The Eunice Kim

Cat Aurora Man... Me-OW!

2012-01-23T20:59:00.000-08:00

[from one of my blogs, http://invisiblevisiblefriend.wordpress.com/]

This is going to be a bit creepy.

Warning said, this is the succinct story, truncated to the mere facts. Walking back from school to the Central Line, I saw this quaint, but friendly middle aged man who smiled back (Who ever does that in Korea? Unless they themselves are from the US) when our eyes met.How often during the winter does one see a man wearing sleeveless and holding a kitten, underneath his wings ? Seriously, he might as well as have had an aura or a halo of cats moving around on the top of his head.

Taking that thought further into account, I played a bit with the aura/halo thing when I drew him based off memories, just like all the other drawings from the category of "Drawings of Characters."For the halo/aura, since it was a figment of my own silly imaginations, I recalled upon some of the rich knowledge I had started to accumulate by working at the National Museum of Korea.

Hot Man and the Cabbage...oui, un chou

2012-01-23T20:49:00.000-08:00

[from one of my blogs, http://invisiblevisiblefriend.wordpress.com/]

On the contrary to the Radish Spirt-Man (무우 도사) from the Central Line, here is a man of hotness... My beloved friend Yumi was telling me about his hot presence that she observed last year sometime.Vaguely imagined, with references to the David stature by Michelangelo. ;)

The Radish Spirit-Man (무우 도사 아저씨)

2012-01-23T20:48:00.000-08:00

[from one of my blogs, http://invisiblevisiblefriend.wordpress.com/]

As a kid growing up in Seoul, there was a locally aired animation series that told traditional local stories through these speaking vegetable, Sprit-Man ("Do Sa" 도사). These narrative episodes series were odd and quirky as I recalled them, and my old memories were right-- it is pretty weird.Indeed, it was more than odd that a vegetable like a Radish would be chosen as a speaking spirit "thing" person-- so yet again, here is another image of the pair of speaking rhythmic duo, the Beets. (Get it?)Ha.Ha ha.Ha ha ha.*****On a breezy evening, on my way to my classes at the graduate studies at Kyung-Hee, on the Central Line Station, this oddly hair pieced man got off (November 2011?). He was a modern day Radish Guru, who was carrying a bunch of cultivated radishes and beets in his plastic shopping bag. How's that for a metaphysical dramatic play of words?

(My Very Own) Madame Bijou

2011-06-05T23:05:00.000-07:00

[from one of my blogs, http://invisiblevisiblefriend.wordpress.com/]

For the past couple of posts, I have made a general observation about the Central line (중앙선) here in Seoul: "The Central line (중앙선) is the subway line with all the oddest people in this region." However, now I will continue with making corrections to those earlier thoughts, since I have encountered this elderly and yet, creepy (sorry, granny but you are) odd lady:

(My Very Own) Madame Bijou happened to be on line 2, which is pretty much the "normal-as-it-could-be" subway ride. Usually on this side, there are not so many odd people.

However, on this day, I stood right in front of Mme Bijou, whose age was difficult to decipher though she was sitting like a queen in the reserved section for the "elderly/disabled/pregnant." I have named her Mme. Bijou, because she reminded me specifically of the Mme. Bijou briefly mentioned in the movie, Titanic: the day after the night when Rose (Kate Winslet) has been rescued by Jack Dawson. (Leonardo Dicaprio)

On this particular day, as they are taking their walk on the ship, Jack shows his eclectic sketches of les Parisiennes, and one of them was Mme. Bijou. Much like her-- not just in her exterior looks-- (my very own) Mme. Bijou mirrors that eerie aura, a spirit that is quite bedizened and tawdry.

Dressed in hues of green, she had more than three butterfly clips dangling lost in her great messy nest of a hair, on which she wore a hat that she put on with her two hands that had two watches on each of her wrists... She was certainly green with envy for these insects with two pairs of wings.

Perhaps she thought that with the right amount of time past, someday maybe she will have drowned herself with enough loads of butterfly accessories, flowers, and green; and then she would magically enlighten herself in the matter of how to be free like a butterfly once the time of her life has flown away from her?

Ça bien, Madame, mais seulement pour vous.

Cupid Kissing Psyche (1798)... or is it?

2011-05-05T08:43:00.000-07:00

[from one of my blogs, http://invisiblevisiblefriend.wordpress.com/]

In Musée du Louvre, a painting by François Gérard (1770-1837), "Cupid Kissing Psyche (1798)" resides.

This was one of my most favorite imagery-- until I encountered this particular cuddly odd couple on the Central Line (중앙선). Again, it was the Central Line that had this odd couple.

You see, this is really pretty as a painting, when it is not so personal in a public space with real people. A painting of something makes it less physically real in the sense it is just canvas and paint, but Public Display of Affection on the subway, from 2 middle school boys, is quite a shocker. I would have ignored them and even not considered them for my next drawings in this blog, but then they kept crawling into each other's lap, really digging in there, and really getting into my space on the subway; I must add, it was not crowded at all. In addition, they kept glancing over at me, more than once, looking up and down and whispering really loudly in each other's ears. Yes, that is really sweet of them isn't it? Notice the sarcasm in this previous statement.

In light of that sarcasm, I must continue with making one more comment; may this couple forever be happy with one another-- together, their annoying qualities are mirror perfect of each other.

Flower Garden Child

2011-05-05T08:03:00.000-07:00

[from one of my blogs, http://invisiblevisiblefriend.wordpress.com]

A little boy running around the Office Building section of the National Museum of Korea (국립중앙박물관 사무동 부분)... Just how short and pudgy and cute is that?

Dandy Weirdo

2011-05-05T07:42:00.000-07:00

[from one of my blogs, http://invisiblevisiblefriend.wordpress.com]

On the Central Line (중앙선), here in Seoul, it appears to be a centre (pun intended) for crowding of people with interesting looks.

This particular doe-eyed man in his early 20s, with curly hair and quite the forehead, appeared to be trying very hard to come off as dandy; perhaps the suit was not working and I wanted to scream out loud, "perhaps dude, if you were a girl, it could have worked"; but then again, in retrospect, I could not be sure on that. Something still just appears to be off with him. Off. Off. Offfffffffffffffff.

Bicycle Baldy

2011-04-15T23:03:00.000-07:00

[from one of my blogs, http://invisiblevisiblefriend.wordpress.com]

After I finished with a day's work, I was walking towards the subway station with co-workers. While we were walking, it seemed like only I covertly noticed this particularly quirky, middle-aged man-- out of the corner of my eyes. He was someone who you could simply dismiss as just another "baldy," but not when he pulled out his comb. Then everything changed. In that very quaint and precious moment-- as he drove away on his bicycle combing his side hair to maintain its poofiness in the wind-- he revealed how attached he was about maintaining his remaining side hair in a state of "coolness" by his standards. For me, however, it was hilarious to observe:

Artist Hat (Beret) Grandpa with Sunglasses

2011-04-15T22:19:00.001-07:00

[from one of my blogs, http://invisiblevisiblefriend.wordpress.com]

Adorable and yet ever so fashionable in his own rights,

the Chic artist grandpa, from the Central Line of the Seoul Metro System:

Mommy after the night’s sleep

2011-04-15T22:13:00.000-07:00

[from one of my blogs, http://invisiblevisiblefriend.wordpress.com]

With the simplicity of a single brush stroke, her hair all swooshed away to the side,

and with Happy the dog by her side:

Ogre Girl

2011-02-10T00:02:00.000-08:00

[from one of my blogs, http://invisiblevisiblefriend.wordpress.com]

[2010 01]
Back in Seoul,

one of my newer friends
explains over an elegant brunch,
about a character
that was certainly NOT elegant:

The OGRE girl.

Spectacle is Dead?

2010-12-04T04:30:00.000-08:00

Spectacle is Dead? OR Charm over Fast-food Sleek?

Wider audience is probably the goal for an artist who seeks audience reaction. I did not know until a few hours ago that Disney recently purchased Marvel Entertainment-- in addition to its previous collection of purchases which included a share of Pixar; and now that I know that, I come to grasp how Disney is becoming more of an "Umbrella" term for "family entertainment," while its name derives from historically charming and reknowned "traditional" 2D animations.

Someday, in Merriam Webster's, "Disney" will include "family entertainment" as its secondary definition.

Recently, I was compelled to remind myself of past glories, after not being pleased with the results of two festivals; I spent few days watching Disney films and being re-enchanted with its "IT factor." There was such charm and so the modern me still enjoys the princesses (and of course, the princes)-- though, over the years, I have become more adult and practical.

Yet, I am not ashamed to say that if you look even slightly underneath the surface-- on the subterranean level-- these princesses were elevated for all the right or acceptable reasons. They may look to have been just lying around, "looking pretty," but their actions indeed are "pretty"too.

2010.10.30 Halloween Party at Woo Bar

I guess I go back to Snow White for a certain guidance, for she serves as a paragon, despite how old fashioned she appears to the modern me; having studied film/animation, being essentially a good director at any task is vital more than ever.

Snow White while being her pretty self, "directed" her animal friends and "earned" the friendship of her roommates the seven dwarfs. I don't think that would have been an easy task for her-- especially when all was at stake and so being genuinely nice would not have been a mere matter of play.

Working on 2 Contests in 2 Weeks???

2010-11-16T05:33:00.000-08:00

It really makes me feel like I am pulling things out of the thin air; in both cases, I have a single goal to win.

It also makes me wonder why in the world was I sooooo slow during the school days (uptil a year ago).

(I wonder if I am going throough a sudden creative phase and if it is going to be short-lived or endure longer. HA. HA.)

After BUFF '10

2010-03-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

So during the past weekend, from Friday to Sunday, I was in Boston for the Boston Underground Film Festival (BUFF).I had to do an unexpected Q and A with the other RISD Animation 2009 people who were there with me: Tim and Michaela.

One of the questions we were asked was were there any other film festivals that our films were screened.

Oddly enough I felt quite shy about it, maybe because it was flattering to recount those "achievements" in that setting. It did feel awkward to list them off in front of an unfamiliar "audience." Instead, I answered to question by saying:

"Oh, um, well I like to keep a low profile, so I usually just only list the festivals I got into in my own website which is kimeunice.com, and it's under the Animation section of the website."

I also got to confess for the first time how working on goldfish was quite natural::
"I always um grew up with goldfish, so when it came time to do this film for graduating, I chose an inspiration that was very natural to me. It's always been that if I had to draw something without thinking, it would be these 'blobs with a tail.' "

It might have been the best Q & A so far. I think I was the clearest so far in explaining my self and my motivations in doing things. At a point in my life where I feel like everything is just confusing and I feel lost-- in retrospect-- I thought it was mighty cool to have Bryan Papciak there with us.

To this day, some advisor-student support continues and it bolsters my spirit.

I aM Soooo SmART!!!

2010-02-25T21:30:00.000-08:00

Kyak!

I figured out how to embed my blog in my official website!! >_< Thanks to my friend, Melissa Loyola who told me about iframe::
http://www.w3schools.com/TAGS/tag_iframe.asp
And now, my good friend and webdesigner helper, Alli Coate is off the hook...SINCE
I now know how to embed other sites into my website.

New plan:: make more artwork and update consistently.
For example, I wanted to make a separate thing going on for my textile work and really build that up.

Amy Kravitz once jokingly said in fall of 2009, "Animation can be your official thing, and oh you'll make these beautiful textile blankets for the dough to rolling in... you know, allowance money."
Not the immediate plan, but maybe the long term goal perhaps?

So anyhoo, this makes me really motivated, this new *DiScOVerY*

Bee Walk

2009-10-22T18:50:00.001-07:00

just fooling around with After Effects + flash,

pulling together some of the daily exercises.

fly

2009-10-22T18:01:00.001-07:00

vector based (illustrator) + after effects animation test...

Something pulled together from my daily exercises to keep my animation timing still going on,
while I have been of course, searching for jobs/internships....

*for a creating competition in September

2009-10-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

In the midst of job searching, doing own stuff, flash exercises...etc, I was also doing this, the past month.

I was trying to create some characters for a possible creators contest, but then I found out later that they were looking for underaged creators. After working at it for about a month and even asking my friend Alex Austin to look at, it was kind of ...."Sooo... umm... Oh well. Whatever."

But, thought it was worthwhile posting cause I didn't really do too much of characters before my goldfish animation, "Wall Pets"-- and apparently to others, I might want to explore that more.

So here it is:

The world of Park Natives vs. The Dogs. (not the title, more like a description of what these characters are about... I never came up with a good title for the world... at least not yet)

And then all of them together, roughly to scale...

Inspirations:
*Pom Pom: Happy, the Kim family dog
*Poodle: fashionista/ personal nickname
*Scavenger Squirrel: crazy Providence, RI squirrels
*Army of Pigeons: a not-so-nice pretty celebrity for personality and facial expression.. And pigeons are everywhere...Seoul, Providence, and all the way to NYC...

D1- Julgoo Bunny

2009-09-28T00:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a sketch in progress of the "Julgoo Bunny."

Okay, that sounds like there's a gummy bunny line coming out or something but "Julgoo" is what was used to make Rice Cake; It was essentially a large bowl and two/one pounding "sticks." Pound away for a pound of rice cake.

These little Julgoo Bunnies-- I vaguely remember them in some story telling and possibly a child's song-- live in the moon or something.

But, can't remember too well.

In my world though, the Julgoo Bunny and its companion would make... CHEESE,
since they live in the moon. ;)

bee walking_v2

2009-09-26T10:44:00.000-07:00

something along this line... as a possible starting point?

maybe I'll go even softer on the colors of the plants.

http://vimeo.com/6769156

bee walking_v1

2009-09-25T13:13:00.000-07:00

Hmm... what could possibly bee happening in the background?

http://vimeo.com/6758761

Walking cotton ball

2009-09-09T18:47:00.000-07:00

(in progress)

Staring At The Local Ducks in The Pond

2009-09-09T17:51:00.000-07:00

After failing to solve certain issues, I was getting coffee from somewhere in the George Town area.

To my horror, the biggest coffee cup here at a shop in Washington D.C. is a dollar more than the large cup of coffee from Coffee Exchange of Providence.

So sad.

So I propped down, with my ice mocha, at a nearby pond ... &

STARED AT THE PASSING DUCKS. (they look like orangish things bobbing up and down if you are looking at them from way up above...)

Let's call it a motion study for future animations. Bleh.

Go, Set, Ready

2009-08-31T09:43:00.000-07:00

After arriving on Saturday (08/29) to the Dulles Airport, I settled at my new "3rd home" in Washington D.C.

While my younger sister will be my provider and shelter, safely re-exported into the country, I miss Happy the family dog a lot. But, it just "feels" right to be in this country. I sense my chi (energy) level as a Tae-yang In rebuilding. :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Korean_medicine#History

Lots of messy unpacking, packing, cleaning and spreading out-- the past few days before beginning it all.

On the last weeks at Seoul, Korea, I learned an acronym used by Economists in the 1994ish era in Korea. It was referencing to the attitudes of the Mega Super-companies who insisted on doing things their way-- a massive stubborn attitude-- which in slang terms is called Bae Jae Ra. Economists of the IMF times in Korea therefore criticized such stubbornness of the super power companies by name-calling their attitude with the acronym, BJR.

But then those mega companies survived and conquered.

So, my new motto is BJR too.
Go, Set, Ready.