Day 6: The Things Inside My Bag

For the 6th day drawing challenge, I have to draw all the things that are inside my bag. Well, I took time to decide what to draw since my bag is always full – and it’s always big! I simply cannot carry around a small bag!

Anyway, there are some things that are not included in this drawing; like my Avamys spray and my chinese menthol inhaler, since they’re not in my bag right now. The most important things that I bring with me wherever I go and whatever bag I use are my wallet, cellphones, make up bag (as they contain my anti-histamines and my Carefrees), my alcohol and/or hand sanitizer, some ballpens and paper, Victoria Secret lotion, handkerchief or small towel, my iPod, eyeglass case, baby wipes and powder & lipstick.

Sometimes, especially when I travel, I put whatever book it is that I am reading (James Patterson, Mary Higgins Clark and Heather Graham top my list) inside my bag. I sometimes bring my “ancient” digital camera, too!

There’s nothing much exciting in my bag, eh. I’m not really that vain, so I don’t bring a lot of make up and other similar stuff. I’m more of a powder-and-lipstick person.

So, if you’re ready…come and take a peek at what’s inside my bag!

 

Back to the 30-Day Drawing Challenge: Day 5 – Childhood Memories

I wasn’t able to post for several days as I got busy with a few things. First off, a very good friend from my college days in St. Joseph’s College, Quezon City, died last May 27. I went to Manila to attend the wake and the Mass that we offered for him. After I came back from that trip, I got so busy catching up with all the articles I had to write that I didn’t have time to draw or post anything here. But I’m back now. And I’m starting again from where I stopped.

I was gone for a total of 11 days, so I’ll be posting Days 5 to 15, and then I’ll move forward. I’ll try my best to post two drawings in a day.

For the Day 5 challenge, I went back to using Paint and drew some sort of symbols of what I remember most about my childhood. Again, they’re not the work of an artist, but they’re perfect representations of my most memorable childhood memories.

The first drawing, the one on the left most side, is a representation of White Island (which was always in the form of letters -especially the letter “C”) and Camiguin, where I spent endless summers of fun with my cousins. We went to the beach every day, played patintero in the streets (and even in the tennis court and the old airport) and we sat by the big windows every night, silently watching the townspeople pass by. We did a lot of fun and memorable things that I will forever treasure in my heart. The best thing about these memories, of course, are the people I was with – people dear to my heart.

The drawing in the middle represents our life in Manila. Back in the 70s and again in the late 80s and 90s, we lived in Makati and then in Quezon City. They’re memorable because we stuck together as a family despite some very trying times (especially in the late 80s). The years in Manila also helped me become the person that I am today; and helped me realize what I was capable of achieving.

Some of my most unforgettable memories happened in the 70s, when my sister and I would go with our Mom to DBP, where she worked. We’d spend practically the whole day playing around the building – with the elevators and the escalators, and whatever else we found interesting. DBP was basically our playground!

Finally, the last drawing is a representation of our ancestral house in Corrales Avenue, which was sold around 1994 and turned into Consuelo Restaurant. It is now where Meet Shop and Karomata are. The house in Corrales, which we referred to as 192 Corrales Avenue, was where I grew up with my Fortich cousins, my aunts and uncles, and my dear Lolo Titang and MammaIn. They’re some of the happiest days of my life! No matter how many times that house is remodeled or passed on to a new owner, my beautiful memories of it will stay forever embedded in my heart.

So now that you know what each drawing represents, get ready to see my “masterpiece”!

Day 4: Redesign a Book Cover

I wasn’t able to post my 4th day drawing as I got busy with a lot of things. Actually, I did the drawing some two days ago, but it’s only now that I got the chance to post it.

Anyway, The Little Prince is one of the first books that I read. It’s also one of my favorite gifts to nephews and nieces. The Little Prince is actually a simple story; what gives it a deeper meaning is the Little Prince himself – and all the experiences and learnings he imparts in the book. All very basic things that we should all know about by the time we learn the difference of right from left. Sadly, though, most of what the Little Prince and his friends sort of teaches us in the book have been buried deep in many web-laden memory baskets; forgotten and neglected. If only all of us would believe, think and act as the Little Prince did, in our own simple ways, our world will be a better, more positive place.

My redesign is very simple as, like what I keep saying, I don’t really know how to draw. But basically, it captures what I remember most about the book – the flower that gives each one of us hope and the inspiration to change positively. The flower also symbolizes many of the things that are better “felt by the heart” than seen by the eyes. Like friendship and love.

THE FOX TELLS THE LITTLE PRINCE: “Here is my secret. It’s quite simple: One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes. . . . It’s the time that you spent on your rose that makes your rose so important. . . . People have forgotten this truth,” the fox said, “But you mustn’t forget it. You become responsible for what you’ve tamed. You’re responsible for your rose. . . .”

Other books that stimulate the mind: By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept, The Alchemist and Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coehlo; Tuesdays With Morrie, The Five People You Meet in Heaven and For One More Day by Mitch Albom; Living, Loving and Learning by Leo Buscaglia; Notes to Myself: My Struggle to Become a Person by Hugh Prather; Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach; Peaks and Valleys by Spencer Johnson, M.D. and The BIBLE.

Day 3: Your Most Recent Dream

The third day drawing challenge is supposed to be all about the most recent dream I had. Problem is, I can’t remember any of the dreams I had; or when I last had a dream. So I decided to do something that I always want to see in my dreams – and in the real world: the sun.Now, again, I don’t know if what I did is the exact representation of what a setting or rising sun should look like; but this is how it looks for me. Rather, this is how I always envision it to look like.

So, here it is, one and all…the sun in my dreams:

And here’s one of the poems I did about the sun:

I watch the sun set

ever so gracefully;

its colors, its hues

changing

so dramatically.

I feel so alone yet

one with it.

I feel lonely,

but at peace,

just gazing at it.

And I want to touch,

to grab, embrace it

ever so tightly

and make my heart

feel the warmth

the glow it radiates.

-SUNSET IN PANGASINAN ®

Day 2: My Imaginary Friend(s)

Yup, that’s right. Imaginary friends. I decided to feature two imaginary friends for the day 2 challenge. Actually, I had a difficult time choosing which one to do; so I decided to use both.

My first imaginary friend is “something” that I’ve been drawing since my high school years, so it’s become a part of me already. It’s a “something” and an “it” because I don’t really know what it is. I don’t even have a name for it. Hmmm…since this was inspired by the movie “Ghostbusters”, I might as well call my first imaginary friend Slimer. My husband, though, who took this picture while we were having afternoon snacks at Pancake House, thinks it looks more like He-Man’s Orco. Oh, well…whatever!

Here’s my first imaginary friend; Slimer/Orco:

My second imaginary friend is someone who always manages to comfort me – even if I don’t see her; even if I cannot touch her. I just know she’s with me at all times; especially when I’m in my darkest moments. This imaginary friend is like a fusion of all the special people in my life who have left our world and gone on to the next level: my mom, my grandfathers, my grandmothers, my aunt, my mother-in-law, and all my other relatives who are now silently and lovingly watching over my family and I every single day.

Everyone, meet my Angel:

I had some sort of a “model” when I drew this second imaginary friend. You see, I like coloring books. I have a lot of them, in fact; and I have around two coloring books of angels. So I decided to choose the angel that I liked best and chose it as a representation of my imaginary friend. It doesn’t really matter what my angel truly looks like, as long as she’s always there for me! After all, no one really knows what our angels look like, right?

Again, my drawings are not worthy of a place in any museum in the world. But they were done with love and passion. And I do hope these will count as plus points!

Happy drawing, everyone!

The 30-Day Drawing Challenge

Ok. So, here I am. And the first thing I’m going to do is start the 30-Day Drawing Challenge that my friends Jillie, Jay and Mara encouraged me to do. I’m not a Picasso when it comes to drawing or painting, but I’ll try my darnest best to come up with drawings (or illustrations) that you won’t mind gawking at. I’m more of the stick figure person, so bear with me, please. I do know how to draw still life, but I don’t think there’s a lot of that in this challenge. I’ll do my best not to make you laugh or run away.

The first day drawing challenge is to make a self-portrait. I did one using Paint; but I’m not sure if it looks like me! Well, at least the glasses are there, and the hair’s a little like mine. I tried to draw a longer neck, but I kept making a mistake. This ain’t a full figure drawing, though. It’s just a close up thing. I cannot find a decent way of drawing the body!

Anyway, here it is. Don’t laugh. Don’t cry. Don’t go all ballistic on me. This is the best that I can do:

Hahaha! It’s sooo cartoonish! Well, at least I got it done! Anyway, below is a list of all the subjects we’re supposed to do for the 30-day challenge. I hope I can make it through!

It’s going to be a real challenge for me, but I’m sure it’s going to be really fun! Wanna join us?