Since my last post, so much has happened in the world around us. If I am honest, the world feels less safe. As a first generation immigrant and refugee of war, I am concerned every time I leave my home. The black and white photo below is the view from my balcony. For me it represents a new day of possibilities giving me new purpose. Even in the darkness of life, there is always a ray of light. I refuse to let go of joy!
“Gateway to the Orient”
Do Justice, Love Mercy and Walk Humbly
The title of post is based on one of my favorite Bible verses found in the Old Testament in Micah 6:8 where God speaks to his people through the prophet Micah, “Mankind, He has told you each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” The current events of racial injustice taking place in our country during a world-wide pandemic is devastating and heartbreaking. I think many of us are struggling with how to make sense of it all. In the midst of this confusion, I dove into my art and this piece was a reflection of that.
This artwork titled Gateway to the Orient was done as a going away gift to dear friends who navigated a move to Singapore during COVID! This is the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, their favorite place in SF, which is the gateway for ships and tankers bringing goods & visitors from elsewhere. With their departure, the bridge is now our gateway to the Orient. It was cathartic for me to focus on creating beauty and not sit in my despair with our country’s and world’s brokenness. I pray it gives you hope remembering that God is still here with us.
UCSF’s University Hall
How this all began
Many have asked me how long I have been doing my art and they are often shocked to know that I only started in 2014. This talent is truly a gift from God, and one that He grew in me from a place of pain. Through one of the most challenging chapters in my life, with my father’s serious illness and my own health issues, God used art to heal me from the inside out. He began to leave bread crumbs on the path to this realization since the early 2000’s. I was fortunate to meet and be spiritually mentored by an amazing couple, Jetty and Miller Fong. It was through watching Miller for over a decade sketching with his pen and notebook everywhere he went that started it all. He sketched my baptism as a gift to capture an important milestone in my life! He did this often for many others and I was completely inspired to start sketching myself. To sketch with pen is completely intimidating, but Miller’s philosophy is that there are no mistakes and every stroke has a purpose. The more you sketch with pen, it forces you to trust your instincts and build critical muscle memory. This began my love for urban sketching, where I followed Miller’s lead and for over a decade, I started sketching friend’s weddings and other important occasions. However, I was very hesitant to share my work with anyone. For me, my time of sketching was a safe place where I talked with God. Also, I was very insecure about the work itself, always super critical of my skills. Then after a decade of doodling, God finally broke down my insecurities!
In 2013, my father suffered a serious stroke that left him weakened physically. Subsequently, he suffered more strokes and continued to deteriorate despite all treatments he went through. This eventually impacted his mental health. In 2014, I was completely stressed out, dealing with my dad’s health and my own struggles, along with challenges at work were taking a heavy toll. I was living in San Francisco and my family was in SoCal. The guilt and helplessness I felt caused me to spiral into a deep depression. One that I could not find a way out of. Fortunately, I found the right medical help and loving support from friends and family. The depression left me physically weak and only capable of going to work and nothing else. It was during these months of self seclusion that I started to sketch again. Then through a twist of fate, I felt confident enough to share some of my sketches on Facebook. To my surprise, folks asked about purchasing some of my work. This was the start of Bao Linh Art!
As I started to heal and poured energy into my art, my art also improved and developed into something that I did not know I was capable of. I fervently believe that my skills and talents are ordained by the Almighty…it is beyond my human skills. The journey and development continues and through the influence and help from fellow artists, I have grown and deepened my skills. The above sketch of UC Hall represents the beginning point in my art journey that started with pen line drawing. You can see how it has developed with the incorporation of color and other mediums, like watercolor and markers, resulting in the work I produce today. UC Hall was torn down at the Parnassus campus after this sketch. This piece is very dear to me because it was a retirement gift to one of my mentors and former Senior Vice Chancellor, Eric Vermillion.
I hope my story encourages and inspires you to take risks and try something new. You never know what may transpire or how it may lead you to rewarding experiences and perhaps discovering your own hidden gifts and talents.
“Modern Renaissance”
2020 Summer Reflections
This online gallery would not be possible without the amazing support and love from many people I have met over the years. Many of the pieces were inspired from commissions and collaborations from other artists and art lovers. They include my mentor Kurt Glowienke, fashion designer and Bao Linh Art’s original website designer Josephine Tchang of Purple Maroon, photographs from James Kao, and dear friends like Bob Spinner, Lynn Ta, and Dr. Jerry Lin to name a few. Thank you to countless others for all you have poured into making me the artist that I strive to be.