A Big Announcement

Hello lovelies. Another week has gone by and here we are again welcoming the weekend. I don't know about you, but this week was an extra tough one because I have been pushing myself to finish up an old project that I should've had done a long time ago. Want to know what it is? Are you ready? Ooo...I'm so excited! Please allow me to present... my official website...yaaaayy!! **fireworks and confetti**

Here are a couple of snippets for you...

And what's even better, I now also have an online shop to display my available works and exclusive collections, with amazing special offers for everyone! And by that I mean lots of huge discounts and freebies, available nowhere else but at my online shop. And if you sign up for my newsletters, you're guaranteed to received awesome free goodies and coupons too! Sounds great? :)

So please, it would make me absolutely happy if you would spare some time to visit and check out my website. I owe a huge thank you to my lovely husband for designing and creating the site from start to finish. I'm so lucky to have someone so creative and technology savvy as a brick to lean on. :)

Have a great weekend, everyone! :)

Hugs

Golden Wings

“You must give everything to make your life as beautiful as the dreams that dance in your imagination.” - Roman Payne

When I was little, I liked to pretend that I lived in a beautiful dream. One that would never end, even when the sun rises in the East. That dream would have everything and anything my heart desired, no matter how ridiculous or bizarre. I could be a queen, a fairy, a tree, or a golden butterfly dancing in the wind. My life would be perfectly lovely, and no evil monster would ever enter the picture. Well, these days as I've gotten older, I have learned to understand that nothing is perfect. At least not the way I dreamed it. And if you have lived the kind of life I have (I'll spare the details for the time being), you'll also learn to believe that dreams can play all sorts of tricks on you. I mean this, with no resentment whatsoever. ;)

People used to say to me that I should dream as high as the stars, and that if I worked hard, I would, in good time, have that dream in my hands. But what they didn't tell me, is that "working hard" is not always enough. There are people who set out into the world with barely nothing and find their dream in a blink of an eye. Some may take forever and still end up with disappointment. So what does it take, to finally live that dream? Will power? Faith? Hope? Or just mere Luck? I think it's one ultimate question with a different answer for everyone.

I'd like to think that the universe is there to provide us with an unlimited source of possibilities. That as long as you see no boundaries, then there is still hope of undiscovered paths to take. Maybe one will take me to that life I dreamed about. Maybe someday life will be kind and let the stars shine bright enough for me to see in the dark.

In the mean time, I will hold on to what I have and be grateful for the sunshine they bring me each day. I know someday soon the universe will lead me to where the golden butterflies roam.

Much Love,

Those Rare Moments

Dear friends, if you read my last post, you would know that I'm currently taking one step at a time to find my groove back into blogging. Six months is quite a long hiatus and to be honest, I'm feeling a bit rusty. But hey, you must be wondering what I have been up to all this time, right? Well, other than the usual chaos at home, work has been as unpredictable as the weather. Some days I was quite successful, some days I was not. There were times when I got the strength to finish what I started, and there were also plenty of times when I just quit and walked away. But I kept going, because it's the only way I know how to deal with this.

So anyway, here is a peek into some of the good days. Fortunately, I can't show you the bad days because I usually couldn't even be bothered to pick up the camera....

So there you have it. A little account of some rare moments when I truly felt content during the past six months I have been missing.  I really hope things will start to pick up for me from now on and I'm determined to work hard on it. At least the way I know how.

Til next time! :)

Hugs,

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,

Memories of Gold

Today is my late best friend's birthday. She would have been 36 years old if she were still with us now. For those who have followed my journal here since the very beginning, you may notice that I celebrate her birthday every year. It's just something I like to do to remember all the wonderful memories we shared together for over 10 years. They say that true friendships last forever, and I couldn't agree more . I think I will always look back on our days together just the way they were, as if those days were only yesterday and tomorrow everything would stay the same. As vivid and fresh as they are in my mind.

I must admit that losing her was one of the hardest things I've ever had to face in my life. I have gone through the lowest points where all I could feel was anger and disappointment at life. Wondering how someone so wonderful and loving could be taken so soon, away from those who loved and needed her. But they also say that time heals all wounds, and mine has left a giant scar that will never vanish. Always a reminder of how bittersweet life can be.

So wherever you are, my friend, I love you, and I miss you terribly. Nothing can ever replace you in my heart, but I'm thankful that the memories I have of us stay alive within me.

Night Time Solitude

 

The school holiday is almost over. I just can't believe how fast the weeks had flown by! Other than spending time with the kids, I've also been busy drawing my little thoughts away. Finding time here and there throughout the day, but mostly during the wee hours of the night when everybody else is fast asleep. It's amazing how a little quietness can bring even the tiniest vision inside my head to life. It's like falling into a hollow space in time where everything stands still but the movements of my hand drawing away.

I spent a few nights awake finishing off this drawing of Alice. It's incredible how I can stay up all night without sleep when I'm eager to see the end result of an unfinished piece. I know it's probably something I shouldn't make a habit of, especially when I need my health more than ever now that my baby is old enough to crawl all over the place! But I must admit that seeing a drawing finished is always a wonderful feeling, even if sleep is the price I have to pay. :)

How about you? Do you stay up at night too?

Art: Yes, Miss Alice (pencils on paper)

A New Name

Hello there, lovelies! Confused? Don't be, it's still me. The new blog name and changes are just the outcome of my long burried restlessness. For a while, I have been feeling that my blog desperately needed a new meaning, something that could accomodate my thoughts, my art and inspirations all together. I want it to be a place where kindred spirits could relate and feel comfortable, as if we were sitting together, chatting over hot cups of coffee in our hands. Doesn't that sound wonderful? :)

There are so much I want to share here, more than just glimpses of my own work and peeks into my personal life. I look forward to sharing plenty more talents, beautiful found treasures and speaking loud thoughts in my head! I hope you'll come back soon and see what I have in store next!

Hugs,

A Room of My Own

When I was little, I wanted nothing more than to have my own room. Being the youngest, I was always sharing one with my siblings. First with my older brother, then with my older sister until I turned a teenager. Well you must know that I grew up in house with only three bedrooms and the only way for me to have a room of my own was to have one built for me. And I remember constantly begging my parents to have my own space. Somehow in my mind, It seemed like my parents didn't realize that I was actually growing up and probably just wanted to keep me as a little kid forever. You have no idea how badly I wanted a fairy Godmother back then. :)

Then as I turned 12, out of the blue, my parents decided to grant that wish. I was finally going to have my own room, and it was like living a dream. I got to choose the paint color, the drapes, the sheets, even designed my own handcrafted wooden bed. And when the day came for me to move in, I remember telling myself that life really is sweet and nothing was ever going to take me away from my little island.

Unfortunately, that dream was short lived. Just a couple of weeks after I moved in, we received news that my father was to be transfered to the UK and that the whole family were to go with him. So we packed our things almost immediately, put the house up for sale (with my brand new room in it!) and the following month we flied halfway across the world to our new home. Thankfully, to a three storeys house with...get this, four bedrooms. Yes, FOUR bedrooms.

I guess I really did have a fairy Godmother afterall. :)

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

My daughter is turning 9 this Saturday. She came to me the other day and asked me when she could have a room of her own. She said big girls shouldn't have to share a room with  little boys. So I told her to keep that wish very close, because wishes really do come true.

Trust me on that one. ;o)

♥ Both girls above are available as nursery art originals in my shop.

Stepping Back into the Light

 

 

 

 

Two years ago I created a series of black and white drawings that I named "Sow Your Light" to help relief the tragedy that struck in my country, Indonesia. I am still beyond grateful for the donations that many of you contributed to help the victims, and I think having these drawings shipped to their new homes was probably one of the most gratifying moments for me as an artist. So again, thank you to all of you who had been so kind as to lend a helping hand for my people. God bless you.

As of today, these nymphs are back in a brand new look, readily available as fine art prints in my shop.

Have a beautiful day!


Hugs,

 

In a Day's Work

After dawn...

...came sunset...

...from dusk...

...all the way to midnight.

I woke up early as usual yesterday and was greeted by a goddess on my drawing table. She's actually part of a commissioned work I was working on last month, and somehow I just couldn't let her stay "bare" anymore. So, I decided to gradually work on her all throughout the day, stealing bits of time here and there, drawing and adding colors on. Remember when I said last time how I felt deprived of working on my personal work? Well, this sure made up for it, big time. I'm just so glad that a commissioned work could extend to a further satisfying and pleasurable moment. I guess next time the trick is to stay resourceful and creative, with a handful of hope and faith in my pocket. *wink* 

Anyway, Flower the Midnight Goddess is now available as fine art prints in my shop, and the original drawing is also there waiting for a future home. On the shop front, I have a couple of special promotions for everyone! Check them out right here.

Hope to see you soon...I really miss visiting everyone! :)

Hugs,

Treasuring the Moment and A Special Giveaway

A brand new week is here! And I'm so excited because I can finally share this very special post with you. I'm sure spring has already settled in nicely in most parts of the world. The birds are singing, the bees are buzzing, and love is strongly in the air. No doubt wedding bells are sounding off their pretty sound and lovers are bound together in the precious knot that entwines their hearts forever as one. Inspired by the 1920s themed custom portrait I did recently, here is a new piece I created to celebrate the beautiful season...

The Bride, pencils and digital mediums (original available here)

And to step further into the celebration, let me introduce to you, two inspiring sisters who work each day, creating treasures for that special moment in life!

Meet the twins, Aundrea and Erin. They are the creators behind Meadowbelle Market, a shop at Etsy that specializes in modern wedding jewelry with a twist of vintage. As little girls, these ladies had always dreamed of working closely together one day and now their business is proof that dreams really do come true. Together, they design and create beautiful handmade sterling silver jewelry, from rings to necklaces, bracelets to earrings, even personalized charms!

 

 
Don't you think they're gorgeous? Well, you're in luck, because Aundrea and Erin are letting me host a special giveaway for them right here! And this is the beautiful piece you can win...

 

All you need to do is be a follower of my blog and leave a comment right here. The giveaway will be closed on 22nd April and a winner will be announced in the following week.

I hope you enjoyed the post! Did it bring up some wonderful memories of your wedding day? And how about you, brides-to-be? Feeling inspired? :)

Hugs and kisses to you!

OXOX,

Meadowbelle Market links:
Etsy shop
Blog
Twitter

Exercising Imperfection

Wow. I can't believe almost a week has gone by without a single post from me. No, no, I haven't turned to vapor and disappeared into thin air. Just been drowning myself in work, still trying to figure out how to make time expand a little and maybe spare an extra hour or two? :) To make things more difficult, sometimes I could be so demanding and expect too much from myself. Yeah, well. Seeking perfection is a self inflicted pain, that's what I always say to myself. Why? Well probably because I'm a hopeless perfectionist. I could go back to my "finished" work and declare that it isn't. Always more details to be added, more shadings to be refined. Maybe that sounds familiar to some of you?

 Selena, pencil on paper

 Sarah, pencil on paper

Well, drawing these girls was an exercise for me. A little encouragement to enjoy imperfection and a chance to tell myself that sometimes it's best to leave things just the way they are. :)

Have a gorgeous day, everyone. Don't forget to take a break and put your feet up!

OXOX,

PS: I have something very special up my sleeve and will share it with you soon. Be sure to comeback and check it out! :)