Made a short promo video for my children’s book, now I don’t have to look like a goof and stare blankly when people get all excited and ask me what it’s about. Just watch the video, or wait to buy it! Easy peasy. I can handle overwhelming feelings, this journey is mine. #childrensbook #democracy #freedom

In a nutshell, it’s about a highly advanced group of sentient beings, the zebras, and how they face and ultimately defeat their greatest enemy, the lions using: DEMOCRACY, TEAMWORK & CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING.

The title of the book, ZEBRATHENIA, steals from the first recorded democracy established in 6th century BC, the Greek city of Athens.

Where did the inspiration and ideas come from?

For 2 decades, I have drawn and painted nothing but pictures, and every month, the feedback I have received has always been, “COOL ! “ and, “These would make great picture books.” It’s always been a dream of mine, too.

Growing up I had no family members who really drew anything nor was really interested in art like I was. The public library was where I found everything, everything on my favourite painters, cartoonists and story tellers, and even though my paintings grace the walls of beautiful homes, it might be time to muscle in a little room for myself on the bookshelves.

But why now?

Maybe because I’m finally settled in a place of mental freedom. What do I mean by that. I can paint and draw whatever I want and on any timeline I want. I have a fantastic day job (home care nursing) that affords me time and resources to. My ideas therefore answer to no one except myself, I don’t have to worry about market demands or altering my art to put food on the table. Artistically, I have complete and total freedom. Maybe also I recently became a mother of two toddlers, and I have a new audience to think about.

But what story?

Every painting has potential to be developed into a character, a theme, a plot. All the beginning elements of interest were there. I had over 300 ideas to choose from until I finally zoomed in on something.

Previous to this decision, I had just finished a marketing class helping me to hammer out my own personal mission statement. I grew up in a strict upbringing, in part of having immigrant parents struggling to set up new life in a strange new land offering freedom, Canada. My parents originally came from China, then Hong Kong, and finally made it to Canada in the 70s. Growing up not much was revealed about their upbringing nor journey, I only ever overheard snippets, I know there was the Japanese occupation of China, and I know there was immense hardship. I am in the midst of squeezing out their detailed stories, but from what I gather, they moved because they wanted better freedoms. Art has always been my outlet, a place to fill the unknowable void, a place to wrestle with the silence. Art to me offers freedom, a place to express, a creative outlet you can use to tackle problems with and win minds over. Finally, I came up with my mission statement:

To safeguard the realm of freedom of thought and expression, to excel and fascinate, by painting !

Soon after writing this sentence, I was approached by the Canadian Constitution Foundation to illustrate a book. I never would have done it normally, I hate working for other people when it comes to art, but they were asking for pictures for a picture book and the story revolves around how natural gardens became a protected right of freedom of expression here in Canada. The theme resonated with me and it mattered a lot that they believed in me, that I could illustrate a children’s book and do a good job of it. The publisher and author both LOVED my work, it comes out this August, “Maple’s Garden,” authored by YouTube Channel Canadian Justice host, Christine Van Geyn and illustrated by myself. I’m pretty excited, more on that later.

It was a fun and challenging project that really lit the fire within. It was time for me to take the inevitable leap, I’ve always known I’d only ever be truly happy as an artist as an auteur.

There a million ways you can take a children’s book and I will likely explore other themes as I embark on my journey, but for this one, my first one, I really wanted to know I could write a story. ABCs and 123 books are a dime a dozen and I could do an alphabet Animal Furniture book, or an Ugly Animals In Cute Outfits counting book easy peasy, and I likely will in the future. When you come to know yourself, as an artist, a creator, that you have the ability to draw anything, that you can ultimately figure out how to make what is in your mind reality, the endless choices, the endless options, the real work then becomes, the choosing: The what, when and why. Not straying from the ideas that could be harder to execute. I can spend days just thinking about what the next move on my painting is without actually painting anything. It is all a very important and valuable part of the journey into the unknown.

I wanted to know if I had what it takes to write a meaty, yet simple story that you could take a life lesson from, gain a perspective on something, and something that could be expanded into a series. Turns out I do! So far I have applied to 8 publishers with the manuscript and received 3 hybrid contracts. I’ll likely wait for a traditional contract (not a lot of publishers want to take the risk of a new author) or self publish ( I do like having to only answer to me), but that’s besides the point. The fact is only 10% of manuscripts hear any feedback at all out of the hundreds they receive every month and my manuscript is landing in the top 10%! Also, I wanted something that honoured my parent’s journey half way around the world in search for better freedoms, and my own up studious up bringing. Finally, I landed on an old idea I had a painting of from 2012:

This painting has always captured the attention of audiences. It reminds me of my brother’s childhood bedroom. He really liked zebra prints, and so did my mom. My mom had no formal art education but she was a slick seamstress with an eye for patterns. She upholstered our whole house growing up, immigrant culture means being thrifty no matter your circumstance. So my brother had zebra print bed linens, curtains and chairs. I subconsciously took the room with me and threw some lions in. The end result was so fascinating I repainted the idea two more times, once in 2021 and again in 2023:

In these paintings, it looks like the lions are winning, but the zebras in hiding, look like they might just surprise us. I wanted to do an origin story. How did the zebras find themselves in this situation, what happens next and how can I weave in a theme of, in the pursuit of freedom and resiliency into the stripes?

..and that is what my children’s picture book is about 🦓

#freedom #democracy #childrensbook #zebras

This Polar bear excels at climate change! He is resilient, flexible, resourceful, stylish and comfortable in his own skin. Not just anyone can own this piece. #fatheradaygiftideas #polarbear #fishing

I sold my Piggy Cabinet painting! and in the middle of a tariff war too, but Canadian bacon reigns supreme 🥓 My art fairs pretty well during times of crisis, tariff wars and pandemics. Gallery’s come and go, markets move up and down, but the Artist stays consistent, prolific and one of a kind. #resilient #pig #art

I sold my painting at the Hamilton Art Gallery Show and sale! Thank you so much for the support! People really liked the big pieces, my top comments were, “Wow! Cool! and Amazing!”

Thank you everyone who visited! Also patterns run in my family ❤️

The Chinese Salmander in Hanfu was well received! I was so honoured a friend wore it to my show. The Hanfu was once banned from China for being too much of a hindrance at a time when Western values and dress were considered superior to the East. It’s making a resurgence now with a new appreciation of traditional values. Part of my Ugly Animals In Cute Outfits series, celebrating diversity, character and being proud about who you are 🥢

Revealing my Floral Print Gecko painting for the first time this week at the Art Gallery of Hamilton. I painted it 5 years ago at the start of the pandemic and didn’t find an opportunity to share it until now at this year’s Hamilton Art Gallery Show and Sale. It took me about 4 months to paint whilst working as a visiting home care nurse. The space themes are strong on this one, I painted the planets: Earth, Mars, Venus and Uranium are depicted as tiny marbles on the carpet of the living room floor and on the midnight blue couch. A Rubik’s cube of different coloured sunsets rests on the bottom left, the painting is decorated in both fresh and muted pastels and I had so much fun painting it.

Here are 10 other paintings with similar concepts I did previously to the Floral Print Gecko:

I’ll be there April 24, 5pm for the reception.

@at_theagh @agh_art_sales

Opening Reception April 24, 5 to 9PM (cash bar)

April 23 Private viewings 9AM to 9PM
April 24 Opening 5PM to 9PM
April 25 11AM to 6PM
April 26 + 27 11AM to 5PM (both days)

In the Joey and Toby Tenenbaum Pavilion
FREE no rsvp required 🐍

#agh #hamiltonart #gecko #surreal

Writing and illustrating my first picture book has got me in a dizzy. Did you know a group of zebras is called a dazzle? It took me 3 tries to get this scene right.

I loved painting every one of them until I realized it wasn’t gonna work out anymore.. the tragedy of starting all over again!! but greatness is found in the process..

Pretty amazing I think, to see my effort pictorially depicted, getting better and better with every try. If only I could be moved like this when trying to see the improvements in the other areas of my life.

#zebras #childrensbook #artprocess

Plumbing disaster at the Art Gallery of Hamilton this April, there’s a snake in the pipes! Do u know any well-to-do plumber/snake charmers ?? 🪠🐍

Painted in 2019, just before the pandemic, this will be the snake’s first public debut. Alongside the Chinese New Year of the snake and more specifically the wood snake, characterized by the colour green, in the year 2025, this event only happens once every 60 years!! -the real reason I took this year to fish it out of the basement, restretch it and apply with it to this years Hamilton Art Gallery Show and Sale and it got in! I’m showing 2 other monster works and 2 smaller ones as well, all public debuts.

@at_theagh @agh_art_sales

Opening Reception April 24, 5 to 9PM (cash bar)

April 23 Private viewings 9AM to 9PM
April 24 Opening 5PM to 9PM
April 25 11AM to 6PM
April 26 + 27 11AM to 5PM (both days)

In the Joey and Toby Tenenbaum Pavilion

FREE but RSVP
Will send out more info later 🐍

#agh #hamiltonart #snake

Working on my first children’s book I am both writing and illustrating. The ideas are all there I just need to organize them in a coherent manner that’s not terrible. I contacted about 5 publishers so far, so I figure I’ll just keep at it, trying to space them out a bit so I can improve my pitch and not burn myself out too hard. All I have to do is keep at it and don’t give up which makes for another great title for another children’s book idea. The creation part: the writing, drawing and colouring come super easy fun though!!

Also, I’m going to be in the Art Gallery Of Hamilton Show and Sale this year. Somewhere in a board room downtown they are humming and hawing over which they will select this year.

Will they pick the giant snake to show for the Chinese zodiac year of the green snake 2025? It only occurs every 60 years!

Or will they lean into the Made In Canada theme with The Big Goose?!!

Or do we want something to mark the year we’ve had with the total solar eclipse of maximum totality?!

Or maybe they prefer the latest in Ugly Animals In Cute Outfits??!

Wish I could sit in on that meeting.

#artjourney #childrensbook

Would this make a good illustration for a Children’s picture book?

Currently writing and illustrating my first picture book. Everyone says I’d be really good at this but I’ve never done it before so I’m just stumbling my way into it. It’s a different way of working, worrying about feedback from editors, how I’m going to get it published and accepting that it could just be a big financial flop.

It’s the journey, not the destination. I’m learning a lot. Just got into paint markers, I never got into them cause I figured they’d be costly and I never believed my art was worth it but I’m 40 now and I’m turning a new page in how I view things. I am worth it! Also I just discovered you can actually refill them yourself saving me so much time and money. I didn’t realize how much I held myself back.

Anyway I love how convenient they are, and they are odourless, so I can use them around my toddlers, and now I can get them in any colour of the rainbow now that I’ve discovered you can actually mix your own paint and put them into the pen. They pack up easily and quickly! Very little cleanup involved. I would happily accept a sponsorship from POSCA

If you know a publisher or agent who might be interested, or maybe you want to order an advanced copy yourself, drop me an email lisangart@hotmail.com

#childrensbook #illustration #posca