2015

Rainbow, Watercolour and dyed rainbow roses on paper, 2015

Happy New Year to you all my loves. Everyday of this year, it feels good to start afresh with a blank new page to write and draw, and also to pen down a long ambitious to-do list, feeling bright and cheery. This year I have fearlessly decided to take that leap of faith and become a full time artist. Yes you heard me! I may look too calm on the outside, but the inside me is shouting and gleaming with joy!

Still trying to pinch myself that this is real! 

I hope you could share your resolution and dreams with me, I would love to know!

'Because life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.' - Danny Kaye

xo,

Limzy

SISTERS

Sisters, Calla lilies and watercolor on paper, 2014

This. Yes this. This is the image that has been in my head for so long but have nowhere to head to. When a single flower can't suffice my love for this timeless beauty, a bouquet will make up for that. 

I could even visualize my bridesmaids wearing this for my future wedding!

SAPPHIRE

Sapphire. Blue dyed rose and watercolor on paper. 2014

Blue has never been in my favorite list, but this has definitely won my heart itself. Saturated blue dyed roses with hints of white acrylic paint. Inspired by Karolina Kurkova wearing a Marchesa gown during the Met Gala 2014. 

MALEFICA

Maleficent, black dyed rose and watercolor on paper, 2014

For the flower series, I tend to avoid portraying certain specific characters as I wish every viewer could relate the art in his/her own way of imagination. Most of them are drawn directly from my mind. But for this, Angelina Jolie looks perfect for the role and the trailer itself already got me excited. And I am listening to Lana del Rey's daunting but enchanted version of Once Upon a Dream while painting this last night. 

For the very first time, I am making full use of an entire rose. The horns are made of sepals and the wand is a rose stem. The cloak is made of petals. It looks a little puffy on her (one told me she's too short here!) on the first trial (top pic) so I did another one (bottom pic). She did look leaner but something's lacking in the queen's gesture so I'll just stick to the first one. This is purely for fun but I enjoy doing something different (and gothic!) once in a while. 

In this artwork, I try to fuse the watercolor and dyed rose so everything looks 'blended' together without any obvious edges of the paint and petals. I remembered clearly that when I was studying in junior college, my art teacher told me to never use black paint for our paintings. Black is a very powerful and dominating color and it will flatten the space that you're painting. So if we were to paint a dark area, always mix up all the colors (ultramarine blue, dark green, umber, crimson red, purple etc) to achieve a complicated color that looks almost black but there's still variations and depth in it. This proves to be really useful throughout my art journey so far. 

But most of all, I learn how to dye black roses! Try it yourself and you will get a gothic garden soon!

HYDRANGEA

Waiting. White hydrangea and watercolor on paper

Besides calla lily, hydrangea is the another flower that I have been searching for the longest time. They have been in my mind all the time and I am that stubborn. You don't find them in most florist shops in tropical countries. But when I finally found them few days ago, I was so happy I smiled so hard while freezing in the cold room. Yes, it is THAT beautiful and mesmerizing. 

Unfortunately, hydrangeas are one of the most fragile flowers I have ever seen. If it is treated under improper care, the bundle will wilt in a day or two. This piece shows an anticipating bride waiting for her big day. She is supposed to be sitting, though I am not too sure if I capture the angle well enough. But I hope this will be an inspiration to a lot of brides-to-be! 

CALLA LILY

Backview, Calla lily and watercolor on paper, 2014.

I have been wanting and dying to get some calla lilies but they are the hardest to find here! I finally found them in a florist shop few days ago, but the choices were limited and they weren't at the freshest state. Calla lily is my favorite flower, too beautiful and understated. I wish I could carry them for my future wedding. 

I intended to do a few more paintings with the flowers but alas, time beats everything before I get to paint the next and the flower couldn't beat the tropical weather here! Next step? I think I will either move to Holland, or plant some here in a cold room! 

A MOTHER'S LOVE

This Mother's Day I collaborated with Newo Digital (a sub company of Tencent) at Shanghai to create a short clip for Tencent QQ Messenger to celebrate mother's day and also to promote QQ's new sound recording function now available in its Mobile chatroom app. The 10 images narrates the relationship between a mother and daughter from the daughter's birth to adulthood using only watercolor and flowers. I shall not describe too much of the details and let you do the interpretation. Looking back at this series, I think it looks like a silent drama that depicts the chronicles of a mother's life.

A huge thank you to Kevin and Celine from Tencent. I was supposed to fly to Shanghai for this project but due to my really tight schedule, we decided for an overseas collaboration instead. For two weeks, day and night, we use QQ Messenger to discuss and communicate about everything. From sketches, types of flowers, storyboard, scripting etc, this project would have never be done without QQ.

A big thank you to all the love and support all the way from China. And after much requests, I have created a Weibo account! I am still struggling with all the functions here and there, but I will update often there as well!

Last but not least, I made this as a gift for my mother and all the mommas around the world. Happy Mother's Day and much love. 

SAPPHIRE

Sapphire, Blue Eustoma and Watercolour on Paper

This is by far my favorite piece of all I have done. I have never worn a cobalt blue dress before so this is really an exception! I have a denim dress but that doesn't really count. The petals look like ombré dyed fabric and form lovely layer of blue gradients. This is created with a more free style arrangement so there isn't much planning beforehand, just playing around until I get the best prom girl. 

I guess I am weak for full gowns! Aren't you?

P/S: My buddy Kevin from Shanghai just helped me set up a new Weibo account to spread some floral love to China! And there are a few exciting upcoming overseas projects which I can't wait to share with you all!

EASTER CHICKS

Easter Chicks, Yellow roses and watercolor on paper

I believe it is harder to make things simpler. It is really easy to complicate things. When I was in college, the lecturer always emphasize how important it is to always find a balance between harsh strokes and smooth blends in a painting. 'Less is more', now this is hard to achieve and it takes years for me not to over stack my brushstrokes.

The white space is such an important element to my latest works. It leaves a viewer its own space imagination to think further of the subject matter. Something can be there. And there might be nothing there. I have to credit this strong influence to Chinese ink paintings as well. I learnt a year or two of Chinese ink paintings and I never look at paintings and other things the same way. Western and Eastern art have really different philosophies and there's nothing as a 1 point perspective in a chinese ink painting. And believe me, my Shifu taught me nothing else but chicks, frogs and bamboo that entire year. That's how hard it is and I am still far from mastering these few even until today.

Not only in space, but I tried to retain nature's form at its most original and challenge myself to use lesser materials in an artwork. For these two chicks, I am using only two yellow roses, and a few strokes of watercolor. From now on, you will see the rose as a perky butt!

And that's more than enough. Happy Easter!

STAMPED

World of Stamps,  my brother's old stamps

These stamps were collected by my brother when we were young. Two months ago, my brother got a teaching job at an Australian university and he has since migrated there. He wanted me to keep his old stamp albums. I miss him more than but using these stamps to create a world map somehow makes me feel nearer to him. 

This stamped world map was also made during #whpsentbymail. It gives me a great inspiration for the next project I could start doing. This project too, brings great meaning as snail mail is slowly replaced by the internet and collecting stamps is a long lost hobby almost forgotten by this century. I am thinking if it's possible for me to collect stamps from countries over the world, rekindling the old hobby, and to make a huge world map. Snail mailing, hand written letters and stamps are the very first few things that connects the world in one. But I might need help from friends all over the world, so let's see how it goes. 

P/S: And spot the hidden vintage Mickey!

THE FULL WARDROBE

The Full Wardrobe, roses and watercolour on paper

One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art. -Oscar Wilde

EUSTOMA

Flutterby. Pink Eustoma and watercolor on paper

My newfound love: Eustoma. It is such an unusual flower as compared to others. From green to yellow to pink or purple it changes its petal colors, As a result, the flower forms layers of gradients it adds a whole new dimension to the stalk, or in my case, gown. 

There are times I am hesitant when it comes to arranging the flowers to form the dress. I can't decide which is best, a short dress or a long gown, with or without leaves, etc. In this case, I will try out lots of combinations, like playing clothes fitting for your paper doll, take a picture of it, and you have much time to decide later on.

LUPITA

Lupita, Blue dyed roses and watercolor on paper

"No matter where you're from, your dreams are valid."- Lupita Nyong'o 

 I just spent last weekend watching the achingly beautiful 12 Years a Slave by director Steve McQueen. Here's a pastel blue gown Lupita Nyong'o wore to receive her Oscars for her role Patsey in the movie. Truly deserving, shining inside out. Lupita is one whose contagious smile and radiant character I have never seen in the entertainment industry. I am officially fangirling her!

This piece was made using three blue dyed roses to portray Lupita's Prada gown. And that hairband, so simple yet so chic it completes everything, don't you think so?