Whimsical Blanket for Alice

I made this blanket for my cousin's daughter's third birthday.  

She had an Alice in Wonderland themed party and loves purple.

The label on the box was handmade too.

Hope you like it.

Blooming

Back to the lenses I go. Here's a quick straight out of the camera (SOTC) shot I took of my niece. She happily posed for this playful shot while we were celebrating her mom's birthday. We pulled out some roses (real ones) from grandma's vase. The blooms complemented the blush in her complexion.

To make this portrait shot interesting, I applied the 'rule of thirds' as I would in a painting. Fill 2/3 of the frame with your subject, find the right lighting (or set up one), then snap away. This was taken in the evening, thus the warm ambient lighting.

Looking at this portrait made me realized how grown up she is now. Years do go by quick indeed. It was just yesterday when she was just a wobbly toddler. Look at her now.

Trail Tales

I love biking and the way it allows me to explore new places. Last weekend, we drove to Geneva and biked along the Fox Riverside Trail.




This is where our adventure brought us to. The historic Fabyan Village, where an old Japanese Tea Garden rests.

How timely for my ongoing 'hundred gardens' project. I can't wait to jump to the seventh painting. Right now, it's time to resume working on the sixth.

But wait, you still have to see the fifth.

- Posted from my iPhone

Brushing the Hair

The day is almost done, and so is my painting. My boys took quite longer naps this afternoon, which allowed me to paint a little longer than usual.

Tomorrow, I'll post the photo of the finished painting.

Hope you like it and I'd love to hear what you think.

Going Green

Egg cartons for planters, anyone?

That's what I call 'thinking outside the box'. Better yet, 'planting on the boxes'.

Happy Sunday! Go green and grow greens.

- Posted from my iPhone

Shades of Summer

Today, I'm taking you to our backyard. It's the first thing I fell in love with, before we decided to buy our property few years ago. The old trees give a sense of nostalgia, which often makes one wonder their actual ages.




My husband built our beautiful paver patio as a mother's day gift. Now we get to enjoy the serene summer breeze under the natural shade and dine al fresco. My flowers are blooming too, what more can I ask for?

Perhaps, a little more painting time. Right now, it's all about the 'art of relaxing'. Because in few minutes, the silence will be filled with my boys' playful laughters.

- Posted from my iPhone

Fluffing the Seat Cushion

It's Sunday morning & I got to squueze in some painting time before the boys get up.

I'm moving on to the next garden, thousands of miles away. You can't see much of the two wrought-iron vintage chairs I'm painting yet. I'm spreading the purplish cream paint to create an impression of a seat cushion today.

Tune in tomorrow to see where our 'Hundred Gardens' tour will lead us.

Enjoy your Sunday! Thanks for stopping by again.

- Posted from my iPhone

Growing the Roses

It's past ten in the evening and everyone's asleep. Now, I'm back to the canvas to do some of the last finishing touches on my second painting for my 'hundred gardens' project.

I enjoyed smudging the highlights with my finger, it creates a nice Seurat-like marks on the painting. Try it next time you paint, you'll definitely enjoy it too. Think 'finger painting'.

Tune in, 'cos tomorrow I'll let you know where this beautiful garden is. Good night for now, I got a painting to finish.

Thanks again for joining me in my late nights and mornings here in my blog.

- Posted from my iPhone

Spring Creams and Greens

My picks for this week's 'Saturday Selections'

made it to the Front Page of Etsy.com!

Click here to find out more about this week's picks.

Sampaguita Garland

Paper Flower Lei by Morning Artist

Sampaguita is a species of jasmine, native to southern Asia.  

This evergreen vine with strong-scented buds is also the national flower of the Philippines. The flowers are strung into leis, commonly offered to welcome guests or adornment in religious altars.  

On Tuesday, I'll be teaching kindergarten students in Chicago how to make their own Sampaguita leis from papers and ribbon.  This is in celebration of the Asian culture awareness week.  

It's very easy to make.  Here's how (Kids should be assisted by adults, especially on cutting.)

1. To make each flower:

- Cut three different size circles from regular printer paper (small, medium, large).  Largest about 2 inches in diameter. 

- Cut holes in the middle.  

- Glue together all three pieces on top of each other.

- Fold and crumple, and form into a flower bud.

2 . To make the leaves:

- Cut out two leaf shapes from green paper.  

- Draw the leaf veins with black pen (colored pencil for kids).

- Cut holes in one end.

3.  Stringing and forming the leis:

- Measure and cut right length of yarn and ribbon

- Tie first knot, about an inch from end ribbon (this is to prevent the leaves and flowers from falling.

- String two leaves, then one flower.

- Tie a knot after the first set of flower and leaf are strung.

- Repeat above steps, until all flowers and leaves are strung.

Tie the two ends of the ribbon together to finish.  

Enjoy your new lei!

Black Saturday

Black Rose, Fibre Art.

The beauty of black. 

Classic, timeless. 

Everlasting.

An insignia of loss.

The grace of defeat.

Token of grief.

Symbol of darkness.

Feelings kept.

Unfulfilled dreams.

It's petals wither.

New buds sprout.

Sign of hope.

A new beginning."

- by Morning Artist

Wordless Wednesday

Photographed today.  For Wordless Wednesday.

Four Thousand Blooms

Four thousand miles, that is. That's how far you need travel to see these beautiful tropical blooms from Kona.  I took this shot when I stopped at the farmers market in Kailua-Kona last time we were in Hawaii.

I just fell in love with the bursting colors and spiky textures from this bouquet.  The more you get up close, the more it's details become interesting.  Like the folks around us.

In our lifetime, we'll come across four thousand or more people.  Some, we'll take time to meet.  Others, we'll just pass by.  Oftentimes, it's worth stopping by to discover their resplendent attributes.

Wordless Wednesday

Happy WW Everyone!

Visit the Wordless Wednesday HQ. 

The Beautiful Swan

A first look on the current ACEO series I'm working on.

'The Beautiful Swan'
ACEO Watercolor on paper, 2.5 x 3.5 in, $32
To purchase, click here.

Entry to this week's 'Illustration Friday' theme 'Hoard'.
The lady gathered all the flowers all to herself.

We have these beautiful swan flower pots outside our patio and they make beautiful subjects to paint. Enjoy, there'll be more to come.

2008 Best of Show

Winner of the 2008 International ACEO Competition

Sponsored by Strathmore Artist Papers

The news came two days right after Mother's Day. Another achievement, another blessing.

A Metaphor in Flight

Click here to buy this painting.
Watercolor on cold press 140lb. Arches aquarelle paper, 6x10 in.
Watermark not present on original artwork, $90.

It spread its wings and flew. Once a caterpillar, now a butterfly. No longer a creepy crawler but a maiden of the sky. Graceful, colorful and beautiful. It's time has come to fly.

Whatever challenges you're facing right now, I hope you'll be patient. Take your time in your cocoon of ordeals, knowing that it too shall pass. Your perseverance will soon be rewarded. Next thing you know, you'll be soaring. Up in your own sky, perched on your dreams.

There will be days the sky will not be bluer. Just remember, you're up there. Out of that dark cocoon you left behind. It's up to you to stay afloat. Look back once in a while and whenever you can, hover down in the fields.

Help the flowers flourish, just as you were sustained in the past.