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!

Above are some behind-the-scenes snaps of my little show opening in a couple of days (see previous post). They’re from the last three pieces I finished this week. For my friends–I really hope you can make it! This exhibit was a little over half a year in the making. I struggled with myself for months in the process (so much angst and confusion, but luckily it gave way to a clearing in the end!). Beyond any unifying style or theme, I hope this exhibit shows my humble progress as an artist, and my growth as an individual. I want to show a range of work that chronicles all the learnings and adventures I’ve taken this year.

These are three of six illustrations I made for Candy Magazine‘s Breaking Dawn Special! I’ve been excited to share this, but had to wait till the issue came out this month. I’m not a fan/follower of the Twilight series (though, I did watch the first two movies–the second begrudgingly, haha), but I was ecstatic the moment Candy commissioned me for the issue’s fashion/beauty editorial. It’s my first watercolor project for a magazine! Here’s one of the finished spreads from the section…

All you hardcore Twilight girls should grab a copy! It should be available in all major local bookstores. Hope you enjoy it! (Spread credit: Candy Magazine)

If this girl resembles someone you know, that’s probably ’cause she’s your typical, next-door Asian girl. Chinese, Japanese, Korean… Yeah, she’s a little of everything–except she doesn’t really exist in real life (to all you guys out there, sorry to disappoint, hehe!).

I’ve been trying (actually, forcing myself) to draw and paint more regularly. Not just for my next exhibit, but for personal practice and growth. I have a long way to go when it comes to figure drawing, paint layering, and applying shadows. Though I can say I’ve found my style this past year, I also want to experiment further and see where it takes me. So I’m a bit surprised by how this turned out–Asian women (and younger girls, to boot) aren’t my usual subjects, and even the warmer palette is something I’ve tried for the first time (I played around with five paint colors to get the skin tone right).

So where exactly did she come from? Flipping through a recent issue of Vogue Girl Korea, I chanced upon this absolutely dreamy fashion editorial featuring a girly-girl with frothy pink hair, and I knew I wanted to paint her (or should I say, re-imagine her in portrait form).

If you’ve been following my work for some time now, you already know how much I love doing portraits of beautiful women–and how I love referencing foreign models. I’ve always wanted to do a portrait of Russian model Sasha Pivovarova, because of how young and innocent she looks, and how she stands out in the sea of anonymous-looking models. (Plus, I just only recently discovered that she’s an artist/illustrator herself! How cool is that?)

As with most of my portrait work, capturing Sasha’s likeness alone took me hours of sketching, erasing, and tweaking! There comes a point when I feel like I’ll never get the subject’s face right–that crucial five-second pause where I decide to either keep going or start from scratch. But most of the time, I find myself facing the enemy head-on, and persevering to finish what I’d started. I hope I get better over time!

I was surprised this piece took a slightly haunting, gothic turn. It still has that romantic feel, but darker. This is officially the first piece I’ve finished for my upcoming exhibit, and I’m so excited to see how everything turns out!