The Day the President Came to Chinatown

I was invited by the Ong family to attend the president's speech at the Betty Ann Ong Chinese Recreation Center.

No big cameras were allowed so all I had was my iPhone5.

I had a bad fall the other week so I was hobbling around with a cane.  They allowed me to enter as a handicap person.  That's a first for me.  I was able to sit down too.  The average person had to stand.  And they stood for more than two hours.  Supposedly there were 500 people in attendance but it seemed a little less than that.

The whole scene seemed artificial.  The gym of the recreation center was transformed into a television studio.  Draped with blue cloth on the walls and television studio lights professionally installed.  A huge American flag for the background.

The president finally entered and made his speech concerning immigration law reform which he was trying to push through congress.  I was probably like forty feet from where the president stood.  

I don't know what it is... but even the president seemed artificial.  Like he was acting and he was a very good actor.  He could have been just as well be a Jay Leno or Conan O'Brian.  Everything seemed staged and things happened on cue.  Even the hecklers that seemed to heckle at cue and then allowing the president to talk about the issue the hecklers brought about.  If they were true hecklers, they would heckle and heckle till they're lead out.  But these hecklers seemed orderly and were not led out.

Well...it was my first time I saw an American president live and up close.  At one point he was up about 3-4 rolls in front of me. 

By the way, I did not participate in the last two presidential elections.

M. Mar

Just did this line portrait for Michael Mar.  The little brother of late Freddy Mar and the late Lang Mar.  I had this sitting around for awhile...forgot about it till now.  Michael is a retired Golden Gate Bridge painter.

xanga

Looks like Xanga is gonna bite the dust.  My main blog has been at Xanga.  Maybe I might be treating this more like my regular blog... or should I use wordpress?

Digital Portraits!

I got my first commission to do a digital portrait!  Thanks Lauren of ABC Rags!  Read about her review here.

But hey...for twenty five smackeroos, I can do a digital portrait for you!  You supply me with a photo, I will do the art and supply you with a high resolution file for print out and a ready to post jpeg.  You can pay me via paypal lwongphoto@yahoo.com

line tracings from photographs using photoshop

Ten Randoms

1.

That was one helluva surprise birthday party last October! What a way to ring in the big six-oh. Thanks fellas!

 2.

I'm gonna be doing a six month artist in residency at the Chinese Historical Society. Creative Spaces. It starts next week!

 3.

I'm designing the poster for the 133rd Annual Bok Kai Festival...I'm under the gun to get this done. Hope to have it done today. I finally got the proper Chinese characters for it. I'm trying to make this poster bilingual as possible. I still have to add the tassels for the lantern and a snake dangling from the lantern. It's the year of the snake!

4.

I've got four of my old screenprinted posters up at the National Japanese American Historical Society. Exhibit is called Iconic Posters of JAM Workshop and it will be up for five months.

5.

A shirt design I did for Chinatown Community Development Center.

6.

We've been printing t-shirts at the Oshogatsu Festival for more than thirty five years!

7.

Corky and I are talkin' photography. We had a joint exhibit thirty-two years ago at the Chinese Culture Center called Not On the Menu. We hope to have a follow up exhibit soon at the culture center.

8.

I make pretty good tong yuen.

9.

I still have a bunch of toilet roll art left...going for three for $25.

 10.

I still have a handful of these t-shirts left. $20 each. email me lwongphoto@yahoo.com with instruction.