another two books made 

(pictures soon)

The Fifth World- A Pinata World

Just sent a proposal for Soft floaty to edit and combine with the rest's for a group proposal.

had probs formulating it and called professor to double check the requirements for the objectives for our work.


The Fifth World- A Pinata World

My views of today's society of decadence is inspired by personal encounters in daily life. With the use of pinatas to represent the fifth world and worms as symbolism of the rotten characteristics in everyone, i challenge myself to paint a picture of the near future.

Having lived in Singapore for 2 decades, i have seen huge changes to the environment at great expanse of Mother Nature. Leaders of the nation(i shan't give names) are constantly trying to promote Singapore as a Garden City, a Biomedical Hub, an Asian Art Hub and etc. , a feat that can never work in a society filled with filth.

Why strive for hypocrisy of a reputation that is not "Uniquely Singapore" when the focus ought to be on correcting the locals' attitudes?

So put away all the cranes and bulldozers and cement mixers already! Stop all the upgrading! The society is ill, and decaying. The fifth world is all set and ready to be broken apart, like a beautiful trophy pinata filled with rotten sweets.

what turns you off is what turns me on.

what's wrong with eating beetroot??!?!@ .  there is nothing wrong with eating beetroot.  if it's the colour that turns u off then oh well just go away.  

last night, my friends were talking about how smelly the beetroot i had for dinner was, and told me the remnants on the plate looked like bluberry jam spread.  

but to me, the beetroot is health food great for detox.  and the magenta colour it produces is so wonderfully rich.   i love beetroot

is this why i cant get a guy?  well probably. 

proposal

i have to write my proposal by today so that softfloaty can get it by sunday.  schedule's tight.  i like hanging out with old friends from our alma mata.  

BUT i don't know how to start and i am procrastinating... been doing that for weeks.  the new decision about forth gallery somehow intimidates me.   it's like a real gallery space we're gonna set up out works at. and i find that i haven't prepared myself for the news.  i had thought of a low budget place for a first exhibition, but now it seems so grand!  i now feel that my works could pull the group down as it's quite unconventional and somehow out of this world.  i also find that my works might not work in such a space... and my concept too direct and too simple and under developed... ARGH

and i think i haven't got indepth research yet! 

EX-comD

i was talking to sonny about the setting up of the gallery and he is in. so is watercolour boy from my ex comd class.  

YES I AM EX-COMD!!! hehehe and school's starting in 4 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

sonny informed me to be in school at 10am... but hey... I AM GONNA REACH SCHOOL AT 8!!! and prepare so many things to do whilst waiting for the studioland's gates to be open!!! SO EXCITED !!! 

handmade books for my friendst

i love my friends.  that's why i love to spend lots of time making things for them because i find that for me,there's nothing else i can do to put a smile on their faces.  I find that handmade stuff is more sincere and one of a kind which is a way to let them know that they are special to me.  

after the visit to the gallery, i was too early to meet

 them.  with alot of touching up to do, i stopped by art friend(because the orchard mrt's popular had already been evacuated) to get an eraser(i got three different kinds at under $1.50! what a bargain) to rid the dirt on the white book covers.  here, working at the circus paid off.  i used the tricks i learnt to repair the paper wrapped book covers and they looked good as new.  

once i got my loot, i raced to the ladies, where i comfortably sat in a cubicle, and started to make amendments.  the decadry i took pains to burnish on the books failed badly. i managed to make them work after a few attempts.  then, i had to spray a layer of lacquer in order to fix them, as well as to create a protection against wear and tear and dust.  

it was quite tough to be discreet.  i had to wait till someone flushes before i hit the nozzil of the lacquer spray.  and it was when i grew tired that i realised i could flush my own toilet bowl with a handy button behind me, which made things faster.  soon, the cubicle was pungent with intoxication. that caused some passersby to comment in hokkien, " hey what's that smell?  smells like car petrol! so smelly!" soon after, i heard a man's voice and i was quite nervous and making up thoughts of being captured by the swat team for attempting to make a bomb in the cubicle in takashimaya and suicide bomb myself... but it turned out to be nothing hehe!

here's me in the ladies with the books.

Trasnah gallery's pioneer batch

went to visit the potential gallery space that has been much talked about.  i was 1 hour late in meeting the trasnah boss.  told them that i thought i left my ezlink card at home when it was wedged between my handmade books.  he was rather nice despite my misconduct.  

here's the view from the entrance

through the door

artist studio

backyard to do spray jobs, drilling, 

sawing...dirty messy work

here are some pics of the space.  our task is to organize a pioneer committee to plan the running of the gallery, the interior design, placement of art, contribution of works, pool of exhibitors, how to go about with shows, planning of POPs ... we don't have to worry about publicity because trasnah's coporate side will do its bid to push sales of ALL artworks exhibited. 

here are the terms:  

1)you don't have to be an art student or artist

2)you don't have to pay for the gallery space

3)you have to be a matured teenager (don't want old artists)

4)you set the price of your work.  the gallery will evaluate and if it thinks that they can push the sale at a higher price, you will get what you proposed and the gallery will make cash from the difference.  and 5% of your earnings will go to charity

        A)(eg. you set $400.  gallery thinks it can sell your work at $500.  work is sold and you get $400(proposed) while the gallery earns $100(difference) and $20 will go to charity(5% of earnings)

this could also be the scenario...

       B(eg.you set $400.  gallery thinks it can sell your work at $1000. work is sold and you get $400(proposed) while the gallery earns $600(difference) and $20 will go to charity(5% of earnings)

this could also be the scenario...

        C(eg. you set $400.  gallery thinks it can only push your work to sell at $450.  work is sold and you get $400(proposed) while the gallery earns $50(difference) and $20 will go to charity(5% of earnings)

this could also be te scenario...

         D(eg. you set $400.  gallery thinks it can sell your work at $500.  after a month of advertising and blah blah, work still can't be sold. gallery  re-evaluates and sells it at $450.  still no sales and gallery negotiates with artist to sell it at $200.  work is sold and you get $200.  gallery gets $0 and $10 goes to charity(5% of earnings)

5)about four charities will benefit from the donation ( HIV, Yellow ribbon project...)

6)works have to undergo boss's green light before being put up

7)advertising is all done for so no worries

8) the boss assures that all work WILL sell through trasnah publicity and road shows alongside prisonmates' works. 

9)artist studio can be used by contributing artists during free time(its our space!)

10)contributing artists will not be paid if they come back to do organization planning or to do own work and experimentations ( only paid if work sells)

11)old items like lamp stands and wooden pieces can be used for reworking to be made into installations or other forms of artwork.  anyone can come and make sth outta it, quote a price and if it sells, the cash goes into ur pocket, and its the same as point 4) just that some raw materials are provided already for recycling into sellable works.

dunno what else to add ... anyone wants to contribute in the planning committee or even put up works please contact me !!! due in 2 weeks. 

bookbinding again

i'm finally done with the book binding.  

here's the floor with extra booklets that

 were not used.  

here are two of the books i made.  purple one 

for eheh and grey one for priest

now my floor feels kind of rough coz spraymount flew down upon it. 

schedules and tumeric

this is like due for a few weeks.  mr barney had mentioned about making origami frogs and i finally found a site that acts as a refresher.  my godma used to fold it for me when i was a little girl.  

HOW TO MAKE A JUMPING FROG

and professor spoke to me about making origami roses and i happened to chance upon this while searching for the frog.  not sure if she's talking about this.

Things are getting quite jammed packed and i wrote out my schedule on sunday because i actually forgot about the 5th world meeting as i was too engaged in Raisa's party.  

Today was meant for work and gallery visiting -after work take yellow bunny to the furor space before the exhibition ends, then to school to check out the ISEA exhibits, then to Fancy Papers to get the required covers for xmas/bday/xmas presents for my old and new friends i met at the party. 

however, i don't have work because they didn't need extra help as the kids are still on summer holiday and only a few were coming. And wanita who smsed the gallery's owner told us that if we wanted to visit, we would have to ask ellephante to open the door for us from 10.30am to 2.30pm(which is too early) or wait for wanita to end work and meet us at 8 plus(which is too late). therefore meeting with yellow bunny is cancelled.  Raisa and Aurora needed some space- raisa had to meet uni friends and aurora wanted time with her fiance so i cant crash their houses. So now i'll have to leave the soon to get papers. Have to finish biding about 12 books or more by tonight to get all geared up to meet them again tml.  

was watching rachael ray's talkshow and she said to sprinkle a little tumeric into your food to relieve muscle ache- how appropriate for mr barney.

Turmeric is a underground stem of a ginger-like plant. It is grown in India, China, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Java, Peru, Australia and the West Indies. It is a bright yellow spice with a pungent flavor.

Turmeric is a mild digestive, a stimulant, and a carminative. It has healing and antiseptic properties. In India powdered turmeric is used Beauty recipes as a cosmetic to improve complexion. Photo estrogens present in turmeric are helpful in protection against breast cancer. It is used in treating arthritis due to its anti-inflammatory property. It is beneficial in reducing blood cholesterol,ulcers, dysentery, sore throats, etc. Curcumin that gives the yellow color to turmeric can inhibit the growth of melanoma cancer cells and cause cancer cells to self-destruct, according to a recent study (2005) carrie out by the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Turmeric is always used in ground form. The powder will maintain its colouring properties indefinitely though the flavour will diminish over time so buy in moderation.

An important spice for many vegetable curries, rice preparation and other dishes. In some part of India, turmeric root is used to make a tasty vegetable dish. It is a most important spice in Indian recipes. 

Most common uses 

1)relieves anxiety and stress

2)helps in anorexia, flatulence, painful & sluggish digestion, liver congestion, stimulates gall bladder, inestinal paracites, may aid paptic ulcers

3)helpful in relieving arthritis, muscle aches & pains as well as rheumatism pains

4)increse sexual desire

5)may be antitumoral on uterine cancers

6)relieves physical and mental depression

7)especially severely depressed ; aids with realizing one's potentials, increasing desire for changes;anguish, fear 

actas as insect repellant, wounds and dermatosis

8)used in skin treatments in massage oils or creams

i have been book binding again.  today : 5 books b5 size

The fifth World: meeting 3

reality only hit me after wanita told the professor, "Cya in school on Monday!" during the parting of the gang.  

SCHOOL IS GONNA START ON MONDAY WHICH IS A WEEK AWAY!!! 

soft floaty didn't turn up for meeting today because she had OT.  and to summarize the meeting, the shortest one ever, we've decided Forth Gallery as our no.1 choice for our show.  and this makes me nervous.  our budget would have to be doubled but the terms for exhibition is very reasonable and very very good.  publicity wouldn't be an issue and refreshments for the opening will be covered.  

ARGHHHHHHHHH what i fear now is my works... dealing with worms is not a simple issue that anyone can accept... who wants worms crawling all over in ur gallery?! 

sometimes i fear my works are too extreme(hey u haven't seen the most awesome and extreme artists yet lah! compared to their's mine is so damn mild!) for society to accept.  But that is the provocative attitude that i want to put across in what i do to create impact.  but how acceptable can the impact be?  sigh.  the fears that i have in the art world.  i'm scared.

had to paint this for Raisa because we celebrated her birthday today!!!!!!!!!!! met new fun nice guys and caught up with my friendssssssss girl friends and yayness had fun playing taboo nfiladfoi;jweoifhharei

(pictures soon)

anyway its a damn coincidence that i happened to chance upon this on facebook.  i hate facebook but wanted to try to poke today's friends using superpoke coz i dunno what that is and happened to SEE PHOTOS OF ME TAKEN BY OTHER PPL AND ALAMAK... this was what i was doing on my birthday. 

i look pathetic man... didnt even know ppl were taking pics of me like a sleeping monkey at the zoo sia.... how awesome yah? 

i think i fell asleep after helping onn paint her assessment space's floor pale yellow a day before her assessment while waiting for it to dry.

history of the pinata

A pinata for you to  make

 

just came back from furor space

taught the 4 kids i have in class how to do simple monster pop up pictures.  these are some of them(will put them up when i have the pics transferred)

had some yong tau foo before taking a bus down to smu to meet up with fairy and yellowzebra and wonka dude and fairy's friend Yael

furor space's first time having a moderated discussion. something new.  new audience. renovated.  new artists. new works too. good job to wanita.  

disappointing man.  no titles no labels.  no justice done to the artist who created the works.  after hearing what the owners had to say about works put up in the furor space, i understand why the works in general are of low standards.  mostly, works being put up are very underdeveloped.  it seems that the arists don't push themselves to break the glass ceiling because there is no glass ceiling.  

intepretation of underground is off.  and it is so singaporean to just use a certain name to describe something that the word doesn't define- resulting in being slammed in debate.  to me underground art is art that is taboo to public and requires a secret space for a niche to be put up for.  your work is not underground art only because the place is not very well publicised and it just accepts young artists works just because they;ve got no other avenue to exhibit them because they are amateur works.  like what one of the peoples from the floor said during the discussion- it seems like anyone can be artists and you don;t have to go to an art school to produce an art piece.

i certainly agree that the idea of art by most people is at its innocence. i myself is one of them.  and i blame it on education system of this fifth world that i live in.  governed by academics which art is not part of.  

 blah blah blah 

writing this all in point form. no time.  alot of things going on keep forgetting stuff.  

artist research : martyn see and alfian saat

comparing prices of canvases and blah blah blah art stuff i love needlework tools buttons brats beads .......

nskidscamp group photos

teaching mayuko

finishing touches to her canvas- waves in renoir's style.  

tuesday-sky in van gogh's style

wednesday-mountains in monet's style

thursday-trees in seuret's style

went noting down prices of art materials at various places today.  feel very much like a poor artist starting out because i had only 40c on me.  felt a tinge of hungry but couldn't afford anything.  and i had to window shop from turf city to bras basah's art friend and popular to daiso then last stop at spotlight.  i was so urgent i couldn't afford the 10c charge for toilet fees at bras basah and had to walk all the way to NLB.  So broke i couldn't pay the fines for my books and hence was unable to borrow books that interest me.  And pathetically, the borrowing section of the library had 0 books on the artist Piet Mondrian.  

i am very much in love with buttons, beads and ba....................

been thinking of ideas whilst walking around.  have to start painting soon, work on my first canvas for my work for the new gallery that's gonna come up.  then see the response to my works in my style.  usually lecturers in school tell me not to develop my own style yet coz i am still learning so as to be receptive to critics and improvements to my works.  but i believe i have a certain liking and preference to choice of materials and usage of certain shapes and elements of design  in what i have done through0ut the years......................

kids were great today. got good feedback again about handling the kids.  seems like i can get along and get to the naughtier kids better than the other main teachers there.  for some reason i can't quite comprehend. ....... 

just read mails.  there's this club 21 window display competition going on think i might wanna try it if the terms are applicable to my schedule.  also the guy in charge of the blogging thingy for biennale reminded me in a mail that a mass meeting was held on wed.  well i guess i missed it because i was too busy.  and sminth and floaty seem to be quite interested in forth gallery(ALAMAK SO EX) but the terms are quite good.  maybe i might change my perspectives about first exhibitions being small scale instead of grand.  

oh here it is .  will put it up first. then read it tml.  no time sia i need to plan for tml's lesson. 

WINDOW TO WONDER — ART OF THE T
Store Window Design Competition
Jointly organised by Singapore Biennale and Club 21 Singapore

Club 21 Singapore invites all tertiary art and design school students to propose creative concepts for the “Window To Wonder — Art Of The T” store window design competition. The seven top submissions will grace the windows of Singapore’s premier fashion destinations, including Club 21 Men (Four Seasons Singapore), Kids 21 (Forum The Shopping Mall), and Blackjack (Forum The Shopping Mall).

Club 21 vouchers totalling SGD3,800, an exclusive Club 21 internship and passes to the Singapore Biennale are among the prizes on offer.

“Art Of The T” is Club 21’s initiative to complement the Singapore Biennale. Paying homage to the universal T-shirt, “Art Of The T” comprises — in addition to this competition — an art installation and guerrilla store at the Biennale Containart Pavilion, as well as the design and sponsorship of the official Biennale T-shirt.

Participants to the Window to Wonder competition should interpret how the T-shirt, once a utilitarian undergarment, has today become a canvas for design and art in popular culture.

Club 21 Singapore is a preferred sponsor of the Singapore Biennale 2008.

The Grand Prize Winner will be picked by a public vote.

The closing date to the “Window To Wonder — Art Of The T” competition is
11 August 2008.

COMPETITION DETAILS

I. Entry Guidelines

1. We seek original interpretations of the theme “Window To Wonder — Art Of The T”. Proposed concepts may or may not feature T-shirts supplied by Club 21 (subject to stock availability); and should be for a window (L) 317cm x (W) 99cm x (HT) 227cm.

2. To find out more about Club 21, visit www.club21global.com

3. Participants — single or in a group of maximum 5 persons — can register for this competition by sending an email to education@singaporebiennale.org with the subject heading: Club 21 Competition Registration, with your name, school and contact number. An email will be sent to you with contest submission details.

4. Registration starts 18 July 2008 and proposals must be submitted by 11 August 2008.
5. Artwork proposal submissions in 3D or marker rendering should be mounted on an A2-size board and accompanied with a 50-word rationale.

6. Entries must be submitted to Club 21 Pte Ltd, 583 Orchard Road, 07-01 Forum, Singapore 238884, Attention: Ms Jacqueline Tan. All entries received become the property of Club 21.

7. Closing date for submission is 6pm, 11 August 2008.


II. Finalists: Selection Process

1. Club 21 will select 7 short-listed finalists based on originality and creativity. The judges’ decision is final.

2. Finalists will execute their window design proposals at a Club 21 window allocated to them using a maximum budget of SGD800 supplied by Club 21. Any cost exceeding this amount will be borne by the finalists. The windows are located at Club 21 Men (Four Seasons Singapore), Kids 21 (Forum The Shopping Mall) and Blackjack (Forum The Shopping Mall). There will be no choice of windows.

3. The 7 short-listed finalists will be contacted by telephone on 13 August 2008.

4. The 7 short-listed finalists must attend a briefing from the Club 21 Visual Merchandising Department at the Club 21 office on 14 August 2008, 10am –1pm. The briefing will cover project management, budget, material supplies and final installation procedures.

5. Finalists can set up their installation from 29 – 31 August 2008, 9.30am – 6pm.

6. The window installation will be displayed for one month. Finalists must maintain their windows for this period.

7. Club 21 and Singapore Biennale shall reserve the right to approve or reject any submission without assigning any reason thereof.


III. Grand Prize Winner: Selection Process

1. Shoppers can visit any of the three designated stores to cast their votes.

2. Voting period : 1 – 30 September 2008.

3. The Grand Prize Winner will be announced on 1 October 2008 on www.club21global.com


IV. Prizes (Individual and group participants)

One Grand Prize Winner x 1
• Club 21 vouchers worth SGD800
• One-month internship with Club 21 Visual Merchandising Department (for individual winner or team leader in group participation)
• Passes to Singapore Biennale

Finalists x 6
• Club 21 vouchers worth SGD500
• Passes to Singapore Biennale


V. FAQs

Who can participate in this competition?
All tertiary art and design students, local and foreign, can enter this competition.

How many entries can I submit?
Each individual or group entry is allowed only one submission.

How many entries can each school submit?
There is no limit to entries received per school.

Are re-submissions allowed?
Re-submissions are not allowed.

Can I choose the location of the window installation?
No. Club 21 reserves the rights to allocate windows to finalists based on the suitability of the design concept to the store.

What materials can be used?
T-shirts supplied by Club 21 (subject to stock availability) or other materials.

Will I be reimbursed for the cost of submission materials?
No. Submission materials will be borne by the contestants. All submissions become the property of Club 21.

Will the finalist be reimbursed for the cost of window installation materials?
Club 21 will allocate a budget of SGD800 to each finalist (individual or group). Reimbursement will be given upon completion of installation and upon submission of proof of purchase receipts.

POCOYO!

sophia's painting.  its unfinished because her mom came early today to pick her up before she did the pointillism for trees in the foreground.

Mondrian intepretation by tomauto

i've been quite fascinated with the use of masking tape on canvas, influenced by the summer camps i've been assisting in.  Kids painted on canvas and with the use of masking tape, blocked out entirely the areas of their first coat of background colour, only to reveal it after filling in the spaces that it serves to bound. 

this wooden tile(10x10cm, salvaged from a trasnah event) painted by moi is inspired by that, and the colours by piet mondrian. embellishments and textures are by me, because i love using dots, circles and lines to add finishing touches to my work.  

my good friend mum mum chops came over to do painting to me and this is his first abstract masterpiece on cardboard.  this pic is the unfinished work done by him.  we've just gone for supper and i helped him do some touching up coz i can't eat after 8pm.  

think the bottom left white leafy things on my tile are a tad too much.  gonna edit it soon.  sometimes less is more, even with intricate complexed work.

Our own studio?!

robert and i enjoyed teaching the kids today.  bringing forward yesterday's lesson to yishun's outlet, we employed the use of masking tape again.  The results were fantastic, especially for a boy, jefferson's work. everyone placed their tapes at random on their drawing paper, but jefferson did it creatively.  he imagined each tape to be the sides of a road, then added shorter pieces for the dashes on the road, more tape to fence up the parking lot, the traffic lights... 

this is the result: 

(pics next week forgot to take a pic)

talked to the professor after work today and she told me that the boss of Trasnah wants to let us use a rented place at lucky heights to do our wor

k and we can use whatever is there- kind of like an artist residency

but hey ain't that too good to be true.  yar we do work for him but, it cant be that easy right?  There must be an ulterior motive for such a move- he even says we can bring along other lasalle students along... that's according to the professor.  have to find out more details myself.  but not now. 

got more info about the exhibition at NLB.  it's the same thing i participated in last year with Life Art Society, just that i only contributed to the painting of an orchid looking flower on the 1000-ft long chinese painting.  This time i suppose we are able to showcase our works there, with the Trasnah kids work and hopefully someone'll buy it.  Since i am in love with the masking tape i might do a canvas painting with the same concept.  

argh need to speak with him personally.  my sources are not clear themselves.

showed my cousins how to put junk to good use.

these are the coloured acrylic sheets left from the mobile making session during the camp on thursday.  i saved then and used them like sequins as a collage decorative element in the kids' work both yesterday and today.  This is what my cousins did in my sketchbook. 

Jun-ichi Matsumoto in concert with the electone stagea

i've just came back from an electone concert by Jun-Ichi Matsumoto(this postcard is signed)

 and i'm really grateful to mummumchops for taking me to it even though we were in a mess trying to find the venue in the rain.  

If you do not know already, i've been playing the electone ever since i was 6.  played at church when i was 12, played for some school functions in secondary school, had a mini performance at the music school at 17, but that's that.  i can't even say that i've made any mark in the music world, especially in this niche electone community where parents send kids to learn it just to learn a skill(not serious just exposure) or to train them so that there's a job to fall back upon if their kid's career don't work out(my parents).  

however it is rather unfortunate that i've only discovered how naive i was till i switched electone teachers.  i thought i was a really good musician but got slammed badly by the new teacher who taught me a lot, more than my ten years of learning at the school with my previous teacher.  I suffered because even after doing music for a decade, i've failed to master the use of the instrument.  I've failed to attend theory exams, because i wasn't told to.  I never went for concerts to expose myself to the possibilities of styles and ways of playing the electone... 

Imagine i call myself an organist, but do not know how to operate the very machine that's been with me since forever.  it's like a guitarist who can't tune his guitar, a painter who doesn't know how to use linseed oil, a graphic designer who doesn't know his photoshop, a photographer who doesn't know how to use his camera...

It's a handicap that ties you down, and causes u embarassment.  Imagine yourself at 20 and not able to count your 1,2,3 or recite the ABC.  that's how i feel. 

i told mummumchops that i don't want to only be an aspiring artist.  both art and music came into my life together.  I wanna do music too, and we can collaborate in performances.  However i can't with my handicap.  And i am handicapped also because i don't have the right instrument that i want full control of.  That is the Electone stagea over here that Jun-Ichi performed on.  

it costs near $20000.  (damn right?!)

today i learnt someththing about playing.  

1)We don't have to use the rythmn box at all.  

2)we can do a full orchestra on the organ with prerecorded parts

3)the use of sounds to build up atmosphere

you see these are all new to me because of under exposure and i am trained to just sight-read and play from the score.  And for the sounds that accompany the music, we select the 8beat rythmn box and program about 5 sets of lead sounds and the usual strings for the lower keyboard... which is very old school and uncreative.

teachers play a very impt role in learning, esp in a niche area(goes the same for printmaking).  I only realise today that singapore lacks professional musician teachers.  How many electonist actually make it in singapore?  i bet a lot of people don't even know what the electone is.  How many electone teachers are that creative and really qualified to teach the younger generation and people who are as serious as me in music and art? 

I look at myself, as an art teacher- it seems so easy to be qualified, but how good am i really?  am i really doing a good job? am i really inspiring the younger generation the right way?  

so far i've only really written two arrangements with the help of mum mum chops with the programming of drum rythms and the provision of scores.  i hope to do more in the future and come up with some originals in orchestral style, an area that i've never explored before.  

when i get my stagea, i will fiddle and experiment on it so that mum mum chops and i can do a drum and electone performance together.  

abstract art

i hate the kids i teach.  ok la not all but just a few of them.  they can be so damn rude and show no respect.  

a 9 yr old came into class today(she's technically not in my class anymore because she hasn't paid her fees to continue her lessons with me) and slammed two stacks of papers at my table.  i asked her what that was for and she just said " make into book la" without any eye contact at all.  when i told her the news that class will be closed and i might not come back to this outlet to teach because of insufficient students to keep a class going, she just collected the pile, walked out and slammed the door shut.  (WTF!)

anyway, today only 4 students came in, which is quite a pleasant thing to happen for me.  small classes is a no-hassel at all, and class control is A*.  i carried out the activity with pleasure, and it sure marks a good end to my time teaching there.  i should say everyone's abstract art created out of masking tape turned out pretty successful. 

at the end of the day, i collected all of the masking tape and wound the small torn pieces back onto the cardboard ring that used to store it.  think it can be put to great use one day. 

Whirlm Pinata

inspired today by VIVA PINATA!

what ifs...

game design of dino garden

blister-head goldfish!

game design of dino garden

Fudge!

just painted the fudgehog from viva pinata for mum mum chops to congratulate him in getting into the semi-finals of the Singapore Drumfest 2008. spend more time painting than teaching the kids.  they were annoying- like when purple paint is right in front of them, they'll go , " TEACHER I DONT HAVE PURPLE PAINT!" .......

fernvale durian hunting

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

sometimes watching movies like Hell boy, with actors made up in prosthetics, make me wanna become a make-up artist.  The wardrobe is awesome and their fantastical faces look so surreal. 

It sort or pulls me away from reality and into the portal of the realm of magic and wonder.  It makes me imagine and dream to be one of the cast members. It makes me wanna be an elf, fairy, monster and human all at once.  Who cares about the storyline when you have characters that look as great as that!  Oh yes, and the props... the set... the colours, the EVERYTHING that most people overlook when watching movies.  Most go for their favourite characters and the hot babe playing the lead or supporting actress baring lots and lots of skin, but not so for me. i go to observe and watch and calculate how much time and effort was put into the making , and figure out how each step was taken to get an effect and soulfully appreciate the art of making the movie.  who sits till the end of the movie before getting up and leaving their trash behind in a cinema?  not i.  i love listening to the main themes played after the movie and scrutinise the number of people it took for props to be created, .................................. and in this movie, i loved seeing the myriad of monsters in different forms.....................................very similar to pan's labyrinth because its directed by the same guy, Guillermo del toro! check out this pic...fawn and the paedophage monster  looks very much like the angel of death in hellboy II

reviews here

tomautogirl's disorders

tonight i decide to list about my ways of coping with stress and problems.  these always proceed to becoming bad habits and furthermore, disorders and an ill mental health. 

i)  cutting nails

i used to cut them so darn short that you could barely see them.  even when i cut them the day before, i'd do that again the next night, force it even when it hurts, and cut cut cut away.  Hence, my nails never grew.  Fingernails, toenails... i'd trim them everyday that when i was doing homework, and got stuck at a question i'd just grab my scissors and start cutting.  and ever so often the raw meat'll be exposed and it'll start to bleed

ii)  pimple squeezing

pimples started to emerge when i was in primary 4.  i loved to see the yellow pus emerging as i squeezed these pimples.  especially when i did the blackheads on my nose. i loved to observe the eruption of the blackhead connected to the long thin capsule of yellow solid that engulfed the tiny hair follicle.  i knew it would leave a huge red patch but i did it anyway.  most of the time my face would be filled with sores and red areas and open pores, red with coagulated blood, sometimes white liquid filled with leukocytes.  i was convinced that i wanted to remain ugly as i hated boys then.  Again, i'd stop during studying to look at my face in the mirror and start.

iii)  scalp scratching

my scalp got more and more oily as puberty took its course. no matter how clean i scrubbed my head during showers, these head pimples(forgot what they are called) would appear.  I dug my nails into my scalp when i shampoo my hair and i would always feel them.  Since i was conscious of their existence, i'd start touching them whenever i wasnt engaged in anything important.  i used to pick white hairs off my dad's head too then, and i noticed these pimples on his head too.  his was 1cm in circumference and i loved to pick the hairs off the pimple.  every other month i'd go back to the same pimple and pick out the new hairs that grew in place of the previous plucking- in order for it to remain bald.  

iv)  eyebrows

my eyebrows have always been thick.  it was the eyebrow trimming trend that has come of age to teens and my friend once suggested during a chemistry class that i could make them thinner and more refined.  i attempted to trim them myself, using tweezers.  but i could never perfect them.  every night i trimmed my eyebrows, and they became over plucked very soon.  till now they remain over plucked and i cannot live without my eyebrow pencil.  it seems like i love to disfigure my face very much in order to handle stress.  

v)  fatness

i started to gain weight after i believed that i'd remain underweight no matter how much i ate.  i had 2 bars of kit kat chunky bars, a one litre bottle of kikapoo, lor mee, a cup of bubble tea, 4 bowls of rice, a giant bowl of instant mee, bread talk bread, and ice cream everyday. i was also stressed because boys i hung out with made fun of me being hairy, and there was major gossip amongst the boys of the same level as i was in their school that i had facial hair.  even the people i have never met before came online to ask me if i really had facial hair.  During sunday breakfasts with these "friends" i hung out with, they'd go, "girls with facial hair are such turn offs"  "ya which girl has facial hair?" "hey michelle has facial hair right?"  and they all turned towards me.  

vi) obesity

i became obese and was pulled into TAF club for recess runs almost every day.  sec four prom was coming right up and i wanted to wear a nice outfit for the occasion.  i always believed that when we are young, we've all gotta remain slim to enjoy our childhood, enjoy wearing nice clothes.  but with that weight i was stuck in, i looked fat in everything.  i turned to wearing boys clothes.  also, i had to wear boys clothes because my mom always made my sister and i wear exactly the same clothes, because my sister never wanted me to wear anything she thought was nicer than her(this went on ever since she was 3 and i hated people calling us twins).  

when you get educated, you learn abou twhat bullimia and anorexia is all about, and at the same time you want to save your ego, from people thinking you are fat, and calling you fat(guys i played soccer with referred me to "that fat convent girl"), you turn to short cuts.  

i started to eat less rice, which worked, and then i totally didn't eat rice at all, and then i tried not to eat, but i ended up eating more, and then, i start to puke it all up... which made me lose about 6 kgs by the time prom came.  by 17 i lost about 10 kgs.  

i could puke up to 7 times a day, and it'll tire me out so much i'd break down.  sometiems i cant even breathe.   i get dizzy spells and my blood sugar levels dropped really lowww. 

i'm fat again and its back once in a while.   argh... sometimes people don't understand and ask me why i dont eat meals, but i am actually trying to battle this disorder by packing food like healthy salads or... its not all about losing weight.  u can go google it.  its totally different from anorexia.  some even force me to eat, put spoonfulls of fried rice into my mouth.

sometimes i keep eating and eating, but that's because i am preparing for the purge.  especially when u see me eat unhealthy stuff( i hate eating unhealthy stuff) you know what i've got planned for.  aosjfoiwaejifhagjijaljiojt and THEY are not helping.   

vii) suicide

i've always wanted to die in secondary school after i found out the reality of what my life revolved around- pleasing THEM.  blah blah blah just know that i dislike THEM. i never had a good childhood.  (imagine parents coming down with cane and dragging you home when they think you are a disgrace for playing soccer barefooted... at a church fun fair that i was in charged of in sec two, SHE saw that i was preparing to get dunked with flour and water at a dunking booth, SHE dragged me home and punished me without food as i knelt in front of the altar .  my classmates had to clear up in my absence and i wasnt supposed to leave as i hadn't taken my attendance yet.  (this always made me unpopular with the kids.  ) SHE always loved to humiliate me and punished me inside, and outside the house.  often i would kneel at my doorstep and pull my ears, at the same time block the passage of my neighbours so that they'd see as i "reflect".    once she made me eat a whole pot of boiled red beans left after making red bead soup because i didnt eat my red beans in my soup.  so i stood there in the kitchen and slowly stuffed my guts with it till HE saw what was happening.  anfknaenfmiownefaunuignuirnag i remember everything clearly.  this is not everything.  i was always the ugly one.  SHE would always be showing off my younger sister to friends, MY FRIENDS DURING MY 14TH BIRTHDAY LUNCH asking them who was prettier, asking them if i was smelly, why i was so tan, why i didnt look like anyone in the family...................................................... telling HER sister over the phone in her dialect that she felt damn fed up seeing me around the house..... nothing i did could make THEM happy... a little spill on the table would result in me being shouted at... i always felt like a prisoner.  HENCE I LOVE STAYING IN SCHOOL.  never want to go home to hell. 

viii)  hair cutting

once one disorder is overcome, next one appears, and it gets worse.  i bought a hair cutting comb with blades in it so that i could cut my hair myself because hairdressers could never get it right.  one side would be shorter or thinner than the other and i had to make it right.  btu i was wrong. one day i'd cut one side and it'll be right for one day but on the next day, i'd find that i cut that part too short, or i'd find another part the hairdresser got wrong...

my hair never grew longer than my ears from 17 onwards, and i never had hair below my shoulders.  my hair was so short around my ear area that they always irritated my ear lobes as those short strands i cut grew longer the next month. 

ix)  trichotillomania

i started to touch these parts of my hair so that i could put them behind my ears to prevent them from falling into my ear.  i get frustrated during class so much that i tried to pull those out.  as i pulled those out it became comfortable and i had to balance it on the other side of my head.  soon i didnt have to cut my hair, i pulled them.  sometimes i pull the wrong strand and i end up with an excess and these turn much of my head bald above my ear areas.  but no one could see it because the hair above the area was longer and covered it.  the hairs i pulled left red spots as i damaged the hair follicles.  it still gets uncontrollable when i get stressed. 

x) (forgot the name)

i've had this syndrome since young till my really good friend pointed out stuff to me.  my head's been really brainwashed by THEM and i believed many things that are not true, only true to them so that i obey.  likei get so scared by their threatens that i just listen to them, even though i know it isnt right.  i get so confused that even now my mentality is stuck in primary school.  my intelligence never really progressed.  with all these stress and disorders, it's caused my iq to fail badly.  i never got the scholarships and bursaries from sec 2 onwards.  i broke a 5-6 year record.  i was never top 10 nor 20 in the level anymore. (this also drove me a little crazy and THEY pressured me more, i never had fun, never went out, people called me a nerd.)......................... my best friend has always wanted to take me to the shrink for a psychiatric consultation because he's afriad that i'll become more sick(i believe i'll end up in IMH one day).

yar yar art blog yet i am ranting here, but these are stuff i could use in art projects.  many artists produce self portraits as they are traumatised by certain life events, like frida kahlo and her misfortune...................... and many artists are crazy, crazy as van gogh i can be.  

durian scouting rambutan fishing and toad catching

(pictures soon)

galleries info

http://www.singaporeart.org/

SB 08: Attn Bloggers - Send in your past work and blog topic proposals

oh no... he's sent me mail again...  

he wants the volunteers to tell them topics with regards to the SB and visual arts that i am interested in and my ideas for the blog..........

" *
Politics and Art
*
Economics and Art
*
Freedom of expression and Art
*
Humour in Art
*
Art and Fashion
*
From Belief to Wonder - Singapore Biennale 2006 vs. Sb 2008
*
Volunteer experiences in SB 2006"


" 1. Can Singapore be a renaissance city and a global arts hub? Will the Singapore Biennale 2008 gear the island-state to become a regional arts hub?
2. Is contemporary art 'elitist' or are Singaporeans really lacking in cultural appreciation?
3. Can artists survive in a materialistic, consumerist Singaporean society?
4. Is there a lack of artistic talent in Singapore, or do Singaporeans discriminate whatever is local until it gets accreditation overseas?
5. Can arts burgeon in Singapore, given the relative lack of freedom of expression?
6. Should visitors pay to see the arts?
7. Who are some of your favourite SB 08 artists?
8. What were some of your favourite SB 08 exhibits?
9. What place does the arts have in Singapore?
10. Will the Singapore Biennale make Singapore a more vibrant city and thus a more attractive holiday destination?
11. Did the first Biennale really introduced people to the contemporary visual arts scene?
"

oh no... hmmx....................................don't know what to do.  

the 5th World: meeting no. 2-worming

i'm so troublesome.  got so many ideas.  can't narrow anything down.  need to do something.  need to think straight and reset the topic for myself.  think mine's too broad.  

SB 08: thanks for your interest... stay tune for updates!

they are really efficient ya?  the person in charge of marketing and publication , SB secretariat got back to me already.  told me that they are building a talent resource  pool for their newsletter and the blog , and that they'll notify me if there are opportunities for me.  

oh wells... that doesn't really answer my queries... i asked how i was able to commit, like if i had to attend meetings or whatsoever, coz with the hectic schedule next sem i really doubt i can commit to anything else much that requires a hell lot of responsibility

decomposers of Ofio

i love my cousins who are always in love and interested in what i am doing. they helped me with some worm drawings today.  

binding another book for Trasnah for reference and teaching purposes.  Was at yishun today and we were talking abt kids of today- scary.  Robert and Essay thought kids are cute.  but i had to convince them of the obvious facts abt what this society is breeding.  Disgusting, rotten, vulgar pieces of decomposers of Ofio.  

i'm rather impressed with my conversation skills with these worms today.  i could talk about pokemon like there's no end and the worms were like" YOU KNOW POKEMON?!"

explicit language

these kinda things disturb me.

bus 

bus 80 9-ishpm 4/7/2008 guy talking about women as object(the "chick" will bring along some friends)

bus 147 8-ishpm 5/7/2008 kid-teens talking about sex and virginity in the open (because it is nothing)

MAos on Roofs

walking past a petshop today , i wanted to survey prices of the mealworms they sold.  But i chanced upon a huge tank of hamsters, and was tempted to hold them in my arms.  i resisted and walked away because a parent was telling his sons that the hamsters'll bite.  I FEEL LIKE GETTING A BLACK HAMSTER!!!! or a mouse, or a toad, or a fish. or a turtle....................

mao maos were on roofs today.  i love mao maos.  I WANT A MAO MAO TOO!!! 

mr carrotjuice called me up whilst i was teaching to ask me if i was interested in putting up works for sale at a salon.  Dwarf, Dbstd, Bedguy will be involved.  couldnt attend meeting today.  only Dbstd went.  i'm glad people are starting to offer me assistance in exposure to the world of art.  

CHEWNICORN!

OH MAN I JUST DISCOVERED ANOTHER FAVOURITE CHARACTER I LOVE FROM VIVA PINATA!!!! 

i am so gonna so gonna so gonna DRAW A CHEWNICORN FOR MYSELF AND START COLOURING LIKE HOW I'D COLOUR A COLOURING BOOK WHEN I WAS 4.

check out the romancing chewnicorns here

Blog for Singapore Biennale 2008!, other volunteer positions available.

just sent them an enquiry about being a volunteer blogger for Singapore Biennale 2008.  Not sure if i'm gonna take it up... unless its eassssyyyy... (but good for cv eh?)

Never done this kinda thing before.  usually when i blog, i just wanna record my progress in artwork, research, thoughts that might come into play in works or what.  Because when i record info this way, i don't lose it, coz its in the WWW!  rather than me writing on paper right(been there done that... they always get taken for trash and the next minute, its an idea down the drain)... Also, it means i don't have to print research and pictures unless necessary... and it documents my daily life as an artist-to-be.  When i wanna date my stuff its easier too.  And my parents won't be able to see what i write... or my crazy thought processes... that's why this is called Tomautogirl's Art Blog rite... can you see the word ART

i actually dislike blogging.  ALOT !! you know i even wrote one whole article about why i hate blogging... but oh wells summing it up, IT ALWAYS GETS ME INTO TROUBLE!!!! got confronted by chemistry teacher in JC about it too ... and he wanted to sue me for slander maaaaaaaaan!  and the circus incident..... And blogging WASTES SO MUCH OF MY TIME.  hate all this technology and html codes that i try hours and hours to TRY TO encode... but oh well... i've got no better choice.  

anyway i've also sent a mail to be on their mailing list, got a mail from mada to do so.  Think it's good to be updated about happenings in the art scene, as i consider myself relatively new to such stuff.  Never gone for an exhibition opening until wanita brought me to one i think this year or last year(SUA KOO RITE), and the only exhibitions i went for was when my dad used to take me in primary school(once) and then later on with someone else 5 yrs back(for i dunno wad sia...). 

This is serious.  i really need art exposure crash course.  I also need to read more.  Dwelling academically in the Singapore education really makes one a hermit.  I only know textbooks, especially my PETS coursebooks and Science textbooks  i used to read as storybooks in primary school.  It's sad to admit that my knowledge is stifled and locked back in primary school.  

sent an enquiry abt being a volunteer for biennale 08.  

PASTAGEE stall!

over dinner with Mum Mum Chops i remembered having and idea.  

i had a huge craving for congee(no idea where that came from i never ever eat that outside) whilst mr chops wanted pasta badly.  

pasta stall's queue was super long and mr chops gave up the wait for some mixed veggies and rice.  and happy me got my share of egg congee.  

mr chops liked the preserved black egg and had some to go along with my congee.  Then inspiration sparked.  

How about setting up a stall next time for indecisive people, or for people who want both congee and pasta and serve both at the stall.  AND we can also have another dish called,  PASTAGEE!  u know when u boil cooked rice till its all soggy you get congee, why not do the same with pasta!  And we can add whatever we want in it, even pasta sauce, ground spinach, carrots, like baby food.... i used to love spinach and carrot porridge baby style during primary school.  my granny gradually stopped making that and with this thought, it brought back certain memories of good old times.  

food that i think of creatively tends to make people go... "er... u sure anot?!"  "no way am i gonna try it, not one bit!"  but hey, it tastes nice alright?!  and i've had feedback before that although the presentation sux and looks like shit, it's actually very tasty!  haahahahah

i make edible food okay. . . it just don't look believable edible. that's all...

The Art of Self Operation- TOENAIL PULLING

WHAHAHAH GUESS WHAT I JUST DID TO MYSELF?!

I DID A MINOR SURGERY!!! check it out maan... heheheheheheheeheh

what you see on my darling fourth toe is 

blood on the left and u think  u can still

see toenail attached right... YOU ARE SO 

WRONG MAN!  The nail's been pulled

off already.  What's left is the membrane 

that connects the nail to the flesh below

the nail that covers it.  hehehe.........

here's my toenail. the white stuff

is wall paint from wanita's assessment

period.  i remember the day before i 

was frantically going everywhere looking

for white paint to paint her set up's floor

i kinda pulled my toenail from my fourth toe on the right.  i saw the crack at the top and i started to wriggle wriggle... and yar there was a slight pain but... oh heck.. what's a wee bit of pain... and PULLED IT OUT.

yeah yeah i know my nails are quite crappy.  a bump here and a bruise there and my nails crack or bleed underneath.