I've Moved!

I've moved my blog to my website, over at http://www.jessicaleetinao.com/  Please come visit me there!

The 38th Voyage of the Morgan

Here are some recent drawings of the Charles W. Morgan in New London, CT. I'm currently working with the Dalvero Academy on new upcoming exhibit documenting the Restoration of the Charles W. Morgan, the last wooden whale ship in the world.

Whales helping marine ecosystems

I am currently working on an illustration project in conjunction with Dalvero Academy, at Mystic Seaport.  This project will focus on educating and engaging the public on whale conservation, and how it effects both marine and human populations today.  In recent research whales have been proven to be ecosystem engineers. Whales make a huge difference on underwater ecosystems. They have powerful and positive influence on the functions of the oceans, global carbon storage, and even the health of commercial fisheries. Above are a few studies illustrating this concept.

Big Ben, London

A Sketchbook in Paris

I recently visited Paris this past winter, and fell in the love with the city! Here are a few sketches created on location in the streets of Paris.

Whale Watching! Sighting a Humpback whale and her calf!

Coastal Studies  Whale Watch  WDC

Cape Cod Whale watching!

I had a wonderful experience whale watching with the Dalvero Academy this past weekend in Cape Cod. We attended an informative and very inspiring Whale Naturalist Conference in Province town. Below is a drawing of some dolphins that were swimming alongside the boat on our whale watch. 

The Whale Naturalist Workshop links: 

Coastal Studies   Whale Watch   WDC (The Whale and Dolphin Conservation)

The "Love" Project

Last year I started a project revolving around the topic, Love.  The spark for this project started after I had seen one of  Helen Fisher's Ted talks about "The brain in love".  Helen Fisher is an anthropologist who studies the evolution of human emotions. In her talk she explains the stages of Romantic love; its evolution, biochemical foundations and its social importance through time. She studies love throughout every culture and in each period of history. After being engulfed in her studies and books I decided to start a project depicting each stage of love through various cultures. Above is just a sneak peek of some thumbnails for a sculpture, on the commitment stage of love. Here I used Chinese culture and stories to illustrate the connection of two people. How we begin to link together and find ways to make the puzzle pieces of our lives match up.

Oldies but goodies.....

I recently moved and came across some pen and inks I did for this project a few years ago. Finding these little treasures inspired me to dive back into this old project. It's fun to bring something new to them depending on where you are in your life or what is inspiring you at the moment!

A Whale Song

New Year

With the New Year starting I thought I would post some drawings I did at the Chinese New Year Parade last year in China town NYC. I'm looking forward to going back this Feb. to draw this event again.

Sandy Aftermath: Jenkinson Boardwalk Point Pleasant NJ

Hurricane Sandy Pt.Pleasant Beach Boardwalk

Hurricane Sandy has swept through my entire hometown leaving only debris in its wake. This massive storm has left millions in the tri-state area without power and homes. It is truly devastating to see how many people were affected by this tragic storm.

A few days after the storm I was finally able to fill my brothers car with gas and bring my mom and family some supplies. I walked along what use to be Pt. Pleasant boardwalk and is now just piled up boards and debris. The whole entire Martells Tiki Pier is now just a wobbling broken building standing on the edge of the ocean. To even get to the beach and be allowed to pass the barricade of police you have to know someone who lives on those blocks.  My mom and I made it through to help a friend clean out, scrub, and dry her belongings. As you walked down these streets covered entirely with piles of sand your heart wrenched for all the people coming together to clean up and rebuild. Along all the curbs everyone's memories and lives were just piled up on top of each other making a wall of sadness down every street you turned. There were tears in each persons eyes but an overall feeling of strength, resilience and a determination to come together and rebuild.

A thread of hope stitched through Americas history.

I might be heading back to Washington DC again this winter with the Dalvero Academy. It's a great place to research and fill your blank inspiration board with some new projects. Last year during this session I completed these stamps I designed for the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. These stamps represent and symbolize the importance of having a message of peace and hope in America.  During the civil war women made quilts sewing inscriptions against slavery and the separating of families. These quilts were a way for women in the North to have a voice against slavery and a platform to speak their ideas of hope and peace in America.

Travel bug!!

Again I caught the travel bug! As I'm planning my trip to Ireland and Amsterdam in a few weeks I thought I would post some of these on location sketches I did a few years back in Prague. I'm really looking forward to doing a lot more reportage drawings on my upcoming travels.

Fall Life Drawing

Here's a sketch from my Fall life drawing class. Capturing the moment, the mood, and the personality of the model is the most fun part.  I feel this quote by Henri Matisse explains it all.

"Drawing is like making an expressive gesture with the advantage of permanence"
-Henri Matisse

Charles W. Morgan- Whaling ship

I'm very excited to start this Fall with my new blog and website coming soon! I'm excited to share one of my new illustrations from a reportage I did last year. This drawing is of the Charles W. Morgan whaling ship at the Mystic Seaport in Mystic CT. It was a cold February day but I still managed to tough it out through the freezing rain to get a few great drawings done. You can view this drawing on exhibit at the Mystic Seaport Museum. See some beautiful art by the Dalvero Academy artists in the Restoring a Past, Charting a Future: An Artistic Discovery of America's Whaling Legacy