Sometimes you watch an artist who is so amazing. As a creative individual, there are one of two ways you process it: Rethink your calling as an artist and feel defeated and/or quit. Or, let it fuel your determination to be better. I fall in into the latter category. Iron sharpens iron. I’m determined to step up my game. Partly to prove to myself that I deserve to be called an artist. Partly to open my mind and challenge myself even more.

I’ve never drawn a Chinese dragon before. It took me a while to figure out how to start. I felt I was in a fight with it. A fight I was losing, badly. Today, the dragon won: Dragon 1: BT 0. I will avenge this disgrace. I will come back with a stronger, better, well thought out dragon that will kick the current dragon in its hind parts. The dragon has to sleep sometime.

It’s not just dragons I’m coming for. It’s people, places, animals and any other thing I feel like portraying with pen, ink, paint and pencil. I. Will. Be. Back. The battle has just begun. There can be only one! Ok, I need to quit. Kung fu and science fiction movie references aside, I will continue to work towards developing my skill level. Maybe the next time the dragon and I fight, I can go all Bruce Lee on its ass. Then I’ll post it. For now, I have added a replacement for your viewing pleasure.

Well, enough about me and my dragon melodrama. Today’s video clip is of a Chinese Sugar painter. Sugar painting is just that, paintings made of cooked sugar. It’s an old Chinese folk art that’s totally fascinating to me. The artist makes it look so easy. What blows my mind even more after watching a skilled artist at work is how much he charged for his services.

In the event you’re wondering how much 3¥ – 5¥ is, it’s roughly .50 – .80. That right, I said cents.