After taking a bit of a pause from #The100DayProject (my last one was in 2023 — how did that happen?!), I’ve decided to jump back in this year and approach it differently — with the intention of actually finishing. If you’re curious about my previous projects, you can browse them on this page. This year’s idea is beautifully simple: I’ll be creating mini collages using ephemera from the happy mail I’ve received from swap partners, finishing each piece with a postage stamp. Click on the image below to see the cards or this link. It’s also my way of finally using up those old Project Life journal cards that have…
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At the end of May, I made another trip to Jeju Island in South Korea. I’ve always wanted to see this place after a friend told me I should go. I organised our company retreat for a few days of team-building and relaxation. Another bonus was that it’s relatively cheap to fly there from Shanghai. This trip would be a great break to take before my kids return to Shanghai for their summer break. Let me take you on a trip around Jeju Island through my lens and my sketches. Day 1 Arrived in warm sunny weather. Immediately, we got a van to take us to the eastern side of…
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My twins graduated from high school at the end of May, marking the culmination of a rollercoaster ride over the past few months. It has been a mix of joy and sadness as we celebrated the end of high school life and looked ahead to the next journey, which involves preparing for university, new experiences, and exciting opportunities. Between preparing for the rigors of the IB exams, attending the last few school activities, and managing the erratic schedules as the “finish line” loomed, it’s been a challenging time for everyone. Time seemed to fly by; before I knew it, it was graduation day. I couldn’t help but tear up when…
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Let's take a moment to pause and truly notice what surrounds us this November. What are we grateful for in this very moment? Together with Lea, let's embark on a journey of journaling.
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Lots going on all around between my tweens going off to uni next year, still grieving for my mum’s passing, treading water through this economic downturn, to finding enough time in between to make art. Through all these, I’m reminding myself my OLW (one little word) for 2023… Breathe. Life is an adventure.
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All done! I reached the finished line even though it took longer than it should. In the end, I made more than 100 sketches (probably my OCD) that felt like I needed to finish up the sketchbook even of that meant going over the 100 “limit”. The sketching locations with Drawing Shanghai took us to various parts of the city, though some repeats to the Laoximen area is not uncommon. When December came, we all got hit with COVID which meant being house-bound for almost all of December. We were fortunate enough to have still managed to get our exhibit at the UNO Gallery push through right after everyone had…
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Feeling excited as I mark the 3rd quarter installment of my #the100day project. Last week when I was counting the number of sketches, I thought I still had 20+ to go but then when I recounted yesterday, I actually have about 10+ more to go! Yay! Driven right now to get this project over and done with! The past outings with Drawing Shanghai / Urban Sketchers Shanghai has been quite fun as a lot of these places were quite interesting. We seem to have ventured mostly to the old town more. In this batch of sketches, #52 to #54 were sketched from photos from out company outing and the rest…
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The last time I posted an “Around here…” series was back in May. I cannot believe it has been that long, really! The flurry of activities that came about as we came out of lockdown was just overwhelming. A bit of warning, this post of photo-heavy. June: First order of business after lockdown was doing the round of hospital/doctor visits. Then came the search for apartments since we needed space for a family of 7; that includes our 4 rescue/adopted cats. With the exodus of expats, there is more option but of course I had to ask the neighbours for their experiences during lockdown because I need to be prepared…
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The second quarterly update to my #the100dayproject is here after a long delay. In between my last post, we have come out of lockdown, gone back to work, searched for apartments, packed and moved to new apartment, unpacked and settled. It has been a whirlwind of 3 months and my art practise has also been focused on art journaling and other creative pursuits that sketching has taken a backseat. There were some sketching events organized by Drawing Shanghai since lockdown was lifted however it has been a bit difficult to balance going out and other priorities. PLUS (and I am not making any excuse here), the heatwave that has descended…
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May came and went like a blur, between the dullness of our days, to creating some sort of routine to not spiraling mentally… basically a cacophony of emotions and ups and downs. We have been given some more food rations from the government ranging from toiletries, condiments to veggies and meat. There were still constant testing between antigen test kits and the PCR tests. An excuse to go out, rain or shine, but also too much of a hassle, trying to spray/disinfect where we went. Have been baking a lot since there’s no way to buy bread. And with shortage in yeast, had to jump into the sourdough starter adventure.…
