The Artist in Me: Raks Molata's On the Spot Caricature Drawing

I was at Asian Hospital last Saturday to meet up with my ophthalmologist. After the consultation, we (Ate and I) saw a woman in the lobby with her sketch pad, pens and some coloring materials. It turned out that she belongs to a group of artist doing some sketching for a very reasonable price and some of the percentage of your donation will benefit the children's department of the hospital. All you have to do is sit down for less than ten minutes and Voila! You have a caricature of your self PLUS you'll be able to help the artists and the hospital's cause as well.

After a lot of chatting, I found out that the artist's name is Raquel "Raks" Molata. She's the one who did the sketch for me and my sister's. I also learned that she was doing some "Mother and Child" paintings as well. The group where she's working with are also doing some portraits and studio works.

I promised to blog her and in exchange she promised to have my "to be" boyfriends caricature for free. So for those of you who are interested for any inquiries, you can contact Raks Molata on this email address: raksmolata@yahoo.com. I am posting the calling card that she has given me if you want more details.

The Artist Raks Molata at work.

It feels just right to have a shot of me, the artist and the finished product. :)

The artist was able to draw as per my request: This is me on red bikini! :)

I am adding this for those of you who want to take a closer look at the face details. 

To those interested you may contact Raks Molata via email and mobile phone. :)

See you soon!

I miss you guys! See you soon! XOXO!

The Artist in Me: Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Sorry, I've been out for a while. I've been busy these past few days cramming over "the transfer", dealing with several work issues and searching the net related to "the transfer" thing. I've wanted to write about all those emotions but it might be too long so I have reached for the crayons on my table (that I've snatched from Alex) and doodled something. I'm not that good in portrait drawing so I've decided to play around and here's the finished product.

Tadah! I'm calling this drawing "Crazy Little Thing Called Love". It's not a reflection of what I feel right now but it's the emotion that came up when I got once I'm done drawing the outline of her eyes. Hopeful. Giddy. And in love.

"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Melai 03032011

The Artist in Me: Busy Wednesday

I wanted to blog but for some reason I can't. I can't put my thoughts together. I guess I'm thinking of too many things all at the same time. Yeah, well, after having lunch at Kubo, I was still not in the mood to brush my teeth so I got a pencil and a piece of paper and lounge around. I initially went to Aling Dora's cube but she's not there, so I went to Chubi's cube and I found her busy doing stuffs on her laptop. I pulled a chair and sat next to her.

When she saw the finished product, all she can say is that "Ang payat ko dyan ah! (I look slim on the picture!)" Yeah well, I'm not that good in sketching humans much more the faces so I told Chubi she won't have any face in the drawing and says that it's okay with her. :)

I am calling this sketch "Busy Wednesday". :)

Busy Wednesday by Melai 122210

Special thanks to Chubi for modelling. :)

The Artist In Me: What's in a Face?

Yes! I do love art! :) However, I skipped submitting my portrait assignment during my Drafting class in Third Year high. I'm good in technical drawing but quite a mess when it comes to freehand. I do not have any difficulty imagining and drawing the orthographic sections of a given object, but I do have hard time drawing humans and any freehand drawing that requires assumptions and proportions. 

Sketching faces is not one of my many talents. I think I'll be happier if ever I'll be able to do that as well. However, I know God is fair. You cannot be pretty and witty and sexy and be good at sketching faces all at the same time... Heheehehe... Yeah, well, just to make another try, I searched the web and was able to find this video that shows some basic steps in drawing a face. 

I tried following these steps and here's the outcome. I think it's not that bad... ;)

What's in a Face? by Melai 12172010

The Artist in Me: 24 Days to Go Before Christmas

It's the first day of December! We only have 24 days to go before Christmas! I wasn't as excited as I was when I was kid but what the heck! It's the season to be merry and bright! I've got my hands working with ideas to paint and here's what I got.

24 Days Before Christmas by Melai - 120110 10:23AM

I got this video from Michael (my BF.. hehehehe!)... Merry Christmas everyone! :)

The Artist in Me: Fancy Plants

I started doing this in Paint two weeks ago. I added the finishing touches this morning.

Fancy Plants by Melai - 12012010 9:08AM 

The Artist in Me: Untitled

I was wandering along the paths of Robinson's Tagaytay and was able to saw this painting. It's seems like a combination of old and new concept makes a good mixture of strokes and texture. 

by A.Juan 2008

The sales lady was kind enough to let me take a picture of the painting and I promised her to put the painting details on my blog in return. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get the title of this painting since it was mounted high on the wall and the sales lady didn't know the title as well. I just saw that it was signed as "A.Juan 2008".

For those of you who are interested on this painting, you may visit "ATIN ITO Philippine Handicrafts" located at the Second Level of Robinson's Tagaytay. They are selling this "work of art" for Php10,000.00.

The Artist in Me: Connections

In the web of life, we are all connected.



Connections by Melai 11/19/2011 8:50AM



The Artist In Me: Ocean Is Scary

I was able to see this on one of my new fave blog (Something Clever) that posts amazing sketches, and when I say amazing, I  mean amazing! Being a frustrated cartoonist and sketch artist, I really envy this blogger - a woman who knows perspective and scale, hues and color, highlights and darkness. And just like the artist that I admire, I'm also afraid of the ocean.



Ocean is Scary - Lindsey Lydecker





The Artist In Me: Coffee, Tea or Me?

Coffee, tea or me? Such an enticing offer right? Well, I am not offering any coffee or tea, much more offering myself... for now.. Take note, for now... Hahahaha! Oh well, I was looking at one of my new fave blogsites and in a few clicks I was able to find this very "interesting" painting with the artist's interpretation of "Coffee, Tea or Me?" . I know it's kind of "odd" for me to post it and I know it would definitely put a "big question mark" my friends' faces. But well, however "scandalous" it might look like, an art is still an art. And I appreciate art very well.

"Coffee, Tea or Me?"

The Artist in Me: Confusion

I am waiting for that moment to come. Nervousness and anticipation. When that moment came, I am happy. I knew that my prayers and birthday wish to Mama Mary were granted. Then it became "I "was" happy and a little sad". And now I am quite afraid as well. 

On this new chapter in my life, I am confused and unsure of what will happen next. Will I be making the right decision? Will I be contented? Will I be successful? And most of all, will I be happy? Again, confusion. 

My hands began to work and start searching for the Paint section in my computer and clicked on a clear "canvass". Then my hands started to work, letting myself choose the colors that I want to spray on the blank "canvass" based on how I feel. When I got the colors blended, I found myself wanting more. Then I choose to play around until I was contented and felt my heart said "It's fine! You're done!". This time, I let my OC-ness skip and say to hell with lines and balance (which I normally aim for) and just let myself go with the flow. 

Here's the extent of how I feel today and I am calling it "Confusion". 

Confusion by Melai 11/05/2010 2:11PM

I am the kind of person who believes that "Everything happens for a reason" and I know that this new chapter in my life will be (i hope it will definitely be) exciting and fun. 

The Artist in Me: Something French

Puzzled by what I always saw on the covers of Vogue and other fashion magazines, I always wanted to go to Milan and Paris - which are classified to be the fashion capitals during my younger years. Well, I was able to fulfill my lifelong plan of going to Milan due to my biz trip there mid-part this year - a really fortunate thing on my part. So that leaves me to go to one more place - Paris. I can see myself strolling along Avenue des Champs-Élysées while taking a glimpse of expensive shopping places and a view of Arc de Triomphe. 

Avenue des Champs-Élysées and Arc de Triomphe

Well, I do hope that someday, somehow my footsteps will mark the concrete floors of the famous Champs just like the lady on Louis Anquetin's painting below. Hope springs eternal. 

Woman on the Champs-Élysées by night (c. 1891) by Louis Anquetin (1861-1932)

The Artist in Me: L'etoile

Last weekend, while watching our neighbors' kids play, I imagined myself together with my cousins when we were still young. Playing all sort of games that we chose for that particular time. We normally sleep together for the afternoon naps and then eat our meriendas afterwards. Ahh.. I really miss those days... Those days when you can just play around all you want and eat as much candies and chocolates as you like.. Dance and bathe in the rain and play water games... Carelessly goofing around without thinking that about how you would look in the pictures afterwards.. I really miss those times when all you can think about is your examinations the next day and what games to play..  

When we were kids, we wanted to grow up fast. However, now that we come of age, we wish that we can still be kids - young, carefree and worry-free. Wheeww! As we grow older, things become more complicated and life perse seems too much to handle. You have your health to take care of, your physical appearance, your social life, your spiritual being, your emotional health and your career. 

Speaking of career, then again the dilemma comes out. It starts when you take a course in college. Find out what interests you most and you are fortunate enough if you are the kind of person who knows what you want and what you want to be in life, if not, then you'll end up taking another course, and probably switch to another one if the next course doesn't suit you still. Oh well, I myself wanted to be an architect, but I guess the financial-and-business-and-my-want did not work that well, I ended up being an Industrial Engineer instead. It's not my childhood dream, being an architect or an engineer either. I remember wanting to be a doctor and a lawyer when I was a kid. But then I thought hard and think again, and I remembered I had a huge list and I decided that this was the weirdest dream that will turn to reality if ever (it's not because I loathed being one but it's because, my body is not pliant enough and not malleable enough, hahahaha! See? I'm using the engineering terms...)

I won't suspense you guys anymore.. This is it! My weirdest dream of all times! Tadaahhh! 

To be a BALLERINA! 

Edgar Degas, L'etoile [La danseuse sur la scene]

The Artist in Me: Birthday

Today, October 31, 2010 marks my 29th birthday. With this, I decided to search Google for a Birthday painting of some sort and I was able to found one that caught my attention. 

It is a painting entitled "Birthday" created by Marc Chagall. 

Birthday by Marc Chagall

From the painting, it looks like it's the woman's birthday and the man was kissing her. As I have read in a website, the bending and difficult position made by the man while kissing the woman symbolizes how one can risk to do anything to make the person he/she loves to make him/her happy. 

Well, I was hoping that someday, somewhere, somehow... I will be like the woman in this painting and there will be somebody who will do the same thing with me.. 

The Artist in Me: Egyptian Funeral Mask

Ever since I was a kid I am fascinated by Egyptian artifacts. During my biz trip in Milan, Italy mid-part of this year, I was fortunate enough to have a "close" encounter with Egyptian artifacts as I went on a museum inside Castello Sforzesco, including a sarchopagi, a "real" mummy, an actual papyrus and this funeral mask that has a caption that it was from III-IV Century AD. 

Luckily, I took the courage to take a pic of this artifact. I didn't risk taking shots of the mummy and the sarchopagi since from some of the notes that I have read that some of them has sort of "curse". Anyways, I posted this since it's timely for Halloween! 

Happy Halloween everyone! 

Funerary mask, golden plaster and glass, 3rd - 4th century AD, unknown provenance.

The Artist in Me: Starry Night

Starry, starry night.

Paint your palette blue and grey,

Look out on a summer's day,

With eyes that know the darkness in my soul.

Shadows on the hills,

Sketch the trees and the daffodils,

Catch the breeze and the winter chills,

In colors on the snowy linen land...

Yes, this is an excerpt from Don McLean's song, Vincent. I knew that the song is about Vincent Van Gogh's life. What I didn't know was that there was a Van Gogh painting named "Starry Night"! Well, not until today. I've "accidentally" found out about this while I was trying to find a painting that I will include on my latest blog portion "The Artist in Me" wherein, I plan to post different kind of artworks. I've browsed Google and typed Van Gogh, and I was stunned to found out about the "Starry Night" painting. 

To those of you who's also 'shocked' like me. Here's how the painting looks like.

Starry Night - Vincent Van Gogh