Creativity Show and Tell: I Heart Patterns

Ever since I created my first watercolor pattern inspired by the wrapping paper that I bought from The Met, I've been creating a series of foliage inspired patterns to practice my watercolor skills. I discovered that it's a good exercise because it requires me to draw repetitive images in which I can apply watercolor techniques over and over and really remember the process on how to do my washes.

This is the watercolor exercise that started it all. I was still into the traditional color scheme with this one-- Green leaves, yellow and red flowers, then added tiny blue branches to fill up the white space. Seems easy, but since it's done entirely in watercolor, it was also a tedious (but rewarding) process. 

This one is inspired by the cherry blossoms that I should have seen in DC while I was in the U.S. Haha. I didn't have a chance to go as my time was limited, so I just decided to draw the cherry blossoms. This was also triggered by my fascination with Helen Dardik's playful vector patterns. While I am more of a traditional medium kind of girl, I wanted to channel some playfulness in my work by choosing bright colors and making the paint more opaque. This is actually my favorite pattern so far. 

This is a recent creation. I made a tropical pattern inspired by summertime! I was initially thinking of drawing lilies, but ended up making up an entirely new species of flowers. Berries and peaches were added as accents to the flowers which is the focal point of the pattern. I think this can make a good design for a stationery. What do you think?

Most of my subjects before were flowers and other plants, but since my visit to Coron, I've been really inspired by marine life. I realized that I didn't really know how to draw fish from my memory, so I researched on the species of fish that I saw when I went snorkeling with my friends at Siete Pecados diving site. Here's what I came up with. 

This pattern took a while to finish since it's the most detailed one I've made so far. I think I'm going to make more drawings like this using different species of fish. I will be going to Bohol this May, so I'm sure there's plenty of inspiration coming my way  next month. 

I can't wait to draw more! The possibilities are endless! I'm planning to open an Etsy shop soon so that I can sell some of my calligraphy + doodle works as well as handmade postcards and stationery! I have yet to look for suppliers for printing and framing my work, so for the meantime, I'll continue with refining my techniques so that I can make more detailed drawings in the future. :)

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The Garden: A Digital Art Exhibit by Coy Placido

Poster by Coy Placido

Music and art really go hand in hand in most cases and with Coy, it's no different. He's the guitarist extraordinaire of the bands Session Road and Top Junk and is the founder and creator of the graphic design company, Folding8. He's also a photographer-slash-lomographer, writer and traveler and The Garden is just a peek into the clockwork of his creative mind. 

Looking forward to seeing his digital art works, illustrations and photomanipulations this coming month at Sweet Ecstasy, Cubao Expo! My band KAZE will be playing music at the exhibit! 

Do check out more of his works at Folding8 and coy-placido.tumblr.com

UPDATED [5/7/2013]: The exhibit will be postponed to a later date which will be announced on Coy's website. :)

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Watercolor Wednesday: Kayangan Lake, Coron

Watercolor practice this Wednesday afternoon, because I haven't gotten over Coron just yet. 

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Psychedelic Adventures: Coron, Palawan (Day 1)

Let's be honest, Manila is a mess. With its traffic, its unbearable heat and overpopulation, going out of town is a welcome escape. Don't get me wrong, I love my Manila. It's my home and I wouldn't trade it for anything despite my eternal search for new places. After my stint in the U.S for almost two months, there was nowhere else I'd rather be but home. After reuniting with friends and family and after my pores have opened because of the heat, I was ready to proceed with another adventure. My friends and I have been talking about going to Coron months before our flight, but we decided on our lodging and confirming our booking for the tour package just a couple of weeks before. We were set to fly out on April 20 then return on April 23. This was enough for me to forget the snow in New York and New Jersey and welcome the summer heat together with the sandy beaches and clear waters of my own country.

Coron Island is part of the Calamian Group of Islands located at the northern part of Palawan. It is separate from the main island where Puerto Princessa is located. We landed in Busuanga airport at around 10:30 AM and were immediately picked up by our van c/o Darayonan Lodge. The trip from Busuanga to Coron took us about 30 to 40 minutes--just enough time for Jim to doze off again and for me to take pictures of the scenery from the airport to our inn. Upon arriving at Darayonan, I immediately changed into my bikini and prepared my beach and snorkeling essentials: Sunblock, goggles, towel, frisbee disc and my phone and money tightly zipped into a makeshift waterproof container a.k.a. Ziploc.

First Day:
We rode the tricycle to the Coron Port and boarded the bangka to our first destination: Smith's Point Beach where we were welcomed by a hearty lunch of crabs, adobo and ensaladang talong. This was part of our package with Darayonan, which was super convenient because we didn't have to worry about buying our meals and instead simply enjoy our activities for the day. The beach is surrounded by rock formations which reminded me of one of the beaches in Guimaras. The white sand and clear waters were nothing short of breathtaking and though it may be just the first stop, I felt like I could stay there and still be happy. Quota na! Ang sarap mabuhay! Sulit agad! Perhaps it's the fresh tomatoes, grilled eggplant and crabmeat in my satisfied belly (no longer ready for a bikini shot, I might add) that made me so happy, but apparently, our tour was only beginning and we haven't scratched the surface of Coron's jewels.





We proceeded with the tour and swam at The Twin Lagoon which was nestled in a large rock formation called The Callis mountain. Sadly, our tour guide Ate Badet didn't allow us to take our cameras with us (unless they're waterproof) as we parked the bangka on the cove. The swimming area boasted of clear blue waters which was separated by a limestone wall. You have to swim across a two and a half meter wide hole to get to the inner lagoon. The outer lagoon where our boats were parked showed off rock formations and corals at the bottom while the inner lagoon which was deeper and more serene required us to dive further down to see the bottom.  We were surrounded by towering limestones and trees, and it felt like being transported to another world. It was breathtaking and in the middle of it all, I was struck by this conundrum: TEKA, ANO ANG DIFFERENCE NG LAGOON SA LAKE?! *facepalm*

Okay, for you people who are smarter than 5th graders, you don't need to read this. But for those of you who don't know any better, a lagoon is a body of water formed from the ocean leading to a beach while a lake is a body of water completely surrounded by land which may be fed into a river. In short, completely separate ang lake from the ocean while the lagoon is a smaller, more shallow basin of water which is still connected to the sea. Odiba, now I feel less stupid!

After ooohing and aaahing over the beautiful waters of the twin lagoon, our next stop was Kayangan Lake. This stop required us to do a short trek. My balikbayan friend Carmi set the pace as she gamely moved up the mountain trail. A quick tip to those clad in havaianas, be sure of your footing as the rocks can be slippery at times. Before heading down to the lake, we made a quick detour to a small cave where we found this breathtaking view of the sea. While taking group photos and selfies, Ate Badet gave us an inside scoop about celebrities that she toured with. A certain ubiquitous artista is apparently a real diva and another celebrity who was rumored to be a bitch turned out to be nice pala.

As we went down the trail, we were greeted by another glimpse of sparkling turquoise waters. This never gets old, I swear. Destination after destination, Coron just keeps on getting better. The lake welcomed us as if to say, go ahead and take a plunge! And take a plunge, we did.

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Bucket List: The Museum of Modern Art, New York

Even before my flight was confirmed for New York, I was already dreaming of this day. A lot of people would say that when you travel, you shouldn't just be stuck in the confined walls of the buildings and museums, but explore the unknown corners of the place. I'm guilty of this, because whenever I travel to a major city, I make it a point to check the museums and the art galleries. In my long list of things to do in New York, visting the MoMa came in first, but it was actually the last major thing that I did before I went back to Manila. Visiting The MoMa and seeing the artworks in person is close to being able to listen to a Beatles Record in Abbey Road Studios. Perhaps I'm exaggerating but that's exactly how I felt. I was on fan girl mode, to be honest.

Weeeeeee!! Kinikilig agad, entrance pa lang!

The Museum of Modern Art, built in 1929 founded by Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, Mary Quinn Sullivan, Lillie P. Bliss, is considered to be one of the most important art institutions that develop and collect modernist art. Aside from contemporary paintings, drawings and sculpture, it also houses different works of design, architecture, photography, film and other media. It was originally located at 57th corner 5th Avenue in Manhattan's Heckscher Building until 1939 when they relocated to 53rd Street between 5th and 6th Avenue building which was donated by John D. Rockefeller Jr.. The first loan exhibition was held in November 1929 with works by Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gaughin, Paul Cezanne and Georges Seurat. The museum underwent renovations and expansions over the years, but still continues to consistently grow and develop to be able to show contemporary art works from all over the world.

I arrived there in the afternoon around 3:30 PM on a Friday, and was lucky enough to get free tickets. The original ticket price is 25 dollars and unlike the pricing system at The Met which was 19 dollars suggested (but you can give a dollar if you're feeling stingy), ticket prices at The MoMa was fixed.  Perhaps the art gods were smiling upon me that day, because apparently, they have this promo called Target Friday Nights held between 4:00-8:00 pm where you can get in for free. I had to painstakingly go through an anaconda line and wait for 30 minutes to get tickets, but it was still worth my patience considering that I was about to see works by the rockstars of the modern art world. I was of course excited to see paintings and studies by Klimt (my current and perhaps all time favorite), Van Gogh, Monet, Matisse, Picasso, Warhol, Cezanne, Gaughin, Lichtenstein and featured for early spring, Edvard Munch's The Scream, but I also got to view works of other artists such as Freida Kahlo, Fernand Leger and Jackson Pollock . I finally was able to go inside at around 4 and devised my viewing strategy. Top to bottom was the plan, so that if I run out of time, I can take photos and ogle at the art works while going down. I also thought about the galleries that I could skip--conceptual art, and the strange abstract art weren't really my cup of tea.

Here are my MoMa highlights:

Pop Art love! The famous Campbell Soup Cans by Andy Warhol, all 32 varieties of the soup completed in 1962. This was displayed at the entrance of the Painting and Sculpture Gallery I on the 5th floor. A LOT of people were having their pictures taken (including me). When I was looking at photos online, I initially thought that this is a single artwork on a single canvas, but they were actually 32 individually framed canvas displayed side by side as you would see in a grocery store. 

Silkscreened portrait of Gold Marilyn Monroe, done in 1962, the same year Marilyn committed suicide. The gold background is actually bigger than it looks in this photo.

Starstruck moment with Gustav Klimt's Hope II, painted 1907-1908. This artwork contained gold and platinum and it shimmered! This poor photo doesn't do it justice. I was in front of it for like 15 minutes just admiring the colors and lines. I was especially fascinated at how the painter did the faces of the women at the bottom and the position of their delicate hands.

Paul Cezanne's (above) and Henry Matisse's (below) still life paintings. I don't know why, but I am a huge fan of impressionism. I would've wanted to see Auguste Renoir's paintings, but I wasn't able to come across one.

Fernand Leger's Les Trois Musiciens (The Three Musicians) which was probably the only Leger work that really caught my attention since his early works were mostly Cubist-derived but I was more drawn to more realistic renditions of his work. Obviously the musical theme contributed to pique my interest, but the contrast of the dark suits against the yellow background was also very striking. This was actually located at the far end of the lobby of the 4th floor and not within a specific gallery, but I had to take a closer look. This also reminded me of Jim. Yihee. 

Oh Monet Monet, Monet, your water lilies are beautiful! One has to really step back to appreciate his work. Thank you girl with a red bonnet for making my photo more interesting by passing right by me. 

Edvard Munch and his paintings of anxiety and melancholy. The photo on the left is actually just a print, but the original painting was also displayed at the Museum. People crowded around The Scream and there was actually a museum personnel that made sure that people didn't touch or go too near the famous painting. 

Paintings of Mr. Cubism himself, Pablo Picasso.  

Van Gogh's Starry Night -- I had to squeeze my way into the crowd to get a photo thus the angled shot haha.

Amidst the crowd and all the frenzy, I decided to take a break and capture photos of the garden named after Lillie P. Bliss who is one of the founders of the museum. Since it was already spring, people were able to tolerate the weather and get out to breathe some fresh air. I sat on the stairs and read a little excerpts from my souvenir which contained 350 works displayed in the museum. During my trip in the U.S., I had a real penchant for buying books, and this wasn't an exception. 

I wish I could post all the photos that I took and share them all here! It was such a remarkable experience to be seeing all the works of these renowned artists up close. Photos do not do them justice, so it's best to visit and check the works for yourself.

The Museum of Modern Art is located at 11 West 53rd Street between 5th and 6th Ave, New York City.

Check out the collection here and the museum hours here. 

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Before A Monday

Yes, that's right! Smile and be merry! There is so much to be thankful for. 

Let's see:

The life I'm living, the fact that I'm breathing, 

the bed I'm lying on, and the shoes on my feet.

My senses, my talents, my resources, 

my friends and family, my sweetheart.

The sun, the ability to move and dance and sing and think and learn and discover,

the provisions for travel, and the vastness of the world.

My job--because I like it, 

my job--even if I don't love it,  

my job--the fact that I have one. 

Music and songs, videoke and microphones, guitars and the fingers that can play them.

Speculoos and nutella, waffles and instant chocolate, alcohol, mint flavored ice cream, 

 bacon and bacon flavored anything.

Technology, internet and online shopping,

 That I can take pictures of food, the fact that I get to eat at all.

Books and stories, curiosity and literacy, 

the freedom to choose. 

This is not the complete list, but ah, thank you Lord for everything.

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Creativity Show and Tell + Life Updates

I've been back in Manila since April 1 and I haven't blogged a thing for the month of April! Oh my goodness, that just brought me in a state of panic. We are halfway through April and did I do anything crafty or artsy yet? Well my silence in cyberspace didn't mean I haven't done anything creative these past few weeks. No no no. In fact, I've been working on a bunch of stuff, but haven't had the time to post anything here. I suppose I needed that break from having a voice over inside my head just thinking of what to write. Getting back into the routine of daily life in Manila took its toll on my personal creative time unlike when I was in the U.S. when I had no errands to make or chores to finish (thank you hotel housekeeping!) and no family or friends to meet or a boyfriend to have dates with *hihi*.

Anyway, here's a few snippets of the past couple of weeks' creative sparks.

Made a new rubber stamp! This is the most detailed one I've done so far. Tulips and lilies are my favorite flowers. There's something very understated yet classy about them. I used my Speedball linocutter for the leaves. I like how it turned out.

Creativity on-the-go! Doodling and practicing my italic calligraphy using my Speedball Panache Italic Pen set. This was inspired by an awesome artist (who I will share in a different blog post), so I started doodling and making foliage drawings of my own which led to:

A watercolor pattern, inspired my doodle prior to this photo. Oh how I love drawing flowers! This was also motivated by the fact cherry blossoms are in season this time of the year. Friends have been posting beautiful photos of cherry blossom trees and flowers on different social media. I was so inggit about those photos that I decided, if I can't see the cherry blossoms in person, I might as well paint them! I think I'll make this into a stationery or have it framed to give out to friends or something. 

Poppy love :) Watercolor practice on Strathmore paper

Things are less busy in the office, which means I get to have more time for my own life. My band just did a gig last Thursday at Tiendesitas with Top Junk and it felt sooooo awesome to be playing again. I missed jamming and performing with KAZE! After 8 years of playing onstage, I still get nervous; but I try to channel that energy into something positive and try my best to give a good performance.

All gig photos below were taken by the uber talented Jerico Placido. Check out his tumblr account! It's filled with all things awesome. 

KAZE at Tiendesitas. We played 10 songs that night!

Sando kung sando! It was frickin' hot onstage! Actually, it's hot everywhere! Haha

The awesome threesome of Coy, Tuesday and Dennis more popularly known as Top Junk

It's nice to be back to the chaos and dirt of my Manila. It's no New York, but it feels good to know that I have the same old people waiting for me and that I can continue doing all the things I love back home. :)

That's it pancit! I hope you had a happy weekend!

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