Grace in the Not So Comfort Zone

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The restaurant was packed with people. As the waiter ushered us toward our table in the middle, with strangers in front of me, on the side and basically every corner, my heart did a nervous dance. Am I really going to paint in the midst of all these people?! Can I just do the demo at home instead of doing it in public? Husband encouraged me that whatever I will be doing, people wouldn’t mind. The voices in my head never stop whispering fear … Read More

Make Something Everyday + Nanodrawmo 2016 Round-up

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Well, I was only able to accomplish 15 artworks for Nanodrawmo. Not even half of the goal of 50. But this challenge has rekindled me to make something everyday. Surely I may not be able to sketch everyday (or often) but I press on to create something…anything (!) with my hands. That could mean writing letters, making paper brooch, painting, crafting… So many ways to be productive. Because when you don’t attempt to create one thing often, the following might happen … Read More

Snail Mail My Email (and 3 things I have learned)

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I have never written letters on behalf of strangers before. I was so excited to hear about Snail Mail My Email (SMME) which “is a worldwide community art project where volunteers handwrite strangers’ emails and send physical letters to the intended recipients, free of charge.” This is their 6 and last year running it and I am thankful to be a part of this endeavor as a Letter Artist. Last week, SMME invited people around the world for email submission. … Read More

Nanodrawmo 2016: Day 1

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Pear; watercolor on paper I think I have never completed any Nanodrawmo challenges before. But it is always good to join and try again! The challenge: 50 artworks produced over thirty days. It seems a lot but I’m not going to stress myself with that. This month, I will be sketching my life mostly in watercolor (with the occasional use of pen). For this sketch, I set up a pear still life. I begin from the stem using the tip of … Read More

Insides by Freya Pickard

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Freya, a good friend of mine, launched her first poetry collection called Insides. She is a cancer survivor currently awaiting the final all clear. She wrote Insides as a kind of therapy to help her embrace the terrible things she endured; cancer, surgery and chemotherapy. She wanted to bring comfort to other cancer sufferers as well as enabling people with no experience of cancer at all, to understand a little of what it means to go through such an ordeal. … Read More

How to Turn a Catalogue Into Gift Wrapper

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Whatever things I own or receive, whether used, gifts or even junk mails, I always ask myself: how can I make the best use of it? I bought a present for a dear friend’s birthday and I was thinking what material to wrap it with because I am not a fan of buying gift wrapper. Suddenly, in a spur of inspiration, I thought of painting the pages of a catalogue and turning it into an awesome gift wrapper. Hooray! The materials you need are: Any … Read More

Turn Mistakes Into Something Wonderful (and a Giveaway!)

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Eiffel Tower Painting in acrylic by a 7 yr old artist “Oh no, I have blobs of black paint on the sky!” Previously, I would have been frustrated by my student’s lack of focus. I would have reprimanded her carelessness and utter many words of do’s and don’ts. I would have thought of ways to remove or cover the black blob, perhaps asking her to repaint a portion of that sunset sky… That was my old “trying to be firm with my students” … Read More

(New Online Class) Sketch Your Life 2

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Creativity is such an important aspect in making art–a precious ingredient in making our artworks unique and personal to who we are as an artist. Honestly, creativity is something that I have struggled (a lot!) because of a variety of reasons like criticism and comparison. Nourishing my creativity back to life is a work in progress and I am thankful for each moment that I am given to create for the glory of God. When I see my younger students struggling with … Read More

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