These are two of my most recent paintings and at long last, after years of hesitating and battling my own will (i meant to be truly loyal to watercolor) I finally gave in and used another medium. Frankly i was clueless the entire time i was painting with acrylic since watercolor has always been my comfort zone. No intentions here of being conceited, but i think i did a pretty darn good job. The topmost one was an original concept which I mean to turn into a series of work while the other one was referenced after a vintage illustration of a peony. Can't wait for the next one!

Hello blogworld. It's been a while...like really a long while. One of the main reasons I started this blog was to have an avenue for my silly little writing (a close second next to my love for the arts) and i truly miss it now having not written anything for months. My creative pursuit has brought me so much blessings to the detriment of my weak time management skills, not to mention my sanity. Though I must admit that whenever I hit the publish button after finishing a post, I sometimes feel like I'm just throwing my thoughts to a void. But then again you my dear friends would almost always prove me wrong by dropping by and leaving me the loveliest and sweetest comments. So, thank you. Thank you for sticking around even when the blog falls silent every now and then.

Anyway, since it's been ages since my last entry,  I thought it would be appropriate to deem this one as a "look back" post. So many interesting things have happened and are still happening and it would be a pity if it's left unshared. From the moment I stated on my 2012 New Year's resolution "do illustrations more...should really give this old love a chance" I've been really doing just that as evident on the evolution of my posts. So expect more work in progress photos here on the blog.

So, to commence my first entry for this year let's look back at some of the highlights of what transpired during my blog absence (not in any particular order):


ONE OF MY POSTCARDS GOT FEATURED IN A NATIONAL MAG!
I know it was just a tiny spot, but it was kind of a big deal for me. And it's Working Mom Mag!!!Another feat checked from my bucket list!

JOINED MY VERY FIRST BAZAAR!
Thanks to a sweet friend who shared her slot, I managed to join the annual Brent Bazaar. I sold my mini artprints and postcards and a few of my hanpainted kitty purses and mini pillows. I was overwhelmed with excitement but went crazy trying to rush the handmade stuff i barely had time to make my booth aesthetically pleasing. Vowed to prepare better for this year.

DID MY ANNUAL HAIR ASSASINATION
Instead of having my usual perm this year, I decided to chop my waves only to have it permed again few months after. The one on the left was taken immediately after the initial curl onslaught, with wispy ends and intact bangs. Yup, finally got tired of them bangs so i decided to grow them back...which is kind of a pain. These days I hide their monstrosity under a hat.


ENJOYED BAGUIO'S FIRST EVER ART IN THE PARK
I was very excited when I heard about Baguio's first art in the park. It is really amazing to see local artists' unique work and talent. My only hope for the next one is for it to be bigger and better advertised. It's a pity that not too many people know about the event.


MY ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATIONS ARE NOW AVAILABLE AT MT CLOUD BOOKSHOP AS POSTCARDS AND BOOKPLATES!
When I was asked by Padma, the owner of Mt.Cloud Bookshop if i would like to consign my paper goodies to them, I was more than elated. Mt. Cloud Bookshop is a famous spot both for local and tourists alike for its unique and quirky vibe plus it has this air of the old Baguio you can't help but fall back into. Definitely the kind of place I want my work be part of.




By the way, I have a workshop for the month of April. So if you're in Baguio and free on he 12th and 13th, do join in the fun. You can register online HERE!

Before we move on to more good news, let me share what the world most probably have already heard of...how our country, the Philippines have been badly devastated by super typhoon Haiyan and how it affected millions of people. Though my city is located in the northern part of the country and had only experienced some bad gusts of wind, for many weeks I was caught in deep sadness after hearing the plight of so many families in the south.


If you love art and wish purchase a piece, head to this link and see the rest of the wonderful creations they have for you: KATHA MAGAZINE: PADAYON  Every purchase you make can make a difference in somebody else's life. Because even the tiniest act of kindness can move mountains. Thank you in advance!

Projects and opportunities have been keeping me up on my toes the past weeks I neglected to introduce to you the very first set of illustrations that were made available for purchase at a local bookstore. Meet my "Forest Boys and Girls." They are, from left to right; Prince of Birds, Little Kitty Friend, Magical Unicorn Girl and Sweet Little Fawn....my own cute little army of the forest. They are available as mini art prints that could double as postcards. As of the moment, they are running out fast and so if you missed out on buying your favorite I'd make sure they are made available again by December. Also up for sale are my "Avian-themed postcards" inspired by a dear friend who loves, well birds.

If you know me well enough as a design blogger, then you may have guessed that I have been quite busy in the real world that finding time to blog became somewhat a nuisance. Hence, the no post for what seemed like an eternity. My plate had been full with all sorts of colorful undertakings, which ironically have rendered this blog into a temporary coma.

As much as I missed blogging and sharing all my adventures in the creative world, I must say that it was nice to take a step back from the world wide web and take a breather once in a while. I had the chance to really focus on work, the old school way without the constant buzzing of all things techie breathing down my neck. Anyway, here's a few glimpses of what transpired in my longest record of blog absence:



Facebook Page Makeover

My facebook page had been screaming for a much-needed makeover. My absence was mainly spent on reorganizing and re-conceptualizing my little nook of an online indie shop to make way for my illustrations. Last year part of my resolution was to rekindle an old passion; art has always been my first love and thought it was only appropriate for me to merge that with my love for handmade. And I am excited to announce that this little lovechild between handmade and art would all be available in my very own official shop site which i would be launching really really soon!





I made it to the top 20 of the Freeway Art Bag Competition


I couldn't be more elated when I was informed that I made it to the top 20 of the FREEWAY art bag competition. Out of more than 200 entries, one of my two paintings was chosen for the final 20 cut. It was, in some way, some sort of affirmation that I did the right choice to follow my heart even if it meant uncertainties and facing unknown challenges. The artwork above was the first painting I did in over a decade, which made the whole accolade a lot more special. Thank you to all the people who supported me on the competition, your words of encouragement meant so much.






Fashion Illustration for Stacia Pierce
When I was asked to do an illustration for Stacia Pierce, I turned into a hodgepodge of different happy emotions. Excited, thrilled, ecstatic but nervous at the same time. I felt honored to be trusted enough to do a fashion illustration for such an inspirational figure to a lot of women.

There are a few more projects that I am also super excited to share but I would leave that hanging for now. Til next.

Chances are that you are most likely to find me inside the kitchen or the dining room. So it is no surprise that what I came up with for the day three challenge is a treat for the palate. Today I was seriously craving for peanut butter and since the lighting in the dining area was the brightest in the house, I decided to draw there too.....of course what else but the peanut butter i was happily gobbling up.

The colors of the drawing did look a bit weird.  Blame my being stubborn. I was determined to use only sharpies, pens and markers only to realize in the end that I don't have the right hues. My point quite obvious with that neon yellow and that uber dark brown that made it look more like Nutella in a PeterPan peanut butter jar.....teheeh!

2) click the LIKE button to view the entries 

a few useful tools for your handmade paper tole postcards

postcard backing template printed on the other side

pretty confetti to add a little touch of sweetness

Don't you just love snail mails? Well am a sucker for them. I assume people still do send them despite all these techie ways of keeping in touch otherwise post offices would be long gone, right? As a kid, I used to send a bunch of happy mails to strangers and waiting for the postman was like waiting for Santa. Plus the fact that your letter cheered someone up was quite elating.

Postcards are no different story. Though the message could be limiting compared to the long letter, getting one from a friend from faraway is surely something special. But of course handmade + postcards is all the more special and personal. So when I chanced upon this handmade postcard swap, I jumped right on in in a heartbeat. The process of making it was as much fun as sending it.

Do check back soon for the full tutorial on this handmade paper tole postcard will you?
Have a great week everyone!

click photo for the full post at Indie Fixx

Who would have thought?! Well certainly not me. After googling one of my blogposts just for shortcut purposes, I found out that the October desktop wallpaper I created was listed as one of Indie Fixx's choices. I was dumbfounded, nay dumbstruck! I mean who would have thought right, i mean really?!?

When I was a freshie independent art & design blogger, Indie Fixx was among the many blogs I have adored and taken inspiration from. Through the years it has evolved from a hub for budding independent design talents to a "more well-rounded lifestyle blog." And to share even a minute space with such talents is one huge ego boost!

Thank you Indie Fixx for deeming me worthy!

Remember the free October Desktop Calendar I created weeks back? Well here is the original drawing I made before it was digitally enhanced. It was so much fun, despite the fact that half the time I didn't know what I was doing. For sure there are "right-er" ways of doing it and if you "digital experts" out there read this, please feel free to send me suggestions. I would very much appreciate that, thank you.

This is not a "pure-bred" digital illustration. As much as I have wanted to do just that, well I am not quite at that level yet. This project was like an assortment of different things. I started with the traditional illustration by drawing it on paper. I then scanned it and colored it in Photoshop CS5. I also did digital collage because I used different other elements like these pretty floral ephemera from Graphics Fairy x Pugly Pixel plus a colorful frame from maybemej.

Funny thing though, her hair kind'a looks like my hair now. But I digress.  How about you, what are your uncharted waters?

size: 1600 x 1000 click the image to go to the download link (I guess you need to sign in to facebook to download the file)