Artwork: Landmines

Posted by Sherrie Thai of Shaire Productions.

This illustration is for the 7th edition of Propaganda Revista magazine, based in Bogota, Columbia, focusing on landmines. This is my second involvement with the publication and I'm very proud to be part of their meaningful, socially-relevant projects.

The simple black, red and white color scheme were inspired by the old political and propaganda posters of the 40s-60s. The pattern in the background is an ink drawing of abstract faces, while the skeletal fetus was an extracted image from another artwork of mine--reappropriated, but I think it will serve a better purpose in this piece. The drawing was created in pen/ink, then scanned and digitally colored. The paint splatters suggest the violence and brutality of the explosions, while the fetus represent the loss of innocence and humanity.

Artwork: Freedom Illustrations

Posted by Sherrie Thai of Shaire Productions.

Both Girl Textured and Freedom were created by hand with pen/ink, then digitally colored. They are about freedom of mind and spirit. Maya Angelou's book "I Know Why a Caged Bird Sings" was a major inspiration as it was about a constant struggle and trying to rise above one's circumstances.

The top piece is a experimentation into combining intricate patterns with a simple tribal style.

Photo: Hoola Hoop Girl

Posted by Sherrie Thai of Shaire Productions.

This candid photo entitled Hoola Hoop Girl was taken on the streets of San Francisco at the How Weird Street Faire (great event of music and pageantry).

Featured: My Timeline/Lifestream on Bebo Homepage

My Timeline/Lifestream on Bebo Homepage
Originally uploaded by shaire productions

I'm super duper excited about this! My photos and illustrations are featured on the Bebo.com Homepage (US/CA only) with their new Lifestream/ Photo Timeline launch. It's a cool feature where your photo albums are placed in a visual timeline--very interactive and clickable piece.

My feature will be up for a week. You'll have to refresh (F5) the page about 10 times, but I'm happy it's there! My Bebo Profile

A screenshot of my page is included in an article by Kara Swisher (covering tech issues for The Wall Street Journal and Boomtown) about the new innovations between AOL and Bebo here. It's also featured in Venture Beat, focusing on the lifestream service.

Photo: Self-Portrait

Self-Portrait was part of an experiment with my new remote control (and tripod) for the XTi digital camera. It's great to see instant results with the playback button, but it took about 40 frames to get something decent--with lots of running back and forth. There was major cropping and a little contrast adjustment.

Artwork: Love-Inspired Shirts

Since Valentines is here, there's love in the air, so that was the theme to these designs. One Love is inspired by a phrase in Bob Marley's song, "One Love", but expanded to include the text "One Love, One Hope, One Voice." It's done in a grungy fashion, and incorporates my urban calligraphy. It's based on the inclusive attitude of the hip-hop and reggae musical communities. The shirts are available for men and women here.



Dying for Love is a goofy visual pun. This design can also be found on Zazzle.



Inspired by the Cookie Monster and Valentines Day, the Love Monster eats hearts for breakfast. Indicative of the "Happy Insanity" t-shirt series, this design has a little bit of cynicism mixed with humor. He can be purchased here.

Artwork: Chinese Lion Dance

Posted by Sherrie Thai of ShaireProductions.com



Chinese Lion Dance is in honor of the Chinese/Lunar New Year, so many happy thoughts going out!

Like many of my recent pieces, this was created initially by hand with pen/ink, then scanned and cleaned up in Photoshop. I created the elements, primarily the lion and ground, separately (see Chrysanthemum Floral Design post), then collaged them together and added slight color highlights. I wanted to keep the colors of the lion very subtle, so the viewer could concentrate on the details of the patterns, rather than be distracted by lots of color. Red is the Chinese color of luck and the symbol in the top right represents happiness.

I've been meaning to create an illustration of Chinese Lions and the Lunar New Year is a great opportunity. They're always so fascinating, especially after performing with a troupe with some folks in Oakland (many moons ago). I never tire of the tradition nor the pageantry.

Artwork: Sorrow (Heritage Series)

. Art by Sherrie Thai of ShaireProductions.com



Sorrow is my third piece of the Heritage Series (Ghosts of Khmer Rouge and Contemplation), a self-initiated project concerning the historic atrocities in Asia. Originally a personal tribute to my family in regards to their experiences via the Khmer Rouge, I think this particular piece is applicable to the current events as war is still prevalent. Regardless of your position, the effects of war is saddening.

The background of this image was similar to the rest of the Heritage series--patterns from a brush pen infused with a cloud texture in Photoshop. I've always loved trees and thought they have many human aspects. The trees of Angkor Wat have so much life to them--they seem to cry out in pain. Combining horror elements with social themes may have a greater impact to the message of the artwork.

Artwork: Sketches 01/16

Another image from my sketchbook. This was an ongoing mini-project during my daily commute to/from San Francisco. I may use the dragon for a future project. He's camouflaged in there with some eyeballs and such. View Larger

Koi Shirt on TeeFury (01/15/09 only!)

This $9 shirt is available at TeeFury.com for 01/15/09 only!

The original artwork was created a while back on clayboard, then scanned and cleaned up in Photoshop. View Larger.

This is my second turn at the TeeFury site. The folks there have been more than gracious, and while the first design (Dragon O) was a controversial one, this design is more traditional and may fare better. I love to work with different art styles, so it's always an adventure!

Artwork: Cranes and Myspace Page

Cranes is a slight experimentation into various patterns and textures with a single medium--pen--in a detailed tribal style. View Larger.

I finally got around to creating a Myspace page for Shaire Productions here. With all tasks, there's always room for improvement, but it's a start. =0)

Photo: Zen Frog

Frog
Originally uploaded by shaire productions

How peaceful this little guy looks!

Photo: Raindrops on Glass

Raindrops on Glass
Originally uploaded by shaire productions

Another rainy day.

Artwork: Tiki Surfer Shirt

Posted by Sherrie Thai of ShaireProductions.com





This shirt design is a slight remake of a piece I did over the summer. The inspiration of this were the grocery bag designs from Trader Joe's (with their kitchy Tiki characters eating popsicles) and Hawaiian surfers.

Photo: San Francisco Bay Bridge

San Francisco Bay Bridge
Originally uploaded by shaire productions

This sunrise over the bay was easily one of the most beautiful sunrises I've ever seen. . . no photo editing, just simple and natural.

Artwork: Angel Mandala 2009 Calender

As today is New Year's Eve, I've adapted the Angel Mandala artwork into a Calender format. Hopefully, it would be utilized. You could view and download the image (for personal use) here. Have a safe and happy New Years!

Artwork: Penguin Love

Penguin Love
Originally uploaded by shaire productions

It's all about love this holiday. Season's Greetings!

Artwork: Angel Mandala

I've been trying to combine realistic elements with decorative pieces. Although I love black and white imagery, subtle coloration could bring out the content a bit more. Angel Mandala was influenced by the styles of Art & Crafts and Art Nouveau. View Larger.

Artwork: A Christmas Carol

I've always thought Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" was a beautiful tale of regret and redemption. The inspiration was the ominous Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come and Dore's dramatic etchings. This was created by pen/ink, then digitally colored in Photoshop. View Larger.

Artwork: Christmas Reindeer Scene

Here's another Christmas e-card with something we don't really see in San Francisco--snow. View Larger.