Janice M. Chau

First Art Class at Elephant Sanctuary Art House. Students and Coaches! On another adventure. A friend of a friend of mine invited me to come and create with the little tikes that were going to attend the first ever art class at Elephant Sanctuary Art House. (ESAH).  This was one of the funnest Saturday mornings I've had in a while.  It's because kids say the darnest things. It's funny how their imaginations run wild.  AND it is so awesome to see how their imagination comes to life in 2D or 3D form when they are given the opportunity to.  Here are my students being silly, focused, energetic and creative. Robert seriously was very mechanical about his elephant.  He built his piece by piece focusing on shape and proportions.   I could tell by the statements and the way he laid out the shapes before gluing it all down.   He used scissors a lot for the limbs, but tore the body. Christian had a lot of fun with the tissue paper....

My third of Visual Arts! Spring 2013 with The 24 Foundation zoomed before my eyes.  Just as all of us were really getting to know each other, life took one of its biggest pitches at me.  In a way I was very glad to have shared that moment with the girls I work with.  All of us have dealt with some type of loss, had to come to acceptance, learn to adapt, and face our fears of separation.  Before home week, some shared that they didn't even want to go home to deal with what they desire to separate from:  their old self, or even old ways of family life. I didn't know that this would actually become a way for our small group to bond.  So, week 2, before home week, one of the girls could not help but come to visual arts group with a very long face.  She shared with us that her dog is gone. Every so often the cadets get to call home.  The last thing she thought would happen while she was trying to make this transformation and change in her life ...

I am so grateful that the front window shutters swung wide open.  So grateful that by divine powers, the time frame opened perfectly down to the calendar dates.  Like most mentoring programs a 100% commitment is required.  I debated reapplying as a mentor due to the fact that I would be traveling for out of town in the middle of April.  As I read the application, my eyebrows raised with gladness that "Home Visitation Week" is the same week that a whole grip of us mentors need to go out of town.  (hahaha I"m not the only one).  It so awesome seeing how the inner workings of life merge through divine powers over how much control we all think we have.  Another example was that a week before beginning this spring sesh, 24 still needed 15 mentors.  Some how it all worked out and this is the 1st session EVER  that 24 has a 1 to 5 ratio of mentor mentee relationship.  All of us couldn't help but have grateful hearts giving thank...

Entrance from underground parking lot Ambiance before stepping into work Blue Woodie, 4 ft. by 8 ft., December 2011 Hallway into Clocking in, a combination of painted vignettes and historic photographs of Huntington Beach. Entrance door to main employee hallways. Surf Culture of Huntington Beach. Lifestyle, Careers, and Mom and Pop Shops in Huntington Beach. The past and the present of Huntington Beach. Before Huntington Beach was developed into a city, orange groves lined PCH. Thrive Mural (panorama), 38.5 ft. by 8.5 ft.  June 2011. Thrive Mural (hallway perspective). Breakers (panorama), 40 ft. by 8.5 ft.  December 2011. Entrance to Breakers Cafe, a tranquil cafe where employees rest and eat. Brearkers Mural (hallway perspective).  Thank you Kyle Ng Photography for your professional photos and good eye.

I have spent a much of my time in the last 2 years teaching and hanging out with ESCALADE youth group down in Fullerton, CA at Kaleo Christian Fellowship.  I've been on a break since early September, and was wondering what I could do with MY TIME TO MYSELF.  I didn't think that that would involve mentoring at a military based school called Sunburst Youth Challenge Academy and   The 24 Foundation . (FB Fan Page:  http://www.facebook.com/24foundation ) I went into this mentoring program with 2 other friends as my accountability and support like a strong woven rope, we committed to 4 weeks of mentoring together.  The mission of The 24 Foundation is Creativity as the Catalyst for Healing the Soul.  Once or twice a year in  ESCALADE, we would exercise art therapy.  At least once a season or less.  BUT here with The 24 Foundation we are working with teens who are exploring, improving, and challenging their lives into a new ...

I've been working on origami ornaments for Samson and Jodi's wedding. There is no particular theme for their wedding, but they are Chinese American, have been living in China for the last 4 years, and got to know each other over several Chinese holidays, as well as flying kits in the park.  They will also eventually move back to China.  So paper kits and lanterns seemed appropriate as they are going to be soaring high as a newly weds. One thing that is special about this couple is that they met in Thailand (the land of smiles), and they both have been immersed into several different cultures such as:  Hawaiian, Japanese, Mexican, Texan, Californian, The South, Thai, and of course Chinese.  Within all these cultures the use of color, paper, print, and quality time have shaped much of their character. Their wedding colors are grey, pink, and purples.  But I figured, that splashes of other colors wouldn't hurt.  Here is just a sneak peak of what...