plantdrawings

i am closing this blog...

2010-05-11T19:53:00.000-07:00

and moving to a new one.

http://www.peppertey.blogspot.com/

i have also changed my facebook. - http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/profile.php?id=100001070623832&v=wall

adios.

2010-04-10T07:16:00.000-07:00

"Is Santa hiding there...?"

Styling: Plaster Dresses Inc.
Model: Rain-Deer Mods feat. Little-Boy-Whom-I-Do-Not-Know

legs dahling... LEGS!

promise

2010-03-12T03:54:00.000-08:00

"sigh"

"why me, God?"

" why do the people i need walk away?"

"why is the playground empty when i come around?"

"why do i feel shut out from everyone else?"

"and why does everyone else seem so happy?"

"except me?"

"i am a fish on my back, with the blue, blue sea in front of me."

"please send a friend"

"help me turn the bend"

"i'll reach out"

"promise."

sincerely,
c.

Sylvia's Path

2010-03-06T04:53:00.000-08:00

To many, Dandelions symbolize childhood playfulness, carefree summers on a field and school holidays spent just grazing around tall grasses, blowing little Dandelion-lets off the stalk, watching them...

fl o a t
f lo at .. . ..

away, carried off by some mysterious forces of wind to God-knows-where.

Dandelions carry a heavier meaning for me. When i was thinking of a subject for the Evil Plants Series, I really wanted to use a flower or plant which did not give off an "evil" vibe or feeling straight off the bat. I wanted something unexpected, and once i saw a picture of a Dandelion, I knew it was going to make the series.

In every "evil", i wanted it to have a central theme. Sylvia's Path, was going to be Depression.

Sylvia Plath was and is a very well known poet. She passed away by putting her head into a gas oven, thus ending her life at the age of 30. She was said to be suffering from Bipolar Depression.

Dandelions. Fragile, light yet strangely strong and tenacious, with a root system which would make any weeder cry in despair at a field of them.

Depression, in whatever type or form, can be just like a Dandelion. It takes hold of a person's life, seeping into and invading every inch of one's existence. When depression is allowed to run rampant, just like the last stage of a Dandelion's life, it makes a person so vulnerable, so fragile, that a mere gust of wind ends it's life.

Leaving a very unattractive, dying stalk head.

In other words, Death.

Depression makes many people in the world today, take their life. I am sad to say, that Sylvia Plath, legendary writer known for her haunting poems, decided to take the path which ultimately sealed her fate prematurely.

Nicholas Hughes, Sylvia Plath's son, ended his life as well in 2009 after fighting with Depression.

Although her work lives on in the present and will continue to be a prize in literature for many years to come, the work which will never exist from her potential has been taken along with her, never seeing the sheen of new paper or the scratch of an ink pen.

Just like the way the wind carries the Dandelion's seeds to far reaching places, so are the tragedies of death.

To end with the quote from her poem, Lady Lazarus,

"Dying is an art, like everything else, I do it exceptionally well."

Drawing done by Clara.

References:

I took a beautiful picture of Sylvia Plath working on her typewriter, I imagined her to be typing out the very words of Lady Lazarus - http://mural.uv.es/paupilo/4thindiv.html

Dandelion pictures were sourced from Google. All images are artistic interpretations of mine.
Quote is from Lady Lazarus, written by Sylvia Plath.

Critique (polite and constructive) and comments are very much appreciated.

xxoo,
light

2010-03-05T05:42:00.000-08:00

I AM DONE!!

after an intensive two week drawing stint, i have finally completed the first of my Evil Plants series.

why am i not posting it? because its late and the scanning i did was half past six, so i will post it tomorrow instead.

i was just so happy about finishing that i wanted to drop a post.

you'd think i have better things to do.

like Requisition Forms.

ugh.

work... rolls eyes.

xxoo
Cheers to Dandelions. hint hint.

i'm working.

2010-03-02T04:41:00.000-08:00

can you believe it?

drawing continues... new one soooooon.

sea of shooooes tribute

2010-02-21T05:17:00.000-08:00

I love this blog. Sea of Shoes. Beauty inspires, so i drew!

I am not crazy about scanning the detailed drawings which i make. They do not present a very accurate picture of the original. However, this is good practice for my hand when I sketch.

I shall continue with my second botanical series. Did you get my email Loy? I sent it some time ago...

Anyway, do check out my newest piece. And drop me a comment if you want to critique the technique.

Also, check out her blog, all things fashion at........... http://seaofshoes.typepad.com/

PS: If you look REAL closely, you can see a shoe... some flowers... and some animals which were part of the jewellery she posted recently. I was in LOOOOOVE when i saw them. The picture was an actual photo she took, but I changed the jacket design to my own artistic (if i have one) interpretation.

Ugh, I am so utterly sleepy. I hhope tis pooost makesh sennse. ..*&@*%$yeh,............M

BY light.
clara

A SOUP SPOON TALE

2010-02-15T06:16:00.000-08:00

So... you're probably wondering where we ate... well, Loy here will give you the details.

Uh... any big news recently? (well, not so recently, seeing as this post was overdue MONTHS ago). Yep, Marko has joined the army ranks along with Loy and Jonny-boy.
And guess who were the ones listening to army tales?

Guess which two love-birds built a nest recently? (Again, rather old news...)

Why didn't you tell us (me) sooner! ha, you didn't need to, we guessed!

Many congrats (belated ones). This is my Valentine tribute to both of you.

You better treat her well, because she is both...

Some side portrait shots for the other two guys...
I like this one Loy! =D

And it won't be my blog without some pseudo-ads to make you laugh. :)
THIS baby took me hour to complete, and is my personal favourite! It's supposed to be "Convorse" shoes.

I compensate Loy by presenting a cool ad. Gotta love those eyebrows.

I played around with creating Sepia photos, because i haven't made many of those for my blog.
I like how they turned out. Say hello!

This one is my fav. for the Sepia photos. The friendly chemistry is evident.
The way the light hits L. & QY's faces, the clarity in the environment with not much light... to me it's perfect.

A candid moment between friends captured in time.

I wonder, if we were in a world of Sepia lenses, would our world still look as beautiful?

Maybe not... but they sure make our pictures shine!

I hope you guys enjoyed this as much as i did.

xxoo,
Cheers to soups and spoons!

Loy, Qianyi, Mark and Jon

2009-12-13T05:20:00.000-08:00

Loy, Qianyi, Mark and Jon,
I know the photos are long overdue.
Apologies for my belated-ness,
However, I've bitten off more than I can chew!

Please do give me a little while more,
I've just completed the kitty piece.
My grandma's out of her hospital stint,
Now, my heart and fingers have got more peace.

Ahoy, what's this?
An unexpected trip!

Never fear, my dears!
When I return from Perth,
My flickr will give birth,
To pictorial parodies,
To make you smile and tease.

xxoo.
clara

Mugsy

2009-12-03T05:27:00.000-08:00

Meet Mugsy the cat. A beautiful "Mask-Face" kitty residing in a garden in New Zealand. She has been made famous in the website, http://www.mooseyscountrygarden.com/

My mother first stumbled upon this site when she was web-surfing on garden stuff. From then on, we were hooked onto the pets section of this online community of all things plants and animals!

They have an especially big family of cats and this of course, was the factor which drew me to this site.

M is for Mugsy, but it also stands for Miracle and Miraculous. She was hit by a car and left for dead when a passing vet saved her feline life. As the saying goes, Cats have 9 lives. Mugsy is an obvious example of this!

We love this cat and I found it compelling to draw this feline. A Slipper Orchid graces her surroundings as she peeps out from under it. It signifies that Mother Nature will always be a friend to her and protect her through her earthly life, and beyond.

I hope you enjoy this artistic interpretation of the cat and orchid.

xxoo,
Cheers to Mugsy!

PHOTOS ARE COMING SOON.

2009-11-25T17:06:00.001-08:00

Personal Personality

2009-10-13T04:21:00.000-07:00

There are some people who were created and brought to Earth, with the pleasent disposition to garner a whole menagerie of friends. There are others, though, who simply do not.

Is this "pre-disposition", pre-defining our destination and lot in life, or are we (I) just finding a convenient excuse for our (self imposed) solitari-ness.

My twenty-eeef! birthday is approaching and I am looking to it with the same amount of dread and trepidation you would a circumcision - or castration, whichever you find more terrifying. I used to love birthdays. The cake, the candles, the PRESENTS! The presents were always amazing. Well, there was THAT one year where my mother gave me a packet of black chinese cat erasers... and also the time when i got a furry giraffe photo-frame...

%^&*(*&^%$%%^*(*!^!^!!!!

Oh Sod It.

Birthdays were never that great for me. However, the big 2-0 presents an even greater reality-realization for me. No longer will the word, TEEN, grace the end of my digit. Gone were the days of reading Daddy-Long-Legs over and over again (and getting away with it). And darn, is that one more wrinkle I see on my brow?

Despite all these apparent tragedies, the thing that bugs me the most is the fact that, well, I paid a visit to my Life File. It was empty.

...

Nothing I ever did, ever completed, ever thought I accomplished, ever mattered! I always tried (albeit consciously or not remains a mystery) to put up a very impersonal front to my friends. Possessing as well, a very unshakable belief in using accomplishments and works done by my own strength, in validating and defining ME, Clara, as a person worthy enough for space on this Earth.

It is, perhaps, time for me...

Wait.

No.

Not perhaps.

I HAVE decided to finally unravel the mess which is me, (a puzzle even to the authoress), and unfurl my true identity. The genuine characteristics which form my personhood. Not the loud, boisterous voice which i choose daily to hide behind. Nor the running (never did define me, nor my muscles). My art will never be great if I do not let my signature style flow. Worst of all, I can never be a better daughter, express my true emotions as a partner to my significant other, or have the personal closeness I secretly yearn for with my sister.

Many people have looked at me, incredulously I must add, when I mention I am postponing my University Education in Vancouver for a year. I admit, I kick myself up the arse sometimes when I think about it. Thankfully, these episodes are far and few between now, if not I will be paying a visit to the doctor for hernia surgery for my bereaved hiney right now.

There are alot of things alot of people do not know about me and it will take alot of time to explain why I do what I do. What I do not know about myself could probably fill one of those books I plan to write someday.

I guess the housing situation (a desperate lack of it in Vancouver), has thrust me very forcefully in front of the mirror to face a reflection in which I am loathe to examine. However, upon closer inspection, twenty years of neglect have left it in a very sorry state, close to shatter.

I drew this flower quite some time ago. The Passionflower's bloom drew me to draw it. After years of hiding in a tight bunch, with a huge stick-up-my-arse, I have finally decided, to Unfurl. And this time, its no longer by Light. Just Clara.

Clara in Vancouver

2009-08-24T23:46:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I know I have not updated since about 2 months ago. I am now in Vancouver, Canada. It is very cold and dry here. Well, don't expect a very long description of Vancouver on my blog, I know if you want to find out more about British Columbia you can google it.

Time Lag? - Behind Singapore 15 hours.
Jet-Lag? - Damn straight.

You smell pines everywhere you walk. Its very refreshing and a nice change from smokey Singapore.

These flowers say HI! to me everytime I pass by.

No shortage of Asian cuisine in Vancouver.It is dominated by Asians. The Crystal Mall in Metrotown provides foods which look very authentic, they taste authentic too!

Aunty Irene and my Mommy standing in front of this store which sells very good 'xiao long bao', small dragon buns? Nah, incorrect English translation.

Justin would eat this in ten seconds... no, make that five.

Super Suishi, flying through space and time! Haha. I like the Japanese options in Vancouver.

Justin (Bear) and Joel (my cousin), would have a real male bonding session over an apple candy treat.

They sold Balut Eggs (google it kids) in TNT, an Asian delicacy in an Asian Supermart. Metrotown is FULL of groceries.

They had a dinosaur exhibition in Metrotown's mall. Mommy here!

No shortage of fresh veges in the supermarts. Nice and good selections are available in TNT, Safeway etc. etc.

Caps! Nightshade plant.

Lettuce entertain you. Let us entertain you.

Yes, let ME entertain you.

I hope you guys had a good time browsing my picture adventures!

xxoo
Cheers to BC.

frustrations.

2009-08-14T05:23:00.000-07:00

i just wanted to say,

Its just NO POINT in trying to keep in contact with your friends/loved ones when they do not bother to reply/respond to your messages and calls. Why try so hard? Chill Clara, Chill.

Fuck you people.

i LOVE sea shots.

2009-06-06T06:41:00.000-07:00

There is something about a sea shot which makes it a great shot.

I love having a picture with my subjects caught up in a "moment". A significant snapshot in time which made a difference just for that nanosecond. All is caught in my camera lens, then successfully transformed into a print which performs for an audience.

The public service announcement: No vandals!! We found some inert scribbling on a signage post at Pulao Ubin, at Chek Jawa.

Dedication to our Tour Guide.

Spin of a Donna Karan Fashion Advert, using the heat of the day as the feel for the ad. Mark's finger pose at the back compliments Loy's grimace! =D

I predict that Loy will one day become the next David Attenborough or something. Have you bought your copy of his 3-disk DVD set on Sea Creatures of the World? Haha.

I love making pseudo movie posters. This one was inspired by The Happening.

The Watchers Part ll: It
Guess who is It?

MISSING!

Inspired by the TV series, Lost! However, my movie holds more of a touching, meaningful tale.

On a serious note, i cannot believe dogs like Pajang who roam Chek Jawa in Pulao Ubin, are facing annihilation soon! The doggy was very friendly and sociable. It was, however, suffering from malnutrition as it's ribs could be seen very clearly from the sides.
I wish homes could be given to the dogs on this island, especially Panjang, i can forsee him being a friendly companion, despite his obvious mongrel ancestries.

Animal/Pet biographies have been growing in popularity recently, filling the shelves of bookstores and those of young children.

Snapshot.

Videos will take some time. Somehow Blogger does not load my videos!!

I LOVE WATER!!

xxoo
Cheers to the sea.

okok!! i know! - a poem and a doodle-

2009-06-01T06:37:00.000-07:00

alrighty, just a few updates.
i know, i know.
it's been a while,
but life has taken it's toll!

the pictures,
are coming!
just give me some time,
soon you'll be humming.(?!)

i just finished my marathon,
and i got 2 more drawings to complete,
but soon you'll see the pictorial parodies,
i promise, no more mark choo's feet.

xxoo.
Cheers to Adidas Sundown!! a great big congrats to everyone to completed it as well!

presents over tea or tea over gifts.

2009-06-01T05:51:00.000-07:00

Buying gifts can be tiring. Often times it can sap the energy from you without you noticing. Taking an entire evening to settle on 2 shirts may seem superflous, but needed.

Miss Ah-lisa.

Zi Jian's such a sport!!

Candid shot. Khairul pimping himself out first.

Power to the cameras!!!

I have a theory. Khai's hair has a life of it's own. Evidence presented.

3 guys and 3 girls!

Tea with the guys before Loy went off to the US!
We had it at Fosters and after that we played Taboo at Ridgewood's Haato, before heading off to Raffles for a Soupy Spoon dinner.

We could not think of a place to eat for dinner, thus Loy suggested holding the pedestrain lightpole for inspiration. Loy has the best ideas!

Pizza at Hatoo in Ridgewood!

Tea at Fosters cost S$91.80. Yummy!!

This shot is puuurrrrfect. I love it. When will you EVER see Jon sporting such an evil-esqe expression?

The scones were the best shite ever. It was so disgustingly yummy. Don't you think Loy looks like he is holding an invisible teacup?

Haha. Ok, i will post more photos soon. I just uploaded all of them. Still many more to come!!

xxoo.
Cheers to tea and presents!! Both yummy things to have.

More photos!

2009-05-18T21:37:00.000-07:00

2 photos which were begging me to be edited, flipped and pinched to an inch of their life are being posted here.

Mark bought a new fishing rod which was supposed to be able to withstand a certain weight. This is me, being a guinea pig.

It's fun (but very tiring) to do the fake ads.

But if it makes you (or even if it's only Jonny), smile, it's worth it. =P

Dinner the other day at Shokudo (a Japanese version of Marche), was eventful.

We spent the dinner discussing about Qian Yi's new job, the Passion Run which both Mark and Qian Yi are taking part in etc etc.

It was a good time to catch up with friends, and also a photo oppurtunity for me to capture my friends back at home before i leave for another continent.

Mark has problems. He tears up way too much when he yawns, and he yawns alot. Expect to see waterfalls at about 4 in the afternoon and later in the evening. Mark looks quite sad here doesn't he?

Alright, now he looks too chipper.I think his face is very flexible, because he seems to be able to mold it into a wide array of expressions.

Which girl does not love shoes?I would DRIVE in those. It would be so fabulous. Plus i love horses, such a graceful animal. ADORE those "Horseshoes" at the back, primal yet wickedly delicious.

Scrumptious!

It was HARD trying to get a decent 3 people photo in that tiny space! I totally blocked Mark's face out. Just for laughs!

Ahh... there we go! Let's all say cats.

I will definately miss her. I enjoy talking to her. She's easy-going, and I can make her laugh. I love making people laugh. I forsee she's going to do great in her job (though it may be tough for now, we believe in you!).

I TOLD you. Look at that face! I can't do that! (and i won't, 'cos i'll look like really, really awful).
It's unfair that he morphs his face and still looks decent.

Mark and Qian Yi in Shokudo!! How did you guys find the food?

This expresses my sentiments towads the long lines of women standing in front of the toilet mirrors, entranced by their own reflection and ignorant of the other people who actually NEED to use the bathroom facilities for purposes other than vanity issues and ego boosting sessions.

A spin on Evita Peroni Ads. The clip used is an authentic Evita Peroni clip. I LOVE their products. Finely made to last with some of the best designs around.

Remember to smile ALWAYS Qian Yi, you look beautiful. =)

Thanks for letting me spread laughs!

My upcoming post will be most likely either photos with VIDEOS! or some designs. Most likely the former. =)

xxoo
Cheers to Japanese food and fun friends.

jUST fer LAFS...//.....!!

2009-05-14T00:15:00.000-07:00

I took over 200 photos.

Only a few will make it into my blog.

I hope these photos amuses you!

MORE PHOTOS ARE UP, BUT!
OK. THIS POST IS STILL NOT YET COMPLETE. GIMMIE SOME TIME. =D

Going out with friends... all you need are some good ones willing to do silly but fun things with you. We went out cycling from Changi to East Coast, but made a pit stop before East Coast to catch a beautiful scene with the trees along this canal area. The bulk of the photos were taken here as we waited for sunset and beyond. The woody areas looked best at night.

THE ADVERTISMENTS
Tree Climbing Ad

Sports Brand Ad.

Clothing Brand, Jonny Ad.

Clothing Brand, Loyy Ad.

Clothing Brand, Marc Ad.

Which one did you think looked the most real?!

Acting Class Ad.

THE BESTSELLER

TWOTHUMBS.UP DEBUT CD COVER

TWOTHUMBS.UP DEBUT CD JACKET/SONGLIST

TWOTHUMBS.UP PROMO. POSTER

TWOTHUMBS.UP POSTER

NICE MOMENTS

We finally showcased each other's Botanical Drawings! (see previous post)

Love this shot.

FUNNI-NESS

Real cool Mark... real cool...

Ok, this is gonna be needing some explaining. When Mark saw the canal and it's fishing potential, he made a call to his friend to discuss some sorta fishing thing. Jon, Loy and I decided to take some candid shots. The following is what followed. First picture... normal and nice!

Jon decided we all should point at Mark's butt in this shot as he wasn't looking...

Then THIS happened. It WAS NOT intentional. If only Mark did not turn! You can tell we really didn't know this was going to be a crotch shot till we reviewed the photos. And how come only MY FINGER IS VISIBLE?!!

haha. In Loy's words, I "always seem to catch Mark at his worst moments."

The name Mark means Great Warrior! He decided to buy a fishing rod that day, before we set off to cycle...

Not really succeeding the jump shot...

There we go!

=D

Zen-like.

This photo speaks for itself.

Poor Jonny...

My poem to Loy.

Sorry for the typo! *like=likes*

haha!

SCARY/EVIL SHOTS

Whoa. Cool Wolverine-like effects.

Pretending!

A nice end to a funny day!

I really enjoy going out with these people who make me laugh all the time!
I will send you guys a copy of all the photos (originals) of our outtings in a CD!

THANKS!!

xxoo
Cheers to Mark, Loy and Jonny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Final Four

2009-05-13T08:04:00.000-07:00

My First "Botanical Series", done entirely in pen, by hand. A project in conjunction with Mr. Loy Xing Wen.

Loy and I decided to come up with 4 different silhouettes, all of which were a plant. Loy came up with the Heliconia and Vanda, I with the Nepenthes and Lady Slipper (with his help). We made two copies of each shadow, our assignment was to fill them up in any way or style we desired.

This is my set of 4. We will set up a seperate blog for our drawings.

Heliconia Clouds by Clara.

Trapped in a Nepenthes A.K.A No Escape by Clara.

Vanda Bondage by Clara.

You're a Lady by Clara.

A seperate blog will be set up exclusively for these mini projects. =D

I'd also especially like to thank Derek for encouraging my art.
I hope he likes it.
=D

Enjoy.

ugh

2009-05-12T19:55:00.000-07:00

my eyes just did a backflip.

i FINALLY finished my drawings. i will post them tmr. i'm just too tired today.

ok. maybe finished is a strong word. some to me, are definately unfinished. i feel they need more. things?

Tembusu Girls

2009-05-10T06:09:00.000-07:00

I do not know who these kids belong to, but they were the cutest tree climbers ever! This Tembusu (Fagraea fragrans) is the heritage tree (in Singapore Botanic Gardens, near Swan Lake) which was featured on the reverse side of our Singapore currency! Go check out your 5 dollar bills everyone.

I'm guessing they were sisters wearing similar outfits. The bark of the tree was smooth and felt wonderfully polished. Incidentally, i've noticed the tembusu trees flowering all over Singapore right now. I smell their fragrance during early morning and late afternoon, but the strongest whifs seem to be emitted during late evening. I love their flowers. Cream coloured wonders.

This post makes me feel nostalgic and sad for a reason i shall reveal another day.

xxoo

Cheers to tembusu trees and sweet fragrances.

This Cats a STAR...

2009-05-09T05:03:00.000-07:00

Another dy of editing photos... I hope you enjoy it.

Love 'em cats. Mysterious, cool, funky and just way out FUN.

For all the geeks into Alternate Universes... A.U! A.U!!

This is how badly i want a cat.

Scandalous... yummy!

I love this cat's expression. My hero.

I based this on Kenneth Cole's real ad, it's really cool! The one where they used a sardar! The model was dressed as a Sikh. Go check it out.

I also mashed Visa's famous "priceless" ad and a message from PETA. Haha.

So i guess its a concoction of Kenneth Cole ad. styles, a dialogue from a Visa ad. and a slogan from PETA.
Cool? I hope so.

xxoo.
Cheers to cats and ads!

Soups, Tea Bags and a Pedicure CHAAARRRLIEEEEE...

2009-05-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

The day after the Orchid trips, the 3 guys had a sleepover. I went over (still feeling very sleepy) at around 12 or so, and nearly got lost, trying to find Sunset Avenue. In my previous post, you will recall seeing a very disturbing picture of Mark's *beautiful* feet.

Giving him a pedicure was one of my better ideas. I am NOT a professional pedicurist, but at least i know how to keep my TOENAILS in check.

Dirty Feet? Smelly feet? Crater Feet?

Never fear! Clara's here!

Tools of the trade:
Basin
Luke warm water
Foot soak salts (I used peppermint from Bodyshop)
A pumice stone
Nail file
Spa scrub
Basic manicure set

Get a basin of LUKE-WARM water. NOT HOT 70-degree or so almost scalding water, like what Mr Choo did. Dissolve salts in, i think this is to soften the hard feet skin, though in my opinion, Mark's skin is so hard it's almost impossible to soften.

Scrubbing is SO important. Use a good pumice stone guys!! Get rid of all the dead/hard skin.

SCRUB SCBRU SRUCB SBCUR CBURS SCRUB!

hahaha, i couldn't resist.

You will be rewarded with happy, beautiful feet! Don;t his (tootSies) TOES!! look happy? (and most of all... CLEAN)

It was so funny that Mark and Jon wore the same outfit. We (Loy and I) decided that they look like such a cute couple, you know, like one of those couples who wear matching outfits and stare adoringly into each other's eyes?

After which we realized that we were ALL wearing almost similar colours! (except for my grey denims). A band was formed and Loy was appointed head singer, Jonny the guitarist, and Mark, well, he can do what he does best; stand with the band with an instrument in his hand - omg, another ryhme!- and smile. He is the resident eye candy and will help boost record sales by bringing in groupies/fanatics/stalkers (mostly girls, perhaps even guys).

I'm the manager. 10% guys!

Are you going?

We had alot of fun goofing around in Soup Spoon in Shenton Way after paying a visit to Nisa! WOW, look at Prom King's biceps!!! Are you defending Alisa's (Prom Queen) honour? =P

Our first picture together thanks to the reflectives in Soup Spoon.

Loy to Me: How was your day?
Me to Loy: It was good! I saw a Foot!
Me to Loy: Hey! I'm a poet! And i didn't know it!

I made a rhyme, in a short amount of time.
Ok, ok! I'll cease! haha.

Mark graciously invited me to lunch the next day, to which i graciously accepted. If you're wondering about this Charlie thing, go to Youtube and search Charlie the Unicorn! Incidentally, Jacyln and I had watched this a few months back, and the guys watched it during their sleepover! Its hilarious. The pink and purple unicorns are Loy and Jonny; Jacyln and I. And the Charlie's in our respective groups are Mark and Alisa! Go and watch, you'll see why! =P

Mark's responses/horror.

This video is a very short reenactment of Charlie the Unicorn in Essential Brew, Holland Village!

=P
Thanks guys for reading/watching!!

xxoo

Cheers to funky times and unicorns!

Mark is so gonna kill me after this post...

2009-05-05T15:54:00.000-07:00

This is SUCH A HUGE POST. My goodness, and i still have TONS others to post about my adventures with Mark, Loy and Jon!! Plus more coolio cat picture frames.

I'm so happy i got such 3 nice friends who are willing to put up with my shrill voice, mad laughter and loud, occasional shrieks. They ignore my blank looks when i have no idea what they are talking about and are patient and impart valuable knowledge about the plants in question. =)

Thanks guys!!

So we went to 2 orchid farms yesterday. Song and Woon Leng.
To soften the blow for the upcoming photos (FUNNY MARK CHOO AND JONNY), the more normal photos are in the front.

On the way to Song! Oily, wet path.

The blue sky was such a perfect background.

Loy standing at the cement "portals". According to Jonny, we step through the giant holes to another alternate universe! ooooo...

Song had sooooooo many beautiful orchids. I was so impressed.

Loy, what's this called?

Haven for the 3 guys and 1 girl.

Mark bought one of these beauties.

This is their adult size!! (if memory does not fail me =P)

Can you see what i see? A bug with super wings grabbing onto some piece of food and escaping to it's home!! ZOOOOOM!! In reality, it's a gorgeous orchid.

My kind of plant. So fierce! According to Loy, resident Orchid Expert, there is a trigger on this orchid, which, when touched, will shoot out some spikes at you!! (but i don't think it's sharp?) COOLNESS. It looks kind of like a cross between a Nepenthes (due to it's red "lips") and an Orchid. Of course that's just my silly view.

The most interesting Hoya found in Song!! It looks like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

So pretty in pink. Little girls and babies!

Mark's babies in Woon Leng. Obviously.

The bird from Woon Leng. I did not manage to get a very good picture of it as it kept hopping around in the cage. How cute is that. I felt sorry for it though, such splendor being caged.

Mark is ALWAYS in search of the perfect plant, or more specifically, Nepenthes.

sorry, very random.

mmm... yummy colours.

This is photographic proof that where Loy goes, Orchids follow.

HAHA. Even with a puffy face and fake moustache, Jonny still looks dapper.

You KNOW someone is obsessed when they do THIS.

The cutest, most ADORABLE looking doggy ever in an orchid farm!!

It looked so worried and shy!

The sleepy doggy at Woon Leng! YAWNS!

The scene outside Song Orchids. Beautiful!

Almost looks like a strange UFO in the sky...

Even the Hoya leaves express their love to Jon.

Haha, embarassing photos coming up...

MARK... how could you...

Even my mom laughed at this one. =P

This is the kind of photo you look back twenty years later on a coffee table eating Marks and Spencer biscuits, and sipping store brand Green Tea.

Mark and Jon really do look like little monkeys...

wow... Jon!

Masculine pasttimes. You sit around discussing foot problems.

Close up of Foot Problem; Specimen 1.

Don't say i don't post embarassing photos of myself too!

Haha, but they are never nearly as embarassing as YOURS Mark...

This is my favorite picture.

I must say, i never truly appreciated the aesthetics of Orchids till today. I always was exposed only to the standard, but after this enriching trip, its just made me realize a little more why Loy loves them so much! Thanks!

xxoo,
Cheers to funky photos and orchid farms.

uncut

2009-05-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

If anyone reads my blog, they'll notice my pictures are always constantly edited and sloshed on with some effect or fit into a frame.

However, today's post is all about the forcefulness and intense beauty of mother nature. Today, i'll let the raw pictures do the talking.

I've chosen today's set, specially because these pictures made me experiance an array of emotions and helped set some of my decisions in life.

I hope you enjoy my scenes from Melbourne, en route to the Twelve Apostles, a full day's journey by bus, but it was well worth it. The final picture is part of the Twelve Apostles. Go google them to find out more!

scream fest

2009-04-28T16:09:00.000-07:00

any chance of me maintaining a dignified air to this blog is out the window once i make this post...

Mark and I had it in our brains to ride the reverse bunjee and the bunjee thingy together on the same day. We tried to rope Jon and Loy in, but they flatly refused (actually Jon agreed for about one day, saw some people do it first before us and put his foot down on the negative) haha.

I love these rides. I WILL scream, WILL bitch and moan and express regret (funnily, whilst on the ride, when it's too late). And if you can overlook these things, i'm pretty much up for almost everything. (poor saps don't know what hit them)

So we met at Central yesterday, where it was drizzling slightly. This added on to Jon's fear, i think he thought the lightning would strike the metal bunjee poles and we'd all be fried and dead before you could say "darniwishididn'tdothis".

Why so glum Jonny?

That's more like it!

Extreme?! Who gave you that shirt?! haha =D

Ok, in all fairness, Jon's just more on the safe side, we respect that. =)

The 3 eye candies in HLM.

Yummy Goat's Milk ice cream!! Loy's recs. It was delish and the Turkish guy selling it had the BEST antics!!

Mark, still plotting.

haha.

Ok, we are nearing the funny part. Don't ever drink tea before you go for the ride. you'll keep feeling the urge to pee. However, the Zen tea probably calmed my nerves! Mark had a latte, Jon had a very sweet drink, i forgot what it was and Loy had a drink which he customized himself!! (coolness), and i liked the taste, i forgot what it was 'cos it's such a long order, but it's delish. It tastes very much like Kueh Salat, so true to his own Peranakan roots.

If you think about it, in a way, our drinks showcase some part of each of us!

This is going to be such a huge and embarassing post, for both me and Mark, but for very different reasons.

First two videos taken by Jon and Loy.

NOTE: I DID NOT pee in my pants. i said i just felt like i was going to... 'cos of the tea. haha. and the ride.

I edited down the third video 'cos its very long. (and very embarassing)

Go ahead, have a laugh at our expense, i KNOW you want to. Heck, i couldn't stop laughing myself.

I have mixed feelings about my scream now, having lived on this earth for a couple good decades, i never truly understood why people always said i was loud etc. etc. I mean, i know i have a voice louder than most, but i never knew i sounded like this. Nevertheless, I am exceedingly proud of my scream, only because of this; after we finished the first reverse bunjee, the guy who has tended the bunjee shop, for i think 8 years, said that i have a very unique scream, "very loud", i quote. Why am i happy? Well, for a person who listens to screams day in and day out for at least 8 years, to say that i have a loud and unique scream, well, that says something doesn't it?

But omg... i really was so embarassed. Mark said my scream attracted lots of people, Loy said it reverberated throughout the Singapore River. I think Jon was just thankful he didn't sit (humiliate) himself that day. Well, i was wondering why there were suddenly so many people standing around at the base...

In any case, it was all good fun. I haven't done something like this in a good few years, so it was certainly good to get the blood pumping.

I definately bitched and moaned on the way up to the high point, but on hindsight, it's just those things you want to do over and over again, regardless of how shit scared you were the first (couple) time/s. Sounds kind of like a mad form of schizo. =P

If Mark has any regrets for this ride, it's only because he did it with... er, someone.

I'm the sound effect to your horror cartoon show. Mark threw up his hands (for help away from me perhaps?).

haha.

some facts of life are unavoidable.

reiteration.

Ok, i hope you guys had a very good laugh.

xxoo

Cheers to screams, drinks and most of all, joy.

"Botanical Series"

2009-04-27T14:50:00.000-07:00

omgoodnessme..... finally after about 5 days of drawing drawing and more drawing, i have completed 2 out of the 4 Loy and I are to be creating.

Am hoping to finish by the end of this week. My EYES!! are so painful right now.

Although i have looked, and looked at it. I don't really see anything very botanical about my drawings. Plus i feel like redoing one of them 'cos i wanna improve it's appearance, but NO WAY. Maybe in the near future, but not now. I think i'll get berated from my precious visual orbs.

I'm not posting them yet though, i prefer to post when everything is done up =D

xxoo
Cheers to pen and paper.

Refinery

2009-04-26T05:31:00.000-07:00

Loy really was so kind as to agree to have dinner with me the other day. We had a nice Subway sandwich whilst watching a very good rendition of Chinese Orchestra! I was very impressed as this was my first time listening to it. Appreciating the performance's art was not a hard thing to do as they were really skilled. In Loy's words, we could see the mountains and the rivers/lakes.

Loy managed to find a nice seat!

The Chinese Orchestra.

We made our way to Max Bernard's Chocolate Bar in the Esplanade! We had Chocolate Fondue, but the main star was the Chocolate soufflé. Can you say yummy? It was the most amazing, decadent thing EVER. Warm RICH, i repeat RRRIIICHHHHH chocolate ooooozing out. You can imagine the rest.

Chocolate soufflé = Orgasm

Our leftovers (after the ice cream has melted). Doesn't it look like a snow panda bear melting down?

A nice walk along the Esplanade's perimeters. Managed to get some half-decent shots of Singapore's skyline.

Got this view on top of the Esplanade's roof garden! We saw a cat run across the road, meowing loudly and (we wager) losing one of it's 9 lives in the process.

Thanks Loy for bringing me around!

xxoo
Cheers to Esplanade Outtings!

A Day in the Life of... Part ll

2009-04-24T18:37:00.000-07:00

I cannot remember exactly which nursery it was, but i think it was JiMei at Thompson.

They had a really nice, big cool room full of tulips (gorgeous), roses and other exotic cut flowers. I loved the colours on this bouquet. Yummy! I love flowers with yummy colours. Colours that look good enough to eat.

In Jon and Mark's words, these flowers really do look "vicious". I feel like that are almost spitting venom. Very much my kind of flower. Exotic and fierce. Plus the blue tinge looks so beautiful!

I just thought this sweet basil looked so interesting! It reminds me of a young, spotty little primary school kid going to school.

I'm sorry Jon, i just can't resist...

Don't you know Kuriosity Killed the Kitten? I can't believe Jon touched the cactus on purpose. After which he cried out that it was sharp...

Mr. Cactus in shock. Doesn't he look like he really has hair?!

I think this picture speaks for itself.

=P

xxoo
Cheers to frosty glasses and spiny cacti.

The Day in the Life of...

2009-04-24T08:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, these are not all of them, just SOME of the photos. I just wanted to post my favs first, more later.

Going out with friends is great, you get to expose yourself to outtings and situations where interesting and often times, beautiful moments, get to be captured.

Here are just some seemingly random, but cool moments in a day's outting to the Thompson area.

I am, somehow, so drawn to the simplicity of this photo. I really love it. The colours just work for me. It's so so so wierd, i just love it. Maybe it's just me. =P

The same plant as the picture from above, just a different angle. What a difference eh??!!!

I don't pretend to be a know-it-all. I really don't know the name of this plant. Would love to be informed though.

Yes, truly. Long lost hair buddies. Jon found this plant interesting, i pointed out it had a similar texture to his own hair.
Advertisment: Any ladies out there looking for a man? His sense of humour and willingness to laugh at himself is just one of his many good traits! Do call 1800-I-Love-Jon for a date.

There Jon, i tired to help you. =)

Lastly, i love this shot!! It was such a random picture which i took, but i love how Mark looks like he just saw the most amazing plant he ever saw in his entire life!! (prob some Nepenthes).

Haha! No advertisment for this one, he attracts enough attention as it is already... =P

Ok ok, that's all i could post today. More tomorrow!

*Tomorrow, tomorrow, i love ya, tomorrow, it's only a day away!*

xxoo
Cheers to plant nurseries!

Keeping Busy (or at least trying to)

2009-04-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

This is what i've been trying (unsuccesfully) to be doing more often...

Teach me kitty... teach me!

Caryota mitis. Loy jumped into this concrete fenced area to try and get some Caryota seeds! Unfortunately they weren't ripe, but they had the most LOVELY flowers! Sort of like a dusty pink, in big clusters!

I was with Mark here and i SWEAR this tree has a FACE!!

SEE?!?!?!?!?! I told you so...
I have another picture of Mark imitating the tree's countenance, but let's not embarasss him.

xxoo
Cheers to tree faces.

Poor Little Reject...

2009-04-19T06:25:00.000-07:00

Well, this is the drawing (Slipper Orchid outline) which took 2 WHOLE days (my poor eyes man...), which i decided to "throw out". I've got a new concept in mind.

~sigh... hate to use this paper!! It never seems to scan as well... anyway, will be out to buy new paper tomorrow. NEED TO FIND NEW PAPER. I refuse to use that one anymore. Horrible.

All is not lost... this is practice for me then. =D

The Kitty That Eluded Me

2009-04-17T23:57:00.000-07:00

I should have posted this a long time ago! Well, i had an expedition Hua Hng, a well known wholesale plant market. I love goin to that place because the price is reasonable and there are sooooooooooo many plants to look at and choose from.

Needless to say, it was one of the hottest days ever!! My shirt was soaked through with so much sweat, i think i could've wrung water out!

Just some snapeshots to share!

This is kinda what you do when you have lots of spare time on your hands... Apply psuedo thought-bubbles onto otherwise perfectly nice photos of your friends.

I always remembered my mother buying tourist postcards of the Flowers in Singapore with rounded edges. This brings back a wave of nostalgia.

Loy has an excellent eye and spotted this beautiful flower right away. We both loved it and decided to capture its splendid image for inspiration.

The Kitty That Eluded Me. I spotted this white cat from afar. I was at one end of the plant aisle, and it was at the other. I gave a meow in hopes of capturing its attention for a photo, perhaps i sound too aggresive as a cat? It ran to the next aisle hoping i would not follow. (You'd think they'd know better by now)

I, of course, gave chase, and only just managed to capture it's retreating posterior before it trotted away into the back.

Everyone went home happy with their green purchases of the day!! I really enjoyed it!

Cheers to travelling to the other end of the earth (Singapore) !

xxoo

At Your Service: Mega Kitty Post

2009-04-17T17:07:00.000-07:00

Once again i have taken to snapping pictures of my favorite resident cats (they reside at my apartment's backgate). Lets welcome Medal Cat, Auto-Cat (my mom's choice of names are not exactly fancy) and Crooked Tail!

The curved back of Medal-Cat is genius!! I love it. So smooth and cool. When i look at her back i think of the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

This is my absolute favorite out of ALL the shots. I love how she just sits there, so utterly relaxed and exuding such a cool feline charm. Her body language is that of such calm confidence, its as though the land ahead is her exclusive territory, and just like a little queen, she is self assured in the knowledge that no one can take what is deserved to her.

Almost makes me want to rename her Queen Sheba actually.

FIERCE eyes!! I seem to have a penchant for angsty looking, kick-ass cattitude cats!

Oh yea, Auto-Cat may LOOK like she's gentle and docile, but scolling down you can see she has a Don't-Mess-With-Me look too!! I love these cats, so many dimensions to their personality.
Auto-Cat is really short for Automobile Cat, 'cos she loves to have a nice little lie-in on the roof of warm cars.

Haha. Ok, i'm pretty sure you can guess which black cat is Crooked Tail. The one with the crooked tail. And it looks like our dear little Auto-C just finished a fight with poor Crooks. I love how i managed to capture that little kink in her tail. It moves seperately from the rest of her tail!! It's like she has two tails! Hmm... Two-Tail... not a bad name either!

I hope you enjoyed my huge kitty post! I had more photos but i think these were the best. =)
My next post will be more about plants and stuff! More drawings to come soon.

xxoo
Cheers to amatuer photography!

I'm Watching You

2009-04-11T22:51:00.000-07:00

I fell head over heels with this catitude. She/He (?!) is my new-found dha-ling! If i were a cat, i would be flashing this feline's coolio-cat pose. I honored this sassy Felis catus to be my thumbnail picture!

=P

cheers!

2009-04-11T05:17:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering, this is a Nepenthes A.K.A, Pitcher Plant (my rendition anyway). I have this crazy friend who loves them like crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't think its very well done 'cos i didnt have a real plant in front of me and i used a picture of my crazy friend's plant. Plus i get very nervous when i draw for others!! I should shut my eyes and not think!!!!!!!!
It is a carnivorous plant and eats insects etc. etc. If you look closely at the alphabet you can see a fly hovering nearby! =P

Mmm......

2009-04-11T05:10:00.000-07:00

Whims and Fancies

2009-04-11T00:08:00.000-07:00

after looking through my work... i've only decided to put a few up. how discouraging when you see the amount of work you think is only "passable"

the one i relate to the most is Mechanical Man and his Shadow.

Every picture has a story behind it.

Where's the Chair??

2009-04-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

This man was sitting in church near me. Suddenly he gave this terrific sneeze to my side. I am, by nature, quite clean...

OK FINE! I am a clean-freak (almost!! ALLEGEDLY! =O)

Needless to say, i freaked out a little. Haha. At least i'm being honest about my shortcomings...

So i wondered (evil-ly) how it would be if the chair he was sitting on disappeared magically. And that got my overactive imagination to wonder what would happen if everything we thought was true and real (the chair being hard and tangible), was actually all in our HEADS! (imaginery). What would happen?

See, when we sit on a chair, we tend to recline, put all our weight on it. We trust it to support us. With this knowledge and inclination already ingrained in us, we do the same thing everytime we sit on a chair. If this sense of security however was FAKE and ALL IN OUR HEADS (like some people with overactive imaginations), what would happen?!?!?!?! WE'D FALL ON OUR ASSES and get HURRRRRT.

What's my point after saying so much? Don't put all your eggs in one basket? I don't know. I leave it to your interpretation. There are so many hidden aspects, pespectives and messages in art. Use it to apply to your situations in life!

xxoo.

Childish Tantrums

2009-04-08T08:37:00.000-07:00

poorly done on a notebook cover. Sorry to say, i did not scan in the complete picture. There should be another junkie at the side.

I started this during my work attachment in the Singapore Botanical Gardens. Work was a little slow as we just got in, and so the timetable for our work was not really rolling yet, so i had some spare time and decided to do something useful. Nevertheless, my work usually reflects my mood for that day. I think i was feeling bored and complacent. Very very very complacent. About life i mean.

It's like a very romanticized idea of how people chill and relax... smoking and being zoned out. Do you get the feel that i love the Hippie-lized style? haha. If you're wondering about the acrobat lady at the back, i don't really have an explanation for her. I just have this random fascination of ultra-skinny women who can bend over backwards i guess.

The profanity is not very like me. I was bored and was mad that i was left to BE bored, i was kind of in an evil mood, sort of like a childish trantrum. And i wanted to be scold someone maybe? =P

I even remember the CD i was listening to when i drew this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My jubilated turnip

2009-04-08T08:34:00.001-07:00

Having been doodle-ing since i was 4 years old, i was, of course, excited when my supervisor asked me to give him 3 drawings (which he then merged into one... via photoshop i'm guessing). The completed doodle would then be used for his booth in the Singapore Garden Festival 2008, Skyrise Greenery for the Tradeshow. This picture represented everything i think i feel when i'm "jubilated"

Everyone always asks me what the smoke-looking things are. Well, for some wierd reason, i feel that when you are happy, you want to proclaim your glad tidings to the whole world, and that's what they are... together, they represent a smoke-signal ('cos it spreads the message). the shape was inspired by TURNIPS. Yes.TURNIPS. =P. I get my inspiration from vegetables.

May everyone be jubilated too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

some random plant...

2009-04-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

which i will post later (the actual picture i mean)

just click it to fit the whole picture in one window!! haha

i got lazy drawing that after a while... and i can't help the jumbled lines... honestly. that's what i see.