Dangerous Minds Art Exhibit at Vinyl on Vinyl

Last Wednesday, we attended the opening of the Dangerous Minds Exhibit at Vinyl on Vinyl at The Collective. Some of our college friends from Bulacan arepart of this exhibit.

(c) Artworks of Jukus Sepada,
The Dangerous Minds Exhibit

It’s really nice catching up with these guys again and
seeing them breaking into the art industry here in Manila little by little.

A cool installation art made of paper mache  and colorful yarn strings at The Dangerous Minds Exhibit

The place is really cool plus all the artworks are awesome.
So, if by any chance, you’ll hangout at B-Side or anywhere near The Collective within the week, please do visit this exhibit at Vinyl on Vinyl, The Collective, 7274 Malugay St., Makati City. 

Product Review: Marie's Poster Color

Using poster colors bring back old memories from Art school, as it is the water medium we use for our most of our plates (what we call our art projects), back in college. It's the best medium to use especially for beginners. You can use it as a "wash" or very transparent-like watercolor strokes.

However, you can also use it like gouache or acrylic if you want thicker and richer colors. I remember one of my professors in Art school telling us that the perfect consistency of poster paints should be like that of a hair conditioner.

(c) ArdentArrianne.blogspot.com
This is a Philippine Kingfisher using poster paint. To see my version of this in oil pastel,

For this particular piece, I used Marie's poster color in tubes that I bought from National Bookstore. I was initially a little hesitant to buy it because back in college the poster paints we use come in little jars. I'm more familiar with DONG-A, Sakura, and Reeves as brands for poster paints. It’s a first for me to encounter a Marie's poster color.

It's usually more known as brand for acrylics and oil paints. However, I think it's a good purchase. The pigments are very rich like acrylics. It’s also very convenient for a travelling artist, since you don't have to carry the whole jar set anymore whenever you need to paint.

Dabbling in Pastels

Spending my extended vacation doing only the things I love. Insomnia has been a regular visitor lately, and I thought it's best to use time wisely than stare at the ceiling until four in the morning. So, like what I've mentioned in my previous entries, I'm working on a series that involves different bird species from the Philippines. This is a Philippine Kingfisher in pastel. To see my version of this in poster paint, click http://ardentarrianne.wordpress.com/2013/08/16/product-review-maries-poster-color/



I really love working with oil pastels. You don't have to be such a worry wart with your strokes and technique. You can just follow your artistic instinct. And before you know it, there's already a masterpiece in front of you. It's best used if you want distinct textures and strokes in your artwork. I used a box of Pentel oil pastels for this piece. They’re surprisingly good.

Watercolor Weekend

"No one is free, even the birds are chained to the sky."
-Bob Dylan

After more than more than three Jurassic-long weeks, I was finally able to post my first two watercolor artworks done during the longest weekend of August. These two are part of my WIP: Philippine Birds series that I can hopefully post one by one soon.

Actually, I’m more comfortable using oil paints where mistakes can be covered easily and where layers of paint add texture and depth to an artwork. And to tell you honestly, for someone like me who listens more to instinct rather than technique, working with watercolor is definitely a struggle.

I hate waiting for my first strokes to dry before doing another. I almost have zero knowledge on how to really render and achieve the perfect shades without harassing the paper too much. Plus, I’m always close to losing my temper when an artwork gets ruined because of one wrong move. So, yeah, to tell you the truth these are just a couple of survivors from the many scrapped artworks that’s now in my waste bin. When it gets really frustrating sometimes and when I’m twice as close to giving up, I just tell myself that practice makes perfect.

This is the Long-Tailed Shrike, which is common throughout the islands of the Philippines except Palawan. It’s said to be noisy, aggressive and territorial.



An eagle but more of an owl, this is the Philippine Eagle-Owl. I didn't know this kind of bird exists until I saw it on the reference chart that I bought from National Bookstore. It’s said to be the largest owl in the Philippines. It has very powerful legs for catching its prey.

Though it’s pretty difficult using watercolors, I’m quite happy that it helps me lengthen my patience. I’m also grateful because, it reduces my stress and worries from work, even just a minuscule.  I consider painting or any form of art a very effective therapy.

Remember that when you’re painting, it’s important not to pressure yourself about each stroke, style, palette, and even what other people may think about it when it’s done.

The best artworks aren't those that satisfy the taste of most critiques, but those that give the greatest sense of satisfaction to its artist.