 Matcha soft serve & Pocky with adzuki beans in a taiyaki cone.

to voyager

NASA is celebrating 40 years of Voyager by choosing a message to beam into interstellar space. I couldn’t resist, I have such a soft spot for hopeful robots intrepidly zooming through the cosmos. Here’s my message:

40,000 years to the next star out. Little spaceship, I wish I could see what you’re going to see! #messagetovoyager