handmadelove

Happy Australia Day!

2012-01-26T11:33:00.000+11:00

Enjoy your day out in the sun with lots of beers and sausages!

Out and about in Istanbul

2012-01-26T11:23:00.001+11:00

Throughout our entire Turkey holiday, I found Istanbul to be the most exciting place of all. Perhaps cause it's the city and I'm quite a city-girl. I found the colours, smells, crowds and signboards to be pretty fascinating. I totally hated the traffic though! Oh... We were stuck in jams and there were just cars and buses and motorcyclists all around! Everywhere! Super polluted as well. But I tell you, the colours and patterns I found in the city totally made up for it! I took so many photos while at the Grand Bazaar! I wanted to share it all here in one big post, but nope, they won't fit! So next post it shall be! If you think these pictures are colourful, wait till you see those I took at the Grand Bazaar. Just re-looking at them makes me want to go straight back to Turkey!

Happy Chinese New Year!

2012-01-23T03:29:00.007+11:00

It's the festive season here in Singapore and I'll be away celebrating with lots of good food and laughter with my family and friends. Chinese New Year is all about family and good food! Pineapple tarts and love letters. Oh my oh my! I won't be around much on my lap top but will be posting pictures up on instagram. So follow me if you're curious to see what yummy food I get my hands on! My username is handmadelove. I'll be back here, towards the end of the week! ( That's if I don't end up in a food coma! ) See you around! And if you do celebrate Chinese New year, have fun with all your loved ones and eat lots! Lots! Lots!!

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Blue Mosque

2012-01-21T11:14:00.004+11:00

Hooray! After weeks of working and stressing out like crazy, not sleeping proper and eating while working, I am finally DONE with my work! Oh my goodness. I thought this day wasn't going to come. Haha. So I'm back to blogging. Sorry for being away!

I still have so many pictures from my Turkey trip, so just thought I'd keep sharing them with you... All the stories, and sights. I wish I could somehow magically upload the smells too! But nope, I think technology ain't that advanced yet. One day I think, it'll happen. Somehow! These pictures here were all taken in Istanbul. At the beautiful Blue Mosque. In Istanbul, if you ask the Turks where the Blue Mosque is, they honestly won't have a clue. They know the mosque as Sultan Ahmed Mosque. The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque amongst Tourists because of it's blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. Those tiles were so pretty. I wanted to just lie on the floor and spend a day staring up at the ceiling. So dreamy! I cannot for the life of me figure out how they hand painted everything. I wonder what sort of paint they used. It's pretty great paint if you ask me! The colours are still there after so long!

Buried knee-deep in work!

2012-01-18T12:34:00.002+11:00

Just popping in to say I'm still here, still alive! Just buried knee-deep, or maybe even chin-deep in work!! I'll be back as soon as all this work clears up! Ah. Still on my holidays. But I'm working away everyday. Starting work at 7.30am and finishing at sometimes 10..11pm! I'm going to work as hard as I can today till noon and then go hang out with a friend in town. I need a break! I'm going to have fun relaxing, we're watching a movie and having lots of popcorn! I'm so looking forward to it!

Cave home House Tour!

2012-01-12T13:54:00.002+11:00

One of my personal highlights throughout my Turkey holiday was when I visited this elderly couple's cave home! I'm all for beautiful homes in unexpected places. I've often dreamt of living up in a tree, or in a hut by the beach. Or maybe even in a cosy house made out of logs, right in the middle of a lush forest. Anyway, who would have thought one could live in a cave?! I never ever thought that's even remotely possible. I mean I know we've got our cavemen ancestors from long dinosaur years ago. They did live in caves after all. But knowing someone living in a cave in today's modern world?! That really sounded impossible. So here I am today, sharing with all of you the cute unit 18! ( Yes they have a unit number! )

Belonging to one of Kapadokya's/the world's last still-in use cave home! Not sure when, but pretty sure it was decades ago, the Turkish government came up with a ban stating that these caves were not safe for living in and that everyone had to move out. But of course a few elderly couples disregarded the law and till today, still live in these cave homes! Most of these still-lived in cave homes are now modernised. The one we visited even had PVC windowsills and toilets. They lead pretty normal lives, they have cable tv and a great stove, just no wifi! Hah.

Kitchen details. I especially love their fridge! SF! Who would've thought! The elderly couple have been living in this cave home for almost all their life. The husband carved it from scratch a long time ago and they've been living here together as a couple all their married life. They've got kids who are now adults and they live and work in the larger cities like Istanbul and Ankara.

My favourite room was their bedroom! 10 times better than any of the hotels we stayed at! So bright and airy. With lots of plants! And yes, they've also got a panoramic view to boot! It looks tiny but it's actually pretty decent-sized and big enough for a couple!

Amazing bedroom view. Sorry my iphone picture does it no justice at all! Note the modern PVC window. Haha. Cute! And also a picture of their very cute cave window sill! I didn't take any photos of their toilet. Didn't want to invade that much of their privacy. But just imagine a modernised PVC toilet with proper plumbing system and all. How did they manage to do it and link it all up in a cave? Who knows!

Interesting knick knacks in their home. I don't know the story behind the tortoises, but I found them cute! Maybe they were bored and the husband decided to draw some tortoises so thew wife could colour them in? Husband and wife activity maybe? Hmmm.

Some iPhone photos which I took to post on Instagram! Seen here is the couple's living room. It can seat up to 30 and more. I think it can fit 40! That's if some of us sit on their carpet. Considering there were 28 of us! I'm pretty sure we could fit 10 more!

Our local guide chatting with the wife of the house. DIY broomstick, handmade chair rug, super lovely hand knitted socks - made by the wife of course! She spends her time hand knitting, weaving and cross stitching little bits to place at local shops. Her skills are pretty amazing. We don't understand each other but we both ended up 'talking' about knitting! She could tell from a distance my scarf was machine-made! Haha. And you should see the ribbons and trims you made. I forgot to take a photo!

I was so excited when I was at this cute couple's home. Unfortunately, due to language barriers and my sheer state of excitement trying to take it all in, I forgot to remember their names. Oops!See how tiny they are! My sister and I looked like giants standing next to them. Thank you so much cute couple for opening up your home and wanting to make 30 cups of Turkish tea!

Thank you!

2012-01-12T12:50:00.000+11:00

Woke up this morning to a lovely surprise! I'm featured on The Finders Keepers Blog today! I am so excited about it! I've been not-so-secretly a Finders Keepers follower, shopping up a storm and taking lots of photos at their markets, being part of their Sydney Dec market last year. I'm already looking forward to their markets this year. Heard there might be one in Melbourne? Ooh! You can read my feature here. Thank you so much Finders Keepers for having me!

Work in progress

2012-01-11T19:51:00.000+11:00

I've been buried knee-deep in work since the start of January. This is what I've been working on all day today. A piece filled with ferns! It's not done yet. It still needs lots of line work and splatters, along with a few more layers of finishing touches. But I'm slowly getting there!

I'll be back tomorrow with a special home tour post! For those of you who have been waiting, I'll finally be showing pictures I took while visiting an elderly couple's cave home! Be back tomorrow!

Cotton Castle, Pamukkale

2012-01-10T14:20:00.000+11:00

Located in the Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey is this amazing snow mountain-like natural site. It looks like snow but it's actually not! Read more about it here. It was really really cold. I think about 1 or 2 degrees. But my dad, sister and myself decided to be adventurous and heck it with the cold. We bared our shivering feet and walked down these slopes. I was stupid enough to get my feet wet by stepping into one of the pools. I totally underestimated the depth of it and ended up soaking my jeans. Freezing temperatures + cold soggy jeans. How nice! Haha.

All in all, it was a nice place to be in. Because of all the whiteness, ( The further you walk down the slope, the whiter it gets ) and the fact I was wearing heavy layers, I felt like a polar bear. A cold and wet polar bear!

Funny fact about Denizli: Whenever a family has a daughter of marriageable age, they'll place an empty glass bottle on their chimney. This means that if a family with a boy of marriageable age is interested, he can come and ask for her hand in marriage. How cute! Imagine if we have it in Singapore or Australia. It's like saying " Hello! I'm single! Come get me! " Ah! How embarrassing! I would definitely not agree to it!

Acropolis, Pergamon

2012-01-07T12:11:00.001+11:00

One of the many things we did while holidaying in Turkey was to visit lots of ruined cities. On the third day of our trip, we visited a small city called Pergamon. Imagine old ladies at the front door, kilim rugs hanging outside almost every household. ( I wanted one but they didn't look that clean! )

Perched on Pergamon's highest point is Acropolis. We found the Alter of Zeus, Temple of Athena and the Temple of Trojan. It was so high up we even had to take a cable car just so to reach the top! It was pretty bright and sunny but still cold. I had to squint all the way while taking photos and running around, soaking it all in. Thank goodness for such sun cause it made all my photos turn out nicely coloured. No editing at all! ( I do not usually enjoy colour editing my photos and never do for all my other posts ) I just white balance, adjust and shoot on manual.

Alrighty, have a bright and sunny weekend wherever you are! x

Desktop!

2012-01-05T23:09:00.001+11:00

Hooray! I'm featured on the awesome Desktop Magazine today! Thank you so much Lisa for such a fun interview. Yay! Go have a read here. Thank you so super much everyone for all your never-ending support the past year. Reading my blog, commenting, sending encouraging emails my way, buying my work, sponsoring me, coming for my craft markets and shows, spreading the word, coming for my classes and sending your kiddos to my classes, tweeting about the things I do...It's been amazing how with all your help and support, I've been able to stick with my guts and do what I love. I am truly grateful for everything!

Turkish Yoghurt

2012-01-04T13:51:00.003+11:00

While traveling on the road, our local guide introduced us to a tiny town called Dinar. Where it's famous for it's super thick and creamy yoghurt, all topped with rich honey and guess what...opium poppy seeds! Yes, you heard me! Opium poppy seeds! I was quite apprehensive about trying it at first. Simply because I'm not really a fan of yoghurt and furthermore, yoghurt that's made out of goat's milk. Hmmm. But after being charmed by the waiter making it, ( He makes it and tips it over your head, just like turkish ice cream, to show how thick the yoghurt and honey is ) I decided to have a try. Thank goodness I did! It was really yummy. It's nice and rich, slightly sour, but the honey makes it sweet and tasty. The poppy seeds? They kind of resembled sesame seeds! I'd love a plate of it right now! A funny fact about the Dinar villagers : Because they've got so much poppy plants available, they sip some petals in milk bottles of babies so babies can sleep through the night! Oh my goodness!

Class Updates: I've decided to open up another watercolour class on the 17th Jan. Many of you wrote in and asked if I could open another class and so I've decided to keep class numbers to only 8 and open up another class. For more information, do check out this page here. Thank you!

Changing landscapes

2012-01-03T01:47:00.001+11:00

One of the things that stuck with me most about Turkey, was the endless bus rides and it's changing onboard views. My family and I basically spent 10 days traveling around Turkey. We went daily from town to town and covered at least 11 different towns. We went with a tour group and the bunch of us 28 traveled in an anti clockwise direction, from Istanbul to Canakkale, Troy, Pergamon, Kusadasi, Selcuk, Pamukkale, Konya, Cappadocia, Ankara, Bolu and back to Istanbul. So some days were spent on the bus for up to 12 hours. I hate long bus rides, but these ever-changing landscapes made up for it! It snowed some days, and was warm and sunny on other days. We passed the ocean, drove up hills and even traveled on the silk road. Lucky us!

PS: I've decided to host a special one-off watercolour packaging class in Singapore on the 19th Jan! I only have 10 very limited spots available. So sign up quick if you're interested! A bunch of you emailed me in October when I mentioned on twitter about it. So so sorry! I left all your email addresses in Melbourne! I don't have your contacts now so if you happen to see this, please know I did try to search in my mailbox history but to no avail!

Kapadokya, Turkey

2012-01-02T03:20:00.002+11:00

Happy New Year folks! I'm back from my family vacation in Turkey and Dubai! It was so much fun and we hopped from one place to another everyday. From the busy city roads, to the countryside. From the snowy mountains to warm sand dunes. I took a gazillion photos ( as usual! ) and will be sharing them with you in the next couple of days, or maybe even weeks. Too many photos! I'll be blogging about the many patterns, tree types, sights, the list goes on! I even visited an elderly couple's wonderfully cosy cave home. So I'll be doing a mini cave home feature too!

Now, off to go shake off this horrible jet lag I'm having, along with a horrid whip lash ( thanks to bumping up and down mega sand dunes ) See you around soon! Stay tuned!

PS: Mission accomplished! I am a proud new owner of a handmade Turkish rug! Along with two very cute hand embroidered cushions. Thanks Dad and Mum! And yes, they did fit into my luggage, after lots of compressing, pushing and squashing. Oopsy!

Thank You and Happy Holidays!

2011-12-21T12:58:00.000+11:00

Oh wow! No pictures in a post! Haven't done this in a very very long time! I am currently on holiday in Singapore, back home with my family and we leave for a family holiday to Turkey and Dubai tomorrow. We won't be back till the new year, so just wanted to say a big huge thank you to all of you for all your support the past year. This year was probably my hardest year so far. With so much going on. Those of you who read and follow this little blog will know I lost my best friend to cancer. ( I dreamt of him two nights ago. I miss him terribly! ) I'm still learning to cope with it every day. Some days it's good, some days it takes a while for me to let it all sink in that he's no longer a phone call or tram ride away. But life goes on! And this year sure went really fast. I guess being in mourning helps. I worked myself to the core and had so many wonderful opportunities be given to me. All the magazine and newspaper features, teaching experiences, new friendships formed. Thank you so much for everything.

So yup, before I end my last blog post of 2011, I just wanted to say, have a blessed Christmas with your loved ones, and a terrific New Year! I'll be back in full force come Jan. I'm pretty sure I'll be taking a whole crazy lot of photos while in Turkey. And I am going to try, with all my might and luggage space, to bring home a carpet. Even if it means I'll look like a total wacko, wearing all my clothes onboard just so to have enough space in my luggage, I'll still try! All the beautifully hand woven textiles. I'll be crazy not to bring any home! So yes, wish me luck with not getting a heat stroke on board the plane!

See you in the new year folks!

Outpost in Sydney

2011-12-19T19:42:00.002+11:00

Some pictures I took while visiting Outpost on Cockatoo Island in Sydney with Darren a few weeks back. It was such a rainy and gloomy day. We were caught in the rain, and totally way underdressed! Others around us were in huge jackets. We were in our summer wear? Haha. To be honest, I don't really know how to appreciate graffiti. But I do enjoy looking at super huge colourful murals. Especially those works in progress! Did anyone of you Sydney-siders go?

Sydney in a blast!

2011-12-15T12:46:00.001+11:00

So, for those of you who don't already know, I'm now on instagram! Yes! I have just joined the gang. I was such a noob at it. Not knowing how to use it, reply to messages others have left, etc. Actually, I still don't really know how it works. Do I actually have a physical page somewhere with all my uploads? Like how Flickr and twitter works? Not sure! But yup, I went instagram crazy while I was on my recent trip to Sydney for Finders Keepers. I just love how I can tweet and Facebook my images while on the go! It's such a novelty, but yet it's pretty fun I think! Now see if you can spot and identify the places I went to. Hehe! And yes, I'm ashamed to say this but we definitely did eat our way through our entire trip! Again! ( The last time we visited Sydney back in 2009, we ate up to 7 meals a day just so we could fit all the yummy cafes into our travel plans! ) I know, we're such pigs! * I do have more food pictures but I shall be a bit more civilised and not scare you with the amount we actually ate. Haha.

Now, before I head off, don't forget, there's a 20% SALE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW ON MY ONLINE SHOP! Just A few more days to Christmas! Order today to get it all by Christmas!!! Once prints sell out, no more reprints! That's it! I'm planning new things for next year. Think : limited editioned pillowcases ( Vegetarian options! Dessert options! ), a few very limited large archival art prints. And perhaps a few smaller digital prints, etc. I'm actually back in Singapore now on a holiday till Feb, so I've appointed Darren as my official postie. Thank you Darren!

Now off for a lovely swim at the pool! It's too hot here in Singapore!

Florence in action!

2011-12-14T14:05:00.001+11:00

Ooh look! It's the very special Florence in action! If you don't already know, Florence is Frankie and Swiss's amazing printer. She's not just any normal printer. She's a textile printer! ( Not sure if that's the right term ) But hey! Look, that's Michelle and Shelley, and that's Florence turning my artwork into beautiful linen napkins for Shelley's studio dinners next year!

Shelley has specially asked if I was game to team up with her in producing some limited edition napkins for her dinner, which will be part of Melbourne's 2012 Food and Wine Festival. Of course I said yes! I didn't even need to think! Good food, art, how cool is that. Very, I think! And it didn't help that I was already in love with Shelley's shop. It's the perfect little shop, filled with beautiful handmade pottery ( Made by Shelley herself of course! ), soaps and candles and yummy candies. I keep telling others how Shelley's shop feels like Christmas all year round! Thank you so so super much Shelley for asking me to be part of this exciting adventure! And thank you Michelle too for teaming up with us to make this all happen! Without you and Florence, this wouldn't even be possible! Thank you!

Did you know, Florence also printed my funny meaty pillowcases? I have 2 left in the shop! And with an additional 20% sale, they might be too yummy to resist? You never know, someone out there might like a meaty pillowcase!

20% Off Everything in my store!

2011-12-07T13:32:00.000+11:00

Hello friends and family, one and all! I'm about to leave on a long Christmas holiday! So I'm throwing a 20% storewide discount! Yes you heard me! EVERYTHING will be on sale!!! Get the print you always wanted but thought was too expensive! It's now or never! Items will NOT be restocked once gone.. No more reprints, ever! Moving towards a whole new concept next year! So yes. Get it now before it's gone forever! Use discount code HAPPYHOLIDAYS : ) Have fun shopping everyone!
www.handmadelove.bigcartel.com

And don't forget, my last Christmas market before I pack up and leave on my holiday! Come say hi if you can!

Finders Keepers!

2011-12-07T13:18:00.002+11:00

So, I've just returned from a nice little break in Sydney! Well, Darren and I went up for Finders Keepers and had lots of fun meeting new faces, selling my work. Even though it was really tiring having only 3 hours of sleep ( thanks to last minute packing ) to last us through our first day of flying + setting up + selling adventure, it was nonetheless still a super experience! Darren's excited and wants to do it again next year! Haha. Well, we'll see how it goes. Perhaps We might apply for the Brisbane market? Hmm... Thanks to everyone who came and said hi. All you lovely lovely readers, makers, friends, Lauren, Chrissy, Em and John, Matthew, the Frankie ladies, Angela and Renne from Leeloo, Kirsty and Josh, Beth Emily, Dani M and so on.. And of course, not forgetting the Harvest gang! Emma and her lovely sister- Ange, Thank you for the last minute Bunnings run! Emily and Jenn and the ever so hilarious Miss Indie and her love for thai salted duck eggs. Haha. You guys made my whole Sydney market experience one to remember! View more pictures here! Sorry, I decided not to post them up here. I look SO tired in almost all the photos. My teeny tiny sleep-deprived eyes! Gosh!

Darren left with a cute little house brooch. And I left with a necklace from NotTuesday, Which I wore every day after that! A lovely wooden rice spoon from attia, a brooch for my sister and the cutest ever vintage-style polka dot red bathers. I tried them on at the market and instantly felt hot! I NEVER ever feel that way about myself. A old lady came up to me after seeing me in it and said " Darling, you got to get it. Seriously, You look so good in it! You've got such good legs! Seriosuly.. It's great on you! " Awww. Thank you lady. You put a smile on my face : ) I never enjoy spending time at the beach cause I'm always so conscious. Singapore/Asian girls are tiny and being a size 14.. 16..It's like I'm a giant. So thanks lady, for making me feel good and special about myself! Best market experience ever!

The Design Files Open House

2011-12-01T17:53:00.005+11:00

So, if you don't already know, The Design Files Open House is this super huge crazy mega pop up. But wait, it's not just like any other pop up. You see, Lucy is this amazing wonder woman. Do you think superheroes would settle for a random shipping container to host a pop up? No. They have standards and Wonder Woman Lucy got herself a HOUSE. Yes. You heard me! A real house! One where people actually live in?! And Wonder Lucy basically took over, along with partner in crime, Esther and her team of superheroes and together, they transformed the entire home into one's dream land. Talk about crazy! EVERYTHING in the house is for sale. Including tap fixtures. I was soooooo lucky and was invited to be amongst the bunch of 75 awesome makers. I contributed 4 original artworks for the event. They're hung with lots of love in the kitchen!

I wanted EVERYTHING in the house. Including the house itself. Actually, on hindsight, I'd be more than happy just having only the toilet and the couch and maybe all the Jardan furniture and a few paintings, and lamps and bed linen. Oh and please how about adding in the very awesome 24k gold bin and baggu bags too? Please Santa, pleeeeeaaasssseeeee! I am definitely allowed to dream and wish right?

My theme phrase for the night was " OH MY GOD. I AM MELTING!!!! MELTING AND DYING AND MELTING INTO THIS ROOM.. LOOK AT THE BED.. OH MY GOD.. SOOOOOO NICE.. I WANT!!!!!!!!!!! " Yes.. I think I repeated that every time I turned a corner. Even if it wasn't a bed that I wanted to melt into.. it was the couch, the chair.. Even the toilet bowl looks nice to me! I got lucky and got to use the toilet for a few minutes. It totally put my own home toilet to shame!

Sorry I couldn't really be bothered to fine-tune my images and just shot them any-o-how, without adjusting my camera settings.. Hahah.. It was all TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL and I had so much fun! Thanks LUCY FOR EVERYTHING!!!! Drop by if you can! Warning, you might leave feeling like your house totally sucks. ( That happened to me! Haha. But only for a while. Don't worry, all my second/third/fourth-hand broken student furniture, we're still best friends. Just maybe not for life! )

More pictures on Lucy's blog here! If any of you make it there and if you've got extra time on your sleeve and a camera in hand, PLEASE take a photo of my work and send it to me if you can! I did not have time to go take photos in the day today ( the only day I can make it before I leave for Sydney tomorrow ! ) and it was way too crowded and difficult to photograph it last night. Thank you so so much! I will be really grateful if you can help me out!

Oh and on a totally different note, I'll be away in Sydney tomorrow till next Tuesday! I'm going to be at Finders Keepers! Along with my trusty elf/ man friend Darren! : ) We'll be there selling my art and wares. I am really really really excited about the market! It's my first in Sydney! Come say hi! I'd LOVE to meet all of you Sydney friends! It's always nice to meet new faces and know the lovely people who read this little blog!

See you if you can make it!
Take care and have a nice week!
PS: I was having lunch at a cheap Japanese place today and read this post on TheThousands. I burst out laughing! So funny!

Mega Update

2011-12-01T17:09:00.003+11:00

Oh. It's feels like a week's passed since I last updated! I have so much to show and tell you guys. So here's a nice long little post on what's been happening. Basically all the pictures from this post, were all from the week that's just passed. I had quite a few notable fun things happen. First up, home art classes with Hugo! I introduced Hugo to the Japanese carp kite last week and talked to him about being brave and strong. ( If you read more about the history of a carp kite, you'll know why! ) and we did our very own Hugo version! Cool beans! As usual, my Wednesdays are always filled with so much fun. I teach Hugo in the morning, then head over to Do Re Me for class with my funny girls.

My girls did an awesome job last week and made large aboriginal paintings on fabric offcuts. We were going to turn them into bags this week, but unfortunately, the cruel rain came down on all their lovely handwork and washed the paints all away. BIG SIGH! But thank God the girls took it all in like champions and were in fact really excited they get to start over again on nice canvases... on their own at home. So, good on you girls! I'm proud of you all for thinking this way and having such positive art-making attitudes! And just look at what they did yesterday! This was AFTER I actually broke the bad news about their ruined work. See. They just love art. They can't stop painting! So so sad it's the last class for this year. But yup, look at their fun pieces!

Mini-me packaging drawings! Hahaha. It might look so easy and simply nothing but did you know these kids actually did not use any pencils or pens first? They went straight into their paintings by painting blocks of colour, then working around it to bring out the image? It's a great way to introduce packaging design to kids, at the same time, train them to observe and colour-block, instead of just drawing any-oh-how. Like my kids said to me " Sure looks easy but it is not! "

Apart from all my fun with kiddos, there was also the dog-friendly Design Files 2012 Calendar launch! I didn't end up taking lots of photos that night, but my good friend Madeleine Stamer did! And she's so graciously posted them up on her Facebook wall! Go have a look and at the same time like her page! I am a big fan of her work. Really cool stuff she does : ) It was such a nice laid-back night, with beautifully illustrated calendar pages to look at. Lucy has been nothing but so kind to me and asked if I could contribute a page. So yup I did! A little birdy told me I'm Miss February! Haha. Click here to get yourself a calendar!

Now, before I end off this already seemingly long post, I still have one more thing I promised to show! Pictures from my Sunday at MARKit! Yup, I had a market stall where I sold my art and wares. Thank you so much to those who came and said hi! How packed was that place! Ah! But yup, for those of you who couldn't make it down, here are a whole lot of pictures I took.

Phew! That's a lot of pictures to show. Sorry! I can't help but show you all the goodness. There were more but no, I don't want anyone to complain. Haha. So yup! These will do : )
From top to bottom: My stall, Cat Rabbit, Able and Game, Swiden, Betty Jo, Blank, Lark, Beci Orpin, Poppies for Grace, Simply Pheobe, Spin Spin, So Little Time Co.

Actually, I am going to be honest. I did have another exciting event happen during this same week. I know I know! It was none other than The Design Files Open House. I went last night to the launch and took lots of photos. Well, I think I drooled more than I took photos. But that's not the point. The point is, that place is AMAZING and you should go if you can. I think Lucy and team have done an amazing amazing crazy mega job and it should be appreciated so yup, do drop by if you can! I want to show you pictures, but I will hold myself back and post it in another post. In case you happen to be so sick of reading this ultra-long post already. Haha.

Ok. Byeeeeee!

ΔΔΔ Giveaway!

2011-11-28T11:54:00.004+11:00

Hello and good Monday everyone! How was your weekend? Good I hope! I had a long and tiring but fun weekend. Ironic I know. But it was cool. I got to hang out with Darren and we went to our favourite ( or rather, my favourite ) hang out place - Misty's Diner! I set myself on fire with their triple xxx spicy sauce and ended up gulping down 1/2 my cup of peanut milkshake to save myself from crying. Let me just say, peanut shakes and super hot sauce, together, they taste really funky. Haha. Anyway, that aside, I spent Sunday at Markit selling all my cups, plates and art. I caught up with So many of my ex students from my adult watercolour classes, friends and more friends! I also made a few new friends and met some blog crushes for the first time! It was so much fun! I took quite a few photos and I'll post them up soon! Anyway, to thank you all for your continuous support, for coming down to MARKit, and buying my stuff online, leaving me awesome comments and emails all the time, I'd like to do a little giveaway!

As we all know, I love my food. And I love cooking. And I always try to make my kitchen a little bit more colourful, by hanging pieces of art and having different colourful veggies displayed in a basket. I know! I'm lame that way. Haha. I recently even got a bright yellow ice cream maker for our kitchen! ( Seriously, it's one of the best things ever! ) So anyway, see those super cool colourful knives up there? They were given to me by the awesome team over at OZKitchenware! I know. Just look at those colours. I practically squeal in delight every time I use them! ( For now at least ! ) They make me happy. And guess what, apart from these cool knives, I was also gifted this bright red knife block. Okay. I can officially camp out in the kitchen forever. Good food + happy knives = happy me. Haha.

So, basically for those unaware, OZkitchenware is a new online store that sells lovable kitchenware brands like Chasseur, Global Knives, Scanpan, Cuisinart, Mundial, Joseph Joseph, Tamahagane, to name a few. They are a fun, young little office - all foodies who love cooking! And apart from their pretty competitive prices, they also do free shipping for all orders above $100. Cool!

Anyway, the point is, OZKitchenware has very generously offered 2x$50 gift vouchers as a special prize for 2 very lucky readers of mine! Each winner will win a $50 voucher for spending at OZkitchenware!

I know $50 might not seem that much, especially if you're thinking of getting a fancy Chasseur pot. But still, it's $50! I'd love it myself! So, how do you enter this giveaway? Really simple!

All you need to do, is head over to OZkitchenware's site, pick and choose one item in which you'll most likely purchase if you win and leave a comment below, saying which item you chose, and why. Oh and very importantly, leave your email address too! So I can contact you if you win!

Perhaps you might like an ice cream maker, so you can combat the coming warm summer months? Or maybe you'd like a fancy new crockpot for some Christmas cooking? Ooh. Now I'm hungry.

Unfortunately, because OZkitchenware only ships within Australia, this giveaway is sadly only open to all Australian residents. Sorry international readers. I promise another giveaway soon! But for all Aussie residents, this giveaway will end Wednesday midnight next week, and I'll pick 2 lucky readers at random!

Now good luck and here's wishing you lots of happy foodie thoughts! x
Thank you!

Market season!

2011-11-25T12:47:00.002+11:00

Hi everyone, just a quick little update... I'm going to be at MARKit, Federation Square this coming Sunday. I'll be there, along with my trusty, loyal and ever supportive side-kick, read boyfriend/manfriend- Darren! Special shout out to him for always being so willing to help out, do lunch runs, man my stall while I shop, etc. He's awesome! Anyway, come on down, it's going to be fun and twice as big as before, with over a 100 stall holders. I'm going to be located at the Foyer level of the BMW Edge Theatre. Come say hi if you can! : )

And for all you Sydney readers, I'll be at Finders Keepers next week! Hooray! You can take a little look at my profile here! Oh and the awesome ladies from Finders Keepers recently did a feature on this little humble blog of mine, which you can read here. Thank you so much!

Well, hopefully I'll see you at one of these coming markets!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T10:35:00.004+11:00

Illustration I did two weeks ago, for The Big Issue. The issue came out this week. I've yet to see it in person. But I'm pretty sure it'll look nice paired with the beautiful thanksgiving story. ( Of which was inspiration for the drawings ) I think what The Big Issue does is really awesome, providing opportunities for homeless, marginalised and disadvantaged people to make positive changes in their lives. Authorised vendors buy the magazine for $2.50 from The Big Issue and sell it on the streets for $5, keeping the difference.

I think it's really nice to know your money's well spent and that it goes to someone in need.

As Christmas is fast approaching, a lot of us think about gifts, holidays, feasting. I myself do too. But perhaps this Christmas, we can all start by making a little change by donating or helping the less advantaged. There are so many people out there with no where to sleep, no home to go to, let alone even have a proper meal. There's lots which we can do. Oxfam for one, has some really cool Christmas gift ideas.

Perhaps this Thanksgiving and Christmas season might be a reminder for us to reflect on the good things we have in our life and how we can share it with others who might really benefit and appreciate it?

PS: In the spirit of sharing, I will be giving a free surprise print along with every order from my shop. This week only! I know it's totally somewhat different from donating. But I'm just big on the idea of buying something for yourself, and having something to share with someone else.

•••••

2011-11-22T19:28:00.001+11:00

Something super exciting is in the works. I don't think I'm suppose to say anything yet. It's top secret for now! Haha. But yes, all I can say is... I worked with a full class of 25 kiddies today and we made lots of drawings together. Veggies and fruit galore! The kiddies were SO adorable. One even came up to me after class and said " I really like you Dawn Tan. I really think your art is really nice. I think you should take part in lots of art competitions so you can win them all. I wish you can be my mum! "

HAHA. Kids! Not so sure about the mum part!

Oh and I have some awesome news to share today. I just found out, I got into the teaching course I applied for at Uni next year! Ah. I am going back to school. Again! Though I'm totally dreading it! But you know what it means? It means, if I get through next year doing my one year diploma in Secondary education ( which I hear is really tough! ) I get to be a fully qualified teacher! Can you imagine me working in a school for real? I cannot believe it myself! AH! I loved every bit of my experience this year working in awesome schools, teaching art and painting to so many kids. The thought of being able to do it proper, full-time... imparting what I've learnt from my teachers and passing it onto the younger generation.. Ah. I am smiling just at the thought of it! Hooray! I get to be a REAL SCHOOL TEACHER! YAY! : )

Residential Kitchen

2011-11-22T18:07:00.002+11:00

Darren and I discovered the joys of having brunch at Residential Kitchen over the weekend. We ordered the Linguine Marinara which came with lemon, chilli, olive oil and herbs, the Pancetta and broken broccoli taleggio pizza, Shoestring fries with homemade relish, and of course fresh summery juices. The food was so good and we were pleasantly surprised. We ate so much, it kept us full till dinner time. Mind you, Darren gets hungry every 2 hours! He likes to think he's still growing! ( But he never does. Still as skinny as ever! ) But yes, we'd definitely be going back there again!

2011-11-21T10:38:00.001+11:00

I was watching this little video last night. I would really like to have some place out there, in the countryside, where I can be alone sometimes and just work on nothing but art. It's not that I don't like company. But sometimes, being away from the hustle and bustle of the city, people and life in general can be really rewarding. I often dream of living in a forest. With a little wooden hut as my studio. Wooden floorboards, just a simple table and chair with a throw for colder days. Floor to ceiling glass doors and windows. Lots of sunlight and green all around. Perfect. One day I will make it happen.

My Ultimate New York Burger and Fries!

2011-11-19T09:24:00.003+11:00

Hooray! Guess what's finally here! Made in collaboration with Melbourne's Douglas and Hope, my limited edition melamine range is now available in my online shop! Along with all my other prints and stock! Christmas is coming! Hint hint! : ) I will be selling my plates and prints at a few craft markets in the coming weeks. Once they all sell out, that's it! No more re-prints, re-makes. I'm thinking new things for next year. So stay tuned!

Now hop on over to my shop and see if you fancy anything. Thank you!

PS: I understand shipping is a little expensive for these items. Sorry! But it really is, as with all my other stock. I always try to absorb as much shipping + packing costs as I can. But these, due to it's weight, odd shape, they are slightly more expensive to mail as they're impossible to mail flat like any ordinary letter. Thanks for understanding!

What happens when I feed my art kids cheese sticks...

2011-11-16T19:35:00.001+11:00

They talk non-stop and sing and laugh and just go all crazy and hyper. I was totally going oh my goodness. SHUSH! Haha.. See! I've even got a photo to prove. Haha. Thank goodness they still did a goo job painting their Picasso cubist portraits! These kids never fail to amaze me with the superpower multi-tasking skills!

New Paintings

2011-11-15T22:22:00.002+11:00

Yay! Brand new chart paintings for The Design Files Open House. They will both be float mounted professionally in beautiful handmade Tasmanian oak frames. I can't wait to see them hung up side by side! I hope they go to a lovely new home. And that they'll both bring their new families smiles and happy thoughts every new day.

Oh and speaking of The Design Files..the new 2012 Design Files calendar is out! I have been keeping it a big hush hush since August but guess what, I'm one of the artists involved! I drew my very own 'craft kit' for the month of February. My images have not been released yet, so to keep it a surprise, I shall not post it up just yet. If you're in Melbourne, do come for the launch party. It's happening next week, over at Lamington Drive. More details here. Thank you so much Lucy, Jeremy and Monica from Jacky Winter for this awesome opportunity to be part of this!

Wikstenmade

2011-11-15T08:43:00.004+11:00

Check out Jenny's new shop. This is the first online shop where I kind of find myself wanting every single thing. From the beautifully made luxuriously soft 100% silk crepe de chine dresses, to this Odette arrow bangle (I absolutely LOVE Jennifer's pieces, especially her Amuletum Necklace!), Alyson's super cute Melon necklace and even these MCMC perfumes. Ok. I should really stop talking so much and not go on. I need to save for my upcoming Christmas markets! But yes, all of you should pop over and check out Jenny's hard work. It will be worth a click! I promise!

Photos by John Allen

Late night painting

2011-11-14T22:26:00.000+11:00

Working on a vegetable piece. This will go side by side, along with my other fruity piece (seen in the previous post). Both paintings measure 50 x 70cm each and will be framed professionally. They'll both be for sale as one-off originals during this exciting event. More to come!

Updates

2011-11-10T18:37:00.004+11:00

Sorry I've been so busy I haven't had time to blog! Ah. As of right now, I've got some crazy projects on hand. Crazy but in a good way. I just completed a bunch of nice map drawings for a Wine company. Thanks Jacky Winter for the job! And I've also just finished up 2 illustrations for The Big Issue. And I'm in the midst of working on 2 large paintings for The Design Files Open House. Above's a sneaky peek! Seriously, I can already foresee, the open house will be a big huge success. I am really really excited to be able to be amongst a bunch of super talented artists. People whose work I admire and go crazy over. Kirra Jamison, Dane Lovett, David Bromley ( I KNOW! ), Beci Orpin, Madeleine Stamer, and the list goes on. But yes. When I found out David Bromley and Kirra were in it.. I almost fainted in glee. Oh yes..Well, you can view more pictures and find out who's involved, over here!

Apart from updating you guys with what's been happening in terms of my arty work bits, I'm also really excited and want to show you what the kids I've been teaching did!

My home art class buddy, Hugo, did a whole bunch of fun terra cotta clay things. Well, we started out making a Gruffalo. Or rather, the Gruffalo's child. And we turned the rest of the leftover clay into random yummy things like a donut, cupcake, mini ice cream and a love heart. Cute! My Do Re Me kiddies also completed a mini Paul Cézanne study. I am especially proud of the two grade ones, Anna and Caelyn. I think theirs turned out really well. All the shaded bits and blending of tones. Good job kiddies!

Alright, now back to work. And stay tuned for an upcoming giveaway. I know I mentioned a while ago I was going to do a giveaway. Hang in there! I'm just about waiting on the giveaway thingy to arrive! Hint: It's nice, colourful and used in the kitchen!

Ok. See you around again soon!

PS: Some of you might have noticed how my website looks almost like Kirra's. Just putting it out there, in case anyone thinks I'm a copycat. I do admit it does look like I copied it exactly! Just my own pictures...The thing is, it's a template from Cargo Collective. My super talented friend sent me the invite to set up an account and I did. It was so much easier to use compared to my previous website 'builder'. So yes, I used a similar template to Kirra's because I think it works best for me. But I kind of want to change it a bit. But don't know how just yet. I tried it with the other templates and it looks so weird! I really want to change it but have limited knowledge and I feel horrible about it. Ugh. But yes, template business aside, Cargo collective has been a dream to use! Too bad it's invite only. If you're interested to get a cargo invite, let me know! More than happy to send you one! Thanks!

***

2011-11-06T18:26:00.001+11:00

After a whole pile load of work + commitments, I've finally finished this A2 piece! I really liked how it turned out. The colours don't seem to be that accurate in this picture. But well, you get the idea! It's been super fun creating this very British packaged food piece. In particular, I got to taste my first ever HP sauce! I was so curious, I just had to go try some myself! And the verdict is... I kind of think it's a bit too strange for my liking. I don't like bbq sauce and I think it tastes like it!

Knowing this painting will be properly framed up and be given as a surprise gift from a loving wife to her English husband - it just makes my heart swell a little. Oh how romantic! Thank you Lauren for this wonderful opportunity!

***

2011-11-06T11:09:00.001+11:00

As summer approaches, it's time for ice cream! But then again, I am the sort who would eat ice cream anytime, any season all throughout the year. My favourite would be having ice cream right smack during Winter, on a freezing cold gloves and 10 layers of clothing required - kind of night. Call me crazy, but I just love it! Anyway, Darren and I made some homemade mango ice cream the other night. So super easy to make and taste wise...mmmmm! I ate it with fresh strawberries and fruit salad. Perfect for Melbourne's 32 degree heat. (I hate the heat!) Well, recipe coming up on a special blog super soon! Will keep you all posted!

PS: Would love to hear from you if you have a delicious homemade ice cream recipe top share! I'm itching to try out different recipes. Thanks!

Surprise package

2011-11-04T17:35:00.001+11:00

Look what I came home to? After yesterday's horribly sobby day, this just totally made up for it. Lovely Sarah sent me this surprise package full of goodies. Perhaps an angel somewhere told her I needed a bit of cheering up? I don't know! But either way, thank you Sarah! Thank you secret angel! I am now a proud owner of a beautiful lilly pilly ring, a secret message stored forever in a glass case and a tiny precious jar, filled with a mini little feather! Thank you so much Sarah. Your package came just at the right time!

I've been wearing my little ring since and have been smiling down on it whenever I take a quick glance at my hands. It makes me feel girly and special and I think of nice sugar plum fairies too. Click here to visit Sarah's beautiful little store. You never know, perhaps you might want a little fairy ring for yourself?

Finally

2011-11-03T21:47:00.005+11:00

After a long few weeks of having life throw me all sorts of funky uncool trials, I finally lost it today. I am usually a pretty perky and chirpy person. I get over things quickly and never let anger or negative stuff dwell for long. But today, I sobbed and sobbed and sobbed and sobbed so much, my eyes are now officially small, puny and swollen. Not the most glamourous look I must say. Well, this whole accumulation of work and clients that expect me to do overnight miracles, market preparation, being broke and having to spend lots of money on materials because I genuinely need to and want to because I know it's what's best, awkward situations and last minute change of plans along with a fairly rude repairman just added all up into a big sobby downpour of tears. In public.

Poor young dude must have gotten a scare when I planted myself on a random bench near him and started crying like today's my last day. He kept sneaking peeks at me and pretended he wasn't looking. And I swear, he so moved bit by bit away from me each time I looked up. Quite funny actually. But yes. Back to this whole bad luck + bad time thing.

I guess it totally didn't help that I also went into an art store and got treated super unfairly by the store manager. I spent $104 ( Even though I was already SO broke ) on paper I really needed for an upcoming thing. I walked out of the store and realized within seconds I got the wrong size. I went back in and apologised profusely and basically begged and said I was so sorry and if I could get a refund or change and buy a larger paper pad, that would be awesome.

But yes, lo and behold, I somehow got forced into buying creased and stained ( basically damaged ) paper and when I said no, I ended up walking away with a single paint tube and a $99 store credit instead which I now have no inclination to use at all. Thanks stupid art store for your awesomely crappy customer service. Having your customer cry after being wronged by you, is just plain lame and I am so never going back to your shop ever again. You charge ridiculous prices and you said you could give me a balance refund if I purchase anything but instead, you force me into buying damaged goods and indirectly claim I don't know anything about watercolour papers. Sorry lady. I've been painting for the past 13 years. I DO know my papers enough to know you're trying to sell me damaged stuff. And how dare you lie to me in my face! You promised me a refund and then later said you didn't say such a thing. Horrible!

Anyway, enough of all this crap. I went home sobbing my eyeballs out and thank God for Darren. He immediately wrote a long complaint letter. And it went straight to the art store's head office. I feel so bad for always taking it out on Darren. I was so so mean to him this morning even though he didn't do anything wrong. Putting on a bitchy temper, slamming the door after walking out. How horrible! And yet, he went out looking for me at the studio. He cooked me a nice warm dinner, and rang up the head office to make a complaint. Such a manly-man! ( If you know what I mean ) Thank God for all the good guys who stick with sobby girlfriends/wives.. And thank God for family too. They always make me feel better.

Sigh.

Look! My burger plate's in the new Frankie!

2011-11-02T08:57:00.001+11:00

Hooray! My burger plate for Douglas and Hope made it into the new Pinky Frankie Mag! I am so so thrilled to be on the same page as those lovely Attia Spoons...Lisa Rupp Tea towel ( I've been dreaming of them since forever! ), and those beautiful Amy Moss invites and oil cloth chair pads. Ahhh. I am now officially all dreamy and smiley and can't walk in a straight line. Oops!

PS: Plates will be available for pre-order SUPER soon!

To Adelaide and back!

2011-10-31T23:18:00.002+11:00

Hello everyone! I'm back from 3 full days in Adelaide! I had a stall at Bowerbird Bazaar and even though it was super tiring ( my first interstate market, so I'm still rather inexperienced! ) it fun nevertheless. I must say, it wasn't exactly smooth sailing, considering I did get quite a few rude customers who questioned me about my prices, the fact that I'm charging $20 for a coloured piece of paper, too expensive, ( an art print, mind you! ) the way I make my stuff, and that they wouldn't want to spend money on my stuff in case they regret it later on cause they have a budget and they want to buy other stuff too... I did however get lots of magical moments that made my heart smile and go 'It's all worth it!' And seriously, those moments are what I'm going to treasure and remember most : )

There were occasions when grannies laughed out loud after seeing my burger plates and meaty pillow cases. There were times when kids just went straight to my french fry cup and said "Look Mummy look! Can I have it PLEASSSEEEEEE?????" I also got to make so many new friends and meet some blog readers in person! One of which gave me super cute panda stickers! Thank you!

I also did lots of swapsies with the other crafters. I ended up with a nice leather lady bag ( my first! ), some beautiful resin bangles and a ring, a soft dreamy set of pillowcases, a t shirt for Darren, a cute ring and even a super cute mustard leather headband and bunting necklace! I am such a lucky girl! Haha. Thank you crafty friends for all the wonderful swaps! ( I'll do another post some time soon, all these items deserve to be shown and shared! )

Thank you so so much, to all of you who made it all worthwhile. I really truly appreciate it! I didn't really have time to go explore Adelaide itself. Considering I was totally popped out after everyday's market. But I did however get to have LOTS of good food. Oh my. All the Melt-in-your-mouth steaks, the chocolates, the ice cream. Oh my goodness. I'm hungry just thinking of it now. Ah. Okay. I shall not think further. Instead, off to bed I go, to relax and have a nice rest. Definitely need it after 3 full days of hard work! Phew!

From Top: Bowerbird Crowd, Paper Boat Press, Crayon Chick!, Sarah Dingwall, South For The Summer, Me & Amber, Sunday Morning Designs, Lunch Time Goodness, Harvest Textiles, Monolog, Myself!

Happy Hanging Mobiles

2011-10-27T08:12:00.000+11:00

Just look at those happy smiles. So proud of the kids from my class at Do Re Me yesterday. Not only did they work on a mini Paul Cezanne inspired piece, they also completed their Hellosandwich inspired Polish hanging mobile. We used 90% recycled goodness. From straws to yarn, embroidery hoops, leftover beads to even shower curtains! Talk about creativity! These kids are all below 10. So to be able to string these themselves is indeed a great feat. So glad they all had so much fun!

Good job kiddos!

2 More sleeps to Bowerbird!

2011-10-26T20:06:00.001+11:00

Bowerbird Bazaar October 2010 from Movemeant Pilates on Vimeo.

How rad is the time lapse video?! I grabbed it off the Bowerbird site. I am really excited about Bowerbird. It's going to be my first ever interstate craft market! I have been packing and packing and packing even more. Prints, totes, tea towels, pillowcases, plates. Ah, these are just some of the things that will be on sale at my little stall. So if you're in the area, do come on down! Say hi! I would LOVE to meet you : ) And my happy friends Jess and Emma from Harvest textiles will be there too! And Indie of Monolog will be there too! We are all going to be side by side so it'll be pretty easy to spot us!

Well, see you there!

The Queen is here!

2011-10-26T12:15:00.001+11:00

And to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's arrival in Melbourne, here is a few snapshots of an English piece I'm working on! It's a commission for a lovely lady who is possibly the nicest wife ever. She's giving this as a surprise to her English husband. How super sweet! Oh England oh England...one day. Just one fine day, I'll be visiting you. Hope all my English readers like this piece! Heehee. Have a nice day out in the glorious sun!

And yes, I so stood on the chair to take this picture. This piece is huge! A2 sized! Ah. Don't mind my stubby toes!

Meaty Pillowcases are here!

2011-10-25T16:00:00.002+11:00

Oh yes they are! I am now ready to take orders for my meaty pillowcases! Hooray! I have been planning this for a while now. I am not usually a bacon person ( strange enough! ) but I do love ham. Well, I used to. Until I ate it almost everyday for lunch back in first year of uni. I ate ham and sprout sandwiches every.single.day until I got so scared of them. They were the cheapest as far as homemade lunches go. So yes. I can't look at another ham and sprout sandwich for now.. Ugh! But you know what? I do love bacon with my pancakes. Oh the savoury mix along with the maple syrup. Ooooh. And I also love ham and cheese croissants. Mmmmmm.

Ok, who's hungry now? Haha. I am! I would love a stack of pancakes with bacon please! Thank you!

To pre-order yourself a pillowcase set, do click here! Do note, as all pillowcases are printed and sewn up lovingly by the awesome Frankie and Swiss, there will be a 2 week wait per order. Thank you!

PS: Big giveaway coming up in the next blog post!

Meaty Pillowcases Coming soon!

2011-10-23T09:41:00.000+11:00

A few of you have written me emails and asked when my pillowcases will be ready. They will be in a bit! Soon soon I promise! See, I've even got the page ready. Just need to click 'open shop' and they will be for sale! Will first need to get my act together. I've only just returned from my week at Mornington. And I have a whole lot of stuff to do before Bowerbird on Friday! Speaking of which, I have yet to mention, I will be having a stall at Bowerbird in Adelaide next week so do come along! But yes, back to these pillowcases, I promise, it won't be long for now before you can purchase one! Thank you!

Super Sevens!

2011-10-20T18:22:00.001+11:00

Look at what the Woodleigh Year 7s did today? Cool beans! I am so happy some of them have now discovered the beauty and joys of working with watercolour and the technique of painting by colour blocking. I think these year 7s have done a fantastic job. Watercolour is probably one of the hardest and most difficult mediums to learn how to use and they have indeed given it their best shot! Practice makes perfect kids. I see the potential! Heehee!

Looking for a Studio?

2011-10-20T07:42:00.001+11:00

It makes me really sad to say this, but come November will be my last month at the wonderful Harvest Workroom. Yup, I'm moving my studio back home. Harvest has been such a big part of my life this year, from my first day as artist in residence, to my first ever adult workshops, regular kids art classes, even my first ever product modelling experience! Haha. Even the wonderful friends I've made through Harvest. Indie, Pauline, Lucy, Emily, Pete, Beci, etc. It has been nothing short of amazing. I wish I could stay longer but as I'll be going back to uni next year ( horrors of all horrors! ) to do a full-time diploma in Secondary education, there simply will not be any time for working in a studio. Especially when the school is going to be in Clayton, which is all the way on the other side of town. I've heard lots of things about the course sucking your life away, that you won't have time for art at all. etc. I am kind of scared but I think I should be fine. Considering how I managed to juggle craft markets alongside making lots of new non-school work, on top of my entire grad show last year. Fingers crossed I'll be able to find time to make art. Actually, I know I will, no matter what happens. How can I not make art?! Weird!

Anyway, if you happen to be looking for a nice little studio space, do write in to the wonderful Harvest Ladies. You can read about it here.

Sigh...........

Countryside Living

2011-10-18T22:02:00.000+11:00

For the whole of this week, I'll be living over here in the countryside. Mornington Peninsula, to be exact. I have been so so lucky to be invited specially by Woodleigh school, as their artist in residence for their annual art festival week. The school and art department staff have been nothing but the most welcoming and friendly. It's been 2 days so far and I'm loving and cherishing every bit of it! The school got me a nice bed and breakfast here in Mount Eliza. Cute town with lots of old folkies. My place is pretty big and spacey. With birds chirping just outside my room at about 5.30, 6am. The morning walk down to the quiet beach. Soaking my feet in cold sea water. Ah.. Nice!

Apart from all that nice quiet bits of life just before school each day, there's also the fun, fast-paced school life! I think Woodleigh's a pretty cool school. Did you know, there is a farm here right smack in the school?! Oh yes. Not just a teeny tiny 'farm' with one rabbit and a few fishes. But they've got emus, kangaroos, ponies, lots of chooks, lambs and even a little vineyard! Is that cool or what!? I know! During lunch yesterday, I decided to be adventurous and go roam around the campus and to my surprise, I found myself in the school farm. Haha. Best school lunch time ever!

Apart from animals, I've been running a few workshops with the kids from year 7, year 8, 9s and 11s. It's been pretty fun talking about my work, showing them what they can do. The kids have been working on lots of watercolour packaging drawings. Some of them are really good! They ask lots of questions, are genuinely trying and learning to the best of their ability. They're all a bunch of great kids! It's been quite cool, really. I'll try and keep you guys updated with pictures and posts along the way. But if I 'disappear', you'll probably just know that I'm having too much fun. Heehee!

Staying in a big beautiful bed and breakfast that's like a 5 minute stroll to the beach isn't helping either. Seriously, Woodleigh spoils me! They get me good lunches and dinners. Kristen, the wonderful art staff in charge, picks me up and drop me home. I am so so lucky and so thankful for her! On top of that, the trees, the air that I get to breathe in ( love the Eucalyptus trees ), the walks I get to take,it all steals me away from my laptop. Haha. But I don't mind it at all. Not one bit! Oopsy! Now, I promise I won't be gone for long! Till the next post, stay happy and go for a nice walk and smell the trees!

Appreciation photo!

2011-10-18T18:05:00.001+11:00

Ooh look what popped into my inbox?! How cute is it. Haha. As a special birthday gift, I was commissioned to do up 2 large recipe paintings and the special lady who organised the gift even got the chefs to cook up the dishes I drew during the birthday dinner. How cool is that?! I totally love the idea, It's brilliant. Look at those mega smiles. It made me smile! So so glad they all love it. Thanks special Brissy lady for this opportunity!

And if any of you have any photos of my work/prints in your home, do send them my way! I'd LOVE to see them. It's often nice to be able to have a peek and see where my stuff ends up in. In one's kitchen, bedroom, dining room, etc. And you know what's even nicer? To be able to share them with everyone else! I'm sure others will be curious too! : )

Thanks guys!

Lucy's 6th cupcake-themed arty party!

2011-10-15T22:52:00.000+11:00

Spent my afternoon running a fun cupcake-themed arty party! Happy birthday Lucy! May you have a super sixth birthday with your family and friends. I hope you liked your special day, filled with fairy dust cupcakes! Thanks once again Helen for the wonderful arty party opportunity.

More New Prints!

2011-10-13T11:20:00.000+11:00

So Christmas is around the corner. ( Sort of ) And I'm going on a drawing and print frenzy. I believe a nice print or even an original ( made by you ! ) always makes a nice christmas present. Much better than a pair of funky daggy socks or glassware that's too tiny and dangly to even use. ( I got SO MUCH of those growing up! Not from my parents of course. But from random family friends. Sorry guys, but it was weird!)

So, I've made up a bunch of nicely printed art prints to help with your Christmas shopping. And this edible flower drawing is just one of them. Click over here to my shop to check out my other new prints. Thank you!

New limited edition A3 giclee prints!!

2011-10-11T12:15:00.001+11:00

Inspired by the rustic countryside, rearing of chooks and delicious organic eggs, along with Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka and his amazing chocolate and candy empire, here are my two latest art prints! Hooray! I am so glad they are finally ready and out here to meet the world! I've been working and planning them for ages! I know I haven't been making much prints this year. Actually I think I haven't made any this year! I've been so busy working, teaching and making tea towels, aprons, totes along with exciting bits such as yummy melamine plates?! ( More details soon )

So yup, I've neglected my little print stash. But hey! I'm back with these two happy ones! These drawings of mine are sort of like a new style. Notice how it's more like a collection of a kind of food, rather than a recipe itself? Also, I've started painting in coloured backgrounds! Heheh!

These two are available as high quality A3 sized giclee prints! Double the size of all my previous prints. That's large and huge! But it makes it even more eye-catching when hung in a corner! Each piece is printed professionally with archival inks onto beautiful smooth 100% cotton rag art paper and they're made to look practically like an original itself! That's how high the print quality is! Paper size measures 29.7 x 42cm, with the artwork printed slightly smaller within.

Prints will sit nicely in any wooden frame. I frame mine in a beautiful walnut coloured frame, handmade from recycled ash wood. ( I got them from Shelley Panton's beautiful shop! ) Not only does the frame smell nice, it also looks nice and has it's own character. I think of Christmas when I see my prints in them. How nice!

Anyway, they're both available from my shop! Do pop by and check them out and feel free to spread the word! Thank you very mucho!

Home Beautiful

2011-10-11T11:53:00.000+11:00

I know I'm a bit slow on this, especially when the latest new issue is already out. But guess what?! Harvest textiles and myself were featured in last issue's Home Beautiful Magazine! 3 full pages! My my my!! The shoot was done ages ago, back in early April ( when I still had my fancy bangs!?! ) And we had the talented Derek Swalwell come take out photos. I've been a long time admirer of Derek's photos. Having seen them pop up often on my favourite Aussie blog- The Design Files. So meeting him in person was such a nice opportunity! We also had the lovely Anna Dessaix interview us. She was so nice and funny. It was truly such a fun experience! My first being in a magazine, with my whole face right there! Thank you so much Home Beautiful!

View some pictures from our photoshoot day here!

Studio bits

2011-10-07T22:59:00.001+11:00

Pictures taken while at the studio yesterday. I call it my organised mess. I'm considerably neat and I like things at a 90 degrees angle. ( Some might call it anal! ) But sometimes when I'm working/busy, I tend to let loose and just be a bit messier. So yup, here's a picture as evidence to show that I can be messy too!

Isn't the pizza funny? I did it with the kids during my holiday class and they wrote ' Dawn's pizza' on it for me. And look at the cute little thank you card! The kiddies at St Michaels sent me a bunch of thank you letters/ cards after I did a workshop with them. This was my favourite. I cannot get over the cuteness of the muffin cup face! Haha. Also, the edible flower/plant painting you see, is a work in progress. I'm thinking of turning it into greeting cards. Just in time for Christmas!

Just ducking in!

2011-10-05T00:07:00.001+11:00

I have been busy! Teaching little kiddies, older kiddies, adults and teens. Working on getting my stuff together for my upcoming markets! I'm going to be doing my first ever interstate market -Bowerbird in Adelaide. Wohooo! I've also been at the Royal Melbourne show, sitting and staring at the poor very-pregnant lambs, crossing my fingers and toes, hoping with all my might that I get to see a real-life lamb birth and not just a youtube one. Ah, no luck. Instead I ended up going home to realise I've fallen sick just a day before my full week of 9 to 4 kids holiday classes.

I have been talking non-stop to those kids. My sore throat went from very sore to super sore and to totally numb. Nice. Also, I've gotten new names from the kids. Miss Princess, Silly Billy, Miss Daw, Mam'm and Miss painter. Oh and I've probably read the Gruffalo 6 times the past two days. I can recite the book to you now ( Without looking ! ) if you want. Hahah.

I've also been looking at lots of recipes. I baked myself a supposedly moist chocolate cake, but it came out totally dry and crumbly. Like the surface of the the moon maybe?

And apart from all that, I've also been salivating over my new meaty pillowcases and snuggling up in my nice granny throw. So colourful and squiggly! It makes sleeping really cosy! ( Even though I've been getting very little of that lately. Too busy. And I keep dreaming/waking up thinking of work! In the middle of the night. Argh. My silly brain. It thinks sleeping is overrated! How dare it think so! )

So, what have you been busy with?!

Ski Trip Part 2 : Falls Creek!

2011-09-30T22:38:00.000+10:00

Somehow I got busy and ended up in a flurry of activity and totally forgot to upload the next bunch of pictures from our ski trip holiday. It was only about a week and a half ago when we returned, but already it seems like weeks! Ah. Time does fly when you're busy. So here they are. My cheesy holiday snaps, all posted up here for your amusement! Hah!

That's Darren, busy building his igloo. And that's me, all engrossed and totally into observing a snow hornet. Those insects, they're AMAZING. They seem to not be able to die! I swear I kind of squished it by accident. No let me correct that. I kind of just stomped on it without seeing. And I was wearing my super chunky, heavy and hard ski boots. I am not an evil insect-killer. I am just curious 99% of the time. I promise!

Coming soon

2011-09-27T16:13:00.000+10:00

New painting coming soon to you in high quality giclee print form! Still working on it though. Lots of spots and dots to be added! Mmm.. Stay tuned!

Milo's 4th Spongebob party!

2011-09-26T12:31:00.003+10:00

I spent my Saturday with a bunch of little kiddos, making ourselves happy Spongebob pirate hats and treasure boxes. I ran a crafty arty party and my my! I have never seen SO much yellow in one room! Spongebob was everywhere! Seriously. Spongebob balloons, hats, serviettes, toys, etc. So cute! It was so much fun and thanks to Darren who stayed and filmed bits of the party, I now have a video for all to see. Hooray! I do apologise for my first-timer lousy video making skills though! Haha. Thanks Jess for inviting me over. Happy 4th Spongebobby birthday Mister Milo!

And yes, the Spongebob boxes we made, do double up as 'treasure boxes' too! The kids were all happily stuffing their own boxes with so much candy, it was hilarious. " More! More more! We need to fill it up with lots of gold coins and treasure! "

Classes Ahoy!

2011-09-23T12:26:00.001+10:00

Aye aye Captain! Ah well, I've been into the whole deep sea, nautical thingy. You see, I've been camping out at home post- ski holiday, preparing for an exciting Spongebob 5th arty party tomorrow. The kids are all quite young.. think 2.. 3.. but the birthday boy has kindly requested to do a spongebob out of boxes! So yup, to make it easier for the young kiddies, I've been cutting loose teeth, eyeballs, neckties, shirts and pirate hats. Haha. So there's going to be lots of gluey and stocky action instead of scissor handling. ( Which by the way, can be quite challenging for a tiny one! )

Anyway, just thought I'd show off my little spongebob creation. Did you know, it is a box as well?! You can open up the side and viola! You can put things in it. I think the kids will like it. I hope so! I hope they do!

Spongebob fun bits aside, just thought I'd keep you guys updated and in the know. I've got a whole bunch of adult and kids classes coming right up!

Do you have a 3 year old, or 4, 5, 6 or even 7 and 8 year old? Not sure what to do during the school holidays? Why not send them to a fun-filled art class! They'll get to make Giant ice creams, Giant pizzas, Giant Portraits and funky umbrellas! ( Don't worry, the umbrellas will be just right and not too giant for tiny hands! )

And if you're an adult, you won't get to miss out on the fun too. You get to do packaging drawings and paint plants and veggies that you like. It will be a perfect time to start picking up a new hobby and then making tiny gifts for the coming Christmas season! Adults whom I've taught have brought home what they learnt and made gifts out of their new skill! So far I've got ex-students making tea towels, pillow cases, books and originals for friends and family. How cute!

Watercolouring is really an easy peasy skill and all you need is just 3 hours on one Thursday night and that's that! I'll be 'imparting' all I know/learnt to you! All my tips and tricks, where's the cheapest to get supplies, what's good and what's not, etc. So yup, do check out the links and sign up, bring a friend along, or even your mum, dad, daughter, son. It'll be fun I promise!

Ski Trip Part 1 : Bright

2011-09-22T11:39:00.000+10:00

Ah. Too much seriousness over here the past couple of days. I am so thankful for everyone's support, love and care. Thanking for sharing all your personal stories with me! I really do appreciate it.

Now it's back for some usual happy blogging without the tears and of course more smiley faces! Today I'm sharing some pictures from our little ski trip holiday. I took quite a bit of pictures. So I'm breaking them into parts. Shown here today, are pictures from our lunch stopover at Bright. Such a cute little town! We drove away with happy tummies filled with great food and a giant wooden spoon from the local op shop!

Back from my holiday!

2011-09-21T08:12:00.006+10:00

Hello guys! I'm back from my holiday from the ski slopes. It was such a nice and much needed break. Especially after my big break down last week. Ah. The weather was a little too warm and the snow was fast melting. But it was still nice to be able to just 'plant' myself in the middle of what Darren calls a giant terrarium filled with grass and snow. We built igloos ( Sort of ) and made lots of snow balls. Skied till our bottoms hurt. Mmm.. Fun times indeed! I'll show you more pictures over the coming few days.

But for this morning, I'd really like to set some things straight. Not sure how many of you would have noticed from my twitter and Facebook. Well, some comments have started coming in and my goodness. They've turned my smile upside-down! I was all smiley and happy from my trip. It took me four whole days of holidaying to get all the negativity inside me all out of my system and to convince myself ok 'heck it! I'm going to do this and make more art and just go for it!' And just when I was all ready to go to bed, a nasty comment came in my inbox. Well, thinking it was work, I opened it and viola, nasty comment number 1! Then shortly after, nasty comment number 2! Then so on. Nice work anonymous commenters! The best bit, one of them ( The one with the comment on eating organic food ) is So obviously a friend from my facebook/twitter. I think I know who it is. But I'm just keeping my mouth shut.

The thing is, after all the comments, I ended up bursting into tears! I mean, I literally felt like my whole holiday-pyschoing just disappeared into thin air. Poof! Just like that.

Look, I appreciate all kinds of comments, good comments, mean ones. But the thing is, all I wanted to do in the first place when writing that post, was to just bare it all, the ugly and the difficult side of it. The fact that I was having only less than 5 sales from January up to June.. And then over 300 sales in Nov, December. The fact that people have often questioned me how I do it. The instability of it all, the not-knowing. Well, I deal with it! And sometimes I whine, most times I cry. I never said life wasn't difficult for a doctor/lawyer/banker/whatever other job. I've got a gazillion friends who are doctors. My two really great friends are lawyers. My best girlfriends. They're each a banker and businesswoman. They have it hard too. They have late night shifts and long hours, and often have to give up going to stuff they like. Life IS hard. No matter what you do. It's just how much job stability one has, that makes it even harder. The not-knowing.

I am human and I believe in God. I know no matter how hard it gets, I can always lean on God and everyone whom I'm blessed with. My friends, you guys who often encourage me in times of doubt, etc. There are times when I break down and just feel like giving up. Everyone feels that way too no matter what they do. And in my case, I have a blog and I share it with people. I like being honest nd I've always believed in being honest. I am really such a simple girl. I love what I do. I do it to the best of my ability and I share with others what I do. Life isn't always peachy. And I share the downs with people too. I am so open that way. That's just how I am. I truly appreciate honesty and just not being all miss perfect.

I come from a middle income family. And growing up, sure, I've always admire those with a good paying job and stable income. A lot of us do. My friends often ask me so, how will you earn your keep as an artist? I grew up with that question being drilled into me for so long. Of course it'll have some sort of adverse effect on me. I start questioning myself. If this is really the path I want, etc. I sometimes yearn for what others have. I always hoped I was smarter. Back in primary school, I got canned in front of the whole class for getting a 56 for my maths. I was in a top math class. And everyone always got a 10/10 for mental sums. I always got a 2/10. Simply because numbers and fast thinking just don't go down well in my books. I remember I always had to stand in front of the whole class, explaining why I got a 2 and not a 10. My classmates thought I was a freak and often threw my diary into the bin. They stained my white skirt with ink and drew comics of me naked and circulated around the entire class. I was the arty farty freak who was bad at maths. In high school, my parents were often called to the principal's office simply because I was failing my math and sciences. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't prove to my teachers that I was trying hard enough. I stayed back every single day till 6. Sometimes 7pm. School starts at 7.20am in Singapore, mind you. I stayed back for remedials that were made compulsory specially for me. Teachers thought I was just a slacker. Once again, I was the art freak who topped the cohort in art and failed so badly in Math and science classes. My math teacher actually gave up and told me once 'Dawn. I think you should just get yourself through high school. Pass your math and be an artist.'

I guess the fact that I've gotten misunderstood for not trying hard enough with my math just always made me wish I could be smarter. But as I grew older, I told myself, no. I will not go on wishing and hoping and longing to be smarter. I am smart already. Smart when it comes to making art. If I can do art well. Then that's it! I'm doing art! Besides, I already love it so much, so surely it wouldn't be that hard right. You see, all I want is to be the best art teacher and artist to my ability. I want to be able to make things that will leave smiles on other people's faces. I want to be able to help others. That's all I really want. I don't dream of earning big bucks, having a fancy house. All I want is just a happy humble life, running my own little art school. Teaching kids, having everyone smile after getting to know how fun art can be. I want to be a humble woman, doing what I'm blessed with. That's all I want.

But there are times, when knowing what I want isn't enough to get me through not worrying about my rent, pay. etc. Everyone worries and it's just how open they are with their worries. I have a blog and it's where I say what I want and do what I want. I mean no one harm and I don't ever put any sort of jobs in a bad light. I whine and complain and cry. Because that's how I cope. I always think it's good to let it out of your system in one way or another. I write and cry, then pick myself up again. That's how I cope. And if anyone of you out there think it's stupid and that I should be a much stronger person and not whine so much, then I have nothing to say. Everyone copes differently.

Growing up, my parents always told me to indulge occasionally and reward myself when I work hard. I work VERY HARD mind you. And occasionally I indulge in nice things like a pair of clogs, and some organic veggies. I can't afford hasbeens. So I buy clogs that are 1/3 the price. I eat organically once in a blue moon, because the grocer near my studio has an offer. Look, as much as I reward myself, I do know how very blessed I am. I know that there's a lot of people out there without food and clothes. I give thanks everyday for what I have. And occasionally I donate stuff/money/clothes to help others in need. I know somewhere out there, my tiny bit of contribution is helping some kid/adult. And I'm happy knowing that. It's not like I'm just flooding myself with material things and just whining all day long. I mean how often do you get 3 whiney post one after another on my blog?! Never!

I just feel so misunderstood and just so affected by those comments. It just makes me want to just sort it all out and settle it once and for all. Well, enough of ranting. I do feel better now. Ok. I promise this will be my last amazingly-long whiney post. ( At least for a while ). If you can't deal with it anymore, then stop reading my blog! It is my space and I get to say what I want. Be open and leave if you're not happy. I will not censor what I want/need to say just because I want my blog to always be 100% happy and sparkly positive. This is life. My life so just keep reading if you want. If not, it's okay.

Thank you

2011-09-16T17:49:00.003+10:00

Totally lame made-up comic strip thingy I did back in 2006

Wow. You guys are amazing. I wasn't expecting such a huge response when I wrote my previous post. I was just totally feeling down in the dumps and just sore from everything that's been happening. ( Will not go into details ) but yup, I just had to let it all out in one long post. I always think a blog should be unplanned, and totally honest. So that's why I ended up blurting every single bit out. All of it!

I am so glad so many of you have come forward and shared your stories with me. A few creative types ( who are in the same shoes as I am ) have wrote to me privately saying how reading everyone's comments made them feel better too. Thank you thank you thank you. I think it's so amazing how this little blog of mine can help not only me, but also others feel better. Like some sort of support group, maybe? If you know what I mean... And it's all thanks to you guys! This is why I love blogging and sharing with people so much. I like how at the end of the day, everyone of us, regardless of the kind of lifestyle we lead, age difference, country and interests, we can all just come together and encourage each other. I am truly touched and feel so blessed!

Anyway, just to clarify, it's not that I'm currently totally penniless, broke and jobless. I still have a job. I still have income coming in. But the fact that it's all so unpredictable and the figures go up and down every month. It just drives me crazy. I'm the sort that needs stability. I know, lame! But yes, I do! Fact is, I still take holidays, go on nice short trips, buy and pamper myself with pretty things from shops. I think if I don't pamper myself and give myself little treats, I'd really go crazy. Well, I think I'm just totally burnt and need a bit of a break. Darren, being the 'best boyfriend ever', has decided to take me on a little holiday. So, we're off to the ski slopes tomorrow. The very last time for this season. I hope I'm not too selfish by wishing it'd be a really cold weekend. If not, we'll be ice skating down the slopes instead of skiing.

Thank you so much once again. I feel better already and don't worry. Never in my life am I going to give up making art. it's seriously the only thing I can do and it's what makes me happy. So yes. I will not give up, no matter what. No one can make me quit! Ah.
See you when I get back mid-next week!

The truth about my life

2011-09-15T16:31:00.003+10:00

"I just lose myself in my sewing. I don't know how to describe it. You know when I start beading... I'm so absorbed in what I'm doing, I forget everything. I'm sewing and I'm creating a design and I just don't know how to describe it. I just lose myself in it. "

I am usually kind of up beat about everything. About life and my art in general. I think life as an artist/ freelancer is great but today, or rather the past couple of months, I've been feeling a bit down and just tired. And yes, today I've decided to be really honest and not hold back with what I have to say about my life. I was speaking to a few other creative friends and it's just sad and apparent how life as an artist/ creative/ freelancer is hard. I mean life in general is already hard. Regardless of whether or not you're a banker, a lawyer, scientist, teacher or artist. But I think life as an artist is especially hard. I grew up being told I wouldn't make any money as an artist. In Singapore, and almost everywhere else, that's pretty much the mindset of people. To a certain extent, I hate to admit it but I think it's true. The past couple of months, I've just been thinking a lot about my practice, my work and just the person I am. I've always been a really motivated and driven person. Back in high school, I already knew I couldn't do anything else apart from art. So I pushed myself and did art all day long. I made sure I got myself into design school.

While in design school, I knew I wanted to be artist for the rest of my life. I discovered my passion for teaching and educating. So I worked and studied and made lots of crafty stuff. People my age were having the time of their life, partying, travelling. But I on the other hand chose to stay home and make art all day long. Don't get me wrong, but I really loved it and still think it was the best thing to do. Right after my design diploma, I plonked myself in teaching for a year and worked with so many kids. It was amazing. Such a wonderful opportunity. and till today, I still think discovering my love for teaching back then, was probably the best thing that ever happened for me.

Right after teaching for a year, I packed my life up and moved to Melbourne and went to art school to do my painting degree. I remember back in second year, my friends were all having fun and partying after school hours. Some of them were working part time to earn extra cash. I earned my cash by selling and making art. All day long. I thought hard and turned my work into home wares and affordable alternatives. In my opinion, people would be more inclined to buy smaller stuff that was usable, as compared to a large painting. I think I was probably the only idiot preparing myself for the unglamorous artist life after art school. I often spoke to my friends about our ambitions. I remember for a class, everyone had to share what their dream after art school was. 90% of my classmates said they plan to travel the world, and take a year off. I thought to myself then, as if I'd had such a luxury!

So during my second and third year at uni, I did a lot of testing and experimenting, all on top of my own school work. I did craft markets, and kept on working, working and working.

Just before I graduated last year, I decided to start looking for a job as a teacher. I landed in a part-time teaching job which I grew to hate. Had a boss that drove me nuts and pressured me to tears every time I worked. I finally left the job after several months. And now I'm working freelance. I spend my days working on making art, commissions, teaching part time.

Sometimes people tell me what they would give, to have my life and that I should appreciate the fact that I get to do what I love. I know. I do appreciate it and everyday, I wake up and I'm so thankful I get to do what I love. But sometimes, this life of mine scares me. I'm turning 25 next year. I know I'm young. But I'm thinking is this really what I want to go through for the rest of my life? I know compared to some many others, I am really lucky and blessed. I know that. I am! But it just scares me to think if this is really it. Am I going to have to worry and fret over financial stuff for the rest of my life, in order to pursue what I love? I know and am so sure I want to have my own studio, teaching kids and making art. But how am I going to get myself to the point where I can say ' Ok! This is it! I am ready and I've got the money! Let's lease this little shop space and start my own thing! ' Truth is, I am VERY ready. It's just the financial side of things. Mmm...

As of right now, not knowing whether or not, I get enough money for the coming month. If I would get any commissions, freelance jobs. Constantly having to think up new things to make, advertising my work and having to keep encouraging others to buy my art. Tweeting, blogging and just bombarding people with promotions. It just makes me feel so horrible. I think about having kids and whether or not my life as an artist would be enough to start a family. I start asking myself why am I not good with anything else other than art and teaching? Is that really all I can do? What if ten years down the road, they both don't work out? What would I be left with?

I often get emails about people asking me how I do it, how I earn a living. My answer, God knows! No, seriously, without God and my faith in Him, I don't even know how I'd survive. I' probably be crazy by now. I always tell myself God provides and will provide no matter what happens. But I just sometimes cannot deal with this whole big question mark of what's next. I often find myself admiring others. My friends are all lawyers, doctors, bankers, accountants. They have steady incomes and are looking at buying houses, investing. What about me? I have no clue about all these property investment stuff. I still feel like I'm 16. Totally clueless and thinking I'm ready to take on the world with my art. I don't have any back up plans.

I don't know how to describe my passion for teaching and art making. I really don't. I just love it and I do it because it's what makes me happy. Just like Mabel. But at the same time, reality is always harsh and it comes back to kick me in my butt. Reality tells me how passion isn't enough to just sustain me. Passion isn't going to just pay my rent for me every month. I think of teaching. How I could teach and work in a school. But the thing is, art teachers are mostly part-timers too. What are the chances of me being offered a full-time art teaching job? I keep trying to work hard, but time after time, I find myself getting kicked back to square 1.
Just this year, on top of all the doubts and worries, I've had my work stolen and copied, sold without my knowledge. I've been cheated and taken for granted and as a result, lost some money I thought I was getting. I've been in an out of a job. I've lost my friend and the loss reminds me of how short life really is. I don't know what to do.

I have other creative friends who are really lucky. They're able to pay their bills and go full time with what they love doing. But I also have friends who had to shut down their businesses, get a proper job. Give up what they love. It's a struggle for people like us.

Sometimes I think, people need to know that freelancing isn't easy. That life as an artist is probably one of the shittiest thing ever, but at the same time it is so rewarding. How contradicting. But yes, that's the ugly truth. You pay and spend lots of money making art. You tell yourself it's all for passion. You work so hard, not knowing if you'll get anything in return. It's all a matter of faith and hoping. Some days, you wake up smiling and knowing it'll be a good day. Some days you wake up wishing you were smarter and had a regular job.

Well, I don't know. I was speaking to a friend yesterday. And she mentioned we should probably have some sort of crafters therapy group or something. Ah. I couldn't agree more. Oh well. Sorry for complaining and being all whiney. I just needed to get this all out of my system.

Watercolour workshop at Ruyton

2011-09-13T12:21:00.000+10:00

I did a 2 day workshop at Ruyton Girls a while ago. Haven't had the chance to sit down and look through the pictures till now. Whoops! The girls all did a great job drawing in their own recipes. Some of the girls were really good at drawing and surprised me with their amazing skills. We didn't get to finish all of our paintings so here are some work in progress shots. And of course, a class picture before I left!

What a lovely school and friendly bunch of girls. Totally an enjoyable experience for me. Thank you Ruyton, Emily and Jill! : )

Bits from Thursday

2011-09-11T22:49:00.002+10:00

I know it's Sunday and we're moving on fast to yet another new week. But just thought I'd share some photos I took with my new camera, a compact tiny one from Darren! He knew I wanted one that wasn't that heavy to take around for my classes, especially since I'm always travelling by foot or public transport. A big chunky DSLR, along with my lap top and bag full of art supplies. It was totally starting to hurt my shoulders! So yes, he surprised me with one! Thank you so much Darren! It's so basic but it does a great job nevertheless.

First bunch of pictures were taken while shuffling to and fro from home to the studio. Bits like waiting at the tram stop with my huge roll of paper and a bag full of books. My new macbook pro ( My old one's hanging by the thread now. Had no choice but to replace it. So much money, it's not funny! ) And bits of a new painting of which I'm going to turn into a print! It's colourful and cheerful. And of course, filled with lots of ice cream flavours. I love ice cream so much, I thought it was only appropriate to make a painting of it! Mmmm...

Bottom bunch of pictures were taken during my evening adult watercolour classes at Harvest. The lovely adults are so clever. So far we've been working on some packaging drawing and line work for our delicious recipes. I cannot wait to show you the final pieces next Thursday! From the current sketches, I can already tell the pieces are going to be amazing!

Alright, off to bed I go. Brace yourselves for yet another week people! May the coming week be filled with surprises and nice things for you : )

Tie dyeing fun!

2011-09-07T22:40:00.001+10:00

Oh how glorious did Mr sun shine this afternoon! The kids from my class had such a great time running about the backyard of Do Re Me, making a big creative mess of colours! We learnt how to do some nice knots and and even learnt how to tie dye funky heart shapes onto singlets and shirts! We ended up filling a whole long clothing line with lots of brightly coloured scarfs, socks, shirts, singlets, hankies and lots of other smaller test bits. I swear, I had so much fun myself, I didn't even feel like a teacher! Haha. Oops.

I'm going to be running another Tie Dye class, along with some other cool workshops for kids in the coming school holidays. Do check out the Do Re Me website for more details and also to book! Spots are limited! Thank you!

Tomorrow

2011-09-06T23:18:00.000+10:00

Tomorrow, I get to fill my day with teaching little kiddies again. Yay! I love Wednesdays. I get to go to Hugo's home and do a fun grufflo-themed class with him. So far we've made a forest ( work in progress! ), a mouse and a fox! We're making an owl tomorrow. Oh yes, we're going through the entire book. Week by week! And after Hugo's home art class, I get to have the afternoon to do whatever I need to, chill out basically. Then off to the wonderful Do Re Me to teach a bunch of super eager kids. Just looking at the creativity I got last week from Hugo and the Do Re Me gang just makes me really excited about tomorrow. We're doing Tie Dyeing out in the backyard. Ooh how exciting! I do hope the weather holds up!

Oh my!

2011-09-06T15:58:00.002+10:00

Look at what the super clever Michelle of Frankie and Swiss and Cindy of Bugandpop did?! The two talented ladies turned my lemon spaghetti drawing into a DRESS. Oh yes! You heard me right! A D-R-E-S-S! How cool is that dress! I want one myself! Hahaha. Thank you so much Michelle and Cindy for making my work look SO good! The dress is amazing and you never know, maybe a few months down the road, after some testing and printing, I might just launch a new range of illustrated dresses? Mmm... You never know!

In the meantime, hang in there if you're wanting some prints. I'm just about to get these two artworks made into high quality giclee prints! They will be so well printed, they'll look just like the originals! Let me know if you might be interested in a pre-order. I'm still sorting out the prices, but I'm thinking, it should be between $35 to $45 and will come in nice big A4 and A3 sizes.

New paintings

2011-09-05T08:59:00.000+10:00

Made specially for a nice Brisbane lady, Cate! They're nice and huge, slightly bigger than A2 and they were made for her good friend's 50th. Working on these pieces made me really hungry. Baked pears with vanilla, cream and butter.. Mmm... Roast chicken with lots of lemon.. Oh yum!

Sneak Peek!

2011-09-02T17:15:00.001+10:00

My good friend Indie is launching her label Monolog at Harvest Workroom tonight! And she's been working so so hard making everything come together. I have one of her tops and skirts. They are so comfy and so beautifully handmade. I love them so much! Well, we at Harvest have been working and working non-stop helping Indie make her dream launch come true. We've been ironing and steaming and blowing up balloons, vaccuming, taking photos, painting the window and hanging. Woohoo! A lot of effort's going into this. But it'll all be worth it! So come on down tonight if you're able too.

It's on at 7pm, Harvest Workroom, 512 Lygon Street, East Brunswick. There's going to be lots of yummies, wine and booze and of course, lots of beautifully made clothing too! Just look out for the big beautifully painted window and that's it!

Oops, I did it again

2011-09-01T15:53:00.003+10:00

Yes. I spent money again. Working really hard, earning money and seeing my bank money grow a little resulted in me telling myself, oh you deserve it! And viola, a new pair of clogs! Oops.

Sorry wallet. But you see, these clogs were too beautiful to walk away from. Besides I have been eyeing on a pair for a while now and was researching online for the most affordable pair. I even checked ebay! Gosh. And the only ones I found that came in this style were the Swedish Hasbeens. They were beautiful but way too expensive for my liking. So I had to just dream...

Until yesterday, when I was randomly walking past this cute shop in Prahran and I saw you! You were calling out to me. And you were the only pair left and in MY SIZE too! Talk about affinity! I think we were made for each other. It was love at first sight so I ended up bringing you home. Even Darren thinks you're cute and doesn't mind my love affair with you. He's a good guy. He sure is. ( I think he might be ok with it cause he has his many pairs of shoes too. ) Anyway, there you go. My new pair of clogs.

I was taking photos this morning and realised how I'm such a shoe person. I have SO many pairs. And they're all nice ones. Pom Pom-my flowers, checkered, floral, vintage, leather, gingham, frenchy, chic... etc. So perhaps in the next day or two, I might introduce you to all my lovely shoes!

That's if you're interested!

Happy legs

2011-08-31T21:09:00.000+10:00

Pauline, Lucy and myself modelling Monolog's super cool new skirts ( which double up as harem pants?! ), along with some funky tights. Indie will be having a big launch party at Harvest workroom this Friday! I am so excited to see what she has up her sleeves in terms of decking out the room. She told me she's painting the window?! Crazy woman. Crazy but aaaaamazingly talented! You should all come see what she has in store!

PS: Can you guess who's legs are whose?

New Yarn

2011-08-30T20:36:00.001+10:00

My oh my. Look at how delicious this beautiful yarn is?! The lovely Kylie Gusset from Ms Gusset so generously gifted me this huge skein of hand-dyed, soft fluffy merino yarn last Friday while I was doing my first artist talk. I was so so beyond nervous that day and Kylie and her gift totally made me feel a whole lot better! I didn't even know Kylie was attending the talk. When she came up to me and said she had a present for me, I just went ' awwwwww! '. She's so cute! Thank you so super much Kylie!

Anyway, this yarn is seriously so nice and fluffy. I don't even like the colour purple! But this was so sweet, I instantly fell in love with it. I even gave it a colour way nickname - Sugarplum fairy! Well, it just reminds me of nice pixies and magic fairy dust. I think because I just wanted to make something perfect out of this delicious ball of yarn, I ended up unraveling my knitting close to 8 times! I even taught myself the old shale stitch and did quite a fair bit ( seen up there ) before deciding it wasn't perfect enough.

So after what seemed like 200 cast ons, I've settled on the basic but cute looking moss stitch. I'm teaching myself how to make a little ascot. Something like this one. But with a 'dead knot' instead of the loopy thingy. I'm not using any pattern and am just making it up as I go. Lots of logic and reasoning as I knit. I've even taught myself how to add and decrease stitches by experimenting. Hmmm. I'll show it when I'm done! So far, I'm about 30 % done. Still a while to go!

I hear from Kylie that she's currently restocking the shop with more fluffy goodness, so yes, do keep a look out and check out her little shop whenever. You never know, new woolies might just appear anytime now!

By the way, if you were wondering, the talk went well! I was so nervous and needed to pee so badly but it went ok. I was able to hold my pee till I finished my last sentence and I got used to the nervousness while speaking. I was shaking all the way though and lost my thoughts along the way. But I reckon it was ok for a first time! Thank you to everyone who came along and encouraged me along the way and of course, to the best ever Craft Victoria! You guys are awesome! x

Gruffalo Part 1!

2011-08-29T22:45:00.001+10:00

Gruffalo home art class with Hugo! Week 1 last week and we spent an hour in the morning making a giant forest ( which will be added and filled with nice things each week ) and of course the clever mouse! Hugo had so much fun gluing what he called rocks. They were actually random grey felt pieces that I cut into circular shapes. He kept saying ' More rocks more rocks! '

He even drew a stream after that. Hahaha. He's a funny one!

Frida Khalo wannabes!

2011-08-25T18:18:00.000+10:00

The kiddos from Do Re Me experimented with soft pastels and did their very own Frida Khalo-ish self portraits yesterday! Nice work guys! Self portraits are such a difficult thing to do. Especially when your'e a kid and you're learning all about those axis, lines and points on the face... I must admit, even I myself am not very good at doing one. I can teach others how to do one, help correct them along the way but no matter how hard I try, I just cannot do a realistic looking one of myself. Haha. Weird! I did one for the kids to see and they all thought it looked like me though. So well, maybe I'm just too hard on myself!

Next week, we'll be looking at Georgia O Keaffe's amazing floral pieces! I look forward to seeing what nice things the kids come up with!

Press

2011-08-25T13:46:00.000+10:00

For those of you not living South side, I was featured in the local Port Phillip/ Caulfield Leader Newspaper! Ah. I miss teaching those grade 1s already. My time at St Michaels was probably one of those best things that has happened for me this year. If you've been reading my blog, you would have known that this year has been such a crazy roller coaster ride. You can read about my teaching adventures here, here and here. Thanks so much Allison, for scanning and sending me this!

Oh and the official countdown begins. In less than 30 hours, I will be doing my first artist talk ever. Thanks to Craft Victoria for this awesome opportunity. I will be at the museum tomorrow, and will be talking about my art and social media. I will be quite honest. I AM FREAKING OUT! I am so scared and am panicking, hoping I won't stutter or mince my words tomorrow. Less than a year ago, I was still in school, in a dark classroom with 5 of my other classmates. We were doing mock artist talks. And in my head I thought to myself, ah won't be doing any artist talk just yet, not for a while at least. I so wasn't paying attention and was just slacking around. Whoops! Like they say, you never know when's your turn really! Ah... Fingers crossed all goes well!

Harvest modelling

2011-08-23T22:17:00.003+10:00

Not that I make a really convincing model. Oh definitely no! But when the super lovely Harvest ladies need an everyday normal person, oh yes, we all get roped in! Here are a few shots by clever Emma. It was so fun and hilarious posing for these shots. First up you have me tying a scarf and wearing a turban. Oh yes. For those extra fancy moroccan nights, a turban might be something you would want to wear? The fun-loving Indie from Monolog will teach you how to design, print and create your own versatile fabric! Imagine a piece of fabric that can be made into a big sling bag, a mini lunch bag, a scarf, a turban and a cushion cover. Woah. Talk about 5 in 1! Sign up for her class here!

Next, Harvest Textiles has just launched their new totem collection and lucky me, I got to cuddle and surround myself with all those cool squishy pillows. My favourite of the lot has definitely got to be their cloud cushion. Their in-house mini model's totally rocking it! Hmm... pillows anyone? I'm sure your couch will love you for introducing a new friend!

Maddie's 4th arty birthday party!

2011-08-22T17:46:00.002+10:00

So another arty birthday party! This time it was Maddie's 4th birthday. It was cupcake-themed and we all did cute cupcakes, topped with lots of chocolate chips, strawberry sprinkles, buttons, bits and bobs. Mummy Michelle also ordered a lovely chocolate giant cupcake. Ah. Chocolate cake. My favourite! I think Maddie really loved her cupcake party. She kept telling me ' So many cupcakes!...I'm eating a lot of cake. Look at how big my tummy is now! ' And boy did she have lots of fun gluing and covering her entire cupcake with sequins and bits. Most of the kidlets were all excited about the eating bit. But Maddie, she was all quiet, on her own, walking around collecting more bits to stick onto her cupcake. Cute! All in all, it was a happy bright sunny day, with no tears, lots of laughter and sweet treats!

Happy birthday Maddie and thanks Michelle for inviting me over!

Harvest studio bits

2011-08-19T15:48:00.000+10:00

Oh Harvest Workroom, you are seriously amazing. All your lovely makers, talented folks and pops of colour happening in all nooks and corners. Sure, to some others it might be mess. But I love it the way it is. Beautiful, colourful and exciting mess. So glad I'm part of this awesome space. Best studio ever!

Cooper & Milla's

2011-08-18T18:25:00.000+10:00

A few months ago, I was in Armadale on High street and snapped this picture. Since then, I've always wanted to try that little yellow cafe. And so I did today! Yummy food indeed. Expensive but really delicious! I bought myself a giant macaron ( it was almost the size of my palm! ) and a small takeaway homemade gnocchi. The gnocchi was truly delicious. Light and fluffy. Just like how good gnocchi should be!

Apart from all the beautiful and delectable yummies, I also really really wanted that HUGE blue vintage poster.

Magic Mushrooms at Do Re Me

2011-08-18T16:26:00.001+10:00

Oooh. So I began teaching little budding artists at the wonderful Do Re Me. Such a cute lovely place to work in! It's like a little Harvest Workroom, but in the South. Cute! Love working at such beautiful creative places. Lucky me. The kids I teach are hilarious and adorable at the same time. We painted heaps of mushrooms yesterday. Back in high school, my teacher got us to draw mushrooms and I loved it. It taught me how to observe and draw what I see. So I thought for class yesterday, it would be great if I could 'pass on' what my teacher taught me and got the kids to paint and draw mushrooms. We drew big and small, dotty and spotty mushrooms. And painted them in a series of warm and cool tones. The kids told me they'll never be able to look at mushrooms the same way again. Hahaha.

Hopefully one day down the road, they'll be imparting what they've learnt from me to their own kids or students. That'll be nice!

Kids classes are still available for sign ups. Book now instore or call 0437 582 566 to find out more. Just so you know, we have a really exciting class coming up. Tie-dying our own fabrics! Ah, how fun!

Sourdough Bread

2011-08-16T17:57:00.002+10:00

An illustration I completed yesterday. For Frankie Magazine's exciting new Smith Journal. I love sourdough so you can imagine my excitement when I got asked to do this one. Can't wait to see it for real!

PS: My scanner somehow loves the colour red a lot. It's making all my scans turn up reddish! Argh.

Jacky Winter!

2011-08-15T22:22:00.001+10:00

Woohoo! As of today, I am officially part of the amazing Jacky Winter family! I must admit, I've always wanted to be part of this amazing creative agency. There were times when I wanted to just write in and submit my portfolio. I thought I could try my luck and see if I would be lucky enough to get represented. But I've always backed out at the last minute, thinking my work isn't good enough. Not yet at least. Half a year ago, I remember just staring at the Jacky Winter homepage, dreaming just like how Cinderella dreams while singing this song. And now half a year later, I got invited to be part of the family! Hooray! Thank you so much Jeremy for welcoming me, and of course Fuschia too, for organising everything and arranging all those meetings and file sending times. Mmm. I feel so lucky! Dreams do come true. But of course One must work hard first. Working hard does pay off. Now click here to view my artist page!

Recipe Painting with Grade 1s

2011-08-15T21:24:00.002+10:00

Looking at all these photos...it makes me miss teaching those cute grade ones already. I cannot believe 3 weeks just flew by like that! Those kids sure are a lovely enthusiastic bunch. They were totally enjoying themselves drawing and they are all so willing to learn. I spent my last week with them cooking up a storm in the kitchen. We drew vegetable soup and pancake recipes. So guess what we cooked? Veggie soup and pancakes of course!

It was hilarious watching those kids butcher those celery sticks. They way they shredded the poor thyme and of course, potato chopping was such a comedy. Especially when only given a blunt butter knife!

Ah, I wish I could teach those funny ones every week. But too bad. Only 3 weeks. Tomorrow, I'll be heading to another 2 schools. This time I'll be teaching Years 9s and 10s. Hmm.. young ladies/girls. Seems like it wasn't too long ago that I was in their shoes!

Cibi

2011-08-12T15:31:00.000+10:00

Post-work meeting lunch at Cibi, Keele street. My good friend Lydia first introduced me to this cute little fusion japanese cafe 2 years ago. They do their brown rice really nicely. I am not a big brown rice eater. I've only just recently started eating it. I mix 1/2 part brown rice with 1/2 part white rice. I don't really know how to cook it. Any tips?

Thank you for coming!

2011-08-09T21:08:00.000+10:00

Thanks everyone for dropping by our studio sale. So sad to see it all come down. But look out as we might be doing one sometime during the Christmas season! : )

New paintings

2011-08-05T08:47:00.001+10:00

Completed at the start of this week while at the studio. The lime pie recipe is an A3 painting and the herb painting is an A4 painting. Strangely enough, I find my style shifting a little once again and I'm now starting to paint in background colours in almost all my drawings. It's something I started doing after teaching kids how to do recipe drawings. Strange! But I kind of like how a coloured background makes the whole picture come together. Anyway, I'm turning both into prints pretty soon. So watch this space! In the meanwhile, you can come check out the original paintings at the pop up sale. The pink key lime pie painting is for sale and comes nicely framed. But the herb painting has already been reserved.

Hi art thieves, you can not bother about stealing my work from now on. Because all these images are all really crappy quality in terms of the resolution. So if you were to steal them and print them out onto shirts, or bags or prints or cards or whatever you fancy, they would all be blurry. So yup, save your time and not steal. Do the right thing! I'm not watermarking my images because you guys are obviously good at removing them digitally and besides I wouldn't want those nice folks who use my images as their desktop wallpapers to have to see the ugly watermarks. Ok, that's all, thank you!

Recipe painting with grade 1 kids

2011-08-04T23:08:00.000+10:00

So week 2 of my teaching stint has ended. This week the kids and myself, we made yummy fruity pancake recipe paintings. ( What a mouthful! )It has been so so fun being lucky enough to be in this super cool school, doing a workshop with a whole bunch of talented year ones. They are all individuals with such creativity. It amazes me how their tiny brain works! Next week will be my last week at the school. Along with the parents and staff, we are going to cook up our recipes and have tasting sessions! Oh yum how fun! Why did I not have such fun things when I was back in primary school?!

I know it sounds super silly and cheesy, but I miss the kids, the school already. The whole place is just so perfect for learning and teaching in. It's encouraging! Everyone is also just so nice to me. The staff, kids, parents and course Madeleine. For which without her, all these would not haven been even possible at all. So thank you so much! Ah. I wish I could stay on forever......

Pop up studio sale starts today!

2011-08-04T08:14:00.001+10:00

Yay! Amidst a crazy hour of shifting stuff in, trips to and fro from the car park, setting up and making sure everything looks spiffy, I managed to take a few photos for Lucy to feature on The Design Files! Phew! I did not have enough time to go poke around and frame each photo nicely in my head. So I basically just went oh well, snappy snappy here I go! And just took random photos without thinking! Thank god they turned out nicely. Haha. Thank you so so much Lucy for the beautiful write up and also to the lovely Jo from my favourite Frankie magazine for writing about it on the Frankie Blog!

Oh and The Thousands did a write up too. Along with so many tweeting action going on in twitterverse. Aww. Thanks everyone for spreading the word about our humble little pop up sale!

Anyway, our pop up studio sale starts today! I'll be at work with Miss Maddi teaching little grade ones.. but will zip down right after work. And I promise I'll be there the whole day tomorrow and Saturday. So do come along if you can! It would be super lovely to meet you! I'll be selling some new prints and paintings! And of course my tea towels too.

Pop-Up Studio Sale
Level 2, Nicholas Building
37 Swanston st
Melbourne
* Take the lift or walk up stairs to level 2.
Turn RIGHT and head towards button shop. We're right opposite!

Thursday August 4th 10.00am – 6.00pm
Friday August 5th 10.00am – 6.00pm
Saturday August 6th 10.00am – 3.00pm

Class news

2011-08-03T11:47:00.002+10:00

Attention all South -siders, starting next week, I'm going to be doing regular kids art classes at Do Re Me in Elsternwick! I know! What a cute name. I fell in love with the shop after hearing and reading about it on twitter and the internet. And how lucky am I to be able to teach in there! The shop's filled with lots of beautiful handmade goodies. From dresses to bowls, to hot water bottle covers, and even beautiful cross-stitched necklaces!

So, beautiful shoppy things aside, I will be conducting classes for both pre-schoolers and school-aged kiddies!

Preschooler’s will experience firsthand a range of traditional craft and art-making techniques and have a ball experimenting with a fantastic range of paints, paper, glitter, fabrics & recycled materials. The classes are developed to allow each child to grow and develop their artistic talents at their own pace. Each session comes with storytelling at the start of class. Stories read are usually in line with the day’s art activity. A short snack session will be also be included during class time. Oooh how yummy!

The ‘school aged’ classes are specially developed for older kids who already are exposed to generalized art curriculums at school, and who are looking to develop their artistic skills in a structured but intimate studio environment. Each child will create mantle worthy masterpieces throughout the course and expand their knowledge of the great artists and masters of painting.

Well, you can read more and check out the week by week curriculum over here!

This whole South side teaching thingy has been in my mind for a while, especially since a lot of mummies and their kiddos come for my classes and they're all located Southside! So yes, finally a South side option available!

For the East and North-siders, don't worry, I've got my Harvest Adult watercolour classes too! Why of course. I love Harvest and cannot get enough of it. I mean I've even got my studio at Harvest! Haha. And during the next school holidays, I will be running some special Harvest classes for both adults and kids. We're gonna make giant pizzas and colourful umbrellas with the kids. Giant self portraits and ice creams with the toddlers.

And of course, I'll be hosting yet another popular one-off packaging painting class and a super special PLANT and FLOWER painting class! I already imagine setting up the classroom with lots and lots of flowers and plants.. oooh. Just imagine the colours and smell!

And last but not the least, I'm still up and available for home art classes and arty birthday parties too! I go anywhere, just as long as there's a nearby train or tram line. So far mums and kids all love it! So yay : ) No travelling for them and the kids get to improve and learn how to paint, draw, create beautiful masterpieces with nice arty stuff such as canvas boards, clay, awesome posca markers, etc. I love doing home art classes. They're so fun and kids tend to be more at ease. It makes introduction to materials such as charcoals easy peasy even for a 4 year old!

Alrighty! that's all folks. I know. It seemed like this post would never end.. But it did! Okay The end. Thanks for staying and reading till the very end! : )

Opening night!

2011-08-02T08:13:00.001+10:00

Some pictures from opening night last week. I can't believe it took me this long to blog about it. That's how busy I've been. But yes, it was a fun opening with lots of friends coming and chatting. Nice catching up with everyone! The show will be on till this Sunday the 7th. So do check it out while you still can. Once it's down, it's down!

Maddi and Me!

2011-07-30T00:24:00.002+10:00

Yup! That's the talented Madeleine Stamer! And that's us in our art smocks, in school! Yes, in a real primary school, with kiddos running around, greeting you, showing you what they have in their lunch boxes, telling you about their weekend... a real school! I've ALWAYS dreamt of teaching little kids in a primary school and Madeleine and her school offered me a wonderful opportunity. I get to work with grade 1s for 3 whole Thursdays in a row and together, we'll be learning how to paint some recipe paintings. What a dream come true! Yesterday was week 1. And already, I'm excited for week 2. I went home smiling and told Darren all about it when he came home. It feels SO good to be a teacher. It feels like the right thing to do? Not sure if that even makes sense. But it does to me!

Anyway, hope I'm not boring you with all these teaching posts of mine. I promise pictures from my solo show opening soon! But for now, I'd like to just dwell a little longer in this whole happy teaching bubble of mine : )

PS: Maddi creates lovely paintings and has been known for her beautiful bird mobiles. I myself have been a long-time fan of her bird mobiles. I'm waiting for the day I can get myself this one! Oh and Maddi has a super cute home too! You can see some pictures here!

The Gruffalo!

2011-07-29T23:53:00.001+10:00

A couple of weeks ago, the lovely team at Hardie Grant sent me two lovely books - Kids' Crafternoon Sewing and Kids' Crafternoon Papercraft. I must admit, I've been so busy I haven't had a chance to sit down and really go through the book word for word. I did however flip through it's beautifully coloured pages and a project that caught my eye was the cereal box monster pinata. It looked so fun and so cute, something that's really achievable for a 7 year old. So I thought it'll be nice to get some kids together to try making it! And I did just that! But as you know, I'm always the sort to improvise, change it up a little and make it my own. I thought why not make a gruffalo?!

I'll let you in on a secret. I've been a bit addicted to the story of The Gruffalo ever since one of my home art class kiddo's mum told me about it. I went and got the book. So funny and I keep walking around the house, repeating some bits of the story. ‎" A Gruffalo? What's a Gruffalo? " " A Gruffalo! Why, didn't you know? " ...." he has knobbly knees and turned-out toes, and a poisonous wart at the end of his nose! " Best book ever! Oh and I've even changed my boring mac wallpaper to a nice brown one with a gruffalo in the middle. Oops!

Anyway, back to our cereal box gruffalo. Well, I didn't quite end up getting a bunch of 7 year olds. Instead, I tested the project out with super-cute Milo and Frankie. They're both 3 ish 4.. So turns out I did most of the work, and they just kept laughing while sticking bits of eyeballs and noses, ears and teeth. They were simply amused by how funny their cereal box gruffalo looked. Well, I think they look funny too. I made one and it's now sitting next to my window. Makes me smile whenever I look at it!

This whole experience just goes to show how Kids craft books can still work for really young kids/toddlers. Not all projects will work of course, but with a bit of improvisation and simplifying, they'll work just fine too!

Opening tomorrow night!

2011-07-26T23:25:00.001+10:00

Oh yes! My little show opens tomorrow night at Carbon Black Gallery, Prahran! Drinks are going to be from 5.30 to 7.30pm. I'll be there along with all my drawings, so will Miss Marshmallow Lollie! See you there if you can make it! The address is : Carbon Black Gallery, 188 High Street, Prahran. Gallery hours are every Wed - Sunday 12 to 5pm.

Melamine goodness coming soon!

2011-07-26T00:58:00.000+10:00

Remember this post from quite a couple of days back? Here's an update! The samples have now arrived and Cathy Hope and myself, we're thrilled they all turned out looking so cute! It's so unreal to see my art on a plate and cup. Weird! But in a really exciting and good way. The colours on these sample plates are looking a little 'cloudy' and dull but that's because they're just samples. The final ones will be all bright and cheerful and correctly saturated. Mmmmmm. Can't wait!

Emily Green at Design Made Trade

2011-07-26T00:17:00.001+10:00

Sorry, no pictures of my lovely studio buddy, Miss Emily Green. Instead, here are some pictures I took of her little open spaced studio last week while I was at Design Made Trade. I went with Indie on Thursday and we hung out after that. It was nice to just spend a day hanging with friends, not working and just walking around. Oh the joys of freelancing! Only problem was, I suffered majorly on Friday and Saturday, having to do a whole PILE of work. Oops! My hands kept cramping up!

I took a whole heap of photos but got a bit too lazy to post them all up. Besides Miss Lucy Feagins has done a nice round up just today so hop on over to her blog to check it out! I'm just going to show Emily's little nook cause she's a special friend and she deserves a bit of a special treatment.. Haha. Ok I am just biased because she's my super awesome studio buddy.

I took photos of Harvest Textile's stand too! But I think my photo does it NO justice at all! Emma took lovely pictures and it's up on the Harvest Blog! Go check it out! So proud of those ladies. They've worked so so hard on this new MakeKit range.. so cool!

Kids scarf knitting competition!

2011-07-21T18:57:00.002+10:00

Hello everyone! My friend Pauline, who runs and owns Popcraft, is organizing a scarf knitting competition for kids! You can read more about it on her blog here. I think it's such a fun thing for a kid to do. Teach them knitting then get them to knit a scarf! If I had kids, I would teach them how to knit and we can all learn how to crochet together. I learnt how to crochet a while ago. Karen taught me how to. But I've forgotten. Oops! But I know Miss Pip is REALLY good at it. I went to her lovely shop today and there she was, knitting a lovely ripple blankie ( I think it's a blankie no? ) So cute!

So yes, get your kids some knitting needles and yarn, it's knitting time!

( Pictures taken by Emma. Those are her two little kiddos. They're often at the studio and they make me laugh so much, especially that little guy who's all covered in yarn. I always ask if he's eaten his daddy for lunch and he'll give me this huge NO!!! You got to be kidding! sort of smile. Hahaha.. You got to see it yourself!

Outfit Post No.2

2011-07-20T23:12:00.004+10:00

I have been working really, really hard. Teaching kids, juggling freelance work, planning upcoming classes, prepping for my solo show, markets, sideline projects. I feel like I've been stretched to the max and I've hit my limit. Well. Sort of. Just the other night, I had a big meltdown in the middle of a restaurant! Gosh, it was embarrassing. So to reward and make myself feel a little better and more motivated, I've been shopping. Oops! So since a lot of you commented on my previous outfit post, and wrote to me saying how you really liked the posts, I thought, well, another post then! Enjoy! x

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Mustard yellow dress from SundayMorning Designs. I got it from Popcraft. Been staring at it since day 1. Two months of staring everyday and I finally caved in and bought it this evening! It's so nice and so warm and in a cool mustard colour too! Necklace from Emily Green of course! Everyone should have an Emily Green! So colourful and quirky. Even Darren thinks Em's necklaces are cute!

Magic Marker print dress from Ermie. Oh I had my eye on this one for a long long long long time. Months! It finally went on sale so I bought it. I usually dislike buying dresses that requires me to wear belts. Simply because I always feel a bit more restricted. But this dress, I don't know why, it is just so super comfortable, I forget the belt's even there! I wore it out for the first time yesterday and got nice comments from everyone. Thanks Jennifer! This dress truly is amazing. I feel so good/lady-like in it!

And last but not the least, fringe earrings from London based Elvira Sazesh. I got them from Popcraft too. They are so interesting, I just had to have them. They're made out of suede. What I really like about them is that they're such statement pieces. I can just wear a plain top and they would just make my whole outfit more exciting! I wore them to class the other day and one of the little girls just kept on staring at me the whole time. She had this dreamy look when staring at me. I ended up asking her at the end of the lesson if she was okay. Her answer ' I'm staring at your earrings! They're so pretty.....'

So nice to have new clothes. I think the best thing about buying all these new clothes, they're all handmade! Yay to handmade goodness!

Upcoming stuff!

2011-07-18T21:12:00.001+10:00

Hi everyone! A few of my crafty talented friends and myself.. we're doing a little pop up studio sale! It's on in early August. We'll be there saying hi, selling our lovely works, taking on new commissions. ( PS: Don't tell anyone, but I will be offering commissions at a discounted rate! ) My fantastic and super smart studio friend Emily Green will be in it too. So will Betty Jo and Madeleine Stamer, Pilgrim Lee, Crumb Threads, Peta Pledger and Shara Lambeth. So yes, come on down in this gloomy cold, say hi and hang out over nice snacks! I might bring some cupcakes!

And of course, I also have a solo show coming up next week! It opens on Wednesday at Carbon Black Gallery, High street Prahran. I will be showing all 16 pieces from my series of giant food diaries. They have never been exhibited in full before, so pop by the gallery to see it for real!

Alrighty, feel free to spread the word if you like. Thank you ! x

PS: Forgot to add! Opening night party for my Carbon Black show will be on at 5.30 to 7.30pm!

Last bits from the school holidays

2011-07-18T08:51:00.002+10:00

So, as you can tell from how my blogging has been a little on the slow side, that's because I've got way too much going on right now. Preparing for an upcoming solo show ( Opens next Wednesday! ), an upcoming pop up studio sale, teaching little kidlets and adults, juggling freelance drawings, updating my shop with new classes and all. As a result, I've been so tired, I kind of stopped blogging a little. Well, sort of anyway. Sorry guys! Will be back to blogging proper once this crazy crazy time ends. Meanwhile, enjoy those little pictures up there. From my Harvest Special kids and adult watercolour classes.

I'm already preparing for round 2 ( September and October ) and have been slowly updating my shop with those new classes. Some of my lovely friends have already started asking. So yup, gotta get it done : ) My shop will be closed for a while. Possibly a week or 2 and will return with lots of new classes, gift vouchers even!

PS: Look at the cute big tanabata! The Harvest intern, Lucy made it. Ebony! I think she was inspired by your HelloSandwich tanabata making workshop. Cool beans!