Why Faith?

A little food for thought..

We (Earth’s dwellers, from humans to microorganisms with everything in-between) as well as universes, constellations, suns, stars, planets, atmosphere, dinosaurs, carnivores, omnivores, cannot be merely some random accident!

Why is there life only on earth? Why hasn’t this happened elsewhere in the universe? why hasn’t other species on earth “evolve” as well? Why do we still have monkeys or chimps? Where did the monkeys come from? Why are some babies born physically perfect.. but DEAD… where does that spark that makes us ALIVE come from, and why does it expire? Why do we die? 

A lot of us ‘Humans’ believe in The Creator/God, whom fashioned beauty and ugliness, lightness and darkness, Good and evil, as well as Humans, animals, genies, Angels & Demons.

Humans are (fortunately or unfortunately) the star of the show, we can think for ourselves, we got free will not just instinct… we get to choose to have faith, to believe in something or not, to be good, bad or evil. 

Some of us are poor some are rich some are healthy some are sick, some can have children some cant, some have happiness some don’t.. life is not fair and that is why humans turn to their faith of a higher power, the hope that there is something better a reward for being good, for facing and accepting trials and turbulence, for giving when we have more than others.

If God/The Creator wanted, God/The Creator could’ve made us all the same, made us all believers, but where would the fun be?

 

BBye Qatar Hello Dubai Land

So it seems we finally made it to our final destination, Duabiland is where we wanted to be.. time to settle down and set some roots, its been quite a journey to get here! Yes Sir, it sure has.

Like moth to flames we have come to this city that never sleeps, the shopping that never ends, and to days filled LIFE and Living (which can be utterly exhausting).   

2012 ended with a bang 2013 started with a bang… here’s hoping we can maintain this momentum J

Bye Bye New Zealand .... Helloooooo Qatar

Well I'm in Qatar! new adventures await I hope...

First weekend here in Doha.. alone... not quite sure where to start!
I know... Shopping! I'll go shopping.. I need to explore the city tho, meet some new people..

At least I dont feel this lost at work! I'm sure a social life will happen in no time... it's only been a week!

UP UP and AWAY

After a few dull years, it seems that things are starting to look up... 

I have always been intrigued by the saying "if you do a job you like you never work a day in your life" or something to that effect.. anyway I have been dreaming of being in that position... to wake up wanting to go to work, and to not want to leave work! God does that make me a bit of a workaholic? i am glad to report that this has FINALLY happened to me... well, it really is only just a foot in the door, but nevertheless I feel like I am finally on the right track. 

As always I have many ideas racing through my mind, and grand schemes that I am sure I will be working hard to achieve. 

Over the years one thing has not changed, I LOVE DESIGN, all kinds of it, and one of my big dreams is to one day collaborate with a big name on a design, I feel I have a bit of work to do before I am ready for such a step but I will get there.

But for now here is a list of what I would like to achieve (and by that mean, have the world know that i did this work):

1- shoes... shoes... shoes... 

2-  a light fixture

3- a piece of furniture

4- a piece of clothing 

I am not going to put an 'Interior' as Im currently working on that one and who know soon the world (or at least the world of design) might get to know my work.

its not really a big list at all! no really! I should be able to get that done... with alot of hard work and a bit of luck... because it seems if being in the right place at the right time, is a huge factor in most success stories!

That's my little rambling for today..

M.

The year of the BLOG!

Well this is rather embarrassing!! Two posts in  2011!, well I don't know how 2011 is over this fast! it feels like I haven't done anything last year! even though it has been such an eventful year! I survived a disastrous earthquake, I had a gorgeous baby girl, traveled around the south Island (New Zealand) in a camper van! and before the year ended I started a fabulous design job!

And now its 2012

I have BIG plans for 2012.. and blogging about it is very high up on my list!
I have done one painting last year! yes just one! so that's another thing that I would like to do more of!
I also now own a DSLR so (I have been saying this for a few month now) I will learn to use it on manual... it is not a point and shoot camera!

Well I guess my new year resolution(S) are still in progress!

let the ramblings begin!

So there hasn't been much ramblings that has gone on this blog! nevertheless the ramblings are continuous in my head!

So much so that I cant sleep well at night... well being pregnant might have something to do with it... but racing thoughts do keep me up till the wee hours of the morning too!

I am still not sure if I want to be sharing my thoughts in the big world of cyber space, but a part of me want to put everything out there who know what could come out of it right?


Right now I am in a bit of limbo ... AGAIN... and there isn't much I can do about it. sporting a lovely baby bump has not helped at all in the search for a career beginner!

So right now I am forcing myself to enjoy staying at home... and brainstorming, researching, compiling ideas so when the time comes to launch one of my ideas I could hit the ground running.

I am struggling to keep my mind off what I will wear to a friends wedding next month! not very easy to decide when I dont even know what size I will be!! i will be 7 month pregnant by then!! I will try to pop on here and add a few posts on designs I like maybe sketches of what I would like to wear..

till then
x

Abandoned! no not forgotten... I'm back!

Well I did not realise that I have not posted here since November!.
This blog seems abandoned!
I suppose it is explainable though, Nov, Dec, Jan I spent on the couch nauseous and exhausted as I battled through the first trimester of this pregnancy! which is exciting and different from my first one.
Februry... Oh February you never disappoint always interesting!
My birthday is in the first week of February, this year the first week saw me move to a fabulous home and starting an internship in an awesome company, the first step to starting a dream career, also the perfect opportunity to get into my high heels and make the most of my wardrobe before I sported my 'bump'. I spent 3 weeks there, there was even talk of a permanent placement. it was bliss I do not think I've been that happy in a very long time.
Then on Tuesday 22 Feb after spending all morning doing a measure up job (My first), I returned to the office with a bounce in my step thinking "I so have this", sat down to have my lunch... and then My world shook and shattered! literally!

A 6.3 magnitude earthquake ripped through the city I watched as the walls around me swayed, twisted, cracked and tilted, glass door shattering all around me, alarm sirens blasted throughout the city center, everyone was shocked at the magnitude of the disaster (now seems small compared to the devastation in Japan).

So now I am back to where I was back in Nov! and I guess that is why this blog might see a little more action.
x

Finally some paint at the end of the tunnel

Well after what seemed like forever, I picked up a brush and pallet knife, squeezed some paint out of those tubes, looked at that canvas and suddenly I was liking what I was seeing.
I think I also learnt something interesting about myself today! I didn't have anymore blank canvases around, so I went today and bought a couple, and when I got home it felt like this block I had just vanished! so I think that I couldn't finish that painting I was working on because I couldn't start a new one. So from now on i have to have at least one extra blank canvas.

Now what? To style or design?

So lately I've been doing a lot of thinking about what my next move should be.. career wise that is! Since I discovered that being an architect is not really for me I've been contemplating weather I should pursue a career as a stylist or a designer! I am a creative person and I don't think I've found my medium yet! Maybe fashion design is that medium. I've studied Graphic design and Interior Architecture, and I think I I'm ready for the next step... FASHION design, So I'm thinking about enrolling in fashion course next semester. This is really exciting... eeeeeeeeeeeee! 
xx

whale vomit is the new scent!

I came across this article this morning on style.com...

Another 13 is a new fragrance made for Another magazine. This eau de parfum includes a particularly unusual ingredient, a sweet-smelling and quite pricey extract from the vomit of sperm whales! ... they wanted fruity notes mixed with “something dirty”

You have got to go  read the article, its actually quite interesting...

On ANOTHER note I think the bottle and the packaging is genius, then again I'm a sucker for typography on cardboard.
x

Safari colours? Could they be any sexier?

Lanvin Ready-To-Wear Spring/Summer 2011

What a beautiful collection, with some wonderful pieces, a beautiful colour pallet, exquisite accessories and shoes... oh the shoes! 
These 2 dresses tell a complicated story of feminine vs masculine, dominance and objectification, power and seduction... oh I'm in love.

Images via Vogue and Style

Snap Snap!

I've been wanting a good camera for a while now... there is a lot of inspirations around and I just wish I could snap it all in time. So today I will be researching Digital camera's to try and make a decision.... I'm hoping I can afford to get one soon.


My beautiful city was hit by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake 7 week ago which resulted in the loss of many of the character buildings around town. I drive around and see piles of rubble and kinda struggle to remember what once stood there!However, that earthquake and the subsequent few hundred aftershocks resulted in some new activity around town, heavy machinery, signs, workmen, there is actually plenty inspirations out there, colours, textures, emotions.

There will be plenty for me to do when I get that camera...

xx

Check out the latest loss due to that earthquake http://democam.iopen.co.nz/ipcam/manchester/ it is sad this was the first high rise commercial building in town!

A little rambling!

Last year I finished studying Architecture, and so far no luck on the job front. A couple of month ago after contacting a couple dozen firms volunteering my work in exchange of experience, I manged to score myself a place. Today tho after spending all morning working on a set of plans for a poorly designed 1920's cottage it dawned on me... I do not want to be doing this!

I dont want to slave away infront of a computer screen drawing black and white plans... I want to be in a creative environment surrounded by beautiful things, colours, materials, fabrics. I want to be making things, designing, working on prototypes.

Today's accomplishment tho was my outfit :) but what a waste it was hidden away in that office.

Time's flying by!

Its been two whole weeks since my last post... it feels like that creative wave that hit me popped and fizzled away!

I said in my last post that I will start painting my Blue series... two weeks later... haven't done any of it y, BUT, I have managed to complete a couple more paintings in my Earth series.

It feels like time is flying by and there's so much I want to do and start doing but I just don't seem to manage the start part.

Maybe this week would be a little more productive.

Blues are happy colours

Two years ago I painted this canvas, my first large canvas, I'm not entirely happy with it, there are a few areas which I would like to go back and revise but I'm scared of ruining it! so I'm learning to love it as it is.

Melancholy

I particularly like the colors in this corner of the painting, and ever since I finished this painting I intended to start a series of paintings based on the colors in this corner, which would include some stylised form of the  human figure in its composition.

Bottom right corner

Last week I came across an editorial that ignited this urge to paint in blue. The article featured on Financial Times: How to spend it  included an editorial for 'Global Gathering' and it was my perfect muse. As you can see its got those gorgeous blues and that amazing model, what an inspiration! So now I'm thinking of introducing some other contrasting and complimentary colors to the palette.

Editorial Global Gathering
Fashion Editor: Damian Foxe
Model: AleK Wek

It was quite amazing to see what I was imagining for my series and so much more done in photography, makes it easy for me to add it to my inspirations folder! Cant wait to start those Paintings.

I fell in love with a giant

'Land of Giants' Choi+Shines's BSA unbuilt Architecture Award winning design

Image via archiCentral

This original design takes High-Voltage Pylon to another level, the architects sought to create an iconic, unforgettable pylon, that created an identity for Iceland and the client, Landset a public power companythat owns and runs the electrical transmission system in Iceland. This design offers an innovative and sustainable structure which is composed of a kit of parts, minimizing construction costs. The materials used: Steel, glas and concrete renders the structure predominantly recyclable.

Image via archiCentral

I am so mesmerised by these pylons mainly because my design aesthetic and artistic inspirations are based on athe stylised form of the human figure, so visually these pylons invoke a sense of comfort for me.
Wouldn't be amazing to drive past a line of giants carrying, delivering and looking after our power source? The ides is electrifying (ehm, dry humor?)

Oh my ...

So According to Sartorialist this is Valentino's-shoe of the season!  OMG!

 My reaction... not *Gasp* not *I want* not *I'd die for*, My reaction *blah*... I think if I stare at it  for a while it my grow on me... but noooooo, kitten heels, pointed toe ,nooooo, and the studs ugh.

Rambling over.

Image via Sartorialsit

Black & white...

Ah the magic of digital cameras and software. here are some of my photography.

Provincial Council Building, Christchurch

 

Downtown, Cairo

Highs and Lows....

See What I mean!

The past few days felt like a roller coaster, I've been hit by this overwhelming wave of creativity and I'm spotting inspirations everywhere I look!. It sure is a feast to the senses. Now is the time to act on it, start to focus and channel this positive energy into producing some art works. That is the high I've been on, the Low... well, I haven't been feeling well these past few days so my lack of energy has been quite demotivating. But I'm not giving in I shall persevere. today's 'To Do' list.. The Studio! I have some shelves that I plan to paint and I want to re-plan the layout of my workspace, because currently it doesn't feel so inspiring in there.

Procrastinator much?

Well seven weeks have past since my first entry! I guess there hasn't been much to share, but I have had an epiphany and feel like there is a change in the air.

I have set up a studio and I feel so inspired lately that I cant sleep thinking of what will go on my next canvas. Well not that I generally plan what will  go on a canvas, usually I start with a colour. Painting is an expression of ones self, and I have been using painting as an outlet for my emotions, frustrations, and sometimes happiness! that's how the colour palette seems to develop, I think I correspond how I feel to colour values, that is why I couldn't fathom the idea of parting with one of my paintings, how could I? they were all pieces of me, a moment in my life that was forever captured in oil on a canvas.

But, lately with nudge from my number one fan (well more like a shove really) I finally got what she's been saying for the last twenty odd years, I guess I finally realised my potential, hence setting up the studio. I still have to figure how to... use painting as medium to show my views rather than my emotions. I mean emotion are a huge aspect of creating, but I don't want it to be the main one.

I do however have a tendency to abandon projects to start new ones, so here's hoping I stick with this long enough to see it established.
I will post photos of my workspace and some of the works currently in progress soon.