tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88919427975600175632024-03-14T01:06:50.025-07:00Aijung KimCurrent happenings in the art and everyday life of artist Aijung Kim: artist, printmaker, zine-maker, illustrator, writer, and aspiring children's book creator. Aijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.comBlogger108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-16726300810910744702019-02-04T18:21:00.000-08:002019-02-04T18:53:15.280-08:00Happy Year of the Pig! Watercolor and Papercut Process
This is the fourth calendar I've designed for my family's gift store, Archimage, in Rochester, NY. Every Christmas holiday, they hand out these calendars when people make a purchase. Most of the calendars have followed a Chinese Zodiac theme, and starting February 5th, 2019 it's the Year of the Earth Pig! People born under the year of the Pig tend to be logical, kind, and appreciate the Aijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-78906648233014117692019-01-21T13:45:00.000-08:002019-01-21T14:37:03.097-08:00Wisdom Mask - From Sketch to Linocut
It's funny how setting limits can increase creativity. As an art instructor, I often go in new directions because of project ideas I set for my students. On February 16th and 17th, I am teaching a workshop called Magical Masks: Linocut Weekend Workshop (you can register HERE) inspired by the current special exhibit "Congo Masks" at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, through February 24th. AsAijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-19586021391527867572018-09-24T16:54:00.002-07:002018-09-24T16:54:43.889-07:00Some Art From the Time In-Between!
Hi Friends,
Wow, I can't believe it's been over two years since I've posted here! At the moment, I tend to post art stuff on my Instagram page, but technology apps tend to morph and lose popularity so fast, and I have been missing my blog! Plus, the blog is always here for the technologically-challenged.
Well. A lot has transpired since my last blog post. But, I'll save that for future posts. Aijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-1803614226452979072016-09-21T13:05:00.001-07:002019-01-21T13:46:52.414-08:00Benevolence
Note: From September 4th - 22nd I have been in residence at the Rensing Center, a wonderful place in rural Pickens, South Carolina. This is a duplicate of the blog post I wrote for the Rensing Center blog today. To read and see more from other creatives who have been in residence at the Rensing Center or to find out what a creative retreat can feel like (just reading about it is inspiring!), Aijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-37041610462437655212016-01-05T13:13:00.000-08:002016-01-07T16:18:36.962-08:00Old Year Reflections
Last year was a funny kind of year for me, a good year in many ways but different than I had envisioned it. It was the first year in my life I achieved my dream of making a living by selling my art and teaching. It will take me a little longer to be more comfortable financially, but I count myself pretty lucky for making it through the year without having to get another part-time job, which IAijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-35831156610582515222015-08-30T11:11:00.003-07:002022-11-10T17:23:20.131-08:00Inspirations and Frustrations - Finding My Illustration Voice
Yesterday, after a day of drawing and painting, I felt intensely frustrated with myself. In January I started some sketchbook experiments in search of my "illustration voice," a medium and style I can use in my children's book illustration. While printmaking is the medium I work with most often, I wanted to find a more direct approach to my children's illustration, such as drawing, painting, Aijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-14363189542206791592015-06-14T06:34:00.000-07:002015-06-14T06:34:40.281-07:00Rooting
Since moving to Richmond, VA six years ago, I've never successfully maintained a compost pile. The first time, I kept it in a big garbage pail that my landlord had okay'ed, but after several months when I was ready to use the compost he came and dumped it in the garbage. This happened to me twice! In my second apartment in Richmond, I had a composter out back, but then the chimneys of the Aijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-37530474105851805982015-06-02T06:51:00.001-07:002015-06-04T05:33:53.114-07:00Fortune Cards Workshop
Ever since creating my own oracle deck, The Golden Moth Illumination Deck, I've wanted to lead a workshop to encourage others to make their own. But unlike my deck, which was reproduced by offset and digital printing, I thought the experience of making a one-of-a-kind handmade deck would be approachable for beginners, and a refreshing change for me. The cards above were some samples that I Aijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-65318619360084027022015-06-01T09:12:00.000-07:002015-06-04T07:46:49.947-07:00It's Back...
...finally. It seemed like it would never come. I felt adrift, frustrated, empty. And scared. What if I'd lost it for good?
I hadn't used the word "artist's block" to describe my situation in many years. Because I don't know if I believe in artist's block. In her audio narrative "The Creative Fire," Clarissa Pinkola Estés describes this period of infertility as a metaphoricalAijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-6089391459357928512015-01-20T10:17:00.001-08:002015-01-20T10:17:36.227-08:00The "Underneath" Story
A reader commented on my 2014 Re-Cap post that her year was full of less tangible accomplishments than mine. I like that observation. It's true that some years are full of busy activity, and some can be more low-key in terms of visibility, but a lot can go on underneath the surface. I'm going to use my Golden Moth Illumination Deck to show you what 2014 felt like to me.
Aijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-1716287295894338472015-01-13T09:36:00.000-08:002015-01-13T09:39:42.007-08:002014: A Year in Pictures
This is me, right now. And Dozer, my cat.
As the caption says, it is glorious. I'm taking a rest - a self-enforced laziness. I feel like I should get up and do stuff, I have my to-do list filled with activities, yet they're getting ticked off so slowly.
YES. To sluggy-ness. It is so healing.
I know that a new western calendar year can mean a clean slate, but truth be told, I usually get Aijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-75863309654525692322014-12-08T18:55:00.000-08:002014-12-11T07:28:51.614-08:00Golden Moth Giveaway + Shop Sale Through December 14th!
Finally, finally... After much poking and prodding of digital files and discussions with my printer, James River Press, the second printing of The Golden Moth Illumination Deck has arrived! This time, I had the cards printed digitally on a smooth cardstock and they were corner-rounded by the printer (taking the strain off my shoulders!) For those of you who haven't been following its progress, Aijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-15639783703159986942014-11-10T07:51:00.001-08:002014-11-10T07:51:37.131-08:00Golden Moth Deck Tattoo!
A couple of months ago, someone who owns my Golden Moth Illumination Deck had one of the card images tattooed on their arm. What an honor!
Aijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-42786726208058687042014-11-09T09:20:00.000-08:002014-11-09T09:20:25.530-08:00Adventures in Selling, Part Three: Dreams and Shadows
Last week was Halloween - a time to bring the skeletons out of the closet and wear them on your skin. For a few brief hours, I became a tiger. It feels good to look and act differently than normal. It's fun to see the beautiful, horrible, and fantastic out on the sidewalks - dancing, collecting treats, and reveling in the night.
Me and Dozer. He wasn't fooled by my cattish-ness.
Which Aijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-39107077804033054072014-09-07T08:02:00.001-07:002014-09-07T08:04:58.468-07:00Adventures in Selling, Part Two: Where the Money Is
It was 3:30 in the morning a month ago when I first started writing this blog post. I had to split it up because it was so long (see Adventures in Selling, Part One). My cat woke me up scratching on my door, and I couldn't fall asleep after that. For a long time, I had been wanting to express my feelings in written form, but I just felt too busy and overwhelmed to write. A phrase originated in Aijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-12649081109304151012014-08-08T04:50:00.000-07:002014-08-08T06:50:28.583-07:00Adventures in Selling, Part One: Hitting the Pavement
A few weeks ago, while visiting my boyfriend's family in Kentucky, I took my notecards around to some shops. It's been a bit more difficult than I imagined to get in touch with store owners to purchase my cards. I'll write e-mails, and sometimes I'm lucky enough to hear back that they're interested, or maybe my cards aren't a good fit for their store or it's not good timing. But often, Aijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-45239808641329405812014-08-02T06:31:00.000-07:002014-08-02T06:31:40.141-07:00Behind the Virtual Storefront: Interview with Etsy Seller One Strange Girl
Next up in this series are the lovely vintage finds of Janine Sodano, of One Strange Girl. I found Janine's shop through the Etsy Local search feature for Richmond, VA, and thought she would add an interesting perspective with her fun antique objects. Read on!
Janine Sodanowww.etsy.com/shop/onestrangegirl?ref=si_shop
1. Please describe your Etsy shop and your personal outlook as a seller.&Aijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-8602402250611438532014-06-26T09:11:00.000-07:002014-06-26T09:51:45.752-07:00Past Illustration Highlights and Newly-Released Prints
If I don't blog about something right away, sometimes I forget to share it. So, I'd like to peel back history and show you a selection of illustration commissions I worked on since last summer.
One of the illustrations from a wedding invite I illustrated for my friend last year. She was born in the year of the Dog, and he in the year of the Horse :)
Another commission from a Aijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-53324561147687438512014-06-18T09:32:00.000-07:002014-06-18T09:33:00.850-07:00Unmotivation, Gustave Baumann Woodcuts, and the "Bloom" Giveaway Winner!
I must admit that I've been lazy for the last week or so. I hate the word lazy. Okay, I've been in a rut. But that's not exactly true. It's not artist block. I have ideas, I have some direction, I have materials ready.
Unmotivated. That's the word. Whenever I feel lazy or unmotivated it's usually because I feel tired out (probably from travelling to Philly a week ago to do the Punk Rock Flea), Aijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-70241639149321024342014-06-10T06:48:00.001-07:002014-06-10T06:49:38.246-07:00Re-Released Books - "Genius (Love)" and "non sense"
I was inspired by a couple of readers who responded to my "Bloom" giveaway post (and speaking of which, I'll announce the winners in my next blog post). They mentioned how much they liked my zines. Encouraged by this and as part of my ongoing effort to simplify my life, I've re-released new versions of a zine and a chapbook that were out of circulation for a long time.
The zine Aijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-49941665880123327192014-06-03T06:30:00.002-07:002014-06-03T06:31:55.403-07:00Golden Moth 2nd Anniversary...and a Special Discount!
In early February of 2012, I launched my Kickstarter campaign to produce The Golden Moth Illumination Deck in a limited run of 300 decks. In mid-June of that year (2 months later than I had planned) I sent off the first decks to generous Kickstarter backers who supported me. It has now been over two years since it all began. Little did I know that the Golden Moth would sweep me up a Aijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-781868650707293692014-05-19T17:18:00.000-07:002014-05-19T18:16:40.961-07:00Follow me on Bloglovin'
Another way to make your life easer - Follow my blog with Bloglovin. Bloglovin' is a site where you can add your favorite blogs and discover new ones in one easy-to-track feed.
Aijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-38122480654354790702014-05-10T06:59:00.002-07:002014-05-12T05:04:00.517-07:00Introducing Mr. "Bloom"... and a Giveaway!
My latest linocut is of a slightly apprehensive broccoli guy encountering a bee. It comes in two different color schemes. I call the print "Bloom." Personally I think of him as "Mr. Bloom," But I don't want to be too gender-specific with a plant in case some people perceive him as a "she" or an "it." Maybe I'm overthinking it.
Anyway, back in 2012 after I successfully launched my KickstarterAijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-41059072760767338572014-05-04T07:00:00.000-07:002014-05-05T17:43:48.452-07:00The Monster-Fixer, or, Everything is Unfolding as it Should
My best friend and I were talking about not wanting to rush so much in art and life. We figured out that some of our reasons for rushing and keeping busy were to feel that we were involved in important endeavors, as well as a way to allay anxiety by always being occupied.
Recently on a walk around the neighborhood with my boyfriend, I started yelling and arguing with him. He threatened to walk Aijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com2Richmond, VA, USA37.5407246 -77.436048137.339233099999994 -77.758771599999989 37.7422161 -77.1133246tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8891942797560017563.post-16685575199127217802014-05-03T07:54:00.000-07:002014-05-03T07:54:03.925-07:00Studio Two Three and Quail Bell Posts
Sometimes I'm horribly late about updating news and info, so I apologize to Studio Two Three and Quail Bell Magazine for not posting these links earlier.
Here's an interview with Studio Two Three about my work. Be sure to read the other interviews with S23 artists.
Here's a Featured Artist post from Quail Bell Magazine about my printmaking process, as well as two posts with my "Return" show Aijung Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07014473487838930687noreply@blogger.com0