Burn Baby Burn ❤️🔥
RISO Workshops, the pinnacle of summer, and a mid year check in!
Greetings from a very humid, hot and heavy Philly! I’m currently writing out of a coffee shop, killing some time before the train back to New York. Hope you’re having an amazing summer so far.
Last month, I taught an Intro to RISO workshop at Godspeed Arts! It was cool to teach artists who work in more traditional mediums (vs. the digital illustration folks I run into more often), and always fun to be fast and loose with the machine.
I stress out a lot before teaching anyone anything, but its always so fulfilling to see things click when people see their first print. I can feel myself exercise a totally different part of my brain, and hanging out with other people makes creating things 10 times more engaging!
Speaking of teaching, I’m also collaborating with Bad Student on a RISO Animation Workshop in July. The workshop is currently at full capacity, but peep the flyer below. :0)
The rest of my June was spent like a madman between:
Finishing my piece for the video game art show at Another Corner
Printing some small bits for Frog Farm Fair III and Godspeed
Animating some music assets for a friend
Drawing editorial illustrations
My piece for the art show, Weaver, is a risograph print paying homage to Hornet from Silksong. The opening for the show was last night, but it’s currently on view at Another Corner!
It’s been a minute since I worked on a big 4 color print. A single image is more of a challenge for me (animator problems), and I always run into color hell for every project…the nature of RISO haha. Printing always reveals the truth!
Mid Year Check-In
The first half of this year was full of so much change. After a lot of loss in 2025, I kicked off the year helping my dad move back to Korea. During this trip, I started writing in a journal regularly, and it’s become a new part of my art practice. I came back to the States feeling anxious about the future, and spent the last few months saying yes to as many opportunities as I can.
Because I’ve been open to almost everything that’s come my way, I’ve been a part of some really fun projects and encountered creative challenges I wouldn’t have otherwise. It’s also been so nice to meet and collaborate with new people! I can’t remember the last time I’ve drawn this much.
Now that we’re in July, I can feel my priorities shifting:
I want to have a more balanced, healthy lifestyle. Wake up early, get on top of meal prepping.
I want to chip away at my personal projects again. Reprint Whereabouts, work on the Korea comic, or make something new!
All in all, the first half of the year was about being open and trying new things, engaging more with a community. I’ve enjoyed the last few months, but I am feeling pulled in a lot of directions creatively; and I am tired haha. Definitely itching to slow down and spend more time on myself again.
Writing in a journal has been a huge help so far, and I’m hoping that doing this regularly will encourage me to do actually sketch more too.
I also took up knitting, and although I don’t know how this will impact me creatively (yet), the repetition is so soothing…it’ll be a craft girl fall/winter for sure.
How about you? How are you doing with your goals, and what are you noticing about yourself in 2026?
Upcoming/Ongoing Events:
July 10 - Video Game Art Show is now view at Another Corner
July 18 - RISO Animation Workshop at Bad Student (currently at full capacity)
August 7 - Whereabouts @ Asian American International Film Festival
June Favorites:
Jess Allen, Suspending Time - Jess Allen is a painter that I’ve been following for a while, and her first solo exhibition in NYC was last month. Vivid and introspective, the shadows she paints feel like avatars to me; you can’t help but project your own thoughts and feelings in the best way possible.
Changes by Alex Amen - This popped up on my feed and its such a sweet song :0)
The Green Ray - My first Eric Rohmer film. This is about a woman coming to terms with her isolation during the peak of summer holiday in France. It’s perfect.
Journal - My lovely friend Brooke made me a a beautiful, A6 handmade leather journal for my birthday! I’ve been digesting a lot of journaling videos and slowly putting it inserts…I’m obsessed!
Lamy Safari Fountain Pen - This has been the only pen I’ve used since 2024. I use the Broad pen. I’ve genuinely thought about purging all my other pens because I simply do not use them…
And that is all for June! Next month’s post will be a little something different~ Thank you so much for reading, and see you next time :)
~Suejee