Purple Lotus Art

shine through.....

2012-01-27T19:29:00.000+08:00

It brings me much joy when I

sketch and paint one of my favorite flowers:

the Lotus..

and here's another piece with
mixed media...

"Reality, enlightenment or the divine must shine
through every moment or it is not genuine"
Jack Kornfield

Have a wonderful weekend and a happy PPF everyone!!

steph

Tea Tuesday

2012-01-24T07:05:00.000+08:00

It's been a while since I last posted on T Tuesday

where Kimmie and other Tea friends

gather to share their tea adventures...

I've been going on my little "sketchcrawls" lately

and here are some photos taken along the way.....

First stop: Clarke Quay

then off to lunch at the Empress Place.

Lunch was lettuce wrap with grilled meat, Indo Chinese style...

and in tropical Singapore, a glass of cold iced tea..

and here's a little greeting to usher in

the Chinese Lunar New Year of the dragon....

Happy Tea Tuesday!!!

steph

Being human....Rumi

2012-01-20T16:34:00.000+08:00

the mini sketchbook is filling up fast and I'm left with the last 3 pages.

each sketch and painting came with an experience I would not trade for anything....

and at the end of each,

a renewed spirit..

and an insightful exploration of this

wonderful medium of making art....

I am loving every bit of it.......

“This being human is a guest house.
Every morning is a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor...
Welcome and entertain them all.
Treat each guest honorably.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.”
― Rumi

Happy Friday!!!

steph

Courage

2012-01-13T16:38:00.000+08:00

"You cannot be truthful if you are not courageous.

You cannot be loving if you are not courageous.

You cannot be trusting if you are not courageous.

You cannot enter into reality if you are not courageous.

Hence courage comes first... and everything else follows.”

Osho, 1931-1990

~steph~

Plein air sketching....

2012-01-06T17:05:00.000+08:00

Happy friday everyone!!

here's a couple of sketches done onsite.....

Have a good weekend!!!

steph

Being You....

2011-12-30T13:24:00.000+08:00

You suppose you are the trouble

But you are the cure

You suppose that you are the lock on the door

But you are the key that opens it

It's too bad that you want to be someone else

You don't see your own face, your own beauty

Yet, no face is more beautiful than yours.

Rumi

Happy PPF and a Happy 2012!!!

Steph

Love without limits...

2011-12-23T14:43:00.000+08:00

The garden of

Love

is green without

limit

and yields many

fruits

other than sorrow

and joy.

Love is beyond either

condition:

without spring,

without autumn,

it is always fresh.

-- Jelaluddin Rumi

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
steph

mini sketchbook completed...

2011-12-16T13:12:00.000+08:00

and here's the cover..

and some unposted pages...

some were sketches from photos..

and some were onsite sketches..

have a wonderful weekend!!

steph

Eat, Pray, Love

2011-12-13T20:41:00.002+08:00

I've not read the book

neither have I seen the movie...

but we had a slice of our little paradise

when we visited the island of Bali again....

so, here's our little adventure....

Balinese fried noodles

Fried rice

Pancakes made with local produce

breakfast with a view of the hills and the river right below

spicy dips , sauces and fresh vegetables..

deep fried crispy duck...a specialty in Bali...

and onwards to a spiritual journey.....

Prayers offered at the century old temple

at Gunung Kawi

a ceremony or upacara (in Indonesian language)

as it was the eclipse of the moon..

Locals taking a bath in a pool with

continuos flow of mountain spring water said to be holy water...

Love the arts, the craft...
and...

Beautiful and hospitable local Balinese..

these moments are so precious..

..... at peace with myself and the beautiful countryside..

sunset from our room..

we were awaken by the sounds of birds, crickets and

livestock from the farms right below the hills.....

So, in the true spirit of

Eat, Pray and Love...

"We must make good use of this life for the time

that we have left, This brief flash of light,

like the sun appearing through the clouds"

Kalu Rinpoche

Happy T Tuesday!!

Love always...

steph

sketchwalk...

2011-12-02T16:39:00.000+08:00

here's a couple of sketches done...

I'm loving the lessons learnt from using watercolor as a medium..

The dragon kiln at the pottery jungle

sketched done at a cafe outside the Central Library

have a good weekend!!

steph

Breakfast on the "flip" side on Tuesday

2011-11-29T07:27:00.000+08:00

Ask any Singaporean or Malaysian about roti pratha and
they'll agree with you that it's one favourite
food taken either at breakfast or lunch..

this crispy pancake is made by flipping it and thinning out the pastry
( go to the You Tube link below to watch how it's being made)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtgytR9qCAE

and grilled on a flat pan..
it can be eaten either with hot curry or just sugar..
we love ours with spicy curry,

and eating pratha is not the same without teh tarik (in Malay) which means

"pulled tea".

watch how pulled tea is made in this video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X7W3lz9zi8&feature=related

what are you having for tea today?

steph

and I thank you!!!

2011-11-25T14:08:00.000+08:00

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit."

Albert Schweitzer, 1875 - 1965

Happy PPF and have a lovely weekend!!

steph

The gentle art of...

2011-11-08T04:36:00.000+08:00

the Korean tea ceremony.

the demonstration....

the experience.....

rice cakes with edible flowers and

red dates or jujube.

a dear friend made one especially for me....

the rice cakes were grilled on a non stick pan.

these rice cakes were steamed...

lotus tea

happy Tea Tuesday!!!

steph

Happy PPF!!!

2011-11-04T15:17:00.001+08:00

I've been away for the past week and I will share more about it later..
But today is Friday and I'm sharing this painting...completed a while back

with Acrylics, watercolor inks, transfers and collage on canvas

I've always had a challenge with tranfers but this turned out right... :))

I used Caulk for this transfer..

I'll leave you with a quote from Rumi...

“Your task is not to seek for love,

but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”

happy Friday!!

steph

It's Paint Party Friday!!

2011-10-21T14:25:00.000+08:00

“When you feel a peaceful joy, that's when you are near truth.”

― Rumi

Happy PPF!!

steph

The many shapes of...

2011-10-18T21:45:00.004+08:00

Pu-erh

ink sketch

Happy Tea Tuesday everyone!!

steph

a WIP..

2011-10-14T13:30:00.000+08:00

Here's a background I did with collage, acrylics and watercolor inks...

Happy PPF!

Steph

go through life...

2011-10-12T17:59:00.000+08:00

and....

Be grateful for whoever comes,

because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond.”

Rumi

stay happy

steph

Happy Tea Tuesday!!

2011-10-11T15:25:00.000+08:00

I've been so busy with so many things....

thanks for your well wishes...on the computer glitch..

I've got some of it looked into and I'll just need to reload the other information

As for today, I had prepared this post sometime back and

I'll share this with you...

yes, I do have yummy food to show each time :)

Lemonade and English breakfast tea

with

Pear salad

and

spicy fish paste on toasted bruchetta

and a delicous and crispy waffles with ice cream and raspberry sauce....

I wonder what Kimmie and the Tea gang are having this Tuesday.....

steph

It's Paint Party Friday!!

2011-10-07T20:22:00.000+08:00

Happy Friday!
and I've missed you on Tea Tuesday
as I was attending to a little computer glitch on my computer..
well, the little glitch is now a lot "bigger" and it looks like I'll have to get it down to the service centre..

anyways....

I have a couple more outdoor sketches to share, and here they are...

Iluma, view from the Central Library

ink and watercolor

Marina Bay Sands Hotel and the Art Science Museum

ink and water color

"After the storm"
in our garden..

ink and water color

Happy PPF!!

steph

Sketchbook

2011-09-30T06:07:00.002+08:00

I've been sketching the past week in my journal..

and after which do a color wash with water colors over the sketch..

I finally bought myself a fountain pen (cheap one to start off with)

and a bottle of permanent ink..

Tea house in Lijiang, Yunnan, China
ink sketch and watercolor

Sketching brought a whole lot of a different experience altogether
especially when there is a preference for ink sketching...

Lotus flowers
ink sketch and watercolor

and I had to pluck up courage to sketch in a public place....

a day out at the library...

ink sketches

I'm taking in the lessons learnt through this process..
a way of seeing...
and lots of patience and committing oneself to the whole process..

Thanks for coming by..... :))

“Your task is not to seek for love,
but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”
― Rumi

Happy PPF!!

~steph~

Chai at the old butter factory...

2011-09-27T16:03:00.000+08:00

Happy Tuesday to you and if you visit Kimmie,
and her T Tuesday bloggers,
you'll be treated with wonderful T stories!!

and as for this post,
we'll be off to a little town outside of Coffs Harbor, Australia, called

Bellingen

we had these for lunch...

BBQ prawns on rosti and avocado salad

cajun chicken salad

the chai was good, so is the company and an interesting discussion
on values.....

a gallery and a few other art and crafts shops were within the compound...

beautiful spring flowers everywhere...

the beach at Uranga

and some photos of the harbor and jetty...

have a good week everyone!!!

steph

Blessings to you.....

2011-09-25T06:26:00.002+08:00

ink sketch, water color

“But listen to me. For one moment
quit being sad. Hear blessings
dropping their blossoms
around you.”
― Rumi

Happy Sunday everyone!!!

steph

seek what you love....

2011-09-17T16:23:00.000+08:00

“Let Yourself Be Silently Drawn By the Stronger Pull Of That Which You Really Love.”

Rumi

Happy Saturday!!!

steph

It's springtime!!!

2011-09-03T06:12:00.000+08:00

in Australia!!

Greetings everyone!!!

We've arrived in Down Under and the weather is fabulous!!!

I hope to post some photos soon as we settle in..

Meanwhile, have a safe and peaceful weekend!!

steph

Quiet time...and tea...

2011-08-30T17:03:00.001+08:00

I love to park myself at a quiet spot with a cuppa, my journal and my IPOD..

and that was what I did last Thursday

when I started my little break from work..

my favorite spot is a cafe in a bookshop downtown..

I ordered a mushroom bruchetta

and English breakfast tea....

I appreciate quiet moments like this, alone...

watching others...

and sometimes chatting with someone friendly...

and then

I proceeded to the Art supplies store upstairs..

(unfortunately I didn't take any photos)

and bought some art materials to experiment..

I was happiest...

what are you having for tea today?

hop, skip and jump over to Kimmie's for a list of tea adventurers...

take care!

steph

Generosity begets love..

2011-08-27T19:43:00.000+08:00

The "collage-muse" visited last night

and I started to cut and paste once again...

I find this process very therapeutic..

horses reminds me of my niece whom I missed dearly..

and guess what, we will be visiting her next week!!

I made this on cartridge paper so it's easier to bring along
with me to Oz.... :)

and as I flipped my book of quotes,
this particular one resonates with me for now....

"Generosity enacts the quality of non-greed;
it is willingness to give, to share, to let go.
We are inspired to give because of loving, feeling and in the act of
giving, we feel more love."

Joseph Goldstein

I feel loved....

Happy Saturday!!!

steph

Loosen up...

2011-08-26T06:46:00.001+08:00

with water colors!!!

Have been playing with water media and "moving" paints and water,

Field of wild flowers

translating "real" to an abstract form

it's a way of seeing....

and the exercise was liberating....

the second painting was another fun experiment..

Sunflower

creating textures on watercolor..

I'll end this post with a quote from Jack Kornfield:

"Great spiritual traditions are used as means to ripen us,
to bring us face to face with our life, and to help
us to see in a new way by developing a stillness of mind and a strength of heart"

I wish you a safe and peaceful weekend!

steph

I'm also submitting this post to Paint Party Friday
happy painting!!

a division between 2 passions...

2011-08-21T05:20:00.000+08:00

my day time job

and

Art...

and everything that comes with it...

if you are like me...

sometimes the art muse visits

during when I am at the office....;)

and I can't wait to be back home

to experiment that idea....

and the waiting time could be one of the longest..............

and when I am finally back home...

there will be a hundred other things to attend to...

and I had to revisit that "idea"...and sometimes..

I find myself looking reeeally hard at the scribbles I made on my sketchbook...

speaking of which it's been a long while since

I last posted a quote.....

As I was preparing to get into bed last night,

I found a book my husband bought recently...and this quote

got me thinking..

"When it can't be done, do it.

If you don't do it, it doesn't exist"

Paul Arden

Happy Sunday!!!

steph

More collages.....

2011-08-17T18:29:00.001+08:00

stay happy!

Steph

Jasmine and Chilli Oil on Tuesday..

2011-08-17T07:04:00.000+08:00

The humble chilli oil takes centre stage today..

a staple in all chinese restaurants,

chilli oil adds the oomph! to certain foods

I had mine on crispy fried shrimp pancake

and fried rice...

and dessert was steamed layered cake

with stuffed red dates with glutinous rice

and of course Jasmine tea..

what are you having for tea today?

I'm sure Kimmie and friends will share their wonderful tea tales....

Happy Tuesday!!!
Steph

Art Journal: "You are loved...

2011-08-13T17:52:00.001+08:00

and so are they..."

This page was inspired by

a picture book written by Douglas Wood:

Old Turtle and the Broken Truth

In this book, the author illustrated the message of loving self (which is just half the truth)

but there is the other half.....

"To all who seek truths and who listen

to the language of breezes"

Douglas Wood

Happy weekend!!

steph

Shanghainese Dim Sum spread..

2011-08-02T20:13:00.000+08:00

We had Dim sum with a Shanghainese twist

last Sunday..

and I was too happy to have Pu Erh

served by a master..

For our appetizer

we had

Drunken chicken

and then came the steamed Shanghainese dumpling,

and this had a non traditional twist to it..

this was "supposed" to be a minced pork and truffle dumpling

( it tasted pretty normal though..)

taken with slivers of ginger and vinegar..

after which we had the..

crispy radish pastry

and for dessert, we had the Souffle,

a typical Shanghainese dessert made from egg white with red bean and banana

fillings.

Happy Tea Tuesday

and

remember to hop over to the Tea Tuesday bloggers for their tea adventures....

steph

simply collage...

2011-07-29T22:43:00.000+08:00

and that's what I did tonight...

tearing and pasting...

and experimenting with different designs and materials,

on these little cards...

Happy weekend!!

steph

Laces and cotton....

2011-07-28T02:12:00.001+08:00

put together

for my new art journal/sketch book....

looking forward to more artful days...

stay happy!!

steph

spontaneous art...

2011-07-26T00:37:00.001+08:00

with some metallic paints

on the Artrage app

mixing colors and blending them...

making mistakes and having the option of "undoing" them...

or blending them....

with the various brushes...

there's more to be discovered....

Have a good week!!

steph

Nature notes...

2011-07-23T20:08:00.000+08:00

I completed binding my new sketchbook today..

with an additional painting of

the orange Water Lily for its cover..

working with crackle paste

mixing and glazing with colors,

The signatures were made from cold press watercolor paper

(I love the feel of watercolor paper actually :)) )

Hope you're having a nice weekend..

steph

All the rage....

2011-07-22T07:38:00.002+08:00

about Artrage!

I had the opportunity to play with this IPAD application

and it got me hooked...

although I do prefer getting my hands dirty..

playing and mixing colors with paints, mediums and collaging...

this could be a nice addition to bring along

on a trip...

or even some lunch time art on the go

to get that creative muse going....

There's definitely more functions to be discovered..and I'll keep you posted... :))

Meanwhile, I think I'll go get my brushes and mediums.... :)

Check out this link and more for Artrageousness!!!

Have an artful weekend!!!

steph

a perfect pair..

2011-07-19T15:53:00.000+08:00

glutinous rice flour with pumpkin buns..

and jasmine tea.....

a perfect combo

yin and yang...
a good balance....

Happy Tea Tuesday!!

steph

Quinacridone Red

2011-07-15T05:50:00.000+08:00

happy weekend!!
steph

The Holy Basil

2011-07-12T14:59:00.000+08:00

Or Tulsi , the "Queen of Herbs"

known for its medicinal values and antioxidant properties etc etc....

this tea is "herbie" in taste...

and even though Jasmine is added..the "Queen" took centrestage..

I'll take in the "energizing" properties of this tea anytime...:))

what are you having for tea today?

go check out Kimmie and the gang!

Happy Tea Tuesday!

steph

Dioxazine Violet

2011-07-09T18:36:00.000+08:00

How can I resist purple ?..

and using it to paint the water lily was something I had long wanted to do....

Dioxazine purple and cerulean blue...

and Quinacridone nickel Azo Gold...

and a little "vintage" treatment and some collaging later.....

It was a therapeutic process painting this today

and when I signed my name on this piece..

it felt good....:))

so..what's your flower? :)

steph

New Gamboge

2011-07-08T21:12:00.000+08:00

Happy weekend!!
steph

wisdom of the heart...

2011-07-07T00:19:00.001+08:00

"The wisdom of the heart can be found in any circumstance, on any planet
round or square. It arises not through knowledge or images of perfection,
or by comparison and judgment, but by seeing with the eyes of wisdom
and the heart of loving attention, by touching with compassion all that exists in our world"

Jack Kornfield

steph

When TKY meets White House.....

2011-07-05T18:29:00.000+08:00

we get a blend.....

Tieh Kuan Yin green tea pearls..

and white tea with a floral blend (white house) ...

gives one a

fruity, floral and a good balance of green and white tea...

and yes inspirational too as I sip up my new found creation
with some evening sketching...

Happy Tea Tuesday everyone!!

steph

Grateful..

2011-07-02T21:59:00.001+08:00

Today I am grateful to have friends...

Friends who care..

Friends who are mindful of my needs....

Friends who made me feel that I belong..

and

Friends who stood by me..

amidst changes and adjustments...

they stayed true and believed in me....

friends who reached out

when I needed them....

"The living moment is everything"

D.H. Lawrence

Thank you dear friends....

and here's wishing you a

Happy Canada Day
and
a Happy 4th of July to my friends in the USA!!

always...

steph

Green Gold..

2011-06-26T17:56:00.003+08:00

Thank you everyone for your well wishes..

MIL has been discharged from the hospital and is recuperating at home.

Today...I experimented with the color

green gold..

this is still a WIP and a color study on painting layered flowers
using water color...

and I've learnt to mix green gold with:

Phthalo green and blue

Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold (QNAC)

Burnt Sienna

to achieve different shades...

discovering how the colors "behave"....
and created form..

it was hard work....

looking for light and shade...

but I'm pressing on..

and will be doing a few more..

and documenting my journey.....

happy sunday!!!

steph

Iced lemon tea on the go....

2011-06-22T04:12:00.000+08:00

oooh I'm late I'm late for tea....

we had to make a trip down to the hospital last evening to visit my mother in law

and so I managed to grab an iced lemon tea..

had it after lunch at the office....

yup the background is my office....

and you can probably guess that I work with children :))

well have a happy week to all and if you happen to be here and looking for more

links to my art-tea friends..go to Kimmie's

steph

what if...

2011-06-20T07:36:00.000+08:00

"......your fears and dreams exist in the same

place, would you still go there?"

Anonymous

Happy Monday!!

steph

Experience....

2011-06-18T17:23:00.000+08:00

Art Journal page

....." is not what happens to you it's

what you do with what happens to you"

Anonymous

Happy Weekend!!

steph

Joyful colors

2011-06-16T01:02:00.001+08:00

It's been some weeks since Mr Sun came and stayed a while longer..

and so last Sunday was a day of painting and art making....

I painted some papers for collage

and I've been connected to these colors..

pages from my watercolor sketchbook

and a page from my other art journal

stay happy...

steph

Friendship tea on Tuesday

2011-06-14T14:07:00.002+08:00

Haba was our trusted guide in Lijiang

and he invited us to tea..

Haba chose one of the finest Pu-erh (red tea) for us...

and it's always a blessing to be drinking tea with a new found friend....

Happy Tea Tuesday!!

steph

"Right now....

2011-06-11T16:39:00.000+08:00

...at this very moment, we have a mind,
which is all the basic equipment we need to achieve complete happiness"

the 14th Dalai Lama

happy weekend!!
steph

Practice...practice..

2011-06-10T00:17:00.000+08:00

and more practice....

overcoming "hesitation"

and gathering "courage" along the way..

sketching, painting and more experimenting...

just do it....

live artfully...
steph

White House on Tuesday..

2011-06-07T12:29:00.000+08:00

A dear friend and I finally made it for tea

at the

TWG cafe last Saturday..

and this was one of 2 menus for our perusal...

I ordered a blend called the "white house" :

a white tea base with flowers and berries

and Catherine had a breakfast tea..

and lunch was lobster tamale with a tea infused vinaigrette,

even the warmed rolls were made with tea leaves...

Happy Tea Tuesday!!

do hop over to Kimmie's for more tea stories....

steph

Mailart

2011-06-04T22:11:00.000+08:00

I'm in the mood for colors!!!

and these are postcard sized art created on watercolor paper...

it's always an experiment....

with various techniques and playing with different mediums...

Happy weekend!!

~steph~

It's an OJ Tuesday!!

2011-05-31T20:46:00.000+08:00

The weather was scorching hot in

Santorini, Greece

and we decided on orange juice (instead of tea)
with chocolate cake... ( what a combo!!)
but we were reeeally dehydrated from the heat..
and the chocolate cake was tempting... :))

so, what are you having this Tea Tuesday?
Visit the flock at Kimmie's and you'll be in for a real treat!!

I'll leave you with some photos...

Santorini continues to inspire me....

happy Tuesday everyone!!

steph

Art Journaling

2011-05-28T09:12:00.000+08:00

I was just poring through my art journals this morning

and these are some pages which I've not posted so far..

some at different stages....

using different mediums..

some has yet to be written on....

and a faithful travel journal I lug with me
on my travels...

recording live experiences...

Happy weekend everyone!!!

steph

Tea along the ancient tea- horse road...

2011-05-23T23:08:00.001+08:00

The Ancient Tea horse Route was a network of mule caravan paths winding through the mountains of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. Also known as the Southern Silk Road, it was a trade link from Yunnan, one of the first tea-producing regions: to India via Burma; to Tibet; and to Central China via Sichuan ( source: wikipedia).

It is believed that it was through this trading network that tea (typically tea bricks) first spread across China and Asia from its origins in Pu'er county.

Lijiang, was one of the many stops where ancient tea traders stopped by to trade.

They traveled across mountains...

and rivers....

into the old town market square..

where you will find locals singing and dancing as a community..

the Naxi ethnic minority group, which used to be a matriach society, meets at the square

each afternoon for singing, dancing and well, a game of cards....

and when evening comes, they return to their homes by the river which runs through the old town..

walking up little cobbled streets...

to join their families.

We also had the opportunity to watch the spectacular show "Impressions of Lijiang"

held within an open air stage at an elevation of 3100m above sea level..

and after which winding down with a cup of tea by the river....

life was good and restful.....

Have you rested?

...go put the kettle on and join Kimmie and the Tea Tuesday Bloggers for tea this Tuesday!

steph

seeking peace...

2011-05-18T23:25:00.000+08:00

"Happiness is the main object of our aspirations,

whatever name we give it:

fulfillment, deep satisfaction, serenity, accomplishment,

wisdom, fortune, joy or inner peace, and however we try to seek it:

creativity, justice, altruism, striving, completion of a plan or a piece of work."

Matthieu Ricard

~steph~

Playing with scraps...

2011-05-06T20:58:00.002+08:00

Hii everyone!!!

Life has been very hectic since our return and yet I have soo much to share...

the photos are pretty much ready...just that I have soo much to do at work,

and we'll be traveling again next week...

(so bear with me dear ones...:)) )

Did you have a good week?

I tried to sneak in some time to visit when I can...and realized I do need to catch up eh... :))

anyways, here are some collage pieces straight out from my scrapbox...

(all within reach at the living room which is my makeshift "art studio" :)) )

Happy weekend!!!

steph

Around Little India..

2011-04-14T05:22:00.000+08:00

We had a short walk around little India yesterday before it started to pour...

Happy weekend!!

steph

Mixed Media Postcards

2011-04-13T09:55:00.000+08:00

Truly....

steph

Evening tea and journalling

2011-04-12T20:26:00.001+08:00

Hi everyone...it's Tuesday evening in Singapore

and I trust you had a good week so far....

well it's time to wind down after a day's work..

tonight, I'm having Tie Kuan Yin

in a mug which I made myself many many years back..

It's been many tiring weeks and I missed

the journalling and my usual Art time...

well I've been trying to sneak some time for art here and there...

and tonight I wrote on one of 2 newly bound art journals..

with signatures assembled from odd sizes from my stash of watercolor paper,

sandwiched between laces and fabric...

Please join Kimmie and the Tea Tuesday gang for delicious tea stories..

Happy Tuesday everyone!!!

(I'll be traveling next week for a short getaway

cum work so I hope to share an exotic tea story

from Lijiang, Yunnan the following week)

Till then.....

stay happy

steph

sources of happiness....

2011-04-10T02:09:00.000+08:00

I know I have shared this quote previously but I'll do it again
as I reflect on this from another perspective...

"The art of happiness begins with an understanding
of what are the sources of happiness, and setting our priorities
in life based on the cultivation of those sources.."
The 14th Dalai Lama

ink sketch with watercolor.

"sources of happiness"...

one that I can think of is..

friends from blogland...

thank you dear friends...

I've missed tea this week as I've been rather busy at work..

but hope to be back soon...

take care..

steph

Vadai and Moroccan on Tuesday!

2011-03-29T15:36:00.001+08:00

Feast your eyes on Vadai , a traditional South Indian snack

Made from Dhal beans..and totally vegetarian vadai is one of my favourite snacks!

And I wouldn't want to miss this for anything...

Sitting on a comfortable sofa at the Sentosa Resort and

sipping a hot cup of Moroccan Mint tea

with Vadai overlooking a lush garden with my book

ahh...this is luxury.....

so, hop over to Kimmie's for more tea stories

Happy tea Tuesday!!

Steph

Mail Art

2011-03-26T18:07:00.000+08:00

10 individuals will be receiving these postcards..

through iHanna's postcard swap..

Here's the process of my mixed media postcards...

....laying the background

the collage process

and the postcards..almost ready to go...

stay happy

steph

from my sketchbook...

2011-03-26T00:46:00.000+08:00

"Mindful and creative, a child who has neither a past, nor examples to follow,

nor value judgments, simply lives, speaks and plays in freedom"

Arnaud Desjardin

Happy weekend!!

steph

ATCs

2011-03-24T05:02:00.000+08:00

Happy Thursday!!

some ATCs I made a while back
and a quote to share:

"Peace of mind is rooted in affection and compassion"

The 14th Dalai Lama

stay happy..

steph

Eat a bowl of tea....

2011-03-22T20:18:00.000+08:00

It's Tuesday!!

where I join Kimmie and my Tea Tuesday friends

for a nice cuppa, where ever we may be....

Today,

we shall eat a bowl of tea....

Concocted with various herbs and spices...
mint, basil, amongst some of them...

this tea mixture is added into a bowl of

freshly chopped vegetables on brown rice...

and peanuts, sesame seeds and fried anchovies..

when I was a child, my aunt would gather the family during the Chinese New Year
and hold such "tea parties"..

we used to look forward to this and each time I ate "Lei Cha" it reminded me of the excitement,
the gathering and the special bonding between families and close friends..

This is comfort food to me....

Happy Tea Tuesday my dear friends!!

Truly
Steph

Remembering Japan...

2011-03-20T18:31:00.000+08:00

steph

to stay connected with your heart...

2011-03-18T06:49:00.002+08:00

Hi everyone!
I was just leafing though my "book of quotes" and I found this:

"In a society that almost demands life a double time,

speed and addictions numb us to our experience. In such a society

it is almost impossible to settle into our bodies or stay connected with our hearts,

let alone connect with one another or the earth where we live"

Jack Kornfield

The past few weeks had been crazy work-wise, so much

that I felt pretty much "disconnected" in some ways...

Nevertheless, sketching and playing with water color
was a form of "escape" and although it felt a little "sluggish" in some instances..
( like when I painted this bird)
the projects were completed....

I'm really enjoying this medium of using water colors.. and I've been lugging
my:
sketchbook
water brushes
traveling water color pack

everywhere I go..

This of course had to do with a friend whom I recently met :))
(she doesn't have a blog yet)
who has such a great talent in sketching and watercolor.

well, my dear friends..
how do you stay connected?
have you stopped to "smell the roses"?

Kindest....
steph

PS: I'll be back for my usual blog hopping pretty soon....

Out of my comfort zone...

2011-03-06T18:28:00.001+08:00

and so I did...

both sketching and water color are out of my comfort zone..

but I've decided to stretch myself a little today.....

Pomegranates

I'm loving this process...

though it took a longer time..

Happy Sunday everyone!!!

always..

~steph~

a note on freedom....

2011-03-04T23:11:00.001+08:00

"True freedom means freeing oneself
from the dictates of the ego
and its accompanying emotions"

Matthieu Ricard

Happy weekend!!
steph

the present moment....

2011-03-03T05:04:00.000+08:00

"When the mind is full of precious memories and preoccupied by the future,
it misses the freshness of the present moment.
In this way, we fail to recognize the luminous simplicity
of mind that is always present behind the veils of thought."

Mathieu Ricard

~steph~

Tuesday Tea and collage

2011-03-01T20:56:00.005+08:00

How quickly time flies.....

I've just brewed me a cup of Baizhen white tea

to accompany my evening internet time.

Browsing through blogs and sipping my cup of tea is something I would

really LOVE to do each night...

Tonight is special as I share this time with my

fellow Tea Tuesday friends

so come along and visit us for art and tea....

Happy Tea Tuesday!!

steph

PS do hop over to Pat from artfully Ooglebloops for a lovely giveaway..

Loving yourself....

2011-02-27T06:11:00.000+08:00

I came across a quote by Jack Kornfield and if you believe in the power of self-talk,
Mr Kornfield has this to share..

"Begin to recite the following phrases directed to yourself.
You begin with yourself because without loving yourself it is almost
impossible to love others.
May I be filled with loving-kindness.
May I be well.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be happy."

be good to yourself.....
steph

Art Book and Journal

2011-02-26T08:15:00.000+08:00

some pages from an ongoing WIP which I prepared sometime back..

Happy weekend everyone!!

steph

Tea in Burma..

2011-02-22T20:29:00.000+08:00

Today, I'd like to share a story about the village of Kayin Chaung,

which is 2 hours away from the city of Yangon in Burma..

the journey took us on a boat ride..

pass fishing villages..

to the quiet and quaint village centre....

Especially so, this story will evolve around the children who experienced
Cyclone Nargis

Now, nearly 3 years later, life goes on.....

"the entrepreneur"

the student who only wanted to practice her English..(so proud of her)

happy kids, playful kids....

and their amazing resilience and bravery...

These children came to the clinic as they apparently experienced partial hearing loss

after Nargis.. Thankfully it wasn't serious..

and after a day's work, we had a sumptuous lunch of local village food

followed by

burmese pickled tea leaves eaten with fried nuts served with tea...

and so this is Yangon....

Happy Tuesday everyone..

steph

artful exchange....

2011-02-19T20:51:00.000+08:00

Happy Saturday everyone!

Corrine's package came in beautifully wrapped

in a cotton bag...

I adore handmade books and this one is precious...

Thank you soo much Corrine!!!
I love the cotton bag so much and coincidentally
it was also the perfect size for one of my latest handmade journals.

Well the cough is slowly settling

although not hundred percent..

but I hope to be back up and about pretty soon..

I must say this bug is one real tough bug to eliminate..

I have a tag to share and here's hoping your weekend will be
a wonderful and restful one..

Cheers!
steph

Zen-life

2011-02-16T20:54:00.000+08:00

this collage was done just before we left for Yangon..
That's where I am right now....being in "Zen" mode....

10" x 10" mixed media collage on water color paper

""From concentration comes the birth of wisdom.
Meditation begins with calming the mind and collecting attention.
In addition to the feelings of restfulness and peace,
the state of concentration also becomes the basis for deepening insight and wisdom.
We find ourselves opening to the world's suffering as well as its great beauty"

Joseph Goldstein

Hope you had a good week...
will join you for tea next week...

steph

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2011-02-14T16:24:00.001+08:00

Thank You everyone for your well wishes.

I've just returned late last night from Yangon, (in Myanmar or Burma)
we were on a working trip and it was a wonderful experience to be back in Yangon again.

I'll be posting more photos on the trip a little later but for now..
Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours!!

stay happy!!
steph

Happy Tuesday!!

2011-02-08T10:30:00.000+08:00

and it's our weekly T Tuesday post!!

A while ago, Kimmie sent me a beautiful water color tea cup..

isn't she pretty? look at the details...
Thank you dear Kimmie for this beautiful piece of art work.

Well, I am homebound today, nursing a nasty cold..
at the meantime preparing for an overseas working trip..

I've been drinking lots and lots of herbal teas and water....
It does feels a lot better right now and am hoping to
"tame the caugh" ha ha...with more herbal concoctions...

(sorry I have no pictures to show as I've been drinking them "on the go" )

and today...the body just felt like it wanted a nice and restful break....

Happy Tuesday everyone!!
steph

Letting go..

2011-02-05T18:17:00.000+08:00

Happy Saturday!!
here's a tag I made sometime back...

and a quote from Jack Kornfield:

"When we let go of our battles and
open our heart to things
as they are,
then we come to rest in the present moment..."

keep well..
steph

Collage..

2011-02-04T17:47:00.001+08:00

I simply love this medium...
whenever the creative mojo needs a jumpstart..
I'll start off with pasting down bits and pieces of paper
lying around and before I know it....

here's wishing you a happy weekend!!

steph

Respect and Tea..

2011-02-03T14:25:00.002+08:00

It's the year of the Rabbit!!

and if you're born in the following years:

1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975

1987, 1999, 2011

go check out this link
a brief description of what's in store for you this year.

and as it is the first day of the Chinese New Year,

we set off early to my mother-in-law's

for the traditional ritual....

of giving our best wishes for the New Year to the elderly.

We exchange oranges together with a red packet for good wishes..

and after which serve tea to my mother in law...

as a form of respect..

We tucked into sweet treats and cookies and a hearty vegetarian lunch
with the rest of the family.

With happy children ( and adults too;) )
receiving red packets (with money enclosed) and

catching up with family and friends..
the celebration continues for the next 14 days...

and as for us, we'll try to catch up on our much needed rest
and my creative muse... ;)

I've been reading much about storms, blizzards and cyclones in different parts of the world..
Do keep safe and take care...

steph

The Reunion Dinner...

2011-02-02T22:39:00.000+08:00

On the eve of the Chinese New Year,

the family will dine together..

and this is one of my favorites as
my in laws will whip up special dishes
savoured only during this festive season.

From the left, sweet and sour succulent prawns, roasted pork,

braised mushrooms with dried oysters, steamed chicken, lotus root soup,

braised abalone and fried fish.

Each of these dishes have special names bearing good wishes

for the New Year..

Take for example,

the fried fish and the abalone dish.

In Mandarin, fish is called "Yu" and the abalone is "Pao Yu" which means "abundance".

Fried fish and braised abalone

and even dessert is made in the shape of a fish

Jelly

and what about these steamed cakes?
when translated into Cantonese it means
"prosperity"

and not forgetting the orange which means "gold"

and here's another version of the steamed cake with oranges..

I'll leave you with some photos taken this morning..

pussy willows

the night jasmine (in white) one of my favorite scented flowers

Well, we've had a most enjoyable dinner, catching up with the family..

Time for sleepies and preparation for tomorrow...

Here's wishing you prosperity, harmony, good health
and a year of abundance!!

be back tomorrow...
steph

Humility...

2011-02-02T02:55:00.002+08:00

collage on archival paper 5" x 7"

I found a quote to share with you today on this topic..

" Humility does not mean believing oneself to be inferior,
but to be freed from self-importance.
It is a state of natural simplicity which is in harmony with our
true nature and allows us to taste the freshness of the present moment"

Matthieu Ricard

stay happy!
steph

PS lugging my camera to work today and hoping to capture some
activities at the wet market later as it's the eve of the CNY....back soon..

Art Books and Journals

2011-01-30T18:36:00.000+08:00

We've been experiencing much wet weather these days..

I love the rain and the cool weather it brings..

and while we are busy preparing

for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year (next Thursday)

I was inspired to sew 2 art books/journals.....

putting together materials I love....

such as laces and old book pages....

Well I hope to be able to take some pictures of the festivities

to show you in the next few days...

let's hope that Mr Sun will come shining on us again....

I'll be posting my T Tuesday post on Thursday (if it's alright) :))

as it'll be about a very special occasion..

I love the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year and the day itself as we have a tradition we practice

and I'll be sharing on that...

Till then...

Stay Happy!

steph

The power of the mind...

2011-01-29T20:26:00.000+08:00

"It is our mind, and that alone, that chains us or sets us free"

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

Happy weekend!!

~steph~

Most Prized...

2011-01-27T07:36:00.001+08:00

Indeed he is...

I first met him last May when we were in Yunnan, China

He was nine years old then....

After our meeting, I went away feeling really sad

that I wasn't able to help him.(in my current capacity).

He lived in the rural areas in Yunnan

and he grew up in a farm...

He is a child with a special need

and there is no school around his village suitable for him...

I remembered how my heart ached when I saw him....

and when he walked away that day...

I was determined to ensure he gets a decent education

at some point...

(The title prompt is from the Sketchbook challenge)

Happy Midweek to you and yours!!

always...
~steph~

Plum tea mix and art on Tuesday..

2011-01-25T20:12:00.000+08:00

I was given a box of plum and green tea mix,

an interesting concoction indeed...

and so with tea on the side..

I had my favorite brush and glue and before I knew it

I was into a project

making signatures and cutting fabric and laces..

and putting them together..

for what seemed to be the most enjoyable moments..

totally lost in the process...

Happy T Tuesday Kimmie and everyone!!

steph

Trust

2011-01-24T21:27:00.000+08:00

Happy Monday everyone!!

here's a tag to share and

do hop over to Betty's as she is giving away ATCs of "love"

I may have shared this quote previously but it stood out amongst others as I was leafing through my notes...

"Once we conclude that the basic nature of humanity is compassionate

rather than aggressive, our relationship to the world around us changes immediately.

Seeing others as basically compassionate instead of hostile and selfish helps us relax,

trust, live at ease. It makes us happier."

The 14th Dalai Lama

~steph~

this and that...

2011-01-22T18:15:00.000+08:00

managed to wrap some handmade art this morning with sewn collaged fabric,

some WIPs

and a quote to share:

"Impermanence is a principle of harmony.

When we don't struggle against it, we are in harmony with reality."

Pema Chodron

Imagine this....

2011-01-20T05:35:00.000+08:00

Chinese contemporary art.

Stay happy!!

steph

It's Tea Tuesday!

2011-01-18T21:08:00.000+08:00

and I'm having this concoction..

(from left to right) Chinese wolfberries, dried longans and red dates

light and refreshing and yes calming...

Hope you've had a good day be it at work or home...

Visit Kimmie and my tea buddies for good tea company..

stay happy!

steph

And the Giveaways goes to......

2011-01-18T20:51:00.001+08:00

Jean from "Bluebirds living in the meadow"

and

Sharon from "Livewire"
(realized I couldn't find your email, dear Sharon, could you email me? cheers)

I'll be writing to you shortly to complete these envelopes with your snail mail addresses

and

THANK YOU! everyone for dropping by.

I'll be visiting your blogs and catching up with your artful life! :))

cheers!

steph

Ginseng flower on Tuesday..

2011-01-11T14:53:00.001+08:00

Happy Tuesday everyone!!!

I've just been to Caterina's and she's having "sari tea"
and my other Tea Tuesday friends will be sharing their tea adventures too...
So, hop over to Kimmie's and you'll find them..

My tea story today is about 2 owl (Japanese) cups and Ginseng Flower tea..

which health properties are equivalent to the Ginseng plant (of course :)
"strengthening the Qi, promotes restfulness, etc...." < I need them ;) >

The owls? well I lugged them back from Florida!!
ah well when you love tea, there are no limits to buying tea paraphernalias... ;)

By the way, remember to drop your name into the "Giveaway" hat right before this post, below
to receive Asian theme collage and art materials with the Somerset mags...
The owners will be announced next Tuesday (18th January)!
(PS I'm actually sourcing these materials and packaging them especially for the giveaways ..after all I'm here in Asia :))) )
Happy Tuesday!!!

~steph~

Giveaway!!

2011-01-09T17:50:00.001+08:00

As promised...

packages will be given away:

One:

Two:

and each of these packages will be accompanied by

collage/art materials

with an Asian theme and more.. ;)

All you need to do is , leave a comment and tell your friends.

Owners of the 2 packages will be announced on:

18th January 2011!!

HAPPY Sunday!!!

~steph~

Untitled..

2011-01-07T18:35:00.001+08:00

gosh.. I'm not too sure what to call this...

Intention?

well I did have an intention to put my intentions

on an art piece.... ;)

collage on wood panel

( duh I didn't measure its size...you know I'm sure..:)) )

"In 2011

I want to learn how to sketch:

portraits (gotta dust off my notes from Suzi Blu's class) LOL!!

sketch and paint birds and flowers...

(I pray for patience.... ;)) )

see that bird on the left? I'm responsible for that but my fingers

were somewhat "arthritic" after I finished it... :(

While I love love those beautiful line sketching of birds and architecture and painted portraits

from my favorite artists and imagined my own masterpiece....

I've been giving excuses ...."

and so my dear blog friends...

I'm going to move out of my comfort zone and do what

I've always proclaimed I can't do...

SKETCH

and start with a "beginner's" mind...

Secondly,

I've learnt some lessons from today's collage and one of them:

never make art when my brains and body are both out of sync...

I just felt this piece is a little "overdone".. LOL!!

and I was trying to salvage the composition... Ha ha...

ah well... :)))

I'm still happy....

AND

Thirdly

in my next post, It'll be entitled:

GIVEAWAY!!!

Yay!!

so stay tuned...since it's my first, I need to :

** photograph everything I'm giving away???

Nah...I'll put in an element of surprise.... ;)

so, it'll come.....

and I hope Mr Postman will be able to cope, now that

the festive season is over..

did you know it was reported in the news that the local postal service couldn't cope during

the festive season and as a result I suspect my pressies to my friends were delayed...

I hope they'll get their now belated pressies sooooon...

Happy weekend and stay happeee...

best wishes and warm hugs...

meeee...