New artwork! Which isn’t entirely new, but I’ve failed to post earlier. I have to say, this is something I’m quite fond of, because it allowed me to venture into fresh territory–specifically, the military, and… K-Pop! A few months back, Sparkling Magazine asked me to create an illustration for an article on how to cope when one’s Korean pop idol gets enlisted in the army (if you didn’t know yet, Korean men do need to join the army for a while–no exceptions for pop stars!).

What I loved about this project? I was able to revisit line art, wild color blocking, and (in a way), portraiture. It was fun and challenging at the same time. I was given a list of names and the only one I clearly knew was Rain. (I had to Google the rest of them!) I also loved how the elements and colors came together, and produced something pop-art-ish. Doesn’t this remind you of a vintage Chinese propaganda poster, somehow? (This would be perfect blown up, and hung on a blank wall!)

This piece came out in Sparkling‘s April 2011 issue. Still available in newsstands and bookstores!

P.S. It’s been a while since I last updated. My bad, I know. The truth is… B and I got engaged last month, and that threw me a bit off course (heheh). And while I don’t intend to become Bridezilla, we’ve already started prepping for our big day–supplier meetings, reservations, the whole package. Wish us luck!!

A spool of thread, pins, vintage luggage, Diana camera...

Yesterday, I had such a lovely, relaxed time working beside the Heima girls at their cool office/shop at Makati. I’ve been busy putting together the print version of their latest catalog. It’s turning out great so far! I’ll leave you with two words for now: “dollhouse craft.”

I completed a few hand-drawn elements for the catalog, like these ones here. Taking a cue from successful artists and designers, I’ve decided to start building my own collection of hand-drawn stock illustrations (on plain white board paper, ready to be scanned and whatnot). I imagine I’ll have a thick stack of these soon, organized per category. And neatly filed in sleek Muji organizers (yep, you can see my priorities…).

Finally, I also think these are great things to make and compile over time, especially for the patterns on my soon-to-be paper goods. Whee!

This one looks as though it came right out of the pages of a ’60s sewing manual…

…she even has a male counterpart, how cute!

I kind of wonder how it must have been like to get all dolled-up during this era. Seems like a dream for little girls!

And this one has a very regal, Holiday-ish feel to it…

I can already imagine these as prints and wallpaper–done in chic, updated versions (but if it were just me, I wouldn’t think twice about decoupaging their original, vintage selves onto a wall or sexy escritoire). Mmm. Must make a pattern out of them, pronto!

Credits: (1) and (2) 42ndblackwatch1881.wordpress.com; (3) thefrenchbee.blogspot.com; (4) blog.illustrationcastle.com

Heima LOVE 2010 Art Exhibit + Launch

06 February 2010 | Cubao X

I’ve broken the silence of my too-generic-looking office desk by sprucing it up with my personal style. It’s a mini-project I began a couple of weeks back…

Since getting my feet wet in fashion, design and interiors, I’ve gravitated towards three styles: romantic/glam rock, vintage kitsch, and modern minimalism. I wanted to give my cube a look that had pretty much all three (also inspired by the quirky, rock-chic home of Meg Mathews, which we ran in this month’s issue of Real Living). And so, the anchor piece–a plastic, white neo-Baroque picture frame I bought at a discount at Dimensione (not the exact one up there), holding a lovely illustration by Tanya Ling for LV (cruise 2009); a few of my Taschen Icons series books (loving them for the pops of color they give!); and a cheeky orange splash coaster from the local Me&U shop.

Not pictured–a white capital “A” (sans serif, to be sure!) decorative wooden letter, snapped up at Cubao X’s Vintage Pop right before they shut down. Sniff.

Possible additions to the group: a blank, white, vinyl Munny figure which I currently share with B. Still contemplating whether or not to put this into the mix–for all its simplicity, it ain’t cheap. Wouldn’t want this stolen! And another thing I want safely nestled here–a Diptyque candle in Feuille de Lavande, which has been, sad to say, only gathering dust at home. Perfect for those extra-stressful overtime nights! Speaking of, I’ve never actually seen anyone burning scented candles in the office… Hmmm.