ART-IS-FUN.COM

http://www.art-is-fun.com/cute-art.html

Please check out my interview on art-is-fun.com! Thaneeya McArdle (artist and creator of the site) was kind enough to feature several of my whimiscal-themed ACEOs and a Q&A on how I work! 

On the site you can find useful tips and art techniques including painting, drawing, various art mediums and genre in a comprehensive and easy-navigate manner. It's great for beginners and those who want to pick up a new medium but don't know how to start. 

This is one of the very few sites which I learnt something; stuff I always wanted to know, especially on acrylics. Most other sites are not as clear, or will want you to pay a fee to view more, or in a forum format. Thaneeya also uses lots of photos and artworks as visual guides to help us along and readily answers any questions that you have! Also she has included some product recommendations online which saves us from head scratching over which to buy. Well if you're still reading this you should go visit the site now lol! http://www.art-is-fun.com/ 

BLUE & YELLOW ART FEATURES

I read from the Etsy forums that painters, photographers, graphic artists & designers there aren't getting as much exposure as compared to the other major categories of shops. With Etsy being marketed as a handcrafted site, people's first impression are usually jewellery, accessories, beauty products and supplies. Well, there are hundreds of artwork shops on Etsy selling originals and prints so please check them out when you're free; there is an astonishing amount of talent I've come across just by randomly searching a tag. Today I was surfing around for some inspiration (been in a major art slacking mood lately) and found some gems!  

Colour Abstraction by Leela Ford

In Full Bloom by Sascalia

Sleeping Beagle by KnightTimeDesigns

Cottages by the Beach by pmcookie

Apple Topper by CarolSchiffStudio

FULLEST MOON SHOT!

Moon shot on normal camera settings

I took this pic on 8 Feb, the moon was much larger and yellower than usual. On 9 Feb the moon was even fuller, did you notice? This was due to the moon being closest to the Earth than at any time since 1957. Also there was a prenumbral lunar eclipse for a short while: which is a partial eclipse where earth's shadow blocks a portion of the moon.

Same moon shot but with a slow shutter and unsteady hands

News article here: "Full moon is a lot fuller these days"

On a side note, the first day of the Chinese New Year (26 Jan 2009) also marked the millenium's first solar eclipse (annular solar eclipse)! Unfortunately I missed it , we rarely get to catch solar eclipses in Singapore so that was a bummer.  

THE BIG CNY DINNER & AWARDS

Ok so I was talking about the reunion dinner at the sushi restaurant. It didn't happen because they were closed! I told you so Dad!! He didn't think they will close for new year's eve because it was japanese-oriented, but it's precisely that they ARE japanese-oriented that they needn't open because all the chinese restaurants are. Anyhow we ended up with overpriced fish & chips on the reunion dinner day. We did try to enter some chinese ones but all the restaurants are pre-booked and full-house lol.

Finally on the 2nd day of new year we managed a place at our favourite chinese retro restaurant. It was full inside so they had pitched a makeshift tent on the outside and it wasn't as pleasant an atmosphere but anyhow: The photo above showed what we had; Crispy skin roast chicken (yummy I wonder how they made it so tender on the inside), Yam tower with prawns and other vege, Tofu with mushrooms & vege, Kailan (broccoli leaves) with sliced fish. Ignore that bowl of soup over there, it's sharks fin lol.

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And I received 2 awards from 2 lovely bloggers, sorry for the belated acknowledgement. Thank you for nominating me! Please feel free to take them for your favourite blogs.

Proximidade Award by Joey's Dream Garden

Proximidade is described as follows: 'This blog invests and believes in PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes for self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!'

Lemonade Award by Sugarberry

Here are the guidelines that go along with this award:
1. Put the lemonade logo on your blog.
2. Nominate 10 blogs which show great attitude or gratitude. 
3. Link your nominees with your post. 
4. Let your nominees know they’ve also received the award by leaving a comment on their blog.
5. Link this post to the person who gave you the award...and give them some promo love.

CHINESE FESTIVITIES

Yay finally it's Chinese New Year Eve, I've been slacking off blogging or visiting everyone's blogs for months! This period is the most busy and sales-making season for us so yea I was rushing as much as  I can for my vintage jewellery business after my buying trip in the US hehe. 

Lots of goodies but I'm definitely staying off the calories!! First here's wishing everyone a blessed Lunar New Year. Unlike most families, mine refrain from participating in the common superstitious traditions (like anything that denotes luck or the fortune god or money prosperity) so I've got nothing to add, but we do have the basics to entertain guests - which is just lots of snacks, and exchanging of red packets with cash inside.

Oh and strangely, my reunion dinner for new year's eve will not be at home this time but at a sushi place =) My dad's too tired to cook!

Mandarin oranges. People exchange a pair usually for  good luck or blessings. At the end of it all you have alot of them to consume. 

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Oh yum. This is a cured sweetmeat bak kwa (rou gan) - either chicken or pork. They are SO good. And unhealthy. And expensive - $48 per kilo! I promise to only have 2 pieces this year.

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And these are Nonya (Straits-born chinese in then-Malaya) pineapple tarts. The base is a butter cookie and the topping is a processed pineapple jam thing. These are the only pineapple-based things I'd eat because they are tasty and slightly tart and sweet unlike the fruit which makes my mouth itch. SO good - maybe I'll have 6 tarts this year.