60s FASHION LOVE & PEACE DIGISTAMP

Here is a new digistamp coloured, titled '60s Love & Peace'. I like sixties fashion and she is dressed in a mini dress with paisley patterns and go-go boots. This style is also a little bit early 1970s. This illustration would be perfect for Valentines, best wishes or retro-themed crafts. I coloured her with markers and pastels. The 'love you' is written in white ink. Initially I wanted to do a psychedelic background with coloured pencils but am a bit pressed for time!

She is available in my Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/sg-en/listing/260969854/

COOL PSYCHEDELIC VIDEO

This is awesome.

TECHNICOLOR MELT - PAINTING

Been missing in action on this blog for such a long time, I'm not going to give any excuses other than being lazy hehehe. Better late than never... Recently I managed to settle my jewelry listings from my Dec trip to USA (yes, again) so had time to resume painting. First up is this work-in-progress picture: 

It was started in Nov 2011, and I resumed it in late February 2012 after listing all the vintage goodies... because once I start painting, the desk is fully occupied. EVENTUALLY I'll get to it.

This is the finished product, as you can see I made a lot of colour changes, which was part of the reason why it took a long time to complete since everything had to be redone. Had also forgotten how to get back the same colour mix and what inspired me in the first place... am a very muddled-up artist ne...

I tried out matte varnish for the first time. There's this debate on whether I should use gloss or matte varnish, but I wanted a more muted tone since the colours are already dizzying... so matte it is. The shadows are less intense after varnishing. The base coat is a gloss, to preserve the colour, and the second and third coat is matte. Like the feel of it (not sticky).

Matte varnish cuts out the glare from light sources but eats up colour since wax is added to the varnish to reduce reflection. Gloss varnish makes the colours pop but light glare affects the visual aspect. I have a mix of both varnish which is midway, but it still has some glare so the debate continues.

Original painting is available here: 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/94210333/psychedelic-technicolor-melt-original

'PSYCHEDELIC BERRIES' PAINTING

'Psychedelic Berries'

Acrylic painting on canvas. I had a hard time doing the trees because after everything was done I decided to add in the shadows and since they were made in layers based on colour, it was just confusion amongst the twigs pretty much lol.

If you are interested in purchasing any of the 5 paintings I've talked about recently (featured in the Bird & Bear gallery art show) you can cash-and-carry in person at their store or buy it online here: http://bearandbird.mybisi.com/products/current-exhibition-ss4
Ends 8 Jan 2011. I am currently planning more paintings but in smaller sizes, just too much things to do at the moment with Christmas approaching!

KALEIDOSCOPE & FEATURES

Kaleidoscope phone strap. I've always wanted a kaleidoscope ever since I encountered one in my school science lab. So when I saw the miniature version in a gachapon machine I thought why not. It may be an old gadget for today's technological standards but amusing nonetheless. My favourite themes are psychedelia so kaleidoscopes are just my cup of tea.

The packaging below shows the 'Hanabi' (fireworks) pattern:

Here are some snapshots, it was hard to centralise my camera through the tiny peephole. Since it was a cheaply made kaleidoscope the mirrors are a little 'dusty':

A kaleidoscope mechanism is pretty simple: colourful beads in a tube of mirrors set at angles to reflect a arbitrary symmetric pattern whenever the tube is turned and the materials inside slide around. There is also a kind of kaleidoscope without beads and it reflects images instead.

Here are some unique artisan-made kaleidoscopes and kaleidoscope-inspired finds from Etsy:

Airplane Kaleidoscope by sendmenews

Zig Zag Kaleidoscope by whomee7

Cigar Box Kaleidoscope by wrightmade

Kaleidoscope by micropolis

Butterfly Kaleidoscope by goglassgirl

Kaleidoscope Orignal by smokeycrystal

Pink Rose Kaleidoscope Charm Bracelet by kimarijewelry

Kaleidoscope Lamp by celina29

70s Kaleidoscope Brown Plate by PuzzleBoBuzzles

Batik Art Quilt by MoranArtandQuilts

TYPOGRAPHY & ILLUSION - YEHRIN TONG

Time to time I'll come across a designer with awesome skills while surfing around. 

Yehrin Tong Illustration: http://yehrin.proteinos.com

Wonderful typography making use of lines, curls and optical designs, his repeat patterns also remind me of one of my favourite artists, M.C. Escher's, work.

Talking about optical illusions, I simply love them! I can't find an image of my favourite counter-rotating spirals so here's another famous spinnng spirals illusion:

TO DO LIST & PROCRASTINATION

I have alot of things to do on my checklist but it never seems to materialise because of too many ideas done at once and dropping a project before I'm even done! Check out the super brilliant Procrastination stop-motion animation by Johnny Kelly. Love it, reminds me of those Sesame Street animations I talked about a few posts back. I think me need to tidy my table though, that isn't procrastination instead I procrastinate cleaning it lol

Meet Gus the Bear who likes to procrastinate his essay.

MY TO-DO LIST:
- Finish my paper dolls book
- Finish my zines
- Finish my fashion illustration spread
- Set up categories for my jewellery shop
- Make more jewellery with the tons of supplies I have
- Finish my set of greeting cards & stationery
- Update lemonshortbread.com
- Get working on bookmarked accounts for exposure
- Learn painting
- Finish my paintings
- Tidy my table
- Buy more storage boxes

- Finish my new set of stickers and pins

- Stop getting distracted on the internet

SESAME STREET PSYCHEDELIA

These videos are the shorts I look forward to back in the 1980s and others. They do look 1960-70s made. Some of them introduced me to the world of psychedelia (yes in kindergarden) and cool animations, now you know why I like them so much... inspiration for my next artworks!


Pinball is my absolute favourite. Still remember the song!



I also really like this 1-10.



Ah yes the creators on acid. But it's beautiful, no? 1-20



A pretty alphabet A-Z morphing fairy song



I remembered the creepy music made me stare at the screen (hypnotic lol) 10-1



More psychedelia.

Enjoy. And yes I changed the blog layout (using my ugly handwriting again)

POP ART RETRO-ISH

Oh yes very 'Across the Universe' (but I already did one titled that) or Yellow Submarine but it's not beatles. It's Peter Max! I started this long ago, when I first bought his artbook off amazon.com, but only completed it recently when I discovered it wasn't finished. Acquired taste for the colour combination =P. Made in markers & bgd in photoshop.