WOW.

I've been behind in posting my 365. I wanted to do a quick blog to let you know that I am still keeping up with it and I will be posting a mother-load by this weekend.

Also, things have been great for me these days! OK, so it's not perfect, but I see my life moving in the direction I want it to.

I also had a talk with some friends that refreshed my resolutions for 2010. I haven't even been thinking about it, but subconsciously, I've been sticking to it. :)

Zodiac Road Trip

School's been out since last Friday, but I've still been a very busy bee. Today is the first day I've had to do absolutely nothing, but I thought I'd blog because I didn't want to get anymore behind than I already am.


DAY 137 - MAY 17, 2010
TITLE: Zodiac Road trip
MEDIUM: Pens and highlighters

While reviewing for Astronomy, I zoned out for a bit and started doodling on my star charts. Thought about a road trip on the zodiac so I can figure out why Capricorns are so cavalier, Geminis are so indecisive, Scorpios are so manipulative, Cancers are so passive-aggressive, Aries are so stubborn, Sagitarians crave so much attention, and why Leos are so arrogant.

:P


DAY 138 - May 18, 2010
TITLE: Extra-celestial
MEDIUM: Nail polish

In honor of the Luna & Venus tryst of a couple of weeks ago, I decided to do my nails. I'm really digging the design, however I fell asleep while waiting for it to dry and so it got a little messed up. Should've taken a picture of it instantly after I did it. Bleh.


GOOD BYE SPRING 2010! It has been nice to know you (not really)!

A little over a week ago, I was sitting at the bar, enjoying a drink, my friend Mark started playing "Heartbreak Warfare" by John Mayer. I finished my drink quickly and left for home. I got an idea and I didn't want it to escape me.



DAY 134 & 135 - May 14 & 15, 2010
TITLE: (Work in Progress)
MEDIUM: Pencil and Ink

On the left is a sloppy sketch of the idea. The inventory included: Nunchucks, ninja stars, a rifle, a glock, a samurai sword, dynamite, a pirate sword, a dagger, a spiked ball, a grenade, brass knuckes, and rope.

The next day, I took off dynamite and brass knucklesm off the inventory and added a bow & arrow started stippling away. I am glad I put off stippling for the next day because how could I have forgotten the bow & arrow when I'm such a Legolas fan? :P

DAY 136 - MAY 16, 2010
TITLE: Heartbreak Warfare
MEDIUM: Ink

The final piece -

"Once you want it to begin,
No one really ever wins
In heartbreak warfare"

- John Mayer

I LOVE how it turned out. If I do say so myself. I haven't done this technique in a long time and it took forever, but it sure was worth it.

Just Because

Just because a girl is strong, it does not mean that she doesn’t break down. She heals with time, she’s been mended, and she’s constantly in repair.

Just because a girl is smart, it does not mean that she doesn’t get stupid when she falls in love. A time will come when passion overcomes reason, a time when lessons are learned the hard way, and inevitably, yesterday's lessons must be relearned.

Just because a girl is beautiful, it does not mean she is not insecure. She has scars and blemishes she prays the world won't see.

Just because a girl laughs, it does not mean she is not sad. Each smile and chuckle is winning the fight against shedding a tear, until the war is over.

Just because a girl is graceful, it does not mean she does not stumble. Everyone falls.

Just because a girl understands, does not mean she is not angry. It takes many deep breaths, eyes wide open, and a compassionate heart to fight the desire to scream and strike.

Just because a girl is adored, it does not mean that she is not lonely. When the party is over, when the make up has been wiped away, she's only got herself to talk to when the nights are dark and long.

Low Bat

DAY 133 - May 13, 2010
TITLE: Low Bat
MEDIUM: Markers

The end of the semester always leaves me feeling like a battery being drained. x_x

I started drawing this and I remembered a quote from the comedian Demetri Martin:

"I think batteries are the most dramatic object of all the objects , because other things they stop working or they break. But batteries...they DIE! If you're a battery you're either working or you're dead. That's a sh*t life."

Here's more from Demetri Martin:

:)

Balance

DAY 132 - May 12, 2010

TITLE: Ai

MEDIUM: Computerized graphic

Life has a way of balancing things out. Yesterday, I was bummed out about hearing all these couples breaking up. Today, I remembered that my friends are celebrating their one-year anniversary. I guess there is still hope after all. :)

Birthdays and blues

DAY 130 - May 10, 2010
TITLE: Happy birthday, May Babies!
MEDIUM: Marker

I gave greetings for all the April babies last month and it's only fair that I continue to do monthly greetings. I don't know why I didn't start doing this within the first month of this project. Anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAY BABIES!

DAY 131 - May 11, 2010
TITLE: Lonely Feet
MEDIUM: Pencil

It seems like everyone is throwing their love away. When you're blessed to find your penguin, you're supposed to cherish them.

What happened to "forever"?

It's hard to be hopeful that you'll find somebody someday when the relationships that gave you hope are falling apart everywhere. Maybe it's time to just give up on the idea of soulmates or true love.

On the flip side, maybe the idea of soulmates is a bad idea anyway. What if you were dealt a shitty one?

Happy Mother's Day!

"To me, LOVE will always be my mother holding me wordlessly, while I cry my heart out in the dark." (postsecret.com)

DAY 128 - May 08, 2010
TITLE: What's on TV?
MEDIUM: Acrylic and Water color

Earring holder I made for my mom. She loves her Filipino Channel! Happy mother's day mommy!

DAY 129 - May 09, 2010
TITLE: Mama Bear
MEDIUM: Pen and Markers

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL THE MOMMIES!!!

My biggest dream in life is to be a mother. It must be, because I was blessed to have such a wonderful woman as my mother, that I want to be just like her. I want to be able to have her strength and give the undying love she gives. I want to be able to open the eyes of my children, guide them and nurture them the way she has done for me. I can not even describe how amazing my mother is, all I know, is that I am thankful for her. She is my best friend. She is my inspiration. She comforts and has a bottomless well of compassion. She is a magical being who turns the world from gray to a rainbow of colors. I am lucky to have her as a mother and someday, I hope to be just like you.

almost there

DAY 120 - April 30, 2010
TITLE: Harmony
MEDIUM: Marker

Remember Day 54's brain and heart conflict? Well, with the completion of 4 months of art, I wanted to celebrate with a positive piece. I'm glad to say that these two are finally working harmoniously. :)

In the very slow process of moving on, I started to welcome to thought of dating again. I met some who I thought I liked, may still like, however my brain and heart had a conference and decided that it wasn't a good idea just yet. Go team! :)

DAY 122 - May 01, 2010
TITLE: Moo!
MEDIUM: Nail Polish

I was at Drea's house and she fell asleep, leaving me to entertain myself! I raided her nail polish stash and allowed myself to be inspired by her funky pillows.

I'm rocking cow print nails. Strangely adorable, isn't it?

Unfortunately, as a bartender, I should've known this wouldn't have survived a night of work.

DAY 122 - May 02, 2010
TITLE: College Life
MEDIUM: Pen

Coffee [X]
Smokes [X]
High-lighter [X]
Super boring book [X]
Tape to keep my eyelids open [X]
Yawning in 30-second intervals [X]

Oh, the life of a college student. I can't wait for the semester to be over!

DAY 123 - May 03, 2010
TITLE: Traffic at the Arcade
MEDIUM: Computerized graphic

While driving home from a late meeting for a group project, I got stuck in some road construction that made me feel like I was in an 80's video game with mazes and stuff.

DAY 124 - MAY 04, 2010
TITLE: CINCO de MAYO SPECIALS!!
MEDIUM: Chalk

Cinco de Mayo!! My boss gave me a project on the day before Cinco de Mayo to jazz up the specials board.

Break out the tequila, the sombreros, and the dirty Sanchez!!!! :D

DAY 125 - May 05, 2010
TITLE: Parte Dos
MEDIUM: Chalk

I totally forgot to add a cactus to my sign! What kind of Cinco de Mayo would it be if there were no cacti?

I had to work on Cinco de Mayo, which I didn't really mind because I thought it would be fun. The only thing is, it was such a tease because I had to go home and get some papers done. Lame!

DAY 126 - May 06, 2010
TITLE: Blue Tide
MEDIUM: Nail polish

I was annoyed how quickly my "Moo" nails got ruined, so I did my toesies instead.

When did my toes get so stubby!?

DAY 127 - May 07, 2010
TITLE: Mirror, Mirror, on the Floor
MEDIUM: glitter! (on acrylic)

This is to commemorate the disco ball that assaulted me the other day. I was hanging out with a friend and saw a disco ball... and just had to give it a twirl. It landed on me (amazingly, I caught it) and gave me a few gashes.

How many times can you say that a disco ball attacked you? :P

I CAN NOT WAIT TIL THIS SEMESTER IS OVER! Did I say that already? :P

4 Months Eve

I predict a weekend of no sleep whatsoever. I have a good friend who is visiting for a couple of weeks, it's crunch time for school, and got the new job to keep me occupied. I kinda feel like I went in a little too deep, but for pretty much all my adult life, I've been a fan of the everyday grind. Idleness is the devils playground. I'm glad I'm going to be too busy to tend to silly little nonsense.


I just wanted to do a quick blog before I bury my head in some books. For the last couple of days, I've been a little bummed that I haven't put in a lot of effort in my 365 Days of Art, however, I've still managed to incorporate it in a lot of the things I'm doing.



DAY 114 - April 24, 2010
TITLE: Nellien
MEDIUM: Pastels

Sometimes, I feel like an alien... and this is what I would look like.


DAY 115 - April 25, 2010
TITLE: What Lurks in the Bushes
MEDIUM: Marker and puff paint

Inspired by a converstation about the creepies that could be lurking in the bushes. Yikes!

DAY 116 - April 26, 2010
TITLE: Galactic Force
MEDIUM: Pastels and acrylic

In my astronomy class, we were discussing galaxies. This is the galaxy I want to live in. :)

When I tried to do 365 last year, I started playing around with pastels and HATED them. Over the past few months, I've actually gotten better at it. I'm still not completely satisfied, but I'm finding it to be a little more manageable. I actually LOVE this piece. I wish I did it a little bigger.

DAY 117 - April 27, 2010
TITLE: Feelin' beachy
MEDIUM: Pen

These doodles are exactly what I meant by busy days occupying my art time! I took the opportunity during my break at work to mark my cup so I can reuse it again. I was feeling beachy since I started working in a bikini shop, so this is appropriate! :)

DAY 118 - April 28, 2010
TITLE: Astro Notes
MEDIUM: Pens, highlighter, and pencils

Yesterday was yet another busy day, so I'm glad to have an opportunity to take notes that required drawing. After finishing my diagram of the Milky Way, I dotted it with my pen to make it look starry.

DAY 119 - April 29, 2010
TITLE: Psycho nails
MEDIUM: Nail polish

I wanted to give my nails some TLC, but for some reason, nothing was working out. I started going at my nails with a bunch of different colored polishes until I ended up with this mess. It's so grotesque that it must be art. :P

Tomorrow, well technically, today, will mark 4 months of art. Hopefully, some inspiration will come along and that I will be able to make time to create something awesome.

Mundane Monday

17 days

til the end of Spring Semester 2010
Help me! I'm suffering from the Monday of all Mundane Mondays. I'm currently blogging in class. I don't know how a class that started out so fun just suddenly got boring. I'm sure this class is definitely going to put a dent in my grade-point average for this semester.

As of yesterday, I am officially working two jobs. Yes, two jobs and going to school. The next person that calls me "Princess" is going to have a heel shoved up their butts. :)

It's going to be a bit stressful, but I enjoy the grind. I like long days with back-to-back activities - those days where you are thankful to even have 5 minutes to stare at the wall. My social life is going to suffer a bit, but it's temporary.

Here's a few 365 pieces from the last week. I got a couple that I haven't scanned yet and I'm still currently waiting on inspiration from today. I actually had a pretty sweet idea yesterday, but I didn't have watercolor paper. Maybe I'll pick some up tomorrow.

DAY 108 - April 18, 2010
TILE: Paper Flower
MEDIUM: Markers

I had some fun with a pair of scissors and some permanent markers. :P


DAY 109 - April 19, 2010
TITLE: Latte Stone
MEDIUM: Markers

For my sociology class, we paid a little visit to the Latte of Freedom. I had a to write a reaction paper to the field trip and while I was thinking of the significance of the latte stone to Guam's culture, I thought I'd pay tribute and make it the AOTD.

DAY 110 - April 20, 2010
TITLE: Happy Birthday, Ella!
MEDIUM: Markers

Four years ago, a beautiful baby girl was born! She was tiny and resembled her great-grandpa, but as years went by, she grew to be her own person, so strong in character and so full of life! We love you and miss you very much, Ella! I hope you have a happy birthday and that maybe next year, I will be able to celebrate your birthday with you!

DAY 111 - April 21, 2010
TITLE: Kokeshi
MEDIUM: Computerized graphic

Kawaii wallpaper I made for my presentation on Japanese dolls.

DAY 112 - April 22, 2010
TITLE: Simple Sakura
MEDIUM: Computerized graphic

Another wallpaper I made to be used as a background for my Japanese dolls presentation.
DAY 113 - April 23, 2010
TiTLE: Candy
MEDIUM: Pastels

This one is open to interpretation. :P

Still I sit & lie awake all night

I'm finally knocking off things on my to-do list for school. For some reason, it doesn't seem like the list is getting shorter.

I'm calling it quits for the day, but for some reason, I know it's going to be another sleepless night. I've been having alot of those.

I can't wait for this semester to be done.

Slivers of Dawn and Dusk

DAY 107 - April 17, 2010
TITLE: Slivers of Dusk & Dawn
MEDIUM: Pastels

My lovely cousin shared a beautiful poem by Maya Angelou through her FB notes. I was so stunned by it. I love how short and simple it is and yet it conveys sooo much emotion. It depicted the image of slivers of dusk and dawn dancing with each other.

Absolutely Imperfect in Every Way

You know what I learned today? Even the most beautiful and well-loved people suffer through bouts of insecurities. Well, this isn't new-found knowledge, however, it is nice to be reminded that everyone has down time.

For today's AOTD, I wanted to to celebrate some of my not-so-desireable characteristics. This is me, as an emoticon:

DAY 106 - April 16, 2010
TITLE: NELLicon
MEDIUM: Pencil and crayon

Hi I'm Nella. My hair is unruly. I laugh too loud. I use the "F word" ALOT. I don't get my nails done. My car is a mess. I'm a flirt. I walk funny in heels. If I could, I'd sleep til noon everyday. I'm either dropping, knocking, or running into things. Patience is not one of my virtues. I think too much, but often times, I don't think enough. I'm absolutely imperfect in everyway, nonetheless, I am AWESOME.

don't have to be alone to be lonely

I guess it's a bit obvious from my last posts that I've been feeling kind of bummed out lately. Over the past few months, I think I've done a good job of picking up and fixing my broken parts after my devastating break-up last summer. I'm doing well in school, having a great time with friends, bonding with family, finding creative outlets. So it's safe to say I'm doing pretty good job of recreating myself, but even as I am doing well in other areas of my life, there is definitely something that is missing. I've been deathly afraid of opening my heart up again.

Recently, I thought I found an opportunity to give it a shot, then in a split second, I realized I was wrong. I think that this person and I are both wonderful people who would be lucky to have each other, if given the chance, but just because two people are great, it doesn't mean they are great together. I've spent the last couple of weeks chasing after an idea because I was tired of feeling like something is missing in my life.

So in acknoledging it, it makes it official - I'm a bit lonely.

This song kinda captures my life at the moment. It's called Not Technically Alone by the Ropes.

If lonely times a thousand
is where you're starting out
the sound of voices shouting
come pinstriped down a cloud
the city's overcrowded
but to me it's a ghost town
the streets are full of traffic
i don't see any cars around

how i feel is very hard to describe
here it goes i'm gonna give it a try:
i'm not technically alone,
not technically, not technically
not technically,
no not technically alone
not technically, not technically
might as well be ...

it looks like i'm laughing
like the other boys and girls
but i'm on my own planet
i'm on my own world
i have friends and family
got some numbers on my phone
and yes i've had addresses
but i've never had a home


i feel this thing with everyone i meet
i don't have to be alone to be lonely
i'm not technically alone,
not technically, not technically
not technically,
no not technically alone
not technically, not technically
might as well be ...

the rich are getting richer
the heart is barely getting by
people are so vicious
i see a peaceful place in time
i used to be different
i think of what things would be like
in my mind a draw a picture
and stare at it all night

no where to go where there's space taken up
i'm the one that's never been touched


i'm not technically alone,
not technically, not technically
not technically,
no not technically alone
not technically, not technically
not technically alone
not technically, not technically
not technically, not technically
no not technically, not technically
not technically

might as well be ...

I was trying to find a video on youtube or a link to hear it somewhere, but all I got was there website where you can download it. Click here. It will be totally worth it.

One of Them Nights

In my last post, I was whining about how exhausted I was, yet it's 12:58AM and I can't sleep. Right before I went to bed, I texted a friend of mine and as I was about to knock out, he texted back. Now, I can't sleep. Once again, I can't say it's anyone's fault but my own.

I'm going to try to blog myself to sleep. Hopefully, I don't blog you to sleep.

DAY 101 - April 11, 2010
TITLE: Get Well!
MEDIUM: Pens & Highlighter


When I was hanging out with Drea, Viva, her puppy, was throwing up. Poor thing! I felt so bad for her because I could practically hear how awful her tummy must have been feeling.

DAY 102 - April 12, 2010
TITLE: Grey
MEDIUM: Pencil/Color pencil

I've been trying to do something with a grayscale and color contrast. Then something came into mind that I thought would be perfect for the technique... a friend of mine tried to call me out on the possible mean of this drawing. hmm, you know - sometimes a hand is just a hand.


DAY 103 - April 13, 2010
TITLE: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHELE
MEDIUM: Computerized graphic

This collage is about 10 years of Nella&Michele camwhoring. There are 60 pictures of us in this collage. In 10 years, one would think that we have accumulated more, but these are just some of my favorite ones! She turned 26 on April 14th, so I did this collage in advance to make sure it's ready to great her on her birthday. So I hope Michele, on of my favorite people in the world, has many beautiful days to come and I hope that we have many more years of an awesome friendship to celebrate. Here's to a wonderful person!


DAY 104 - April 14, 2010
TITLE: Cranium
MEDIUM: Pencil

So for Michele's birthday we hung out and played a round of Cranium. Sometimes, you know you're getting older when your idea of fun changes. And yes, it was a lot of fun. We had three teams (Drea & I, Michele & her sister, and Michele & Drea's boyfriends) and my team won! We are the masters at the Creativity Cat. Here are a bunch of drawings I did from that night (mind you, in some of these drawings, my eyes had to be closed!)


DAY 105 - April 15, 2010
TITLE: Sandy
MEDIUM: Colored Sand

I guess I can't say my fatigue is completely my fault. Like tonight, I was up last night, anxiety-driven. I decided to raid my art drawer and use the colored sand that's has been untouched for some time now, to pass the time. I had a lot of fun doing this.

I hate the few moments when you are trying to fall asleep. It always takes me forever to get into my comfy zone and then there are the occasional thoughts that creep into my brain that prevent me from falling asleep. I have no idea why I've been feeling so troubled lately. I'm trying to shake it off, but it seems that the usual aura-cleansing rituals aren't working at the moment.

P.S. I had a job interview today. I think it went well. I'll tell you all more about it later!

One of Them Days

Today is one of those days where I just want to sleep all my troubles away. I'm exhausted and outside factors are contributing to my frustrations. I won't blame my distress completely on outside factors, since I am feeling this way because I didn't use my time and energy wisely. The next few weeks are going to be extremely hectic, but at least I know it will go by quickly. I need to focus!!!

Now that I am done venting, I am going to do something that will make me feel better. I can't do anything to fix the things at are causing m stress, but I can change the way I feel about it!

One Night in Tokyo

Last weekend, I had a blast with the ladies. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera, so I have to wait for my friend Sharon to give me the pictures from her camera, but for now, I am going to share pictures from her birthday that I haven't posted because I've been insanely busy!
The girls and I love dressing up in themes for special occasions. For Sharon's birthday, it was One Night in Tokyo, which was pretty much our excuse to dress up in all things Japanese. Our first stop of the night was at the Guam Artist Exhibit show, which we were totally late for. As you can see in this picture, we are rockin these teeny hats and a giant bow, which Sharon brought back in Japan. Apparently it's huge there.

Our friend Scott, who bartends at the bar we went to came ready with his little piece of Japan. Michele and I went the Japanese school girl route. Michele was wearing knee-high's with sandals just like the Japanese tourists we see here on Guam while I decided to wear my Toki-doki shirt to look a little more Japanesey.

This is Sharon, the birthday girl. We got her a kimono from Sky Creations on Etsy.com. Drea showed it to me last year and we decided to get it because it's this awesome cross between Japanese and Victorian. We meant to send it to Sharon for her seijinsuki (Coming of Age) last year, while she was still in Japan. Of course, I'm a procastinator and it worked out anyway, since she was able to wear it for her party!
I wish I had a better picture of Drea and the kimono that she made. I'm so proud of her because she's really getting better and better at sewing. Maybe someday, I'll have a closet full of clothes by Drea. :D

I posted this picture on my previous blog, but I had to repost for a different reason. I really like this pic, but I wish I didn't look so drunk in it (and really, I wasn't at all! so what's up with that?) Anyway, a few days before the party, I was marvelling at all the female Japanese tourists that I've been seeing because I just loved their eye-makeup. So I decided to go with that for the night. I rocked out some looooong falsies and heavy eyeshadow.

My baby sister and me. Can't do a Japanese party with out peace-sign pictures. Chiisu!

This is Drea and me, with our friend Tessa. The animal ears aren't exactly Japanese, but they're kawaii enough to be! :)

CHEERS!

I love theme parties. And more than that, I love my girls! I had such a great time with them at the One Night in Tokyo party and over this past weekend and I hope we get to do it again soon.

It's Michele's birthday next week. We couldn't think of any theme ideas, but I'm pretty sure we're still going to have a great time. :)

100 DAYS OF ART!

I have succeeded with 100 days of art. I can't help but be a little proud of myself right about now!

DAY 95 - April 05, 2010
TITLE: Flower Therapy
MEDIUM: Markers

After a long day, flower doodles make me feel so much better. :)

DAY 96 - April 06, 2010
TITLE: Y-Control
MEDIUM: Water color, acrylic, & Markers

This is inspired by a line from Y Control by the Yeah, Yeah, Yeah's. My friend Michele and I were listening to this song and we both agreed that that line is awesome. I, personally, wouldn't mind getting that woman back...

DAY 97 - April 07, 2010
TITLE: Shoe Labels II
MEDIUM: Pens and Markers

I've been doing a good job with not buying shoes this past few months, but I caved!! Here are the drawings I'm going to use to label my shoe cases.

DAY 98 - April 08, 2010
TITLE: Drunken Delilah
MEDIUM: Pen on Doggie Bag

I was drinking with some friends at Bully's and decided to do some drunken doodles. "Hey There Delilah" by the Plain White T's was playing, and now, as you can see, my visual rendition of it is now on a doggie bag. :)

DAY 99 - April 09, 2010
TITLE: Pretty Popper
MEDIUM: Markers

It was slow at work, so after prepping and cleaning, I doodled on my bottle opener. :P

DAY 100 - April 10, 2010
TITLE: Nella 100
MEDIUM: Pencil

So, for my 100th day of art, I decided to do something special, like a self-portrait. I decided to try doing it from this photo:



As you can see, portraits are not my specialty because I don't even think it resembles the photo at all. However, this is all a part of the process into becoming a better artist. With much more practice, maybe my next portrait post will be better. :)