February 2019 - Skye Soon - A Little Space

Been a bit stressed out lately, but here is my attempt to continue my practice in mindfulness, by jotting down little stories of moments that gave me comfort. I've had a few animal encounters recently, and they really cheer me up!

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being lifted by animal friends

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I was feeling rather frazzled that afternoon, after being busy the entire morning on who-knows-what. Then I got to pet a big fluffy dog. Just touching his fur and knowing that he was simply happy to see me made me feel a whole lot better. I felt my worries melt away, like how people always describe it in books. Thank you, you lovely doggo.

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Another time we were on our way home and this white little smiley dog came to us. She was excited and joyful to meet us. Her owner said, "She likes people, don't worry she doesn't bite." It's a warm feeling, akin to when a baby smiles at you for no reason.They just accept you for who you are.

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I own a fighting fish. In the recent months he has become quite cheeky and greedy when it comes to feeding time. When he sees my finger hovering above his tank, he jumps as high as he can. It's rather funny to play with him and I often laugh. I know I'm lucky to have a fish that is responsive.

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Children's storybooks often depict chicks to go "cheep, cheep." It's a surreal moment when you connect Western tales and nursery stories into your daily life. I mean, "Old MacDonald had a farm..." How many people own actual animal farms in Singapore?

Someone I know had a hen that laid eggs, and some hatched into little chicks. For weeks they just went "cheep, cheep," softly and constantly. It was rather gentle and cute actually. So different from their loud, brash parents who crow as loud as they can. I can only imagine what life on a farm must be like, knowing the sounds of animals so intimately and certainly, rather than in a disconnected way through English words like "Quack" and "Woof".

Thanks for bringing some gentle joy into my day.

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This one isn't about an animal friend. I had a rather fitful sleep interspersed with coughs. While being sick I just feel weak, and do little but lie in bed. Sometimes I drift off to sleep, but most of the time I'm stuck in my own mind, trying to figure out life, but everything seems like a Gordian knot. That night, I dreamt of strange new places and how I lived in a house with a shutter like a shopfront. The next morning, I found a little sprout from seeds I planted earlier in the week. It seemed like a good way to start the day. The discovery made me smile.

Seeds are little mystery packages of joy. You never know when exactly they will begin to sprout, and how they shoot up so quickly in the thick of the night.

Hello there

Hoping you have a wonderful weekend ahead! May your days be free of worry and anxiety, don't let the stress get you down! I hope you will find little moments of comfort in your daily life too.

Love,

Skye

Heya lovelies!

Today's post will be about some questions I've been getting.

Does this blog make money?

Currently, this site has made a grand total of 3 cents, with the help of Google Adsense. LOL! I guess maybe we will earn a couple more cents if people click the ads on the site. So I guess the answer is yes, but honestly the amount is so tiny it's really laughable.

Do you have a day job?

Yes of course! It's difficult to survive in Singapore without one. My day job helps me to pay bills and allows me to pursue my different hobbies in my spare time.

What happened to your music?

Well, I can no longer crank out any sad songs because I'm really happy in my relationship 😂. Guess it's pretty true that sad/angsty artists make the best stuff. I mean, look at how Avril's music turned pink and happy! A far cry from her previous two albums.
I tried to write songs again, of course, but all that came out was cheesy, corny stuff. I'm hoping it's like what Ed Sheeran says, that you need to write and write and write until all the crap comes out and the good stuff starts flowing.

Meanwhile, I post mini covers on Instagram, do some gigs here and there, and busk on the streets. Busking has been a wonderful experience thus far. It really warms my heart when people stop to talk to me and tell me encouraging things, or when little children dance to your music. Also, I get to sing whatever I like, in whatever style I like. I love the freedom of that.

I have also picked up my violin again, and even participated in a small Christmas concert! So I guess I'm still enjoying and playing music, after all.

I do eventually want to make original music again, but right now I feel like it's a good time to update my skills, especially my guitar playing 😂.

Why do you blog?

I have been messing around with websites and blogs since I was Primary 6. I stopped blogging for a while because I lost focus. Before restarting this blog, I also struggled with myself as I have become a more private person as I aged, and blogging about my life would run counter to that. However, once I envisioned this website to be more of a tiny magazine rather than a me-me-me influencer* kind of blog, I found that I could breathe easier. I really just wanted a platform to share cool things with people, hence all the features, guides and the cheesy tag line, 'Share the Wonder'.

(* Yes, I know it's ironic cause my website is literally my name. But lol I bought this domain a long time ago when I was more active in music and wanted a website. Keeping it as my name also keeps the blog from being TOO professional. We want to stay close to our casual, keep-it-real roots. So forgive me if my website sounds narcissistic already from the get-go, won't you?)

One good thing about restarting my blog is that I really start to see more wonder in the world. You also want to start projects or get out of the house more so that you can blog about that (ie. baking experiments, going out to meet people or experience new food). It's a great motivator, driven by the single need of having to create.

So nope, it's not for the fame (I feel a bit too old for that), nor the money (there isn't much money.) I just need to express myself and share info with others.

Do you draw the illustrations and gifs on your blog? How do you make them?

Yes, I do! It was one of my resolutions to learn how to gif. For drawing, I'm currently using a cheap $5 stylus from Qoo10 to draw on my phone, with the help of the app Adobe Sketch. Then I send them to my computer, where I turn them into gifs on Photoshop. Just google tutorials on that for more detailed guides on how to do so.

And that concludes my short FAQ section. Cheerios!

Love,
Skye

Hey lovelies!

Valentine's day is just round the corner, and I wanted to share some cute stories with ya!

I don't know about you, but I'm a real sucker for sweet love stories, whether they're real, happened in an anime, or from a Korean drama. When reading online stories though, overseas stories just don't cut it. I prefer AZN things that I could relate to!

And thus, this post. I collected some sweet and real couple stories from my friends and their friends to share with you. We're all based in Singapore! So I hope you'll enjoy this piece, and maybe have an 'aww!' moment or two!

❤️ “It’s a family tradition that we have dinner every Friday at my gramps. Sometimes, I end work too late to go. But my boyfriend makes it a point to be there, even when I can’t make it. He ends up spending hours chatting with my gramps.”

❤️ "My boyfriend and I had a really bad fight over the phone one night. It was horrible. The next morning, he called me and asked me to look out from the window. He was downstairs, doing this:

It was like a Korean drama where they go, "Sarang hae!" I laughed and we made up."

❤️ "My friend and I were coming home from Korea. My boyfriend was there at the airport to send me home, and he brought not one, but TWO cups of bubble tea! One for me and one for my friend. She was completely won over."

❤️ “My boyfriend is a sailor. From time to time, he gets activated for long deployments. Whenever that happens, I create mini countdown calendars that fit in my wallet so that I can tear off the days to when he returns. We also write mini notebooks for each other. Think of it like a Dear Diary, but to each other. And we exchange them when he gets back.”

❤️ "After getting together with my boyfriend, I was really surprised when I found out that he had the same shoes as me! I don't think this is a very common shoe too. The funniest thing is, he was more excited about the couple shoes than I was."

Couple shoes! It must be fate.

❤️ "We were on an overseas trip. I woke up in the morning and went to the toilet, where he was already brushing his teeth. But I didn't find my toothbrush in the holder. Instead, it was placed on the sink rack, with toothpaste already squeezed on it! I couldn't believe that someone would actually be so sweet to prepare my toothbrush for me. It's truly the little things that matter :')"

❤️ "I knew he was the one when he peeled a prawn for me without me asking!"

Because I also find you super a-peel-ing.

❤️ "On Valentine's day, my boyfriend sent me a huge bouquet of roses. He also sent my mother, my sister, my grandmother, and my helper roses too. Needless to say, he's quite popular at home."

❤️ "It was midnight in Taiwan and he went out to 7-11 to get pads for me. I was so touched!"

❤️ "On my carnival day during secondary school, I saw my school crush walking in the rain. So I ran to her, and gave her my umbrella. Later I ran back to my friends who all screamed at me because now we only had two umbrellas for eight of us. 😂"

❤️ "He bought me THE Dyson Airwrap for my birthday. I couldn't believe it since it was sold out everywhere!"

❤️ “My boyfriend leaves post-it notes for me on random occasions. It could be a simple ‘I love you’, ‘Remember to eat!’ or ‘Drink more water.’ He’ll hide these in places I’ll access often - like on my E-Z link card, in my wallet or in between my laptop. so I’ll definitely see it at the start of my day.”

❤️ "One time I dropped my necklace into the toilet bowl 😂. I was pretty grossed out by it, but he fished it out for me, no hesitation at all. I think he really is a hero, as cheesy as it sounds."

❤️ "My boyfriend proposed to me last year. The ring fit me perfectly! I asked him about it and it turned out that he had a whole plan to measure my ring size. On our overseas trip a while back, he slipped a cable tie around my finger when I was sleeping. Apparently, I stirred a little in my sleep and he thought I knew what he was up to, and he was so sad about it! But I was truly asleep. He then took the cable tie back to the jeweller's in Singapore. The proposal was a successful surprise!"

If you like it, put a cable tie on it.

Tip: If you want to try this to get her ring size, don't pull the cable tie to the end, of course! When at the jeweller's, adjust the ring size to be a little tighter since the cable tie can still slip off her finger.

And that's all for this Valentine's day special! I hope you enjoyed reading the stories, because I sure had lots of fun gathering them!

Do you have any sweet stories to share? Leave a comment below, I'll love to hear from you!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Love,

Skye

Hi lovelies! In the month of February, I am really excited to interview Victoria Moey, or @plate.to.paper as our Featured Artist of the month. Victoria is a Singapore based illustrator and graphic designer that makes gorgeous food illustrations, which often evoke nostalgia or leave you feeling really hungry!

Let's jump in!

Hi there! Please introduce yourself.

Hi, my name is Victoria Moey. I’m a Singaporean artist who paints a lot of food, and is also old enough to start seeing SK-II ads on YouTube now. Thanks for having me!

It's our pleasure! You run the popular Instagram account, @plate.to.paper where you illustrate food. How did this start?

To be honest I never really considered food illustration a “thing” in itself until two years ago or so. I’d been working as a graphic designer all this time so I’ve always seen artwork as something to be created to fulfil a brief. At that time I was working in a design agency, but instead of designing, I was asked to create the paintings for a new line of biscuits that Julie’s was releasing. I enjoyed the process so much that I just started painting the food around me, and that’s how Plate to Paper started.

Victoria's illustration for Julie's, a popular biscuit brand in Singapore and Malaysia.

Watercolour work on delicious looking sandwiches!

How did you get into your craft? Was there a pivotal moment that helped you decide on your path?

I’ve always been doing work with my hands, whether it was drawing, painting, sewing or making model kits with my brothers. By a small miracle I got poached into the Media Club in secondary school, and I always say that that was the pivotal moment because it cemented my path going into art and design. Since then, I’ve been a moderately popular manga-style artist (by early 2000s standards). I got my diploma at Temasek Polytechnic and my degree in Australia. I then came back to Singapore to try and make my living as a graphic designer. This led to the event I mentioned earlier, and here I am today. It was the first assignment I took that didn’t feel like “work”.

Painting isn’t my only path now though, I wear a number of different hats. Painting, designing, videography and film, even leather craft. I get bored easily so this is my way of productively combining my interests and skills.

One of Victoria's creative hobbies, leather craft.

Could you describe your art style and process, and reason behind your choice of medium?

At the moment, I’m pretty much painting my subjects as I see them in real life, as boring as it sounds. This is just my way of appreciating design details of the subject I’m painting. As for choosing watercolour as my medium, it was the thing I had easiest access to at the time. Acrylics can be really frustrating, and gouache was intimidating for me, though I’m beginning to really enjoy it now.

On the subject of style, having come from a design background, constraining myself to one particular style is something I’m not precious about. I’ll have a go at anything. Experimentation is what keeps the art fun for me; my style is still a work in progress.

Illustration of Dahfa dried fish strips, a common snack found in Singapore and often mistaken as 'dried cuttlefish'.

Kushiyaki, Japanese grilled skewers. Mmm...can you smell them?

One of Victoria's cheery experiments with gouache.

Are there any memorable moments online? What is it like to be an Instagram artist? What are your favourite things about it?

I was conversing with a client (@decadenttreats_ng) from Nigeria late last year. She had found me on Instagram (among all the other great food artists out there, talk about a miracle). I showed her the Julie’s packaging I’d done. The next day she sent me a photo of the exact product in her local supermarket. It had made its way from Malaysia and Singapore all the way to Nigeria!

Social media can be a double-edged sword, but Instagram has been a great tool to connect with fellow artists, make new friends and connect with old ones. As much as I’m trying to limit my time on it, it’s also given me more motivation to go out and “have a life”, it’s a bit ironic.

Who and what are some of your art inspirations or influences?

I’ve always admired the work of Holly Exley (@hollyexley_illustration), a British illustrator who does a lot of food and wildlife illustrations. Her style is vibrant and crisp, with a graphic quality. I also greatly enjoy the works of Tuan Nini (@tuannini) and Justine Wong (@patternsandportraits). They paint their subjects with great sensitivity, while retaining their liveliness.

How does an idea for your art come about? How do you stay inspired?

Luckily in Singapore we live in a food paradise. There’s no shortage of inspiration when it comes to food. I’ll paint something if it’s artistically amusing, or if it’s connected to my own experiences.

Travelling is also a great source of material!

I was in Oji, Japan during New Year's Eve. There was a parade near the Inari Shrine and locals dressed in fox themed costumes. The atmosphere was amazing! I bought some cute fox mascot senbei when I was there, and later illustrated it.

Fox Senbei from Oji, Japan. Senbei is a type of Japanese rice cracker snack.

Victoria's illustration of the cute senbei she bought!

I’ve also made it a point this year to visit the Botanic Gardens a few times a week. I’ve always loved flowers, so this was a great chance for me to reconnect with that. It’s been nothing short of inspiring. I might start my first botanical paintings soon!

One of the many beautiful flowers spotted on Victoria's adventures in the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

What are some projects that you are currently excited to work on? Could you share more about them with us?

Currently I’m painting my own childhood snacks. Of course, this is nothing new in the Singapore scene, and some would call the subject overdone, including me. I’m doing this more for myself than anyone else, but I’m glad that there are many people who seem to enjoy them. I find the design sense of the past really interesting, and painting the snacks allows me to really observe them properly, and give them a ‘second life’. Younger me just ate them without a care for design, haha!

A collection of illustrated childhood snacks from Singapore, including Hello Panda, Super Ring and Pola Snack.

How about telling us about one of your favourite past projects or commissions, and why you found it fun or memorable?

I think my project with Decadent Treats last year was really something special. To give an idea physical form, and watching it change the lives of not just my client, but the people around her; it really gave me a sense of pride. I never get tired of seeing the packaging work in her stories. I also get really hungry, because her cakes look so good!

Watercolour style obi strips for client's cake packaging.

What is one thing you wish people knew about artists?

I can only really speak for myself, but people should know that an artist’s time is worth as much as anyone else’s. Paying for artistic work seems to be an afterthought for a lot of people. For example, they are more than happy to pay for a T-shirt to be printed, but aren’t usually as keen to pay the artist who designed it, weird isn’t it? There is a cost to everything, whether it’s in consumables like paper and paint, or in wear and tear of equipment, so I hope more people can understand that, and not baulk at the thought of having to pay for art.

Do you have any advice for artists, especially for those in Singapore?

I’ve talked to other artist friends, and they tell me this; people respond better to their art when they sense a true sincere passion for the subject. I’ve experienced this too. So my advice is to find what’s not necessarily just popular or trendy, but something you can really put your heart into. It will give you the motivation to keep going and hone your craft.

Thank you so much for your time, Victoria!

Thank you for having me!

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Do check out Victoria's wonderful art in the links below! You can view her works, including her paintings of Ghibli food or her mouthwatering work on Japanese cuisine. Also follow her on Instagram and participate in her sticker giveaways, and stay tuned for more news on her store!

Victoria Moey / plate.to.paper
Instagram: @plate.to.paper
Website: https://www.vicmoey.com
Facecbook: Vic Moey Illustration

I hope you've enjoyed February's interview! Till next time!

Love,
Skye