A Little Announcement and a Sweet Surprise

Hello my lovelies! I hope you're having a gorgeous day, because I have a little announcement to make... I just spent all my morning and a great part of the day to set up my own personal galleries, where I now display some of my work that are available for purchase.

The galleries are located just under the header and as icons along the sidebar on the right. Good news for those with no Etsy account, yes? So from now on, you can freely browse away here or hop over to my Etsy shop to buy any art I have available for you! Hours well spent, don't you think?

And to top that off, I also want to share with you a sweet surprise that was delivered to my door yesterday morning from my dear lovely friend, Tammie Lee.

Just look at those cards with her beautiful photographs on them! And just the ones I would have picked out myself! Thank you so much, Tammie, you are such a darling!

I hope little sweet surprises are coming your way today too...

~Amalia~

Early Resolution

Time is ticking and the end of year draws near. As with many years that have passed, the last week is always the crucial moment for me to pause and reflect. Not that I intentionally sit myself down and think about it, but thoughts just swim by every moment of the day and stops me at the littlest things I do. As if my mind tries to remind me of what's done and subtly leaves me space to ponder on.

Well, today I thought about my journey. The beginning, the process and the end I have yet to meet. I realize now that I tend to get excited when things start and rush myself to the end, leaving the process merely as a leap to get me where I want to be. At the end the sweetness just lingers on briefly, while something feels missing out of the picture. So I decided that from now on, the process will have its own spotlight, starting right here.

This is the initial black and white drawing I did. While in the beginning I had the image of a girl drifting at sea, apparently my hand just had a mind of its own. So flying on a cloud, she goes...

I've been experimenting with watercolor and acrylic washes these days. Having spent the past 7 years or so focusing on colored pencils, I've been trying to get myself out of the box this year and had played around more with other techniques. It's just good to know that I now have more options on the shelf for each project I'm doing.

Well, this is she... just before the final touches. I love the antique vintage look on her and how the paper had turned into an old scroll like form. And it smells wonderful, because I like using a little bit of tea stains here and there. (Jasmine is my fave!)

Wishes, acrylics and tea stains on paper, 2010

And here she is... up high in the sky, off to reach out for the stars. Don't you just wish that was you? I do! (impossible it may seem). So I think I'll just post that image in my head for safe keeping, in case I ever felt like crawling under the bed...

I hope you get time to pause and reflect.

My best,
Amalia oxox

Another Ending... (IF - Mail)

 Fallen expectations, acrylics on paper

My dearest friends and loved ones,

I started this year with a long list of resolutions and expectations. Some came through, some didn't. Some ended in victory, and some remain as dreams to pursue. Either way, life proves to be as bitter and as just sweet as it always does. Never predictable nor easy, but thrilling and gratifying in the same time.

So thank you, life. For the love grown and friendships found, shared laughter and tears I shed, opened doors and sudden diversions. But most of all, thank you for leaving me the room to grow.

I hope this year was a good year for you. Hopefully the next will be even better.

Much love to you,
Amalia oxox

An Illusion in Between

Gemma & Daisy, acrylics on paper

Nothing is really what it seems...

What do you see the first time you see this duet?

Can you picture their story? 


♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Lazy Day, Crafty Hour

One cold and rainy day...

...when lazying around and doing nothing was the greatest temptation...

...I reminded myself that it was yesterday's agenda...

...so I picked up the pencil, drew, painted...
...and proved to myself that I could still put a good use to scissors and glue.

It was wonderfully satisfying to do something different. I hope your weekend was great!

Many hugs,

Amalia oxox

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Feast your eyes on her enchanting art over at Art Memoirs

Standing on Grounds (IF - Savor)

Fourteen. That is exactly the number of times I have moved homes throughout my entire life. Starting as a baby, then as a child, a teenager, an adult, a wife and even now as a mother, I have had to deal with the constant changes of situations and surroundings that came with every move. I remember always having a new bedroom to unpack into, a new school to attend to, new friends to make, and eventually more friends to leave. So by the time I was a teenager, I had learned one very valuable lesson in life. That no matter where I am, learning to adjust and grow was the most important survival skill to have.

Standing on Grounds, watercolor & tea stains

Of course, as a child there was nothing I could do but to follow whichever course my parents took, but to my surprise, the pattern seems to stubbornly carry on until today. In fact, I am now typing this from a house which I have only called home since the very beginning of July. So what is it? A path? A process? A transition? Or is it simply a journey that hopefully leads to the very end of the rainbow? A flight that I wish would one day take me to the luscious green forest I could call "home sweet home" at last. Well, one can only hope.

But like many other unpredictable episodes in life, moving places has added plenty of colors to mine. Experience is always the best teacher, and believe me, I have more than just a handful of them. The downside? Other than having to constantly memorize a new address each time, I now have stacks of unpacked boxes scattered around the house, which will all stay unpacked in case I might have to move again soon. But until then, I'll soak up the sun and savor each moment for treasured memories in the future.

I hope life is sweet, wherever your home is.

**************************

A little reminder...

For those of you who remembered my donation posts for the Mentawai-Merapi victims in Indonesia, I'm delighted to say that I have gathered and transferred a total amount of US$150 (equivalent to IDR 1,320,000) to the PMI (Indonesian Red Cross) through purchases of my art on this blog and over at my shop. I know the amount may not seem much in US$, but in our currency the sum will be able to help many in need. Of course, those of you who would like to know more details on the donation book or see the transfer proof, you are welcome to contact me by e-mail and I will gladly give you the information.

I can't thank you enough for all the help, the prayers and the kind thoughts that you have given these people. I for one am deeply moved and thankful to have such generous friends as you.

My Best,
Amalia oxox