wes t art

3 of 7 (1st Chapter: The Rise)

2011-11-29T20:31:00.002-08:00

I have finally finished the 3rd piece! This guy took me forever... but I'm happy with the result and I personally think I made my dad too good looking but it still looks like him, weirdly enough. I was planning on making 7 and I hopefully get to one day but for now, it's just these three.

So here's the concept behind these paintings. The characters found in these paintings are my parents. They got divorced when I was 10 and separated when I was even younger. Now before I go into a sad, poor me, story, I wanted to note that I love both my parents to death. They both annoy the shit out of me at times but whose doesn't? They definitely did the best they could with raising me and my sister and I think they did a pretty good job considering everything. Growing up, I never really saw them as a loving married couple. They were always fighting over various things but mainly money and that was just the way things went. For this project, I wanted to do a story that reflected their relationship. I was told the story of how they met and how they got married but never the nitty gritty of it and I figured that it was about time to delve a little deeper than just the obvious. I created my own romantic story of how their relationship blossomed with some non-fiction and some made-up scenarios from my own biased liking. From the non-fiction, here are the facts:

My father fell in love with my mother the moment he saw her. Their first date was at the movies. After a handful of dates, my father went back to Hong Kong and they wrote each other love letters for about 6 months. Then my father proposed and my mother gladly accepted.

More to come soon (hopefully)! For now, I hope you enjoy.

2 of 7

2011-11-04T21:48:00.000-07:00

The second piece is finally finished. This one took me forever to be honest. White paint is tough! Still haven't found a proper title for this guy yet but there will be more to come along with the concept. Thanks for looking :)

New Project (untitled for now)

2011-10-16T22:31:00.001-07:00

Fortunately I am still alive and well. I haven't been as productive as I would like to be in terms of making art and design but hopefully with this new project that I'm working on, things will change. This is just the first of seven paintings that I'm going to be completing. More information about the actual concept and project later. For now, enjoy :)

Polaroids '11

2011-04-26T18:21:00.000-07:00

Just some Polaroids I took recently in Oakville. More to come eventually :)

Secret Garden

Polaroid

Other Sides

Polaroid

Chimes

Polaroid

Caged

Polaroid

2011

2011-01-10T21:19:00.000-08:00

It has been a very long time since I posted anything and I apologize for leaving this for so long. But I haven't been slacking. Hopefully it'll show for itself soon enough but until then here are a few updates. I am currently in the midst of redesigning and improving my official website and creating a new line of office decorations/paperweight pieces that I've designed. In more recent news, the City of Burlington Bike Rack displays have been officially fabricated and will be installed sometime in the near future. I was very fortunate to have been a part of this public art competition and even more fortunate to be so involved. I had the privilege of meeting the mayor of Burlington along with Kim Selman and Jeremy Freiburger, the public art managers for the city of Burlington. I'd like to thank my very good friend Adam Snowball once again and to all who helped make this opportunity happen.

Burlington Design Competition

2010-09-24T21:24:00.000-07:00

The City of Burlington has chosen my design as one of the selected bike racks that will be produced and installed throughout their park on the waterfront. I would like to thank everyone who voted for the design and also my good friend Adam Snowball who helped me with this competition and design. There is more information about the competition and other winners here. I would also like to thank the city of Burlington for giving me this amazing opportunity and for choosing the design. More to come soon :)

Skin Deep

2010-08-16T20:03:00.000-07:00

I started this piece with the idea of femme fatale and the disturbing reality that murderers and sadists exist outside of the scary movies that we often watch. I hear on the news all the time about murders and there are events in history that took place where people were slaughtered by only a single person or a handful but this idea/reality usually fades away and recedes to the back of our minds. I was watching the film The Talented Mr. Ripley (one of my all time favourites) and it inspired me to do this piece. The girl in this piece represents all the things that we cannot change within ourselves. We can try to hide behind clothes, looks, and our actions but at the end of the day, our skin and flesh will always remain the same. We are who we are and for this female, she is a killer. Though she is attractive by nature, there is blood on her hands that cannot be washed away. Darkness overcomes the light and creeps it way into her. I made the background similar to that of an old horror film like Dracula because I wanted to emphasize how society has made horror films enjoyable to watch. The girl in this piece probably exists and should be found only in a horror movie but sadly and scarier enough, she isn't.

'Skin Deep'
Graphite and digital media

AW (Tribute)

2010-08-09T22:37:00.001-07:00

It is finally finished! Like my first tribute piece, I did this second one in a similar style. Adam West is by far one of my most cherished childhood heroes/actors. He, in my eyes, is the one true Batman there has ever been. I was considering making his eyes an amber brown to emphasize the yellow that Batman has but decided not to because of the one eye that is mainly in shadow. I will selling this as a print at this years Fan Expo with my friend and talented artist Yuta Onoda. So if you happen to be there, feel free to stop by and pick one up :)
More to come soon!

'AW (Tribute)'
Acrylic on Wood

City of Burlington Submission

2010-08-08T21:40:00.000-07:00

I recently worked on a handful of designs with a really good friend of mine, Adam Snowball, for the city of Burlington. Luckily one of the designs that we did got chosen and is now in the top 10 where the rest is up to voters to decide the top 5. I hope you all enjoy and will take the time to go to the site and vote for your top three designs (hopefully mine will be one of them) :) The website to vote is www.burlingtonpublicart.com
Thanks to everyone who votes and there will be more to come soon!

Koga

2010-06-24T12:13:00.000-07:00

This is a small piece that I did recently as my submission to the Paper Place located in downtown Toronto. They gave me a piece of Japanese kozo card and the guidelines were pretty open to anything. I decided to do something related to Judo because I've been meaning to start it for a while now and one of my favourite Judo fighters is Toshihiko Koga. More to come soon.

Koga
Acrylic paint and graphite
8 x 6"

New Face of Fiction Logo

2010-05-09T19:41:00.001-07:00

Sorry it took me so long to post the actual logo that I submitted but here it is! I just wanted to thank Jolein Scheijgrond, an amazing and talented artist, for letting me use her photograph of her eye.

New Face of Fiction Awards

2010-04-28T23:31:00.001-07:00

I recently had the honour and privilege of winning 1st place in the New Face of Fiction logo contest. The New Face of Fiction is part of Random House publishing and they introduce new literature from extremely talented and profound authors. I had the opportunity in entering a logo competition that was brought to the public by the Design Exchange and it was open to all of Canada. More than 100 entries were submitted and my logo design along with a friend and classmate of mine, Christina Martensen, won first and second place. At the award ceremony I had the opportunity of meeting some amazing people and authors. I would like to thank Katie Weber (Director of Youth Programs at the Design Exchange), Randy Chan (Director of Marketing for Random House of Canada Limited), Louise Dennys (Executive Vice President of Random House of Canada Limited), Scott Richardson (Award winning book designer and one of the juries that chose my logo as the winning design), and everyone else who was part of the jury that made this amazing opportunity a possibility for me. Thank you thank you!

me and Christina Martensen

myself with Christina Martensen and my amazing design instructor Jay Wilson who I have to thank a thousand times over for pushing me to always love what I do

me with Louise Dennys

Katie Weber, Louise Dennys, myself, and author Ann-Marie Macdonald

A-Z

2010-03-27T13:59:00.000-07:00

I wish I did more illustrations this year...
This was done for a self promo piece for my final Design III project.

A-Z
Graphite and digital media
9x6"

Stars

2010-03-24T21:47:00.001-07:00

Stars
Stain on wood
12x16.5x12"

Ten

2010-03-24T21:32:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted anything so I'm going to just update my blog all at once. This piece was done a while back but I never got around to documenting it until a couple of days ago.

Ten
Spray-paint on wood
Variable

Countdown Part 3

2010-01-05T19:26:00.000-08:00

'Holding On'

Graphite and digital media. 24"x16"

This last one was done to show to significance of a moment in time that we don't ever want to end. It could be a time of victory, a time of love, a time of prosperity or good physical and mental health. I really feel that there are always moments where we would want to go back to to just live again. To see someone again who was lost, to smell someone we once loved, to relive a moment of great recognition and accomplishment. All these are moments of regrets, things we want but can never have again. This piece is that realization of a moment that you know might not last forever but want it to so if time could stop, just for your own selflish reasons, you could be happy, even if its only for a little longer.

Countdown Part 2

2010-01-05T19:11:00.001-08:00

'Waiting'

Graphite and digital media. 24"x16"

Continuing with the idea of time and a lack thereof, this piece is called 'Waiting' and its the whole concept of waiting for 'the inevitable'. Something that will eventually happen but just hasn't yet. I really feel naive sometimes by thinking that if you want something badly enough, you'll get it. It feels that there is just so much more than just the desire for something more that really determines what actually gets you what you want. Even when hard work and sweat and tears have been involved in the situation, for some reason it still doesn't feel enough so there is always this waiting for something that should come but never does and if we do somehow arrive at the point where we want, it's short lived and like many artists explain: 'On to the next.'

Countdown Part 1

2010-01-05T18:54:00.001-08:00

'The Chase'

Graphite and digital media. 24"x16"

To be honest, it really feels as if I hadn't made anything new and fresh in a very long time and because I had no real reason to not go all out, I created not one but a series of three illustrations. I hope whoever sees these enjoys and I'm really hoping for more work like this in the near future.

I've been really stressed and frustrated with the entire concept and idea of time. I did this piece for a project in my design class but it was much more peronal than just another project. I always feel as if I need to be doing more or seeing more or experiencing more and the more I think about it, it feels these things that I can't even explain are further and further away. It scares me to think that there is such a limited time to do all things we want to do but never get around to do them due to so many various reasons such as a job, relationships, family, money, fear, or just sheer laziness. This piece is called 'The Chase' and it was done to represent the idea of how we are all wanting more and are constantly chasing after ideas, virtues, desires, fame, recognition, or something else entirely out of our reach; but in the end, all these things are put under the strenuous pressure of time and a lack thereof.

Street Fighter... Again....

2009-11-11T20:53:00.000-08:00

This piece just won't end! I revised this piece because I really felt that it wasn't complete and that I needed to make it better than it was. I am really happy with this version and I am really kicking myself for not submitting this piece to Alvin Lee the first time. Anyway, I hope you all like it and thanks for looking. More work is to come very soon so stay tuned!

Revised Alvin Lee Tribute Submission

Color Burst

2009-10-27T20:06:00.000-07:00

It's been a really long time since I've done anything art related and I know it's long overdue but here is my first project of the year! It was done for my sculpture 3 class and I pretty much wanted to incorporate paint with sculpture by making it three dimensional. There are more pictures with all the angles and close ups located on my website: wesleytsang
I hope all of you like it and thanks for looking.

Color Burst

Spraypaint on canvas, 24 x 24 x 24"

Button for Punishment

2009-10-05T20:35:00.001-07:00

I've finally posted up a video that I created during first year. It was extremely time consuming and long overdue but it's finally up. Take a look if you have the chance and I hope you enjoy! I apologize about the quality, I've been trying to record a better version and hopefully that will be up sooner than later.

Button for Punishment - Thanks for looking :)

Street Fighter Color Challenge

2009-09-28T00:21:00.000-07:00

After a very long and tiring time, this is finally done! I've never fully colored a piece to this extent before and I found this extremely satisfying and I hope that I'm given more opportunities to do things like this again. I just wanted to thank Alvin Lee for holding this competition in the first place and a special thanks to my cousin Patrick for helping me find the final touches. Thanks for taking a look :)

Fan Expo

2009-09-02T09:42:00.000-07:00

I recently shared a table with an amazing artist and an even better friend, Yuta Onoda, at this years Fan Expo (Comic Con). It was an incredible experience and I'm looking forward to doing it again next year :)

Neon Glow

2009-08-18T11:30:00.000-07:00

I took this photo down in the Yorkville area at night a couple of days ago and it really reminded me something from 'Back to the Future'

Neon Glow

Website

2009-08-12T18:46:00.001-07:00

I've recently got my website up and running and it has a good chunk of my work including digital works along with photographs.

http://www.wesleytsang.com

Enjoy!

CR (Tribute)

2009-08-12T18:13:00.000-07:00

I came across an old magazine from 2006 when I was cleaning my house and flipped through it just to see what was big then because the front cover with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt having a troublesome relationship was kind of funny. When I flipped through the pages, I came across a piece that focussed on Dianne Reeves and her death. The article also spoke of her husband, Christopher Reeves. The two of them were involved in a lot of fundraisers and donated a lot of money to a lot of very noble causes. There was a picture of the two of them together and they looked very happy but it made me really sad to see Christopher Reeve because of what happened to him in the past. I remember seeing pictures of him when I was younger from the superman movies and other sightings and to me, he was a very tall and striking man. Kind of like Brad Pitt mixed with a little bit of David Hasslehoff. I think.

Anyway, after reading the article, I had this urge to make a tribute piece that honored the late Christopher Reeve. There was a photo taken of him while he was playing Clark Kent during one of the Superman movies that I absolutely loved so I used that as my reference but I chose to use only the colors yellow, blue, and red to symbolize Superman.

I don't think I've ever spent so much time on a single piece before but I am very pleased with the outcome and I'm planning on doing more pieces like this in the near future. Hope you like it :)

'CR (Tribute)' Acrylic on Wood

Polaroids

2009-06-24T20:46:00.001-07:00

These are just a couple of polaroids I took at random places :)

'Waterfall'

Polaroid Photograph

'Skyrise'
Polaroid Photograph

'Dock'

Polaroid Photograph

Tabletop

2009-06-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

These were photographs that were taken for a project called 'Tabletop Theatre'. We had to compose our own miniature scene with props and backgrounds along with setting up the proper lighting for each set. Being a comic junkie, I chose to create these. Enjoy!

'Scarlet'

Photograph

'Gunslinger Spawn'

Photograph

'Eva-03'

Photograph

Honor

2009-06-08T20:12:00.000-07:00

I find this piece very personal in a way because in my own opinion, the work I produce is not very 'oriental' looking and I feel the reason behind that is due to the fact that I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. The art that I am interested in is mainly a cross between the traditional oriental art and the graphical/illustration art found in the West. On the majority, I find that my art, as a style, veers more often than most on the graphical/illustration side. So for this piece, I really wanted to emphasize my oriental heritage and combine it with the style that I am so used to and fond of.

'Honor'

Graphite & acrylic

Green No More

2009-06-08T20:04:00.000-07:00

For the longest time, I have wanted to do a piece that focussed on the Green Ranger from the Power Rangers. The entire story line and plot of the Green Ranger was absolutely amazing (in my opinion) and I really wanted to create a piece that reflected all the hard ships and struggles that the Green Ranger had to go through. I wanted to incorporate a different medium into my work so I chose to use spray paint in this piece and I really liked the outcome.

'Green No More'

Mixed Media

Focus

2009-06-08T19:50:00.000-07:00

This was a woodcut piece that I did for a print media project. I am a huge die hard Street Fighter fan and I absolutely loved the cover art for issue #6 of the Street Fighter comics illustrated by the very talented Alvin Lee. I took his cover as a direct reference and created this vector/graphic looking print from it. Hope you like it :)

'Focus'

Ink

Reflected Spirit

2009-06-06T21:50:00.000-07:00

During the beginning of second year, I really wanted to try drawing in a new and different style. These two pieces join together, creating a vertical. I really liked the end results and I plan on creating more work like this in the future.

'Reflected'

Graphite & Acrylic Ink

'Spirit'

Graphite & Acrylic Ink

Both pieces together

Strike

2009-06-06T21:46:00.000-07:00

This was a tribute piece for the anime movies Ninja Scroll and Afro Samurai that I did during first year. I really enjoyed both movies and thought the art and storylines were amazing.

'Strike'
Graphite, Ink, and Acrylic

Me3

2009-06-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

So as you might can tell, I really like the red, blue, purple combinations. These are self portraits of myself as different personas/characters. Originally, I contemplated whether or not I should have made an orange one and then it would have been me as the Ninja Turtles.

'Me3'
Graphite, Ink, and Watercolor

Break

2009-06-06T21:35:00.000-07:00

I tried to put a lot of meaning into this piece with the expressions 'hot feet' and 'cool hands' in mind. This piece unfortunately got destroyed due to rain and other damages that I evoked on it in trying to recover my lost work :(

'1+1=The one'
Graphite & Ink

Wes-Lee

2009-06-06T21:32:00.000-07:00

No I did not paint myself as Uma Thurman! Yes I did paint myself as the one and only Bruce Lee!

'Wes-Lee'

Acrylic Paint

Acrylic

2009-06-06T21:27:00.000-07:00

This piece really made me love acrylic paint and I hope I can continue to still make paintings like this. It's abstract in a way but it's really a painting of a coffee mug, a large pourer with handle and spout, and a small plate of fruit such as grapes and oranges. Can you see it? :)

'Blended Trio'

Acrylic Paint

Bass

2009-06-06T21:21:00.000-07:00

Back in high school I used to play the bass guitar quite often and I really enjoyed it, however; since university has begun, my poor bass has rested quietly in the corner collecting dust :(
I doubt that I'll ever get rid of it just because it's a nice/cool thing to have.

'Bass'

India Ink

Puzzled Hearts

2009-06-05T21:26:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed how they both turned out. They were created during second year for a Print Media project. The red version was the original initial idea and the black version was a very good surprise variant. Sometimes lack of focus and sleep can turn out to be for the best ;p

'Red Puzzled Heart'

Etched Ink

'Black Puzzled Heart'

Etched Ink