Hello, 2015!

Happy New Year, everybody!!!

I've not had the chance to return to this space, and write decent blog entries in a very long time, and I apologize for the lack of commitment. That said, I'm quite refreshed, motivated, and inspired to start anew!

2014 was an especially busy year for me, and in a very good way. Everything had its own challenges and I believe I was able to take these on with hard work, an open mind, and an open heart.

There were many firsts, and many jobs that led to happy clients. Even when I thought I was least prepared, or even if I felt these jobs didn't directly contribute to my existing portfolio, I always felt they came at the right time and opened doors for me to acquire new skills. They included projects that were more demanding than usual due to scale, medium and time frame (mural painting, live event painting, cake decorating). These all had their respective learning curves, which I did my best to overcome on the spot. The results weren't always what I had in mind, but I knew what really mattered was that I gave them my best. I was kind and understanding toward my clients and fellow suppliers/creatives. I was honest, and, I never cheated.

Some of my favorite work-related milestones of 2014 include: having my illustrations published in book form for the first time; working with acrylics--for a mural!--for the first time; working a full year on illustrations for a magazine column; completing a lot of wedding-related projects; creating a debut paper goods line, which I sold at four different bazaars; and having taken part in two small group exhibits.

What surprised me the most was... I actually loved working with acrylics! That, and the trust and confidence clients gave me as I took on certain kinds of commissions for the first time. I'm now much more inspired to take up a new medium in 2015.

I had my first taste of working outside the home, from a studio. In March last year, I decided to give working from a studio a shot. I found a great space along Maginhawa Street in Quezon City, which I rented for six months. Having a space for work outside the home helped make me stay more focused and productive. At the same time though, I learned that a space that was physically closer to home was still more desirable and easier to access on a regular basis. This was the main reason I decided to give up the space for something better.

I finally felt I belonged. Since beginning this journey in 2010, I wished I was part of something greater than my own little corner. 2014 was the year I really made an effort to live beyond my comfort zone, to seek out other artists and make new friends in this vibrant industry. I first felt this when I conducted a couple of watercolor workshops--which really enabled me to organize and articulate what I knew. Later, I felt more confidence and acceptance when I'd show up more during art-related meetings and events, and finally, I felt the most affirmation when I achieved one of my biggest dreams during the last quarter of the year: coming out with a line of paper goods and stationery--which truly enabled me to combine what I'd learned and loved in both illustration and art direction. To this end, my spirit was nourished.

I've learned to live with less. My life feels so different now that I have considerably less things. I tend to compare my current lifestyle with how it was when I worked for a media company--and as far as that's concerned, I feel like I live a more mindful, authentic life now. I buy and consume a significantly less number of mainstream media, and whenever possible, patronize media whose creators consciously craft better ways of living, and celebrate people as inherently creative human beings. I hardly wear makeup (unless the occasion calls for it), and I'm less of an impulse shopper when it comes to clothes. Speaking of which, too, I've learned to narrow my wardrobe down to more timeless and elegant pieces. (It's probably got something to do with age, but oh well!)

There were a few things I would have changed in 2014, though. I knew I wasn't always on top of things. There were times when I couldn't follow through on my word, times when I left inquiries hanging in my mailbox, times when I just let complacency take over. I would have fought more against the feeling of being overwhelmed, and took a more active part in this wonderfully exciting time for artists. I would have crammed less, read more, written more, shared more of myself, and helped more people learn and discover their creative side.

Lots of questions remain unanswered, but it's okay. I haven't found the right balance between work and life. Most of the time, it feels like my work HAS become my life. I go by my gut and mood, even if my decisions don't make perfect business sense. I also still struggle with artistic identity, the need to have a better online presence, and--oh man, pricing is still the one thing I can never pin down perfectly. At the very least, I know I'll keep learning and getting better. For certain, when I look back, I can say that I've definitely grown so much over these past few years.

I'm hopeful, thankful, and excited for what's to come. Towards the end of 2014, many plans for 2015 already began taking shape. I have a book project in the horizon, and a new design concept/start-up which my husband and I are not only hoping will materialize very soon, but help us contribute to the growing art and design scene in Manila. The possibilities of contributing to a better world today are endless, and I'm extremely grateful I'm given a chance to play a part in it.

Pop-up at Heima Paper Stories

Hello! I'm part of Paper Stories: A Paper Club Bazaar, happening  today at Heima Brixton! Lots of paper goodness (and more) for everyone! I'll be joining Tit for tat, Lunchbreak Project, Sunday Paper Co., Craft Carrot, Monsterella, and The Bekiry! There will also be a calligraphy session with Anina Rubio at 10:30am, and I'll be doing a watercolor demo at 1pm. See you there! :)

Paper goods debut

I'll finally talk about my very first collection of paper goods! Yay!

In my previous post, I wrote about participating in the recent BGC Art Mart, which was such a new yet fulfilling (and eye-opening) experience. I debuted a small line of paper products during that art fair.

A few months ago, I set my sights on producing a 2015 calendar within the fourth quarter of the year. I knew it would make for a great offering during the approaching holidays. Initially, I thought about creating new artwork and illustrations from scratch, but found myself pressed for time as I needed to come out with items in less than a month, if I was to make it in time for the Art Mart. I contemplated a bit more until I decided it was a good idea to share my newfound love for flowers and botanicals with the world, through paper goods.

In the process, this first collection of stationery had become an expression of how I learned to paint flowers, how I learned to love what seemed like such a mundane theme, and how this helped shape my perspective and artistic voice in the course of a year.

To better articulate this newfound love for plants, flowers, and botanical art in general, I wrote a short preface on the inside-front cover of the calendar. Here's what it says:

"From 2013 to 2014, my journey as an artist took an interesting turn when plants and flowers became a prominent theme in my work. Through commissions and personal projects, a love for botanicals grew, and helped craft my creative voice into what it is today.

"Here is a calendar with a compilation of some of my favorite floral illustrations, which were created in the span of a year. All of them are my personal interpretations of specific plants and flowers, all rendered in watercolors. I'm a nature lover who (ironically) has never owned or tended a garden, so my exploration of botanical themes helped me grow my very own Secret Garden--even if it's just on paper."

I wanted to individually sign the calendars as a special, personal touch, so I left some space for that, too :)

Aside from the theme itself, aspects of the production for this calendar were close to my heart. In the couple of weeks before the calendars went to print, I already knew what paper I wanted to use. It's a special, off-white, textured Fedrigoni cardstock I used for many of my projects (particularly wedding invitations).

The second line of items I've produced, in the same theme, are two collections of floral/botanical notecards. The first collection (above) features floral artwork and patterns. For the second set (below), I reproduced a collection of botanical illustrations (which originally appeared in a poster I made for Heima last year), into a set of mini notecards. Because I was really pressed for time at this point, I personally sourced my own paper and envelopes, and had them printed at a nearby print shop (you have to hand it to them though, they actually did a superb job!). As of this writing, I'm having a new batch produced by a trusted printer (whew, no need to personally cut and fold anymore, haha!).

I have plans to sell these goods at a couple more bazaars before the year ends, but if you're interested in any of these items this early, I have wonderful news! I've just successfully constructed a shop page here on this site. It's a work in progress (and I'm currently only shipping within the Philippines), but I'll definitely update the page with new products every now and then. Please do hop over to the Shop (found at the bottom of my main navigation, left of the site), or you can also access the link directly at arlenesy.com/shop. Happy looking!

Art Mart musings

Joining an arts/crafts fair was among the least of my plans for this year. Days later, I still can't believe I participated in my first bazaar! The experience was nothing short of amazing. It was very tiring, but definitely so much fun. I had a smile plastered all over my sweaty face at the end of both days.

During the last couple of weeks of August, fellow artists and friends Lorra and Elbert (also the talented duo behind Homeycomb) casually told me about the BGC Art Mart hosted by Arts at BGC and the Bonifacio Art Foundation, which was having its seventh run in September. I hesitated at first, but they soon convinced me I still had enough time to produce items in time for the fair. I took this as a sign to stop procrastinating and to finally work on coming out with a debut line of paper goods and stationery.

In the weeks that followed, I racked my brain, figuring out the perfect combination of items to sell during the Art Mart. I felt it was a good idea to reproduce art prints of some of my previous work, but I also wanted to produce a batch of notecards, and a 2015 calendar. For the latter, I took to friends, family, and Facebook to see whether people would be interested, and I got great feedback. The encouragement I got was enough to make me scramble for a printer who could produce the calendars in less than a week. I found Studio 58 through a referral, and I wasn't disappointed. The proofs and final product turned out so beautifully! (Better photos in my next post!)

Throughout the preparations, I had many questions and lots of uncertainties coming in as a first-time bazaar seller, so I was grateful for the help and support of both Lorra and Elbert. After receiving confirmation from the Art Mart organizers, we immediately confirmed our slots. We were lucky to get table assignments right beside each other!

I signed up for the Art Mart scheduled for September 27 and 28. This was supposed to be the second weekend of this run, starting with September 20 and 21, but a strong storm forced the organizers to move those dates to October 4 and 5. For each day, we were allowed to set up and decorate our tables beginning 3 PM. Thankfully, the organizers weren't too strict, and allowed everyone who was ready by this time to begin selling to passersby.

On the first day (Saturday), Birdie and I didn't have a difficult time setting things up, but we spent a few minutes fixing and adjusting the display until it felt attractive and organized enough. Later, one of my best friends, Mae, joined us to help man the booth until the rest of the day.

As early as 3 PM, people had already begun milling around the canopied selling area at Bonifacio High Street. We started with a few onlookers asking about the products and their prices, but soon, we had buyers trickling in. It was during this time that I noticed someone from Prestige Paper Products stop by my booth (OMG). I immediately recognized her as one of the representatives who attended a recent Ang INK event. I was happy she recognized me and my work (YAY!). After I enthusiastically pointed out that I used one of their Fedrigoni papers for the calendar, she decided there and then to buy a notecard set, plus a calendar for their office! (I resisted the urge to squeal like a little girl at this point.)

I was so floored and intensely overjoyed, I wanted to hug her! I was just acknowledged by a top paper provider! I know it doesn't really seem like much to most people, but I've been a huge fan of Prestige Paper's goods (and a huge paper nerd) for some time now. I wouldn't have minded acting silly in front of her. Hehe. I thanked her profusely instead.

After this pleasant encounter, things gradually picked up. Some friends dropped by to say hi; a few introduced themselves as followers on Instagram (so that's how it feels like!); a group of Korean girls hoarded several of my art prints (they loved the beach scene!); and a very generous group purchased nearly one of everything on the table. It was going better than expected! My notecards (both the bigger floral sets, and the mini botanicals) were bestsellers. I realized I hadn't produced enough, but it was all right since I couldn't have predicted the outcome in the first place, and I wanted to err on the safe side than get stuck with lots of unsold items.

On the second day (Sunday), it was my calendars that fared much better, but I also think it was because my notecards had already sold out, and our booth had to be repositioned due to the weather. Right after we'd set up, a light rain started to come down, forcing us to immediately move our table to the opposite side, where the shade was. It turned out to be a lucky move. It definitely gave people better access to our tables, and gave us better lighting (from the existing BHS streetlights) way into the night. Sales really picked up around 5:30 PM and continued at a pleasant pace up until around 8 PM, with the pre- and after-dinner crowd (including lots of families) pouring into the area.

(Also, I learned my lesson from the first day, and opted to wear lighter, breezier clothes instead. Heheh.)

At around 8:30 PM, right before we decided to close shop, Birdie and I were thrilled to have people snapping up some of our remaining products at the last minute. The last calendar was purchased, a set of notecards intended for display were bought, and Nicole's postcard prints (which she consigned with us, and which were super slow on the first day) suddenly sold out.

What a weekend! More than the actual selling though, I thoroughly enjoyed being around people, soaking up the vibrant side of the weekend (and I quote Birdie: "So this is what happens on weekends!" LOL). I was also so, so happy to have met artists/crafters who, until then, I'd only talked to and seen on Instagram and other social media, like Lai, sisters Maan and Roma, Abbey, and Ella (sorry if I couldn't remember all of you!); and to have seen more of Cat and Ebony's wonderful work. To you guys and everyone else, thank you SO MUCH for stopping by my booth and supporting my art, it really meant a lot! <3

The second weekend of this seventh run of the BGC Art Mart is on October 4 and 5! I'm dropping by, this time as a visitor and buyer. I'm hoping to see and get hold of some items I missed out during the first weekend. Everyone, please support our local artists and crafters! See you there!

Art print giveaway!

Hello, everyone! First of all, thank you so much for all your love and support!

To celebrate 1,500 followers on Instagram, I'm giving away a signed print of this watercolor illustration (entitled "Alice") to one lucky follower. Yay! To join, you first have to be a follower of my IG account (@arlenesy), then simply like and leave a comment on that post by 12 noon tomorrow (September 5, Manila time). The winner will be picked randomly and will be announced on September 6. (Open to Philippine residents only.) Good luck!