January, February, lately

January moved along at a snail's pace. Things were happy and pleasant for the most part, then—just as soon as people were getting back to their workdesks—we had another long vacation, thanks to Pope Francis' Philippine visit, which also came right before a scheduled family trip. Not complaining there, but it definitely slowed things down. I had some time to evaluate myself, and I struggled, coming from a period of very little work activity from December all the way to the end of January.

musings, personal, sketches, work in progressArlene SyFebruary 5, 2015canson, fashion, flowers, illustration, sakura koi, watercolorComment

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.

shop, updatesArlene SyOctober 7, 2014art sale, botanical, calendar, digital printing, flowers, garden, handmade, illustration, notecards, paper, paper goods, paperie, print, stationery, watercolorComment

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.

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!

giveaway, updatesArlene SySeptember 4, 2014alice, cat, children's illustration, flowers, illustration, painting, watercolor, whimsical, wonderlandComment

Carissa and Ryan's best day ever!

I had the chance to travel to Cebu early in July, to take part in and capture a beautiful moment in Carissa and Ryan's wedding weekend! It was a couple of firsts for me--finally seeing Cebu with my own eyes, and doing live event painting.

Sample Room Packaging Design (2014)

It's here, it's here! My brand collaboration with Sample Room is out, and I'm just gushing with happiness over how the final product looks! The output--a special edition pouch for Sample Room's exclusive premium brand launches--turned out exactly the way we envisioned: an illustrated room scene combining elements of a chic living room and beauty boutique. Rendered in pastel hues and evoking girly, shabby-chic style, this bag carried the beauty brand's personality.

Journal