Janice M. Chau

Happy New Year!  Can you believe it is already 13 days into the year??  January is already almost more than half over.  The first two weeks of this year flew by like a flash....I keep asking myself, "Is this what time feels like as you get older?" I wanted to spend this year to really take what I gained last year and investing into them even more better, and with better management. One of the things I did to begin this better habit lifestyle was put up a white board dry erase calendar under my work schedule calendar.  Each month I get to reflect on my progress, all the while looking forward to a clean slate of better habits and behaviors.  Some things on my list of habits and behaviors to improve upon are such as:  Watering my plants more consistently, changing my contact lessons more consistently for the benefit of my eye health, floss more,  go for a nature walk or hike, bake more, appreciate art on exhibit, and start the week off with creati...

I've had an open ended conversation about a mural since November 2016.  In December the family that I was coordinating with had a little tike come along to join the process (a baby was born mid pre-production). The discussion began again in March 2017. Plans, a collab, and a #sketch were put into #roughdrafrs on the #drawingtable the last 2 weeks of April. started a sketch @universal_souls caught the vision and re sketched it Painting went throughout all of May. We were able to coordinate one community workday to block-in shapes and colors. For the detailing and rendering n-between part-time work, holidays, and personal time, needing to go out, and coordinating/planning for a conference this June... The circle of life for this mural has finally completed! Here are the highlights, textures, techniques, and #colorscheme of this #muralwall for Providence Mission Home. • I'd say this is my best and a good place to start after being away from being a freelan...

I've been making woven paper fish to prepare for an activity I will be hosting next week. We're going to be making fishing line bookmarks.  The bookmarks will be a reminder about our communities and this quote: "Give a man a fish, feed him for a day.   Teach a man to fish, feed him for life." Part of this project is also cultural.  In Pacific Asian countries it is very common to find weaving and crafts with palm or coconut fronds.  Here are the two tutorial videos that I used as my references. Woven Paper Fish Tutorial from azulchromis Woven Palm Frond Fish I didn't have a paper trimmer so i used an Exact-o knife and scissors to cut the strips from DCWV Border Stack Textured Yardstick Brights   This was really good training for cutting straight lines, but after all the paper i cut, for efficiency I will be investing in to a scrapbook paper trimmer from Fiskar. For the large fish I used 12 in. x 3/8 in. strips. For the small fish, I cut the exi...

Sometimes we get creatively stuck, kind of like writers block.  It's always good to take a blank canvas, an opportunity, and friends get away from the work/studio environment and just do something therapeutic. I was given the opportunity this past May to be a featured artist for the Urban Ocean Festival at the Aquarium of the Pacific down in Long Beach.  I had just the right amount of time to plan and do something well thought out and prepared.  BUT...life happens on the in between and several family emergencies occurred.  I took one day in May just to process it all, I had no plan, and I had no ideas.  I just wanted to face a blank canvas and see where my imagination, a different world would take me.  With the community surrounding, kids painting, other artist indulging, and aquarium volunteers/staff helping.  It was a good run.  That place of tranquility was found in an array of colors, and the thought of snorkeling/diving by the pier. ...

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...

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 ...