We are back exploring influential contemporary artists this month of May. We decided to skip April to give my girls some time off from structured art making and have more time for free play, which they spent with utmost enthusiasm. Now that we're back, I decided to introduce the girls to a more non-traditional artist who is known for making mixed media pieces. I wanted someone whose work does not primarily revolve around the painted canvas. Luckily, I came across Betye Saar in one of MOMA's At The Museum episodes. I read up on her life and work and was very much drawn to her eclectic art Read More
So Much More Than Just A Drawing Class
Entering the venue opened up a series of disarming moments. Walls filled with skillfully drawn pictures, the sweet scent of flower fields and soothing music playing unevasively in the background. You'd think you had just stepped into a spa or a fancy dinner party. Except it was not. It was a sketching workshop and, very apparently, not just any kind of sketching workshop. Aside from providing a venue (Artellano 11) and all the materials necessary, OTT Studio, the organizers of this event entitled Bodies & Gestures, wanted a workshop that awakened all the senses in order to bring every Read More
Art Fair 2019
I only had a couple of hours to spend at Art Fair PH this year. It definitely wasn't enough time to take in everything but I'm still glad I was able to go and have a good experience from it. Here are my favorites from this year's exhibits, dividing them into several categories that specifically speak to me. TEXTURE Texture, color, geometry, nuance -- there are many little details that pop out to me. I made sure to capture them all somehow. COLLAGE I am pleased to see many pieces created out of found objects and mixed media this year. I'm sure there has always been a Read More
Summer & Emma Get On The Sticker Business
My girls and I love stickers! I keep my own stash but I also have a bunch which I let them use when we're scrapbooking together or making greeting cards for friends. We also share a fondness for sticker-bombing our stuff, like bags, boxes and notebooks! They can't stick stickers all over our house but they can inside their closet door, so that's been sticker-bombed too! And because we love stickers so much, we did a little collaboration recently and created sticker sets using their own designs! First, I made them draw on paper. They could draw anything they liked as long as it was big Read More
A Little Bit Of Everything
So the last month that I had not been blogging has been quite eventful and very memorable. I have been learning a lot about pacing myself and designing my own breaks. I have also been enjoying being busy — which is not always the case, so I'm both surprised and thankful. I think I'm enjoying myself because I find I'm working with people I love to work with and doing things I love to do. Hard not to have a good amount of fun even if work is tough and trying. So let me give you a quick rundown of what's been keeping me and Kayo occupied lately as well as some fun things we have been up Read More
A Valentine Surprise
How was your Valentine's Day? I do hope it was filled with tender lovin' and sweet surprises! Kayo and I went out on a midday date the day before Valentine's knowing full well that traffic will be unbearable on the day itself. We also went to The Spa and had a much much needed pampering time! We've been hustling hard these days we thought it was about time we gave ourselves a little break. Apart from celebrating with my husband, I decided to surprise some of my mail swap friends by sending them Valentines mail. As mention on my post last February 5, I was originally planning on doing a Read More
Tayo Na Sa Antipolo!
Craft Camp's main mission is to nurture the creative spirit and to do so out of one's regular routine, away from the busyness of the city. If, as organizers, our daily routines already heavily include crafts, you could say we have an insatiable desire for it. And we wish to infect others with it. So the five of us — Alessa Lanot, Mikko Sumulong, Mansy Abesamis, Macy Alcaraz and I have set out again to put together another makers camp. This time, it was a one-day getaway to Antipolo, Rizal, which we ran for two consecutive days. Participants chose to join either the 12th, Saturday, or the 13th, Read More
Project Accomplished!
I've finally come to the end of last year's #the100dayproject! I stalled for months and months but when I found out two weeks ago that this year's was about to begin, I knew I just had to catch up! So I did! I managed to finish 28 days worth of drawings within the last 15 days (most drawn the last three!). To end, I did an illustration of my now sore and ink-stained right hand (see last drawing in post). That's because my hand and I are very thankful for this project and what it had allowed me to do. First, because I was able to rediscover what used to be my favorite pastime. I Read More
“Of Miracle” (Christmas Collection 2015, 1 of 6)
Stretching some old legs, Nica and I decided to put together a friends and family collection of canvases for Christmas. It was a challenge because A) I had not worked on canvas for almost a decade; and B) we decided to match the individual works to the recipients' personalities/homes. This also posed yet another challenge: how do you put together a cohesive body of work for such a diverse group of people and homes? I'll be posting the finished works over the next couple of weeks and you can decide if we were able to meet the parameters we had set out for ourselves. This first piece is for my Read More
For The Love Of Art and The Pursuit of Bliss
It was raining hard that day but as I stepped into the charming and cozy restaurant, I was greeted by fresh and pretty smiling faces. I knew I was in for a lovely afternoon. It was, once again, the Blissmakerie, put together by Martine de Luna and her team at Make it Blissful last September 13. This time, it was held at Mateo's, a Spanish-inspired Filipino restaurant that recently opened in New Manila. Blissmakerie is designed to get women of different crafts, careers and walks of life together in one place so they can share their stories and inspire one another. What Martine is really Read More