The Ideaology of Whimsicality

Last week I mentioned something in my comment post to Vicki from Simply Hue in my blogpost about Beauty and Whimsical that I will show something that I create of the topic "whimsical" (part of the exercise of Raining Umbrella). Today, I'm going to show you my idea of whimsical. For me, whimsical depicts something that is out of the ordinary. It is something different and often times impossible to achieve without imagination.

I love this exercise topic, because the word whimsical itself forces me as artist to create something different from my usual approach. I made a drawing of my daughter, and anything around her consists the topic of nature.

I have a few more drawings that I'd like to show you in the next few posts, they're not done yet, however, I promise I will show you more whimsical drawings. One of these days, I'll take those drawings and turn it into a painting :)

What do you think about the word 'whimsical'?

Live, love and be creative.

Beauty and Whimsical

RAINING UMBRELLA EXERCISE

The last week's exercise for Raining Umbrella is to describe, draw, or photograph the word 'Whimsical'. Since I have not done the 'beauty' exercise too, I thought I would post something related to both of these topic. Let me just introduce you to a really fun artist, her name is Kelly Lish. She is from Portland, OR and she is an amazing whimsical painter. Her art is mainly mixed media. The basic materials that she uses are acrylics, ink, pastels, collage and wax.

For me, her work really reflects whimsical aspect of life. Also, she mostly portrays women in her art work, which makes me think of the word 'beauty'. Beauty is also reflects in the innocence face of a women or child, in which she depicts a lot in her artwork.

Blessings of Love and Angel of the roses mixed media.

She let her music fill her soul and Mermaid and Seahorse

What is your definition of whimsical and beauty in our culture? Have a great weekend everyone!.. See you next week.

Live, love and be creative,

Ira.http://kelly-loveismyreligion.blogspot.com/

Friendship

RAINING UMBRELLA EXERCISE.

To be honest, I have so much things that I want to talk about regarding the word 'friendship'.

Photo can be found here. Image by Sascalia.

Sermon Illustrations website describes the word 'friend' better than I do. So here they go:

"What is a friend?

Friends are people with whom you dare to be yourself.
Your soul can be naked with them.
They ask you to put on nothing, only to be what you are.
They do not want you to be better or worse.
When you are with them, you feel as a prisoner feels who has been declared innocent.
You do not have to be on your guard.
You can say what you think, as long as it is genuinely you.
Friends understand those contradictions in your nature that lead others to misjudge you.
With them you breathe freely.
You can avow your little vanities and envies and hates and vicious sparks, your meannesses and absurdities, and in opening them up to friends, they are lost, dissolved on the white ocean of their loyalty.
They understand.
You do not have to be careful.
You can abuse them, neglect them, tolerate them.
Best of all, you can keep still with them.
It makes no matter.
They like you.
They are like fire that purges to the bone.
They understand.
You can weep with them, sing with them, laugh with them, pray with them.
Through it all--and underneath--they see, know, and love you.

A friend? What is a friend? Just one, I repeat, with whom you dare to be yourself."

After reading these powerful words, I have to think back and ask myself, am I a friend to someone with this kind of strength and love?... I still need to learn to be a friend.

Live, Love and Be Creative.

Ira.

Growth

RAINING UMBRELLA EXERCISE

When I think of the word 'Growth', I immediately associated it with human growth: a baby growing or nature's growth. However, I was searching for this word in the sense of 'design' world. Here are few design that caught my eyes relating to the word 'growth'.

Low Tech Color Calendar by Oscar Diaz

Lightpot by Kfir Schwalb and Orit Magia

Bloomin' Business card by designer Jamie Wieck

Aren't they just so inspiring? It surely challenge me to the next level of designing.

Joy = Create

RAINING UMBRELLA EXERCISE

Have your ever feel so joyful after you create something for yourself or others?... I do, I feel like I accomplish a lot and feel so joyful after creating them.

Last week at the church, my friend, Sandy requested me if I would create a fanny pack for her before she goes to school for two-months in Europe. So, I have been thinking and conceptualizing the idea in my head. So early last week, I started to sketch of the purse that I wanted to make.

Making this purse is my first project, and I really enjoyed making them, even though it took longer than I thought I would be. I learned that I need to do a lot of preparation when it comes to creating a purse/fanny pack - it's not like you just take it to your sewing machine.

All right, it's time to share some photos.

I had to make these sketches first, just to make sure that I laid it all right.

I took this tutorial from A Sewcial Life Blog as the clutch's base work. Some tutorials that I saw were also from this website.

I had the tutorial to make the inside pocket zipper - from U hand-bag blog. The rest I just winged it by imaginations and few sketches.

Here's the final piece of my first fanny pack. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to take photos of the process- but I promise, next time I will do that.

Live, Love, and be Creative,

Ira.

Changing Seasons in My Life.

The next assignment of Raining Umbrella's E-course is to:

WRITE IT: What was the happiest season of your life? What was the most challenging?

CREATE IT: This weeks assignment is based on the theme "Changing Seasons". You have the choice of creating a project based on the four seasons of the year (Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall) or on the seasons of life (childhood, adulthood, and old age). Seasons of life can also include birth, marriage, anniversaries, birthdays, etc.

So I decided to do a little collage about changing seasons of my roles in life. My role as a daughter to my mom and dad, a sister to my two siblings, a wife to my husband, and now a mother to my daughter. It's all going back in a circle as I can see it. Each of the collage I also put the things that I'm grateful for in each role's season.

So, here they go: 
My season as a daughter:

1.      I’m thankful for my mom, for her unconditional love, dedication, patience and wisdom in raising her three beautiful daughters with grace and sophistications.

2.       I’m thankful for my dad, for his love and support throughout my growing time from childhood to an adult. Dad, your legacy still lives in my heart. I love you.

3.       I’m thankful for the values and morals that my parents taught me.

4.       I’m grateful for the opportunity that was given through my parents to achieve higher education for my future.

5.       Most importantly I am thankful for my faith. For all of the prayers for my salvation, and for all the knowledge of the Word of God that was taught by my parents.

My season as a sister :

1.       I’m thankful for my oldest sister for always sticking by me. She always wants the best for me and thinks of me as her best friend. I learned to be stronger through her stories, and experiences.

2.       I’m thankful for my youngest sister for being a role model for me in life, her adventurous spirit, and her keen characters made me a better sister.

3.       I’m thankful for a moment in life when the three of us got to spend time together in Arkansas and discovered our bond as sisters.

4.       I’m thankful for even though we’re far apart by location, but we never stop calling each other all the time and talk about anything in life and never get bored to hear each other’s voice.

5.       I’m thankful for their godly characters and wisdom that they imparted to me.

My season as a wife:

1.       I’m thankful to God for being the best matchmaker for me and my husband. I’m simply thankful for my husband.

2.       I’m thankful that I get to spend each day with my husband. I love spending time with him

3.       I'm thankful for my husband's characters, he is patient, kind-hearted, and generous.

4.       I'm so grateful that I get to kiss him everyday and tell him how much I love him.

My season as a mom:

1.       I’m thankful for my daughter, she is a gift and blessing from heaven.

2.       I’m simply amazed of the small things she does, that seems to be really small, but it's a big progress for her. I am grateful that I get to see that.

3.       I love to hear her cry, smile, babbling, laughter, and to see her through when she's looking at me with her innocence eyes.

4.       I'm so grateful that I get to enjoy her and spending time with my little girl, that will soon grow up to be a beautiful woman. I just want to treasure every moment.

Live, Love and be Creative

Ira.

Living the Adventure Life

RAINING UMBRELLA EXERCISE

This week's exercise is to express the word 'Adventure'. Here is my thought on adventure.

Someone said to me one time that Life is like a roller coaster, It goes up and down, round and round, and sometimes it just go flat as it can be. How the ride overall feel is determined by your choice. It could be fun, exciting, and adventurous if you choose to feel that way. Life itself is an adventure. We determine where we're taking them, as long as we're enjoying the ride, we are riding the best adventure in our life.

“One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure.” — William Feather

Life can be like a roller coaster...And just when you think you've had enough,and your ready to get off the ride and take the calm, easy merry-go round...You change your mind, throw you hands in the air and ride the roller coaster all over again. That's exhilaration...that's living a bit on the edge...that's being ALIVE."- Stacey Charter

Mother Theresa's best known saying:
"Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it."

Live, Love and be Creative,

ira.

Home

RAINING UMBRELLA EXERCISE

Another exercise of Raining Umbrella that I have been struggling with the visual is to draw/design or photograph the word 'HOME'. I know that wherever my family is that will be home for me. But I'm struggling on how to visualize this perspective until today where I found these awesome apps from iphone, called Instagram and Labelbox.

Let me get into details. Instagram apps allows you to create vintage, polaroid, or many other effects to your photos. While Labelbox allows you to add creative label and caption to your photo. Both of these are FREE apps in iTunes. Did I say 'FREE'? Yes.. It's FREE!

I think twice before I purchase an apps, so for these apps to be absolutely FREE is priceless!... Check out what HOME means to me through this pictures:

Creativity (krē′ā tiv′ə tē)

RAINING UMBRELLA EXERCISE

This week I'm focusing on the word 'creative' as part of raining umbrella's exercise. This is a great exercise to think about along with our assignment to create a 7 day journal of being creative each day. I kept thinking about the word 'Creative' and it struck me that Creativity is about idea that is being put into a piece of paper, and then move along into a project and finally the creative piece is invented.

Being creative means to put into action whatever the idea is in your mind. Sometimes it doesn't work, but sometimes it does. You just have to find the patient with it.

After analyzing how I put together creative piece, let me share with you a little bit of my creative process.

First, ideas come from different sources and events. Some of them are through conversations with friends, reading magazine, blogs, or even being in an event like weddings, baby shower, etc. Many times idea happens by looking at normal, everyday objects and simply wanting to make it better.

Second, Once an idea comes in your mind, it's good to write it down in a piece of paper, type it in your phone or anything that would remind you with the project. Many times I let good ideas passed just because I forgot to jot it down to remind myself. Even if I don't create anything, but I won't forget the idea.

Third, Draw/sketch your ideas. If you are a visual person like me, I would recommend you to draw/sketch your ideas. Make it a permanent visual in your head and let it be a determination for you to create.

Image is found here.

Fourth, Prep the things you need or start creating your piece. Do research of what others have done, what you can do differently to make it unique. Even if the idea has been invented, you can always personalize and customize your own creation. Just like what Vicki mentioned in her article about cultivating Creativity - You need to find time to create.

01. Angry Birds Pinata by iheartthefunkystuff // 02. Angry birds cookies by Cookiesmamas

Fifth, once you are done with your creation, ENJOY them! Brag about them, show it off to your friends! I always so proud of myself whenever I did something creative or when I find the time to do it in the midst of my busy time.

There goes what is in my mind about the word 'Creative'

Wisdom

RAINING UMBRELLA EXERCISE

This week's Raining Umbrella's Exercise is to draw, design or photograph the word "WISDOM".

Ever since I am blessed with my daughter, Lucy, I have been praying for a lot of wisdom to not take this gift for granted and wasted it. I asked God to give me wisdom from above in raising up my daughter. To have the wisdom from above is not easy, it means that I have to pray for it and seek for it. Pray everyday for the ability to see the future through everyday glasses and raise my daughter in the manner that would bring the best out of her and of others around her. Seek for wisdom everyday through experienced parents and family friends and learn from them.

Here's my thought on wisdom.



Live, love and be creative

Ira.

Originality (origi·nal·ity (ə rij′i nal′ə tē))

RAINING UMBRELLA EXERCISE

This exercise is a hard one for me. Every time I think of the word Original, I kept thinking of these keywords: Different, Unique, Pioneer. As I was brainstorming on these keywords, I started to think that new ideas come from ideas that already been existed somewhere, it's just idea that's being perfected in different ways. So, my thought of originality is quote from Eugene Delacroix, a French poet.



Live, Love and Be Creative,

Ira.

Fashionita!

RAINING UMBRELLA EXERCISE

The second exercise of Raining Umbrella's course is the word 'Fashion'. I was thinking literally about the word 'Fashion' to be associated with anything sewing. I have mentioned earlier that things that inspire me is pattern/fabric in my collage. So, I found a scrap of batik fabric and I made a simple skirt for my daughter for this project.

I call this: Fashionita Skirt!

What do you think?...

Live, love and be creative!

Ira

Serendipity (ser·en·dip·i·ty (sĕrˌən-dĭpˈĭ-tē) )

RAINING UMBRELLA EXERCISE

One of the exercises from Raining Umbrellas Course is to draw, design or photograph my perspective of the word 'serendipity'.

Since I was a little I always enjoy making things out of paper. Becoming a graphic designer makes me become so passionate about printing work, I found that I can do so much to impress myself and others with just using a single sheet of paper. So, my perspective on serendipity is my discoveries of paper, and how it always fascinate me with the things I can do with it.

Live, Love and Be Creative! :)

Ira

A Life's Story Collage

RAINING UMBRELLA: WEEK ONE ASSIGNMENT

Raining Umbrella's e-course this week's assignment is about 'A life's story collage'.

Here's a little background:

WRITE IT - Write down atleast one factor that played a large part in who you are as a creative person today.

CREATE IT - Select any medium and create a collage of your life. You don't need to chronicle every event (unless you'd like to), but choose some of the more meaningful, joyful, or difficult times that formed who you are today. If you're short on time, just choose one event, person, or subject that is meaningful to you and create a simple project around it.

MY COLLAGE:

My collage is about life fascinations. Things that fascinate me and has become a large part of who I am. I love the things of nature, my family, scriptures, art, paper and fabric. Place where I was born definitely plays a major part of who I am too.

Let me know your thoughts.

Ira.

Raining Umbrella Course

This Summer,

I decided to take a creative course to begin my creative journey with this blog. I came across Simply Hue's Summer creative classes called 'Raining Umbrellas e-course'. To give you a little background of what the course is about you can visit Simply Hue's Page. I will give you a little description of what the exercise about and what I came up with for the assignments.

I hope you can give me good critiques.

Cheers,

Ira.

PHOTO/ILLUSTRATION BY RAINING UMBRELLA E-COURSE