Fired up, again...

As I was typing mindlessly at work today, while listening to Summertime by one of my all-time favorite alt-rock bands, The Sundays, I realized a few things.

In just 12 months, I will be sailing the freelance ship as what I have carefully planned out over the last year. From then, I will be supporting my family, myself and my art through my freelance gigs and projects. I imagine myself playing the guitar and writing some songs at the garage. Perhaps, that was because I was listening to Harriet Wheeler’s dreamy voice and the ethereal strums of her hubby and guitarist David Gavurin, that sparked that musician thing again. Oh well. I was basically dreaming away, projecting the things I will do when I have all the time to simply create beautiful things. I was also painting at the other room. Wow, me and my dreamy, multi-tasking mind.

Then an email from the management (I’m currently in a dead-end, 9-5 job) popped saying we were to move locations in the coming months, perhaps sooner. This idea spells B.A.D for the person in me wanting to continue to work for the company. But that person wasn’t there anymore. She has moved on. In fact, she’s already in another place dreamy. She’s in the good hands of the eccentric twin sister now.

I also realized that I’m thankful my hubby has become very supportive of my plans. He is stuck in the corporate world, since he is paid well in a job that gives him the right balance – the right challenges to level your skills up, manageable workload, flexible work time, hefty paycheck, among others. Sounds easy, but really, he makes them look easy - he is an ace at his job. But he also has a creative side; we have collaborated and written some songs together (he plays the guitar so well; dimebag as hero). But so far, he hasn’t found yet the perfect thing to do that will give him both the happiness and the security he wants so much to keep. Actually, he values security more. That explains. It’s not that I am not a security junkie, it’s just that happiness weighs more to me… maybe because I am not the man of the house?

All these thoughts reminded me that I should work harder to stick to my plan, strengthen my execution of the preparation (remaining 12 months here in this dead-end zone), and expand my one-year plan after the exit. Maybe even map-out a 5-year plan. Oh geez, I should have one since hubby confirmed we are gonna have a goal-setting date this coming weekend. I gotta finish my boring tasks soonest!

P.S.

I know my action plans include doing as much art as possible, but it seems this storage bin is rather empty, still. I practiced recently, making fashion illustrations on random sheets. I’d probably make some decent artwork tonight (if my son doesn’t have any urgent stuff for school).

Ta-tah!

Need to draw more often...

... so here's what I made today. 

My version of a Gap Ad

I realized that I still get too stubborn while I'm working. The original photo had curlier hair. Perhaps, during the next few days, I will make something that I hope will teach me stick to rules (for now) to understand the basics. I'm planning to create as much drawings as I can this week so hopefully, everything's gonna work as planned.

Feel free to comment :)

Shasha

for a couple I've known for long

Today is wedding today to a couple I have known at work and became friends with over the years. Since I'm the type who'd treasure a handmade for a present, I am giving them today something I whipped up last night. My fourth attempt at charcoal painting. I hope they will like it.

And so you are done with Monday’s load at work. You browse for some inspiration, just anything that would liven up your thought after all the technical words you dealt with earlier. Then, you see this drawing/painting sold at Etsy – something you can do, too! Then you find out the seller is a college student, then ask yourself what could have happened to me if Etsy were already booming in the late 90s. I probably became what I wanted to be, earlier than what I planned.

It strikes like a million tiny needles scattered around your body parts. It’s between pleasure and pain, calmness and rage, joy and sadness. I want to make something now, with my own hands, working with my medium of the moment, maybe watercolors. Yeah, it feels like watercolor suit the moment.

But here you are, in front of the laptop, waiting for the time to log out and head home – to reunite with your true self. But all you can do is write away how you feel. Perhaps, revisiting the financial plans you set on several spreadsheets can get the high to fizzle out, as this is not the place to be creative, sadly. Let the numbers make you realize that it will take for you to clear out your credit card debts in 9 months. And after that, add 1.5 more years to generate the fund to keep your “career change” smooth-sailing, so your household needs don’t suffer while you “risk” away your priorities with your endless imaginations.

some watercolors of my dolls

Still, happy Monday, everyone!

a visual aid for a storytelling

for the second time around, i was invited to read a story in front of my son's class. i like to use modern, Filipino themed short stories and this time I chose Dr. Luis Gatmaitan's Ay! May Bukbok and Ngipin ni Ani! (Ani has a Bad Tooth!), which I hope will take away the fear that kids have for dentists. Jason Moss' illustrations are fresh and quirky (I like her pet cat Poochie, too!) and a relief from all the computer-generated illustrations used in most children's books I saw yesterday.

here's a photo of my visual aid, just a simple illustration inspired from this cute book.

Til next time!

watercolors inspired from James Moss' Ay! May Bukbok ang Ngipin ni Ani!

sweet surrender

after having much thought about whether or not i give it its own space other than my atelierniSHASHA, and finally giving time, here it is - a virtual repository of all things i    created from paper, leads, charcoal, watercolors, paints, pastels, and just about anything that I think will inspire another soul. i will attempt to create as many artworks as possible so that someday when i'm old, i can tell my grandkids that granny exuded some kind of bravery back in the days, too. 

here's my latest work. that's erykah badu in a tom ford perfume ad. 

i thought the original photo is very beautiful in all aspects. most importantly, i like an image that is full of passion - be it a dancer moving with the wind, or a musician grooving to the beat, a painter who is in the flow, a scientist mentally calculating the possibilities, or even a kid, so immersed in her little play.

now, don't get too excited. i ain't a pro, yet. i'm just starting and only halfway my 10-session workshop with a nice mentor. perhaps, after 30 posts, that artwork is already sailing to a private collector! 

xoxo,
shasha