I’m still going through all the photos from my trip to China…seems I fell into a total photography frenzy and took roughly 10,000 photos. (shame) But in my defense, I was there for a month…
Anyway, after years of reading and studying about Chinese art, history, culture, religion, and language, I finally made it to all the places I’ve always dreamed of seeing! Traveling to 5 cities in 4 weeks, the trip was a whirlwind of adventure full of gourmet delicacies, temples and palaces, visiting friends and relatives, and travel writing.
Highlights? Well, in HONG KONG, I had some of the best meals of my life! I also spent quality time with family, went to the famous bun festival, had my fortune read at a local temple, sipped afternoon tea at the Peninsula, bet at the horse races, bargained like crazy at the Temple Street Night Market, paid a second visit to the Big Buddha on Lantau island, had dinner on the Peak, got stuck in a tropical storm at Stanley beach, shopped until my feet hurt, and took a side trip to MACAU. Flew to BEIJING and hiked an un-touristy stretch of the GREAT WALL. Was awestruck by the massive Forbidden City. Saw the Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, and a Beijing opera. Went to the World Fair in SHANGHAI, strolled along The Bund, and caught a train to picturesque HANGZHOU to explore the famous lake of Chinese lore. All in all, it was a fantastic trip full of wonderful experiences.
When I get through the photos, one day, I’ll show off some more of them! —G
I love eating! And I love drawing my food. I am kind of a freak about it. Must run in the family because my sis is the same way! She runs the food blog, eat | food | yum, by the way. Together we are food-documenting fiends. These sketches resulted from my portion of our lunch together.
For lunch?
Nachos
served with corn and black bean salsa, jalapenos, cheese and a side of salsa
Smoked Salmon
capers, red onions, and goat cheese
Brownie (really a rich, fudgy cake)
with berry sauce, whipped cream and fresh berries
and….the best beer I’ve ever had—it was a pumpkin beer!!! Yum.
I LOVE this guitar!!! It has completely gotten me back into playing music…
Did I mention how much I love it? It glitters!
It’s always great to see your art in print!
Voilà! Finished the final watercolor! I really had fun with this one—I love drawing glamorous city scenes! Thanks Whole Life Times magazine! This illustration will appear in the August issue, which will be out very soon. Go to wholelifemagazine.com to find out more, or click HERE for locations in your area if you live in Los Angeles.
-G
Continuing to paint in the colors…
I’ve been asked about my illustration process on several occasions, so I decided to write a post showing how I work from sketches to finished art. For this latest illustration job, I submitted several sketched concepts to the magazine. From there I moved into full color-planning mode, completing several color studies using the above limited color palette. I’ll be using just blues, greens, and purples this time around, with some pinks as highlights and accents. Haven’t decided yet if pink will be the only highlight color, or if I’ll add a golden yellow as well…
Next I transferred my approved sketch to watercolor paper and began painting it, starting with the lightest shades first…
I’m currently working on an illustration for Whole Life Times Magazine illustrating an article about healing sessions taking place around Los Angeles that begin with cocktails! It’s been such a fun assignment, getting to draw sophisticated socialites that can float cocktails in the air, have third eyes, and will have glowing auras once I add color! —G
Gayle Wheatley, Watercolor on Paper
Inspirations: Beijing, The Forbidden City, imperial gold and red, Chinese art, dragons
This is a new illustration I just did for Pepperdine University. They were looking for an Art Deco-inspired image to carry though a graphic identity package for a professional development course. I came up with this concept of an abstract locomotion, symbolizing progress while using motion to hint at forward-thinking ideals.
The image is overlaid with train symbology—from the train tracks horizontally crossing the center of the illustration, to the puff of steam in the top left corner, as well as the circle shapes (indicative of old train cars viewed head-on), and the beams scattered throughout—geometrically suggesting headlights and rail tracks.
I was striving for an energized, spirited vibe with this illustration, and also ended up graphically incorporating a stained-glass feel that ties in with the iconic stained glass chapel windows set above the ocean on campus.
Gayle Wheatley, Watercolor on Paper
“Now I have
been slightly shy
and I can smell a pinch of hope
to almost have allowed once fingers
to stroke
the fingers I was given to touch with
but careful, careful
there lies my passion, hidden
there lies my love
I’ll hide it under a blanket
lull it to sleepI’ll keep it in a hidden place
Keep it in a hidden place…”
—Björk
I made it to The Great Wall of China!!!!! Avoided the massive tourist crowds by trekking out to one of the further sections of the wall at Mutianyu 慕田峪, which is one of the best-preserved, and oldest parts of the wall. There was a brief rainstorm, and the whole place cleared out completely. Hiked all the way to the top of the mountain, past old watchtowers and right through the rain. Can’t believe I finally made it here!!!
