Welcome

Thanks for visiting my site. Originally called "Ask Jacks", Penning AJ is my new warehouse for my creative outlet. Please take your time and look around the site, read the stories and sign my guestbook. I'd love to hear what you have to say either about my writing, sketches/graphics...anything really...

no more

So I looked up Allison's site, CircleDot Creative and it is no longer up and running. Unfortunate. I know she has her other ventures ahead of her, including the up and coming championship for Cut & Paste in New York. If you want, look at her clothing project, KOAN clothing.

Furthermore, other sites no longer in use includes my own old portfolio, jackedthreads. It has been replaced with mintyIDEAS (which I think I mentioned in yesterday's update post).

5 months

Apologies for not keeping up with the site or my good intentioned ambitions for it. I've since applied to the JET program and did not make it to interviews. I did earn my TEFL and did get my diploma (in March). However, due to certain circumstances, I've found myself bounded to the States for a while longer to work on building a diverse portfolio that I can submit for either work or design school (graduate school).

As of right now, JackedThreads no longer exists. I have since made and published a new online studio/portfolio in the making called mintyIDEAS. I will try and keep my promise, though of a review for CircleDot. Hopefully a new post will be up later today.

College Graduate

Though I walked in June I have officially finished the last bit of my upper division units (I needed only 2!) and will get, hopefully, get my diploma this month--if all the paperwork gets turned in on time. So, what have I been doing since the last update? I had switched majors from Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics to *drum-a-roll* Art History. I know, a huge LEAP away from science. I had figured out that studying science, though interesting, wasn't a passion and that if I a)wasn't stellar at it and b)didn't love it, that these two things would not make for a successful career.

So, the question running in your mind is, "Are you successful?" That depends on perspective. I have found that my long term goals are still as uncertain and unpredictable as ever. In fact, I've moved back to the Bay while I work part-time telecommuting to LA and working with my boss (the same one from college). I have decided that I will be traveling next year: Japan, Taiwan, Beijing, Korea--they're all possibilities since this will be in pursuit of teaching English abroad. I'm currently taking online courses to earn my TEFL certificate and have already completed a 20 hour intense workshop reviewing teaching methods and English grammar.

In the meantime, I will be signing up for design classes at a community college to get my feet wet. In other news, I highly recommend you check out James Jean's blog for updates on his personal artwork, since he's resigned from doing the cover art of the graphic novel Fables. Also, the roommate of my former 2nd year roommate is an up-and-coming, or maybe already established, designer/artist with her own company! She's SUPER talented and I'm so jealous of her creativity and skill. Many props to Allison Torneros (click here to see her company CircleDot Creative).

Additionally, I'm working on a redesign of my online studio/portfolio (though I can't really call it a portfolio since it doesn't have much on it) JackedThreads whose theme was inspired by Hygge & West, an online design shop. I will also try and continue the FEATURES section in my recommendations page: which I'll look at CircleDot Creative and pretty much just give my opinion about the design and function of the site. Be warned, this is not a pro's opinion, just and amateur--it'll be the everyday user's perspective.

Anyways, we'll be up and running, again! I'll also be adding a new "logo" in place of that eagle/bird thing on the right. I figure, I need to establish my own online identity, right? We'll see.

Happy Holidays, people!

Artistic Endeavors

Completed inking some sketches I did a couple of months ago. As always, my progress with personal projects is slow. Titled "Eve", it's the result of some theraputic drawing when I was recovering from "heartbreak". Go to the WORKS page for the new installment under "illustrations"

On another note: as I was searching for new Photoshop brushes to use to design my sister's wedding invitations, I came across this blog of a Photoshop contest. The prize was a MacBook. Here are some of their works (for all second round entries, the top 15, click here):

Obsessions: Books and Dramas

Time passes so quickly. I just finished the fall 2007 quarter for my last year at university. Weird. I often wonder what will happen when I finally do graduate. There are so many options that lie ahead: art school, grad school, work. I do plan on working no matter what...if I pursue grad school it will wait a year just so I can gain some experience in a field I'd be interested in. As for the type of work--that remains a mystery. I'm interested in publishing and art.

On another note: foregin dramas rock. I've been bitten by Asian tv shows--they cover a market not really targeted in the US. BTW: I find it amusing that one of the stars of a Taiwanese drama (Hana Kimi), Wu Chun has his own blog.

Formating: PDF Online

It's not new and I'm definitely not the first to find this out, but PDFonline gives a free service of converting your images, documents and the like into a pdf file! I love it. In fact, I recently converted all my excerpts (unedited, unfortunately) to the pdf format. Just thought I'd share this tidbit of information!

Creating: Font-Type and Fashion?

"In many ways the type business is a fashion business--some type faces won't be used forever. That can be very freeing."

--Christian Swartz

During my daily ritual of checking online sites, I stopped by MML's blog and found her bookmark of myfonts.com newsletter featuring creative design on fonts. As an amateur artist and web designer, I've discovered the importance of typography. The specific fonts used elicit a response in the viewer: depending on what you want to provoke. The bolds, the serifs vs. sans serifs, the curvature--it's all important in the overall aesthetic. Check out the newsletter; it features an interview with Christian Swartz, recipient of the Prix Charles Peignot award.

Writing : Hooking the reader

"She said her name was Elsie, and that she had a gun in her car." --Marjorie M. Liu, Soul Song

First liners hook the reader into your story. It's not about summing up characters or giving too much information--there's no way to do this with good prose. In any case, check out the one-liners featured on romantictimes.

News: Layout development

Have acquired a new layout via OSWD.org--the mecca and go-to layout site of my preference. Really, when you're not entirely sure about css and coding, using templates to figure things out works pretty well. Of course, I wish I was more adept and talented at creating my own unique styles and looks, but alas, that takes FOREVER. In other news, enjoy this new layout, I believe it presents the information of the site thoroughly on just this first page. There are:

• main links located on the third column with...
• specific stories and works located on the far right

On another note, I recently returned from a week long trip (mid quarter, I might add) from Toronto on some serious business. My grandfather, at 86 years of age, had passed away last week and he was such a good man. There's no doubt that among family we would accept our faults, but he left seven children, sixteen grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter, and a loving wife behind. My grandfather, though I hadn't been as close as other family members, was always someone I remember chasing the seagulls away when I was a little girl. I remember him in his fishing hat and large glasses smiling at me. My Ya Ya was just so loveable and was such a character that no one will ever forget him and will always love him.

Reviews: Books

Penning AJ at blogspot is a site I created soley for the purpose of reviews. Dedicated to discuss anything from movies, books (old and new), music, or even the random musing, the blog gives a rating based on "hot" factor. I know it's a little odd way to review things, but it's usually based on how much I love whatever the item is. Check it out because the last review agrees with the Smart Bitches Who Love Trashy Books. A pretty in depth and spot-on review of Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas.

Anyway, as I was saying, Kleypas = cany. Not the Malaysian kind of the crapass grocery store chocolate kind, but the kind of candy that you stop and devote a good few minutes to enjoying, doing nothing else but savoring the calories that add nothing to your life nutitionally but make you feel happy and indulgent.

--Smart Bitches

On another note, check out cgsociety.org. A featured article I bookmarked is about cover art: the purpose, the objective and an outline of what to keep in mind when creating art to sell a story.