Birds of Paradise - New Work

The Making of a Painting

From top to bottom, left to right (please click photo to zoom):  

-  Value Study (HB pencil)

-  Color Study (colored pencils)

-  Color Sketch (watercolor pencils)

-  Color Sketch (watercolor pencils)

-  The Palette (new refined Holbein watercolors and pure sable brushes)

-  First Washes and Underpainting

-  Painting, Final Phase

-  Finished Painting

Birds of Paradise

Watercolor on Canvas, 16 x 20. SOLD.

To find out more about this painting, please click title above. Interested in my work? Feel free to contact me, I'd be happy to hear from you.

Thank you for appreciating my art.

What's For Breakfast?

The Artist's Cereal Mix

We started this morning with an 'oh-so-summer' breakfast, packed with lots of flavor and nutrition.  The refreshing colors are so irresistible, I had to take a photo of it.

Want to make yours?  Here's how:

Mix the following in your favorite bowl:

- cup of homemade granola cereal (we got ours from the local French Market)

- walnuts

- raisins and/ or plums

- sliced fresh cantaloupes

- sliced melons

- lastly, pour milk (we added vanilla almond milk for added flavor)

Yum! We love the crunchiness and juiciness in every spoonful. Enjoy your breakfast!  

Let me know how you like it.

Warning:  Not for those who have 'nut' allergies.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Today?

Find out more about this photo tomorrow.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Today?

Find out more about this photo.

Perfect Ten

Click here to buy this painting.
Acrylic on archival & acid-free heavyweight fine art paper, 2.5 x 3.5 in.
Watermark not present on original artwork, $42.

The notion of perfection lies on what we deem are unscathed and unflawed.  Is it in beauty, health, companions, possessions or professions? Is the completeness of everything we desire defines our state of being 'perfect'?  

How many times did we faltered and said 'If only I had this, if only it didn't happened, if only I kept myself from doing it, or if  only I had done it... then everything will be perfect and I'll be completely happy'.  If only we'll learn to stop failing ourselves with all the conditions we set, perhaps we would have been happy earlier on.

It's never too late, today promises us a chance to finally be 'perfect'.  To accept who we really are, thankful of who and what we have and banishing the refutable 'if only's'.  

We are perfectly and wonderfully made, remember that, no 'buts', no 'ifs'.

Four To Go

Click here to buy this painting.
Acrylic on heavyweight fine art paper, 2.5 x 3.5 in.
Watermark not present on original artwork, $42.

Eighth day.  

I am getting there.  No rush, I'll take my time and savor every sensation in this journey.  The palette is wet, brushes are soaked, my hands are flowing.  I am creating, giving glory to the One who has given me this gift.

Even the flower is rejoicing, petals opened up, praising.  

Four to go.  Four more reasons to be joyful.

Six

Click on photo to buy this painting.

Acrylic on heavyweight fine art paper, 2.5 x 3.5 in.

Watermark not present on original artwork, $42.

Six, 6, sixth. Read it aloud again. What comes to mind? The abominable phrase of all things evil.

I pity the number. Is it it's fault to be what it is, to represent the 'otherwise' of good? Or was it a scarlet given by a lonesome, hopeless fellow long time ago. If it only has it's own voice, will it protest the label we put on it? Will it say, 'Give me a chance'.

Chance. Today, I'm doing that. It's time to give 'it' the chance. This isn't just a word play on positive adjectives. This is 'it'. It wasn't at all difficult to ponder on the beautiful sides.

The number '6' is a symbol of fertility, of that amazing gift to produce life. I looked like that when I was pregnant. Tall, skinny with a big 'bloop' (as my husband fondly called my belly) in the middle. I find women sexiest when they're pregnant. I admire those who wish to be one and constantly pray for those who has not been blessed.

I miss those times when I can't bend or see my toes anymore. My husband has this funny picture of me attempting to cut my toenails during my last trimester. I mustered all my yoga moves that time but to no avail. The beauty of being in the 'sixth' figure - you get to be pampered with so much love. And have someone else cut your toenails.

Six. If you're in that 'sixth' stage in life where everything seems to fall out of place, disillusioned, alone, feeling ugly and labeled inconspicuously, give yourself a 'chance'.

Look in the mirror and focus on every curve in your body, mind and soul that is beautiful. Be thankful for who you are. You are an amazing creation. Believe it, live it.

The Fourth

Click on photo to buy this painting.
Acrylic on heavyweight fine art paper, 2.5 x 3.5 in.
Watermark not present on original artwork, $42.

Life turns like a wheel, my mom would often say. Sometimes you're on top, other times you're down. Either ways, she say, you win. You learn humility when you're at the bottom and cheer more when you're up. What's important is to enjoy the 'distances in between'.

While painting this piece, I contemplated on those times in my life when I ended up fourth. This is the fourth painting anyways, so let me talk about being 'fourth'.

I was an achiever early on. My parents mentored me well when I was going to school. My first taste of victory as a child was when I graduated first honor in pre-school. That was the start. It will be followed by handfuls of academic achievements over the years until I finished college as a cum laude.

Not always the first. Some years I'll end up third, fourth or just in the middle. I stumbled countless times in my attempts to be the best. I learned to get up and move on. That's the beauty of being in the 'fourth'. You're still not there, but you know you're close.

Knowing there's a chance you'll even fail teaches you to remain humble. But there's still a reason to celebrate. If you turn your back, you'll realize you progressed from being the fifth, sixth, and so on. You're still a winner.

Fourth - that beautiful 'distance in between'. Just like this piece, my pledge won't be complete without it.

Mom was right all along.

Thirds and Threes

Click on photo to buy this painting.
Acrylic on heavyweight fine art paper, 2.5 x 3.5 in.
Watermark not present on original artwork, $42.

Third painting, third day on my twelve day pledge. My little man stayed a little longer on his belly-time the third time around today. He didn't like it as much. In fact, he dread those times.
It's a lot of work for a little guy.

If you're doing yoga, that's close to staying in 'down dog' position for the entire half an hour. That's one heck of a work-out. So, I give him a ton of credits every time he tries to stay longer. He gets more cuddling time and smooches from me. Oh, he loves that.

He loves art too. The first day we brought him home from the hospital, he just stared and stared in the huge painting in our living room. And whenever he's cranky, facing him in front of one of my paintings around the house (or any art wherever we are) will sure calm him down. Amazing.

There's no guessing where he got that from. Not surprising to most as I'm an artist, but I'm still perplexed how a three-day old infant back then can appreciate art so much. Perhaps I was one of those 'adults' who underestimated their wits because of their size.

I can tell he liked this piece today. He voted his approval by squinting his bright eyes and wrinkling his nose bridge all at the same time, when I showed it to him.

A leap year, another painting and a baby. Today's significant 'threes'. But only the third will constantly remain to matter the most. At least for me.

Second Tulip

Click on photo to buy this painting.
Acrylic on acid-free & archival heavyweight fine art paper, 2.5 x 3.5 in.
Watermark not present on original artwork, $42.

Second day on my pledge, second painting. I love the contrast of the pinks against the blue background. Subtle yet powerful.

An Apple and a Brush

Click on Photo to Buy this Painting.
Watercolor on cold press 140lb Montval watercolor paper, 6 x9 in.
Watermark not present on original artwork. Price $90.

Two interesting subjects but an unlikely combination. Why together?

The apple. One of the most beloved fruit. The symbol of man's first reproduction. An easy meal replacement or snack which is also conveniently nutritious. 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away' won't be a popular phrase for no reason. It's pleasant to look at and boasts the prettiest primary color - red. For centuries, this succulent fruit has been the popular subject of still life paintings. The fine art masters painted it incessantly.

Which brings me to the brush. What will be a palette and a paint without it? Unless you're a finger painter, this bristly tool is indispensable. It's art's most esteemed metaphor. Museums and collectors have prided themselves not by just procuring and displaying works of art but with historic finds of antique brushes used by the masters.

So this is not 'just' a still life painting. It's a toast to two of life's greatest symbolic creations. One by God, the other by Man. Two incomparable beings brought together.

Just like my apple and my brush.

Pineapple

Click on Photo to Buy this Painting.
Watercolor on cold press 140lb Montval watercolor paper, 6 x9 in.
Watermark not present on original artwork. Price $90.

The icon of the tropics. It melts the winter blues away just looking at it. I bet whoever discovered this edible fruit long time ago, was very adventurous.

Who would think that inside the rough surface and spiky leaves is a sweet, tangy, slightly sour (when it's not overripe), juicy and fibrous meat. That's a lot of adjectives for one fruit. And don't forget the vitamins and cancer-fighting agents you get too. And again, the dietary fiber that is so good for you. I can almost hear my mom saying 'Eat your fiber.'

We ought to be more like that person who discovered it. Be more adventurous, look beyond the surface, love and appreciate others more despite their rough surfaces and spiky characters. Be a little more forgiving.

I can't wait to slice it and divulge on its sweetness. But first, let me paint it.

Still Life

Click on Photo to Buy this Painting.
Watercolor on cold press 140lb Montval watercolor paper, 6 x9 in.
Watermark not present on original artwork. Price $90.

Can life really stand still, I wonder.

Even if we resist to move or compelled to be stationary, our life moves with every breath we make. Time passes with every brush stroke.

But how about those destined to be inanimate like my still life subjects. They may be still (for now, before I or my husband take them for a bite) but they give life to my painting.

Thus, the name 'still life'.

That makes sense.