I remember that when I first started doodling and drawing all over my scrapbooks, textbooks, or any piece of paper within my reach, I only drew eyes. And not just any type of eyes, but specifically almond-shaped women's eyes. Then with the cessation of my doodlings due to a busier lifestyle in university and other random activities taking priority, my sketching of eyes also stopped.

My brother's latest sketch of this gorgeous yet anonymous woman's eyes reminds me of those doodling times. His drawing has so effectively captured the depth and soul of these captivating eyes, whose lure and hold on the viewer pulls you back a little, making it so delightfully hard to turn away.

Eyes have always been the window to the soul, the little keyhole through which others get a glimpse of a person's hidden world. And these eyes tell the most beautiful tale which defines a woman of inner strength, fierce determination and dreams of a better future.
 
Ah, LV, or Louis Vuitton. However you call it, it exudes exclusivity, luxury and quality. Breathe in the smell of high-quality leather, long-lasting products with or without its famous monogram. Imagine yourself strolling along Champs-Élysées Avenue in Paris, taking in the pretty night lights, carrying an LV handbag or suitcase, pretending to be French. Isn't it just beautiful?

Ronald has once again managed to capture the essence of an object, in this case a brand, and this LV House, set against the MBFC backdrop so extravagantly flaunted from the Marina Bay Sands sidewalk. It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling to see Singapore captured in a capsule, a hand-drawn postcard created by my brother, and the idea that for once, the LV brand and home are so deeply entwined.
 
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Ties that Bind Beyond the Confines of Fear
Look at Ronald's latest sketch - I can't help but be in so much awe of my little brother (who really is not that little and will be turning 22 next Monday!).

This is proof of his innate ability not just to sketch and draw well, but also evidence of his deep and profound thought process which cannot be belittled despite his youth.

Somehow I feel a sort of affinity with this drawing, as if the sketch was telling my love story with Juan (and how we had to overcome so many obstacles and difficulties and make a big leap of faith despite all the numerous fears we had about whether we could make our relationship work). But I'll stop here, because the post is really about Ronald and honouring his work.

I am so damn proud of you Ronald Lim!!! I hope you know that your sister who is far away in south America is always rooting and believing in your creative talents and in-born ability to surprise, transform and transcend borders!!

Keep on drawing, sketching, designing and inspiring!
 
Here's another good reason why I believe Mabel has such a great ability to inspire. On a huge square canvas (probably 1 square meter large), Mable created the welcoming of Spring, once again against a setting in the fields, but this time splattered with vibrant colours that are so reminiscient of the season we are all looking forward to, especially right now, since we are in the heart of winter. Mabel, sos una artista tremenda!!!
 
I've fallen in love with a particular Argentine artist. Her work has inspired my current painting (at this point of time I am still working on it), and her depictions of nature in its various dimensions has certainly marked a terrain that I'd like very much to keep on exploring.

A short bio on Claudia Ferrari from her website:
Claudia Ferrari was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1961. In her life she has two great passions: languages and painting. She gets a degree as a literary, scientific and technical translator of English and French while she studies painting at MEEBA. While doing her post-degrees studies at the Sorbonne University in Paris, she had the opportunity of getting in touch with local artists. In her search for getting to know new cultures, she studies Japanese and its ideograms for ten years. She then discovers her inner world through Sumi-é, an antique Japanese technique using natural dyes on rice paper. Together with her Teacher Kazu Takeda she turns into the Oriental world where she recreates her occidental being through the techniques of colour Sumi-é. Her teachers were I.Merellano, N.Pagano, E.Audivert and Juan Doffo. In Contemporary and Modern Art, F.Barreda.

This painting below is titled "Back to Myself" and the colours, combined with the beauty of her brush strokes, form the woods whose lushness and burst of life sucks me in completely.
 
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Méchante, by Agustina Eden
My art classmates are terribly talented. I bet you'd agree with me. Look at this painting of a 3-D corset by Agustina, and you'll understand why. Agus only started painting about one or two months ago, but she's already creating fantastic, literature-inspiring pieces. I am so impressed.

Now, "Méchante" is French for "naughty woman" and it fits this painting well. A hint of naughtyness, an illusion of a bad girl ready to seduce, flirting carelessly between good and bad. This kinda reminds me of Rihanna's album "Good girl gone bad".

The painting also exudes a class of haughtiness embedded with class, high-society, and haute couture. Be transported to a masquerade ball in Paris during the Bella Époque, dance with masked-gentlemen in dashing suits, run off when the bells chimes mid-night and drive off in your pumpkin carriage, before it all vanishes. Viola!
 
This metropolitan landscape painting will leave you without doubts about Mabel's inability to create and inspire. A picture says a thousand words, so I won't say much more.
 
Mabel has the ability to take a huge canvas and paint a totally breathtaking landscape which transforms you to a different place, a different time, and lets you forget for a moment the worries of life. Here's another piece, completely different from the one in the previous post, but with the same amount of power to astonish and amaze. Feel the wind in your hair, imagine you're running through the meadow, flushed with life.
 
Love love love this piece by my fellow art classmate, Mabel. She always creates the most astonishingly ambitious paintings, whether in size, form, or simply the picture she chooses to use. In this case, there are two paintings which form a beautiful weave of lights when placed side by side. Don't you just love how it brightens up your mood and makes it feel almost like Christmas has arrived?

Gracias Mabel por tu inspiración!!! Qué siempres crees cosas espectaculares y hermosas! Besos!!
 
I mentioned my brother's work in an earlier post, and how much his artwork has inspired me. I used to doodle and sketch quite a bit when I was much younger, but not anymore. The last I did was a sketch of a picture of Juan and I in paris, as we were standing in front of the famous Eiffel tower.

Today I want to show you just how good Ronald is at sketching, and I'm sure you'll agree with me as well.

This is a sketch of a boy sitting on his bike, but I can tell you that it looks exactly like Ronald. For more of Ronald's artistic talent, visit his site RONALD LIM.

His site has a collection of illustrations and photography that might interest some of you. While updates to this site are not very frequent, he has some really good pieces worth checking out.

As all good things go, pass it on! 

Xoxo,
Felicia