I’ve been thinking about opening one for some time and now I went for it. It’s a platform where one can give “Coffee” or about Php 180.00 per tip to support a creative they love. It’s such a nice concept, really. The tips I receive will go directly to art supplies that will then help me create more illustrations and stories.

Such things mean a lot to me and every cent goes a long way.
The next series will be inspired by folklore and I’m so excited for that. 😘 I hope you are all having a lovely time, dearies!

This is also my instagram account

www.instagram.com/marielisthename/

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, by Mariel

In art, artful

Forest

She loves to stay by the garden as the sun shines down on the blooms and ferns, feeling the tender warmth of it embracing her like a familiar hug.

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, by Mariel

In art, artist

Literary

Remember the beautiful feeling of touching the pages of an old book, wondering just how many people have lovingly anticipated the stories within its pages? Or that simple, musty and kind of historic scent of it? And also, the excitement of opening a new book and feeling like you've found a new companion? All these are quite quirky and simple but they are part of this wonderful love I have for books. It's not only the stories, but the companionship and the "passport" I attain to far off lands and new people in adventures I know I could only have in books.

Books on the shelves, on coffee tables, on tables beside beds and sofas, on cabinets and underneath flower pots -- the beautiful musty scent of pages old and new linger in every room along with the faint perfume of flowers and rosemary. She buries herself within the pages of literature, stuck inside the adventures and thoughts of each and every story she reads, the memories and lives of the characters felt like they were hers as well. Every fact and speculation she thoroughly peruses, taking in as much as she could digest. The books are both her escape and her comfort.

I haven't done much digital illustrations lately as I have been so busy with the holidays and some custom handmade gifts. It's such a thrill to be busy for both! But a few days in after Christmas, I've had this "itch" to continue doing this literary girl -- it's been a while since I first started on her illustration and I felt like it was time to finish her portrait. We kind of look a bit alike, but this was unintentional. Really! Haha! Are you guys familiar with the observation that an artist kind of looks like the ones she / he draws? Or maybe that there's a similarity between them among the tiniest details? I suppose it did kind of happen to us here. Haha!

Anyways, I'd love to share the brushes I used in this illustration. It's what Mingjue Helen Chen's been using which she linked on her tumblr. I have been using them for a bit of a long time now and I could say that they are the best! Here's the link and I hope you'd get "lost" in her awesome blog.

http://jigokuen.tumblr.com/post/78660442498/some-dc-girls-redesigns-an-extension-to-the

Oh and since you are here, here's a tumblr blog about books and such that I have been following for such a long time now. I hope you will enjoy staying in this cafe / library blog.

http://teacoffeebooks.tumblr.com/

Cheers everyone and happy holidays!
:)

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, by Mariel

In aesthetic, blooms

Nostalgia

Lately, I have found myself enamored once again by the simple beauty of writing letters and flower pressing. They're both so nostalgic. They leave behind not only beauty but memories and feelings.

I have also been meaning to make something out of the pressed flowers aside from putting them in letters and I am really excited about it! Have a visit on this page to see what I am up to lately.

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, by Mariel

In art, artist

Ink & Parchment : Week Three

It's the third week of Inktober and I can't help but flip back on my sketchbook to look at my sketches -- has it really been three weeks? I haven't been drawing daily for so long a time. I feel like the avid sketcher in my younger years (I'm not as old as it implies, mind you, but I love the extra years!). This week has brought so many challenges, mostly confusion and a little bit of frustration. I have realized I have yet to learn so many techniques but I calmed myself, remembering that good things take time. I must be patient not just with others, but with myself -- impatience has always been my offense against myself. There is a time for every thing, yet it is within us to use time wisely.

With lessons also come pleasant surprises. I get to know many artists and individuals, all very kind and amazing. I didn't think I'd meet them through inktober but I suppose that's the magic of it.

Hello, new and old friends!

Day 15

Herbs and Florals

There is always the wonderful feeling of growing your own flora and the best method to ensure they stay healthy is through dedication and a sprinkling of magic...well maybe a dash or two says Gwyneth. She is the honorary overseer for the Care for Forests and All Things Living and she takes great pride in conjuring new potions to take care of the forest and its inhabitants. Plus, she gets to grow her own tea.

Day 16

Book Lover

Margaret is the librarian of a humble library in the village. She loves the rare books that are in the upper section of the cottage library and she absolutely dotes on books about herbs and bodies of water. Despite the rather tiny size of the library, the amount of work a librarian must do around there is quite immense but Margaret, the ever dedicated book lover, will always whip up her wand to get the books in their rightful places no matter how long it takes her. Well, at least she gets to read a lot of books, and one would be surprised as to what items are tucked between the pages. The nicest thing she saw was a thistle pressed between the volume of Valorous Kings of Old and a rather peculiar letter from a wizard named Baldouin...strangely addressed to Margaret herself!

Day 17

Geeta

As chief herbologist and naturalist of the village school for witches and wizards, Geeta oversees all matters pertaining to nature. With a wave of her hand, floras of different kinds bloom about her, allowing her to choose which flowers she'd like in the room or what herbs to give an ailing student. Her students are Gwyneth, Seraphine, Saoirse and Claudia who all adore her like a sister. She is also friends with a solitary wizard named Baldouin, who, at Geeta's behest, is encouraged to show his feelings to Geeta's peculiar younger good friend Margaret. Blooming her own batch of lavender in her office, she is wondering if she has done the right thing.

Day 18

Chatter

After receiving a rather peculiar letter a few days ago, Margaret finds a newcomer at the village library who happens to be looking for rare herbology books. She and the wizard (of strange garments and language) began a lengthy conversation about herbs and their uses. The talk turned to trees then of books, after which she describes the oddities that one might see tucked between the pages of volumes. She showed the wizard the envelope that encloses the letter she received from a certain fellow named Baldouin. The content of the letter, which merely contains a passage from a volume of poetry and a small stalk of daisies, she kept secret. Laughing along with her they talked of the odds of receiving letters hidden inside books and finally bid her farewell. Putting the books back on their shelves with her wand, a bloom of lavender falls down on the floor. Margaret picks it up and found it still as freshly picked from the fields. And within another book was another letter. She also recalled, for shame, that she did not know his name.

Day 19

Gather

Taryn loves to gather mushrooms for just about anything -- food, potions, models for her illustrated guide to fungi and even gifts for her fellow witches and wizards. She spends a lot of time in the forest and in her wanderings she has met many friends, particularly birds of different kinds. I've also realized that I named her Taryn, a name she shares with one of my favorite illustrators, Taryn Knight! My, I hope she likes her.

Day 20

Saoirse

Saoirse was brought up by her strict but well-meaning and loving family. Being a rather spirited witch, she often gets into trouble with her parents. Despite her adventurous nature though, Saoirse manages to keep her cool and hide her emotions which could be rather misleading to others who don't know her too well. She is good friends with most of her fellow students, but it is Gwyneth who holds her utmost trust. She loves being out of doors, preferring the wildness of the forest than the comfort of rooms. Yes, even with a very cozy fireplace and a spot of tea, she believes she can be comfortable out in the wild with the a bonfire and a portable tea set. Knowing of Saoirse's discomfort, Geeta has created a class room out of a greenhouse, filled with different kinds of flora and small fauna, with a door leading out to the woods by the falls. This tremendous and thoughtful effort has made Geeta a particularly likeable woman to Saoirse.

Day 21

Confused

So this inktober day just got a little bit crazy. I didn't know just how stubborn walnut ink could be but maybe it's just my inexperience with using it. I sketched Margaux earlier in the afternoon. She's a particularly solitary witch who prefers the quiet of her study room. But despite her isolation, she likes the company of her trusted companions and has a soft spot for Seraphine who happens to remind her of her sister.

On the right side is Daario who happens to be Baldouin's good friend. He lives in many places but not staying too long in one dwelling for weeks though he comes back every once in a while. Birds are loyal to him and trust his person -- he once saved a family of endangered desert eagles from poachers with his confusion hex. He built them their own nest high above the mountains where no one could reach, safe and able to live as freely as they should.

Challenges abound, inktober is teaching me so much. I must be persistent with my goal of making thirty-one illustrations. As daunting as it may seem, it's all good fun that brings so much magic and learnings to all who participate.

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, by Mariel

In artist, birds

Ink & Parchment : Week Two

Inktober week two was a challenge I didn't expect. There were lots of ideas of what each piece should be, but sometimes spontaneity is also key and what to make do when an idea pops in your head even in the middle of the illustration process.

Day 8

Queen Elizabeth I

I watched the film Elizabeth : The Golden Age with my mother and brother and found myself in awe of Cate Blanchett's portrayal of this independent queen. Her presence was so strong I immediately found myself staring in admiration. I have been watching documentaries about her for some time now and I can't seem to get enough of knowing more about her life. Creating this ink illustration took a lot of patience and focus. Her hair was a challenge. I have always loved creating intricate patterns for so long but I haven't done a lot of it recently, so making one right now was a wonderful stretch.

Day 9

Nancy & Charley

Nancy, a young lady from the countryside, travels to London to find her missing uncle. While lost and confused in the busy streets, she bumps into Charley Wellman, a self-established chimney sweep who is the sole guardian of two young orphans Tobey and Thomas. He expresses his interest in helping Nancy find her uncle in exchange for the education of the two boys. Having agreed on each of their terms, they scour the streets of London both day and night. What they find is the mysterious hidden trade of corpses, eerily snatched from fresh graves or, horrifyingly enough, were warm as if they have been alive a few moments ago. What Nancy could not understand, is her uncle's role in the new trade brought about by the dawn of medicine and human anatomy. Surely he wouldn't be involved, wouldn't he?

Inking her hair was another challenge that I thought I needed and to be truly honest, it was very much therapeutic for me.

Day 10

Brewing

Wouldn't it be such a marvelous thing to brew potions all day and all night, only to brew tons of tea as well? Claudia thinks so too. Spending time in her kitchen she tries to find the perfect potion for her Potions class under Miss Clovis...due the next day! Well, it is in my honor to say that she has been successful both with her Glow-Inflicting potion and the perfect brew of lavender tea.

Day 11

Magic Studies

She had always loved to study spells and potions so she spends the time reading books and doing field studies by the forest and rivers. Her friend, a dirty white ferret named Ferrars, looks on in curiosity and mischief on all her adventures. This lovely witch, at the start of my illustrating until posting, didn't have a name. It is fortunate that a cousin of mine had a lovely idea for her name. Now, this studious witch is named Seraphine. Thanks Louisse! I tip my hat to you, and send you golden fairy dust collected by Seraphine from the Greenwood.

Day 12

Shield Maiden

Sitting on an English throne in all its golden radiance and glory, Lagertha watches over her people wonder in awe of riches beyond their imagination. She is a strong and cunning woman. Her love for her family knows no bounds, and her fearlessness is admirable. I am very much excited to watch Vikings again and the anticipation for the next few episodes coming this November is getting stronger and stronger. I would love to see what has happened to this shield maiden turned Earl.

I must say I dove head-first in making this without much hesitation. It was in the middle of it all, when everything went into place, that I realized I bit more than what I could chew at that moment, 12am and still illustrating, tired yet pretty much restless. I was planning to make the details of the throne a bit more elaborate than what has been the final piece, but in the quiet of the night, I decided that focusing only on Lagertha would be wise. Additionally, I was thinking of stopping and putting my pens down so I could sleep, which was a rather horrifying thought -- I wouldn't let a piece of Inktober go unfinished, it is more like sleeping without resolving an argument. Unacceptable. It is in here that I realized how much perseverance could take anyone. I didn't give up though I made compromises that still made me happy as a result. There is wisdom in perseverance and in knowing when to do things in your own time, with your own capability. I am happy that even as I drew this strong woman, she happens to teach me something more than I could ever think of learning while doing an inktober piece. Thanks, Lagertha.

Day 13

Foliage

Her mind wanders through the forest, hearing leaves crushing beneath her feet as she walked, the moonlight shining down on her cold skin, pale and radiant against the darkness of the deep majesty of the trees.

Day 14

Spirit of the Wind

The wind sings day and night, of songs and lullabies of days old. Her cries echo for the birds and the beings of flight and green, for the death of trees bring forth the death of her friends.

I love trees, the mountains. Nature is not just scenery, it is our home. We live in it among other living beings of equal status -- none of us are higher and all of us deserve the beauty and comfort of this world. For every unworthy and thoughtless destruction comes the end of rights and dignity to live. Claiming the land for own's own is not only wrong, it is also unfair. Progress does not mean destruction, for progress could be made with others' lives in mind and heart. Have respect not just for trees, but for everything.

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, by Mariel

In art, artist

Who, What, Why

There has always been a feeling deep inside me of what this life is, though what it is I have yet to find out. Don't we all have this feeling within us, tickling us as we turn a corner and even bothering us deep into sleepless nights, letting us think of why we are here and usually ends up with the question, who are we, really?

Well, it's never been easy for me to define who I am. All I know is that I am immensely in love with this world I live in. And it's the littlest things that I feel ever did give a hint of who I am as a person.

Illustrations have always been a huge part of me. May it be someone else's or mine, it never failed to stir so much feeling and thought in me. I did draw a lot and it can be anything - the ever-present flowers, young looking ladies, characters filled with oh so many backstories. There are always two sides to them too. One is the bright spot of sunshine that lingers in my art, and then there's this starlit darkness that seemed to perpetuate in some of the themes I did, like that one about the uselessness of beauty if emptiness is what defines us. Yes, I struggle between these two, always had. But then, I realized that I didn't have to choose between them - I just had to embrace them fully because I feel it now that they both tell me who I am.

Then there are these amazing living beings who live this life along with me. It's hard to think how I would live my days and nights without them around me. Family, friends and nature, just hovering over me like guardians. I love them so much and I know that they have taught me so much - taught me how to live in kindness and love even though it is hard to always live constantly with both, and how to fight for myself to have my place in this world, to have my voice be heard, that no matter how little I may sound, someone or something is bound to be listening.

Then here are the simplest things that are part of who I am. I have always loved the tiniest things - a leaf lying on the ground, or the unexpected bird feather that finds its way to my little hands (yes, I have little hands that feel happy when I touch the simple unnoticed things, haha!). I have always marvelled at the beauty of sunshine, the comfort of the rain, the little corner filled with golden light, the sound of paper scratching against another.

There is comfort in the sleepless nights too as I have learned not so long ago. I have always been a sun person, preferring to get everything done in the day despite how wound up I'd get by dusk. But then, it's during the middle of the night where everyone's asleep and everything is all silent that I get to listen to my thoughts.

It was surprising how comfortable I felt being awake by 4am with nothing to listen to but my racing thoughts. I have listened and thought about so many things and it is in these quiet and alone moments that helped me refocus on my life. It's easy to become lost in the tides called imagery and perfection. And it is in the solitude of night time that I have realized that even when things go awry and imperfect or sometimes even haywire that life is still basically the same good adventure that it should be. I became even more accepting of things, of myself. And it felt so wonderful just realizing it.

Then there the words - endless, deep, lovingly whispering in my mind. These simple little things mean so much to me. I had loved to write my thoughts down for as long as I can remember, grammatically wrong and full of chicken scratch.

And there are the books. I could not express fully just how books make up a huge part of me. The stories, the feelings and the characters lingered in me like they were my own memories. And I loved every bit of words that I devoured at every turn of the page.

So in my love for it, I have started to write a little more again, sometimes stories, sometimes just thoughts within the span of 140 words (hello Twitter). The words that gave me inspiration will always find themselves written with several florals as typography artwork.

These things serve as my inspiration, my mantras.

And girl do I love them - I am looking at you, Katie Daisy, my soul sister.

So many things making the most of who I am, just how in the world do they fit inside me? Well, it's true, things do not define you.

It is the ones I get from them, from everything, that makes me who I am.

Having loved to create, there's this need, a yearning, to make something that would let people know who I am, what I sound like, what I might look like, whenever they see something I have made. I didn't want to call it a logo, nor a signage. I wanted it to be more of a signature, an insignia. And so I did this. Florals surrounding my initials in abundance, the way things that make me who I am are.

Funnily enough, my mother and my cousin asked, after showing this to them, what I would do with my initials here if ever I did marry and accept a new surname (seems a little bleak right now, ha!) My mother said I should retain it, my cousin said I should change the whole arrangement. I thought about it carefully. And I replied, "I'll put the new initial right there with the old initials, changing little to nothing of the former arrangement." My mother said it would look rather odd. This was my reply:

Like the leaves and flowers that embrace my initials, my insignia simply grows like them. Little change in look, but it grows like a tree, new leaves adding up like flowers and leaves. Nothing of my former name will go or change and instead, my new initial would simply grow into it, becoming a whole new part of me.

With everything I make, you'll see this. And I am content that somehow, it will remind you of me, that I have crossed your path even just once. And it is a lovely thought, is it not?

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, by Mariel

In art, artist

Unveiling

Black ink strokes, flowers and leaves - I find myself entranced by these all the time and I draw them more often, sometimes more than I wanted to. They've become part of my subconscious and in my deep entrancement during my sketches, my hand would simply and almost automatically draw doodles of flora of different kinds. I believe it came from my fascination for nature. It came almost as if I have seen sunlight, meadows, oceans and felt the wind whipping my hair, warm water trickling by my feet on a stoney riverbed, all before I was born. I believe it is fitting, almost honourably, to be represented by them. I shall share the complete illustration with you in the next post.

I am excited to show you what I have made during the last three weeks, and I hope you shall like it.

Also, I have reached out to a fellow ex-intern to create stamps for my illustrations. It is a wonderful collaboration.

Cheers,

Mariel

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, by Mariel

In art, artist

Skin, Ink and Bones

Hello everyone!

Hope you all had a great weekend! The new week is here and I hope you all have had some good time to rest and catch up with life. Our Saturday was spent fetching the newest member of our family Graham, the overly active and slobbery kisser Siberian husky. He seems to get pretty well with our little Hiro. Anyways, I found my time being taken over mostly with all the caring and cleaning that comes along with raising a new pup, but here I am now, typing away in joy as the two canine brothers play like kindergarteners--sweet and curious. And also, I have been writing again. Learning the Danish language is also on my list, though having no plans of going to Denmark anytime soon, it is still a mystery as to why I would love to learn this language. But I feel like I have fallen in love with the language and culture of this country, just as I have loved learning new things -- it is exciting. Alright, now back to this post, I have been musing again.

I find myself busy with illustrations these past two weeks and I am loving every minute of it. I get to illustrate and experiment a lot.

First, the tools of the trade. Ink, pencils, an array of brushes, water bottles and yes, the never-ending to-do list. I must also metion my brother's anatomy book, which I have suddenly now remembered was and still is in my possession. And of course, coffee. Endless supply of coffee to keep the spirits up and running until the wee hours of the morning, the time when I could ink in either silence or listening in earnest to historical documentaries...and the occassional Linkin Park.

Within the last week or so, some concepts have been playing inside my mind, and these are the two. First is this, the lady in gold. I have not any title yet, but this is what is behind the illustration.

"What use is a pretty face if one is but empty inside?"

Do you ever feel like her?

Vines are entertwined within her empty chest, wrapped within the individual bones of her ribcage, with nothing even a heart inside to stir meaning and passion into her being. She is abandoned deep inside.

This has been so far some of the things that I think about whenever I'm alone with my thoughts at night or the early hours before dawn, letting them go around my head in an attempt to understand them, making the best of what I can from my insomnia.

This is the second. I have always been illustrating ladies with florals. I haven't really figured out why. Until some grain of thoughts have entered my subconscious. There was always this image of perfection lately. Not just in the media but also to our own personal standards, including my own. I have fallen prey to criticising my image and even my accomplishments. Mostly though, it was the image I was projecting to everyone.

Am I good enough? Am I presentable? Am I pleasant looking?

These nudes of women that I make, varying in shapes and sizes, as I have realized lately, show nothing of the garments that show status, money, fame, fashion, and more. It was just them, as they are. The florals though, have been and still is, quite a mystery. Is it the pureness of it? Or the aura of nature's ethereal beauty that is deep within their beings that show in these florals? I am still not sure enough. Still, I draw them.

So dear readers, what do you feel?

There! Now to be honest I feel quite tired, true, since it is but 2:27am. But my mind wanders still.

Until the next post!

Cheers!

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, by Mariel

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Forest

She loves to stay by the garden as the sun shines down on the blooms and ferns, feeling the tender warmth of it embracing her like a familiar hug.

Literary

Nostalgia

Ink & Parchment : Week Three

Ink & Parchment : Week Two

Who, What, Why

Unveiling

Skin, Ink and Bones

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She loves to stay by the garden as the sun shines down on the blooms and ferns, feeling the tender warmth of it embracing her like a familiar hug.

Hello there!

About me

ABOUT THE BLOG

I'M ON SOCIAL MEDIA TOO!

recent posts

Blog Archive

Inspirations

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