Materials on painting washer necklace I was asked to join an accessory swap organized by the talented crafter Nica Cosio. I have never made accessories before but was encouraged to at least try. Wanting to incorporate paints somewhere on the accessory, I stumbled…
Peafowl in watercolor There is something thrilling about painting without an initial sketch. The result is often a pleasant surprise since there is not a clue on how a painting will turn out. Every dance of the brushstroke and flow of the colors portray freedom.…
When I accepted the project of painting the wonderful tourist spots of Paris, I know I was in for an exciting treat of making my client’s memorable places come alive and feeling like I am one step closer to my dream destination. But I am also aware of…
I joined the Make It in Design Summer School where about 5000 artists from all over the world have accepted the challenge to create patterns based from a creative brief. I am no surface pattern designer but I like patterns and I am always inspired by…
An artsy space. A warehouse turned into a community of artists sharing their passion for all things arts. A homey and cozy place to ignite creativity. What to do? Attend a craft workshop. Jam with musicians. Support organic and handmade. Try delicious comfort food.…
The word sketchbook excites me. It gives me the space to do sketches of things around me, experiment with art materials and discover new approaches to make art. Mostly I use either the Daycraft or Derwent sketchbooks (but they’re not watercolor friendly) and therefore that…
After the hard work of drawing the elements, I basically ruined everything by applying strong colors on the sky. I quickly realized (too late!) that I should have painted a wash or do a wet on wet technique to avoid the streaky effect. Somehow I was triggered by fear…
The past few days I was excited to help mom prep the chili. I was confident because I watched it done by chefs. I carefully drew the knife across the skin so that it opened in half. Feeling like a pro,…
Many times I have caught myself in a cycle of wanting to please people with my art, comparing my work with that of many successful artists, wishing to make more money and joining the bandwagon of doing what you love.…
Who doesn’t like pandas? I think they are the fluffiest and cutest creature on earth! I can still remember when we visited the Giant Panda Pavillion at Macau last March. We just literally stared at the glass pane and watched the panda…
Elephants are one of my favorite animals. They are huge and may seem quite intimidating but they exude warmth and calm. I think I have never painted animals before and so May will be a theme of just painting them.…
I felt the need to paint the squash that I’ve photographed a few days ago. Last month’s theme was still life but I wasn’t satisfied with the few objects that I’ve managed to paint. Hopefully this April I will be…
I have been sketching on location for some time now and have written a number of posts about it. But I’ve never tried joining our local group here called the Urban Sketchers Philippines (USK PH) until last Saturday. The theme for…
I am very grateful to contribute for Katha Magazine — an online magazine that celebrates Filipino creatives and their boundless imagination. I wrote Child’s Play (the art of painting like a child) and it’s on pages 52-53. You can download it for free and…
I wasn’t able to sketch during our travel walks because we are always in a hurry hence the airport sketches. I adore sketching people better than architecture and things. I think because there is a certain excitement of capturing forms and…