Happy New Year!

Tags

#illustration, #singapore, brushfont, laurel, notecard, thank you, watercolor

Happy New Year, everyone! And thank you for staying with me all this time.

I have said it before and I will say it again – this blog, your friendship and encouragement have saved me in every way a girl can be saved.

I update my artwork on Instagram more than here nowadays. It’s just easier to snap and post over there.

May 2017 be the bomb for all you lovely people.

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Outfit Goals

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#illustration, #singapore, #sketches #sketchbook #illustrations #expatliving, fashionfail, feeling, OOTD, outfitgoals, singaporeartist, watercolor, zigkuretake

When you think you are looking fly and your outfit is rocking but it isn’t.

If anything, your outfit is very grandma.

 

 

Flowers in Singapore

Tags

#art, #illustration, #singapore, flowers, flowershop, watercolor

Before we moved to Singapore, we always had fresh seasonal flowers at home. Something about them really elevates my mood after a long day at work.

After we moved here, for the first few months I tried to keep this up. But fresh flowers in Singapore are hella expensive! They’re mostly hothouse type flowers, which aren’t particularly fragrant. Also, having been in a fridge for days before they actually hit the shops, they die rather quickly after you bring them home. 

So, that’s something I miss, apart from having four seasons, winter clothes, and parties by the bonfire.

Self Love

Tags

#illustration, girlwithflowers, langleav, poetry, pretty, selflove, watercolor, whimsicalart

Once when I was running,

from all that haunted me;

to the dark I was succumbing –

to what hurt unbearably.

Searching for the one thing,

that would set my sad soul free.

In time I stumbled upon it,

an inner calm and peace;

and now I am beginning,

to see and to believe,

into who I am becoming –

and all I’ve yet to be.

-Lang Leav

A Singapore Summer

Tags

#illustration, #singapore, art, singaporeartist, sketchbook, springsummer, tropicalpalms, watercolor

“I stepped from plank to plank

so slow and cautiously;

the stars about my head I felt,

about my feet the sea.”

— Emily Dickinson

 

If you think I will be the dark sky

Tags

#illustration, #nude, #singapore, blackandwhite, femalenude, love, poetry, warsanshire, watercolor, watercolournude

 

How to beat the blues

Tags

#illustration, #singapore, catillustration, catlady, girlwithcat, singaporeartist, watercolor

If you’re blue, just drape a warm and fuzzy animal on your person. One of two things will happen: said animal will ignore you, then scratch you real hard if they don’t want to be used as a scarf.Or, said animal will lick your face and give you affection if they don’t mind being used as a scarf.

Either way, you will be distracted from your blueness and feel much better.

Singapore Street Fashion – 3

Tags

#illustration, #singapore, fashionillustration, mensfashion, mensscarves, orchardroad, singaporeartist, singaporestreetstle, streetfashion, streetstyle, watercolor

Singapore men’s street fashion usually comprises shorts and a tshirt, though not many shy away from color. Or, sports wear.

On the other end of the spectrum are men like these two dapper gentlemen seen on Orchard Road, the fashion mecca of our little island. A bit weather inappropriate, but I am sure they were indoors where the air conditioning was super strong. And that amount of gel in hair conveys a serious dedication to looking good.

They did look good, like they had stepped out of a fashion magazine, or were hipsters who had very rich parents.. Like they were super into themselves.

Watercolor Leaves

Tags

#illustration, #tropical, foliage, leaves, palmleaves, singaporeartist, sketchbook, summer, watercolor

Yes, it’s as boring as it sounds.

Literally, a few leaves. My body is so tired I cannot think straight, let alone paint. All the weekends are flying by, the work week is hectic, every other week family is coming over from India to stay with us (not that I don’t enjoy this) and I have started taking some fitness classes. So this kind of uninspiring practice type work, sans stories, is all I have for now.

Spring In Singapore

Tags

#illustration, #singapore, floralpattern, howtobesingle, leaves, pattern, spring, watercolor, watercolour

The weather’s been unexpectedly good in Singapore the last couple of days. It’s wet weather but breezy and cooler than the usual soul sucking heat and humidity that we usually have all year round. Hence this little spring-inspired pattern, using some cool new watercolor techniques I have learnt via my awesome teacher, the Internet. I’m also trying out ink as a sole medium, but more on that later. And because I am in love with this cheery little pattern, I’ll make home decor products in this print and share the link soon.

On a side note, I went to watch How to be Single because I love Rebel Wilson. She had a tiny unidimensional role in it, the movie was a string of regressive cliches and just sucked in a way I did not expect it to.

Singapore Street Fashion

Tags

#illustration, accessories, Asianstreetstyle, brushpen, fashion, fashionillustration, singaporeartscene, SingaporeCNY, watercolor

Singapore is super fashionable, though a tad predictable sometimes. Thankfully, the island is such a mishmash of nationalities that if you go the right parts of the city, you get to see some great fashion outside of the usual branded bores. I tend to lean toward the eclectic dressers, mixing high end with street cool, designer sunglasses with rainbow hair, etc.  I also love Korean fashion in all sorts of drapey, futuristic shapes. And as in the illustration above, my absolute fave is Japanese street style in Singapore. Their use of color, personal style choices, quirky accessories and shoes make them stand out among a sea of short shorts and LV Neverfull bags. Japanese men too wear the best suits and their hair is always on point. The only trend I have a little trouble getting behind is the ultra dramatic fake lashes.

 

 

The Trees Outside my Terrace

Tags

#illustration, #singapore, Asia, bestweather, leaves, perspectivedrawing, singaporeartist, sky, springtime, treecanopy, watercolor

If you lie on your back, or lean back all the way on the sofa – this is what you see. A fistful of sky and a green canopy.

This one took a bit of time. But the feeling of finishing is indescribable. The best part about this blog is that I can share my excitement at learning new things.

If you are an illustrator, perhaps you could try the Zig Kuretake brush pens. I think they’re awesome.

 

 

Coffee and Evenings

Tags

#illustration, #tea, adda, bengali, coffee, india, pentelbrushpen, singaporeartist, sketchbook, watercolor

My friend P and I often drink our evening coffee together. Several days a week, when she makes coffee, she texts me asking if I want one. I do the same too. It’s kind of like an end of work day catch-up. We get the irritants out of our system, share the small, insignificant victories of our day and then go back to being wives and mothers. A quick little breather, for which I am ever so thankful.

Years ago, this used to be a part of Bengali culture. People met for an evening “adda” (chit-chat) over tea somewhere down the street or up on the roof. Over time, as we became more “modern”, this bit of daily routine was lost. I’ve never lamented it’s loss, because I have never known why it was important or why older people valued this time of the day so much.

Now I know. And I wish more people would go back to what was essentially a psychological exercise in letting go of the day’s worries. Some of the things of our past were actually way ahead of its times 🙂

 

 

Magical Cat

Tags

#illustration, catillustration, catlady, magicalcat, rescuecat, singaporeartist, sketchblog, sketchbook, watercolor, writing

 

Some people think that adopting little babies or furbabies is a favor to them. Because they need to be saved. Because it’s charity that will earn people brownie points with Sky Daddy. Like my friend, Ananya, who adopted a “rescue kitty”.

“I just wanted to do something charitable, you know? I really needed to feel good about myself”, she said.

She was going through a divorce, had been made redundant at her job and had just lost a chunk of her social circle due to this change of circumstance. She was feeling worthless and hadn’t laughed at anything for a very long time. In her heart, she believed she never would. She had even considered ending her life.

On kitty’s first night, she followed Ananya into the bathroom and stared at her while she sat down to pee. Then kitty tried to get into the panties around Ananya’s ankles and got horribly tangled and distressed. Ananya heard someone laughing — and a few seconds later found herself shaking, her belly jiggling softly, her head thrown back. She was feeling happy. Not amused or silly. But red-faced belly-shaking happy. Kitty wanted to be with her, even when she was peeing. Kitty needed her to free him from a panty tangle. Kitty was upset if she went out and seemed like he had missed her every moment she was gone.

She named kitty Magic. Her magical furry friend who made her feel needed and loved and followed her around like she was the most important person in the world. A magical “rescue cat”, who saved her life.

 

 

 

Flowers in the Mud

Tags

#sketches #sketchbook #illustrations #expatliving, Floral, poetry, sketchblog, sketchbook, watercolor, watercolorflowers