Good Living in the Studio

Greetings, lovelies! Is life good where you are? Can't complain myself... I've been enjoying my freedom these days. No projects cluttering my head, no deadlines to raise my blood pressure, more hours of peaceful slumber, and just a lot of some plain old fashion playtime in the studio! Knowing me though, I'd be back agitating from lack of work to chase me around, so it's pretty much a vicious cycle I'm living in. Haha! :D

As you can see, I've been enjoying the positive energy...The Mother Quail and her little one up there are just a couple of my fruitful attempts to rid my head of all the tangled knots. There's nothing more satisfying than a change of scenery, wouldn't you say? Well, I hope you're able to spare some playful time in the studio too. Seriously, that's probably the best thing doctors could prescribed us artists for any kind of melt downs. Works wonders for me! :)

And since February is approaching fast, I would also like to let you know that I'm inviting all artists and crafts enthusiasts to apply for my Free Sponsorship here at Pencils and Fireflies. I usually send private invites by emails, but I think this way I would be able to reach more people who might be interested in joining our circle of friends and sponsors. So lets make February a fantastic month and send those applications right away!

See you soon! :)

A Special Project Revealed

Hey everyone! How's the weekend treating you so far? I'm here to share with you some very exciting news! Remember when I told you that I have been up to my head finishing up a special project that started towards the end of last year? Well it's finally done (yaay...fireworks please!), and here is a peek into what I have been up to...

I've been busy creating illustrations for JUMINA - a Norwegian Fairytale. They are an exclusive children's clothing brand based in Norway and they make the most beautiful and whimsical children's clothes ever! Seriously, I think I would have loved wearing their line as a child (probably as a grown up too! LOL). The images you see above are to be used as part of their official clothing line, also as a children's story book which will be published by JUMINA. I can't tell you how excited I am and hopefully it will receive positive feedback once it's launched. :)

Anyway, now that the project's done, I'm glad I'll have more time to create the things I've had frolicking about in my head...but that of course, is another story. In the mean time, I'll leave you with some of my favorite JUMINA outfits that I'm sure you'll love too! Have a fantastic weekend, my sweets! :)

Warmest hug,

The Captivating Strange World of Roby Dwi Antono

Here I am. Finally able to sit down in front of the computer to write a new post. A very rare thing for me these days, I'm afraid. With all the daily chaos I have to tend to, you have no idea how hard it is to spare an hour or two for myself. Well, since time is on my side now, I'd really like to share with you a very talented and inspiring young artist whose work has stolen my attention from the very first moment I stumbled upon it. His name is Roby Dwi Antono, and I'm proud to say that he's an Indonesian born artist. :)

I think what I love most about his work is the way it makes you stop and think. The fine details carry such  deep, thought provoking stories that I'm sure can be interpreted differently by each individual. There is a touch of childish quality that I adore, but in the same time Roby is able to mesmerize his audience with his great understanding of beautiful surrealism. To me personally, his art embodies a sense of childhood play that dwells in a strange world of imagination. Something not many artists can pull off, but definitely has become one of his distinctive characters and strength.

Here are the links you can visit to see more of his amazing art:
Official website
Blog

I hope you enjoyed peeking into his wonderful, strange world... until next time! :)

Love,

Bearer of Good News

Well hello. How are you this lovely weekend? It's always nice to unwind after all the hard work you did throughout the week, so I hope you're taking time to sit back and relax. The last few weeks had been quite a roller coaster ride for me... tons of work to finish and not having enough time to create my own personal stuff. It's "torture" in my book. But now that I've finished everything (thank God!), it feels good to just be able to spend time in my studio doing whatever my heart pleases. :)

Love Mail, 8x10 inches, mixed mediums

That owl up there? Other than being my new favorite woodland creature at the moment, he is also a bearer of  very good news! Remember The Whimsy Whimsical Giveaway I hosted a few weeks ago? Well, I've finally drawn a couple of winners to win the two gorgeous limited edition prints offered by Yeevon of Whimsy Whimsical. And they are... Lisa Petrillo and Patrick Olcott! Congrats, please expect an email from me very soon.

Thank you to everyone who has joined in the fun and entered the giveaway. I hope you will keep visiting and enter more giveaways I have planned for the next months ahead!

Meanwhile... have a fantastic weekend, everyone! :)

Hugs,

Muted Palette

Just a tint of inspirations for the day...

Links: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

...to bring out the heavenly muted colors to life.

Myria, 4x6 inches, pencils and watercolor on paper

Have a wonderful week ahead, my lovelies! :)

Morning Muse

Hi everyone. I can't believe a week has gone by without a post from me! My apologies... I guess I have been too caught up with life and work that I lost count of days. It's a tad disappointing that my first days of 2013 were spent catching up with deadlines, when I remember promising myself that I would be finding more time just getting my personal ideas out and drawn onto paper. So that's exactly what I did today. I put my work aside, grab the nearest piece of paper I could find and just drew the first thing that came to me.

And it sure felt good. It's amazing how a little change of "scenery" could refresh the mind! I'm really happy at how this muse turned out, I think I may even make more of the same style. Mind you, she's quite small, so that would put less pressure on me. You know how nerve wrecking it is to work with large pieces...I think the anticipation of finishing just one would be a slow death for me right now. LOL. :D

So anyway, what kind of projects are you working on early this year? Any tips on how to keep yourself refreshed and motivated while trying to fulfill your deadlines? I could sure use some! :)

First Giveaway of the Year

Hello 2013! 

Isn't it incredible that thirteen years have gone by after we entered the year 2000? I think I never would have guessed that my life would be the way it is now thirteen years ago from today. I am thankful that I'm still fortunately blessed to be able to stand on solid ground with the lovely sun shining down above me. So in celebration of the new year, I'm here to host the very first giveaway of 2013, with gorgeous prizes from Whimsy Whimsical!! For those of you who aren't already familiar with this wonderful shop, Whimsy Whimsical Paper Goods is a series of paper goods inspired by whimsical forest animals, illustrated and designed by Yee Von. Here are some of the beautiful things you can find there...

I'm so lucky to have met Yee Von through her blog a few years ago, who is the sweet lovely lady behind these creations. I absolutely love her whimsical world and adorable woodland creatures. She's created them with such perfect simplicity that makes me want to smile and hug someone! The fabulous news is, she's generously giving away these two gorgeous prints for two winners (one print for each winner) just for us at Pencils and Fireflies...

Overcome Fear, Behold Wonder, 42cm x 29.7cm

Not All Who Wander Are Lost, 42cm x 29.7cm

Aren't they beautiful? Both prints are part of Yee Von's new design series of silkscreen prints, inspired by her favorite quotes and they are coming very soon to her shop. What's more fabulous is, that these are limited editions of only 9 (yes, nine!!), and you now have the chance to win them! Here are what you need to do to enter the giveaway:

♥ Enter by using the Rafflecopter widget below.
♥ Be a follower of Pencils and Fireflies.
♥ Like Yee Von's page on Facebook.
♥ Leave a comment within this post, telling us your favorite quote and which print you would like to win. Please make sure to leave the mandatory comment with the same name you use to fill out the Rafflecopter to avoid confusion.

For extra credits:
♥ Share the link to this giveaway on Twitter (+1 )
♥ Share the link to this giveaway on Facebook (+1)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Easy, right? Well, let's get crackin' because this giveaway will end on Friday, 18 January and I will announce the winners the following week. So good luck, you! I hope this helps kick up your spirit a few notches up as you start the new year. :)