AAPI artist Archives

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and more Google In-person Chinese calligraphy workshop at Google Google In-person Chinese calligraphy workshop at Google Louis Vuitton In-person calligraphy event at Louis Vuitton MIT In-person Chinese calligraphy workshop at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Prada In-person Chinese calligraphy workshop at Prada Northeastern University In-person Chinese calligraphy workshop at Northeastern University Northeastern University In-person Chinese ... Read more

Ollie’s Story and Merch Coming Soon!

Ollie’s story is coming soon and I can’t wait to share! I have been quite busy in the last few years running my art workshops and although they are fun and super fulfilling, I realize I haven’t been able to devote a lot of time to personal art. When I do find small pockets of … Read more

Stickermule Custom T-Shirt Review with my Ollie Character Design

This post is sponsored by Stickermule. As always, all ideas and opinions are entirely my own. Hi! Cat mom here! My fur baby Ollie–who I adopted on March 2021 from Marblehead Animal Shelter–has brought so much love and joy into my life that I have decided to immortalize my adorable little muse by turning him … Read more

Divine Intervention – The Commission that brought me back to myself and helped me heal

Divine timing. This commission request came to me at such a particular time in my life. I was going through a painful breakup and also mourning the loss of my mom. The abject pain from the compounded grief was paralyzing. As if going through the pandemic wasn’t enough, these events had to occur one after … Read more

Before I say yes to a creative job, I ask myself these simple questions.

I used to think that I had to say yes to every project, especially as an artist that’s just starting out. This mindset definitely comes from my upbringing where my Asian immigrant parents would share stories of how they had nothing coming here to the US and that you should be grateful for any and … Read more

Thoughts on the Social Media Rat Race – The Illusion, The Fleeting Validation, and the Trap of Chasing Followers and Likes

Instagram and Facebook went down for almost a full day at the beginning of October. If you have a business or want to start a business, this is the clearest sign that we should not be putting all our eggs in the social media basket. And that we should seriously develop our own website! Even … Read more

How to Look at Chinese Calligraphy if You Don’t Know What the Character Means

Take a good minute to focus on the artwork. Look from top to bottom and side to side. Try to look at the artwork as is and suspend any judgment. Move your eyes along the ink strokes and observe the artwork as is. The best way to look at Chinese calligraphy–or any art–is to ask … Read more

Online Illustration Workshops

Online Illustration Workshops In-person workshops available. Contact me at rayna@raynalo.com to coordinate. "Rayna broke down every step, and to my surprise I was able to draw! I can't wait to share what I have learned with others. Definitely excited to take more classes" - Shayna from San Francisco, CA "Taking virtual drawing classes might seem ... Read more

Cute and Easy Illustrated Guide on How to Cook Potstickers

The pandemic is still ongoing and I just really miss home. I wish I can travel to my family restaurant in Chicago but I’m not sure when we’re safely able to do so. The thought of flying gives me anxiety, too. In the meantime, I have these frozen dumplings that I was able to get … Read more

Drawing on my Walls with Posca Paint Markers – the Ultimate Zoom Background

I had a lot of fun drawing peony flowers on my wall. This was my first time drawing something of this scale but I loved the challenge! I was getting bored of seeing my blank white wall through the virtual meeting lens and wanted to change it up. The pandemic is still ongoing and I’m … Read more

Work

As I evolve by growing and learning more about myself, so too does my art. New website updates coming soon to reflect the new directions my journey is taking me!