Kitch’ Café provided a really wonderful backdrop for my last exhibit. When I think about it now, the process of creating the artwork was greatly influenced by the decision to mount my pieces here.

I think all art directors (and designers in general) go through the same design thinking–it’s hard to isolate just one element amidst other aspects. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing for an artist–being conscious of the spaces where one’s work goes. I’m definitely working on making my art meaningful, with its own story to tell, even without the context of a place.

During opening night, I arrived at the shop early–and I was delighted to find the café bedecked in lovely soft lights, which gave everything a warm, romantic glow. (It was my first time to see the place at night, so I wasn’t sure if the tivoli lights were a year-round thing.) I really fell in love!

At one point, people started coming one after the other (some family, but friends mostly), and I had to entertain so many people at once. I was really, really floored. I’m not used to getting so much attention, and usually I just want my work to speak for me.

I was also really happy that some people stayed with me till the end! Since it was after-dinner hours, many ordered coffee and dessert. This was the selection in the pastry display that night:

People kept asking me if I did the art on the glass window. I wish I did!

As of this writing, I’ve been able to sell about half of the collection. One piece was bought by local TV host/actress Janice de Belen!! I was speechless and extremely grateful when I learned about it. It turns out that Janice’s food/lifestyle show Spoon shot an episode there last month, and that’s how she saw my work. It’s really so amazing how life throws these sweet surprises!

Because there are not enough words to express how I feel for this French patisserie. The moment I set foot in Paris, I know one of my first stops will be Ladurée. I’ve even told friends, if I had all the money in the world, I would collect all their boxes and packaging. It’s how pretty they are! And let’s not even get into the macarons they’re famous for (which connoisseurs have time and again named one of the best in the world). I’ve had the opportunity to bite into a few of them, but I imagine the experience to be even more amazing when done in Paris.

I always like to do a little imagining of my own. Since I’ve been dreaming of nothing but Paris lately, I’ve decided to take a break from my usual girls, flowers, and fruit (to be honest, it’s gotten repetitive to the point that it’s become tiring), and have decided to start putting some of my rose-colored dreams on paper.

I’ve started with this whimsical rendition of Kitch’ Café–a shop that’s grown quite close to my heart over the past few months, for many reasons, but mainly that it’s got that European charm and quaintness that hasn’t been matched by other cafés in the city. I decided it’d be fun to transplant the shop to Paris, where I think it rightfully belongs!

If you’ve never been here before, I recommend dropping by to nibble on a sweet little pastry paired with some of their freshly crafted coffee (oh yes, the people here are intense coffee lovers!). If you need to get work done, there’s free Wi-Fi, too. I took some photos of the place earlier this year–check them out here. Then, let me know what you think!

One of my constant companions is this empty jar of Bonne Maman strawberry preserves, which I love using for watercolor painting (with how wet my work gets, I’m amazed the label hasn’t really come off). So far, I have a couple of these empty jars at home (the other one says “Peach Preserve”). I can’t wait to acquire the rest–especially the tiny versions! I can imagine a kitchen shelf holding nothing but these pretty jars. And, it goes without saying that they taste just as good as they look.

Working with a lot of red hues lately, I love how the water in the glass turns into a pretty red strawberry shade. It always get me hungry for breakfast–one that’s set atop sweet, red-checked cheesecloth.

P.S. I want to start sharing the things I love. Which, really, are a lot of the things I’m surrounded by now, spending nearly every day at home! I also got inspired by a recent nude sketching session I attended last weekend. I decided I should really do regular, quick sketching/painting (a couple of hours tops) to improve my speed and eye for detail. And, I not-so-secretly wish to perfect this skill in time for a future trip to Europe/Paris!

P.P.S. It’s my official second time to work with Moleskine watercolor paper. I have to say it’s one of the BEST paper I’ve ever worked with. The colors register so nicely! The price you pay is definitely worth it.

Taken from here. Don’t they just make you go, “awww…”?