Hello February (and hel-lowww 2024!)

February 5, 2024

Happy February! (And a belaaaaaated happy new year!)

Gosh it has been a hot minute since I last wrote! Have I really left this blog for that long?!? How has the new year treated you so far? I think I’ve more or less settled into the year; we’re back to our normal, day-to-day routine, and I’ve stopped mistakenly writing “2023” instead of “2024” in my dates - which is usually a sign that I’ve crossed the threshold and firmly planted both my feet in the current year.

looking back on January…

January went by pretty quickly: we spent New Year’s day at home, school started, and then two-thirds of my household caught COVID - which meant a quarter of the month was gone, spent in quarantine. I was the one-third that somehow didn’t catch it. Thankfully we’re all good now, and after coming out of quarantine and gradually getting back into the swing of things, it was already the end of the month.

new year, new me?

Since we’re still in the new-ish part of the year, thought I’d ask whether you have any new year’s resolutions? Do people still do resolutions? I don’t, to be honest. I did try, back in the day, but I’d forget all about them pretty quickly. What I did do last year, though, was an idea that a friend had suggested, which was to have a running list of new things to try over the course of the year. It didn’t have to be big, project-like endeavours, but small things, like try a new restaurant or a new cuisine, go to a place you’ve never been before, or read books and watch shows in a different genre… that kind of thing. I had a pretty long list of things to try in 2023, and I did manage to cross some items off, so I think I’ll just carry the list over into 2024, adding new items and crossing stuff off along the way. It’s so much more realistic (and fun!) than having grand resolutions. For me, at least.

the story behind the riceflower pattern

The month of February showcases my Riceflower pattern.

New month, new page on the calendar. The pattern gracing the month of February is my Riceflower pattern, which is one of the two patterns in my Tuesday Blooms series. This pattern (and the Tuesday Blooms series) was born back in 2021, when we still had to stay at home under the MCO (Movement Control Order). For a brief period of time during the MCO, I subscribed to a weekly flower bouquet delivery service. It was a nice little luxury I treated myself to, since we were all stuck at home. It was also a nice way to support a business that may have been adversely affected by the MCO.

The riceflower was one of the bouquet fillers often used in their arrangements, and I loved how the structure of the branches and the way the tiny white flowers sat atop them made it look like delicate little trees. Since flowers wither and die, I decided to immortalise the riceflower into a pattern; and since the bouquets were delivered every Tuesday (or was it every other Tuesday? I can’t remember exactly), I named the series Tuesday Blooms. I suppose my intention back then was to add more patterns derived from other flowers and other bouquets, but somehow I managed only two designs. I didn’t add any more. I think I stopped subscribing to the service shortly after that (because the MCO was lifted), or maybe life just got in the way. Still, I at least have something to remind me of the little moments of happiness during that period of time.

busy bees

There will be a significant change in my household happening very soon, so this month will be a pretty busy one for us. February is already a short month, and with the Chinese New Year holidays and the school holidays just around the corner, it will feel shorter still. So much to do, so little time… yikes!! When the time comes, I’ll write about it - or at least design a pattern inspired by it :-)

That’s enough from me I think… I’ve rambled on for long enough. Before I sign off, thought I’d share some messy sketches of what I’m currently working on…

IThey’re for a client commission, and I’ll share more along the way. For now, toodles from me!

-A-

Rainforest Rambling

October 7, 2022

The Pinto Commission

One of the jobs I worked on last year was for a friend’s cafe. I was commissioned to design a pattern which they could use for their business; something which would work with their existing logo and complement the aesthetics of the cafe and its surroundings. The cafe itself, Pinto Coffee+, is a charming and rustic place situated on a small hill in Kampung Janda Baik, just 40 minutes from Kuala Lumpur. Built almost entirely of wood, Pinto blends beautifully with the tall trees and lush tropical greenery that surround it, while its open-air concept allows the cool breeze to flow through even on the hottest of days. Having coffee at Pinto is a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, and just unwind in nature. They also grow their own coffee and roast the beans onsite - which adds to the cafe’s charm.

For this commission, I wanted my designs to reflect not just the visual aspects of Pinto, but also how it feels when you’re there. I imagined the rustling of leaves, the chirping of birds and insects in the forest, and sunlight streaming through the branches. I imagined the smell of coffee and thought about the colour palette: lots of rich, velvety greens, some mottled with brown, and the vibrant vermillions, oranges, and fuschias of jungle flora.

I decided to paint the motifs in watercolour. I wanted the vibrant colours that the medium offers, but more than that, I wanted the granulation and gradation of colours - my favourite characteristics of watercolour. I ended up designing twelve patterns for the client to choose from: ten patterns housed within two collections, and two standalone patterns. All save one began their lives as brush strokes on paper, then scanned and transformed into patterns in Photoshop. The one remaining pattern was done entirely digitally - initially in Procreate using a “watercolour” brush, then in Photoshop.

Over a series of blog posts I will write about all these designs, but today we begin with the first collection, Rainforest Rambling.

Rainforest Rambling: a mini collection

This mini-collection is made up of three seamless repeat patterns, and was inspired by long, meditative walks in the forest. The namesake pattern in this collection, Rainforest Rambling, is my interpretation of what you’d see were you surrounded by trees and looked up to the sky: a canopy of leaves and branches punctuated by rays of sunlight.

Breeze I and Breeze II, the other two patterns in the collection, remind me of small leaves swept off the ground by a gust of wind, dancing in the air.

If my memory serves me right, I used liquid watercolours to paint the motifs (I really need be more conscientious with my behind-the-scenes/process photos). I scanned them in as usual once it was dry, and just in time, too - before my son decided to sign it off in his name.

Before the pattern - the motifs painted in watercolour.

The two Breeze patterns were an exercise in patience to make, but oddly therapeutic. It was essentially just placing and arranging each and every teardrop-shaped “leaf” on the art board, rotating each one a tiny bit to the left or all the way to the right to make sure it fits perfectly, while trying to make it looked somewhat “random”. I was using a 15”x15” art board, and each motif was about 1.5” long. So there were a lot of leaves to arrange on that board. When I was about 10% in, I thought to myself, “Ok this is ridiculous. It’ll take forever and a year to finish this. Whose brilliant idea was this?!?”

Mine. It was my brilliant idea. No one else to blame but me.

A peek into my working files. All those “leaves” (petals?) were arranged, one by one, on the art board.

So I abandoned it, and decided to start working on some other design options for Pinto. Which I did, and then I revisited Breeze. The second time around it didn’t feel as Sisyphean a task as it did before; the pattern was developing slowly and I could see the end. I actually enjoyed the process - so much so that after completing it, I decided to make a second version: Breeze II, which has more negative space and therefore feels “lighter”.

I’m actually glad I went back to finish it; the pattern doesn’t look half bad in my opinion, and based on the mockups I prepared, would actually work pretty decently on products.

Some product mockups using the Rainforest Rambling pattern.

Huh. I’ve just realised, after writing this, the irony of the name. Breeze I and Breeze II, were not by any measure, a breeze to make.

That’s all for now. Until next time, toodles!

-A-

Looking Back On 2021: The Highs, The Lows

January 19, 2022

Hello there! A very belated happy new year to you! (Better late than never, right?) We’re well into the new year now - by the time I post this, we should be nearing the end of January, and about to step into another new year - The Year of The Tiger.

I hope 2022 has been kind to you so far, with no rude surprises. The past couple of weeks were surprisingly busy for me - in a good way, thanks to the sales of my calendars. I made them at the last minute, as gifts for my son’s teachers, and for our close friends and family members. Then a couple of people asked whether I sell them, so one thing led to another, and the next thing I knew, I was fulfilling orders. If you’re reading this, thank you again!

The Year That Was

It has definitely been a better January than the one I had last year. This time a year ago, I was quarantined at home with Covid, while our son - 4 years old at the time - was hospitalised with pneumonia (not Covid, thank heavens). It was a pretty challenging time, especially for Q, who had to stay in the hospital with our son, and later take care of him at home, while taking over some of my duties as I was self-isolating in the room.

It was around this time that the country went into lockdown again, the first of a series of convoluted and logic-defying MCOs/CMCOs/Phases1-2-3 that accumulated to a total of six months of staying, working, and learning from home. It turned our lives upside down, wreaked havoc on our mental health, killed businesses, and drove people to fly white flags as a cry for aid. For some, it was literally a matter of life or death.

Hello, Hospital.

As the days passed under lockdown, one day no different from the next, we had a few more health issues. I developed a couple of minor conditions, which persist until today, but are thankfully under control after multiple doctor visits and an overhaul in what I use and do in my day-to-day routine. Our son was hospitalised again in October, for bronchitis - but thankfully not as severe as earlier in the year. He’s recovered now, and I’m hoping that’ll be the last hospital stay for a while.

Cute Bears In Procreate While Paints Hibernate

I didn’t do as much design work as I would’ve liked last year. With everyone at home during the prolonged lockdown, I spent my days planted at the dining table keeping an eye on kiddo’s online classes, while Q occupied my office/studio upstairs. It was too much of a hassle to bring my paints and supplies downstairs, so I turned to digital artwork instead. For no other reason apart from wanting a bit of a change, I tried my hand at drawing cute animal characters on my iPad. I’m glad I did, as not only was it a great way to shut the world out and de-stress, but it also led to an exciting new project for 2022; a silver lining in the lockdown cloud. It’s still early days now, and I’ll share more when the time is right.

There was a project that I did complete last year, and one that I can talk about: a design job commissioned for a friend’s cafe. That was pretty exciting too, and deserves a post of its own… coming soon 😄.

No More Wallpaper Wednesdays

I stopped doing my monthly Wallpaper Wednesdays in the second half of 2021. As much as I enjoyed creating the patterns and making them available as downloadable backgrounds, I felt that after a year or so, I needed to do things a bit differently. I haven’t fully decided how to go about it, and I expect it’ll require quite a bit of tinkering on my site, at the very least - but it is something I hope to get done this year. Watch this space! 😉

In Summary, 2021 Sucked.

I wish I could say that 2021 was the year that I developed a new style, or fell in love with a new technique, or found new design influences, or even created a signature colour palette; but it wasn’t. It was a year that sucked all my energy, one that had me trudging along, not knowing when we would turn a corner. Save for a few highs and bright spots, it was a year full of lows and mental fatigue. 2021 was a long and arduous twelve months, and I really, really hope we don’t see a repeat of it.

Having said that, I’m grateful to have survived into the new year. I haven’t set any resolutions for 2022, but I’m looking forward to getting on with some jobs on my plate that will keep me busy over the next few months. Hopefully I’ll be able to work on a few personal projects, too. They’ve been sitting on the back burner for a while now, and it’s about time I get started on at least one of them.

Here’s to hoping that 2022 is a better year for us all. And not, heaven forbid, 2020, too. Or 2020 (2).

Stay safe, everyone.

Wallpaper Wednesday: Scallops 3

August 4, 2021

Hi there! Can you believe it’s August? Already?!?

In all honesty, we’ve been in lockdown/MCO/FMCO/Phase 1/call-it-what-you-want-a-lockdown-by-any-other-name-feels-just-as-stifling for so long now, it feels like Groundhog Day. One sunrise is no different from the next, and the only reason I’m still able to keep track of the days is my son’s e-learning schedule, and the laundry schedule.

Sigh.

But hey - a new month means new wallpaper! At least there’s a little something to brighten up your day, no?

I’m still in the mood for geometric patterns with a bit of an Art Deco vibe. There’s something about these scallop patterns that I find so pleasing… maybe it’s because they’re an iteration of the basic circle, and my default doodling shape is circles? I dunno, I just like these types of patterns, for some reason.

And I hope you do, too!

-A-

As always, these are for personal use only.

Scallops 3

Mobile: iPhone // Android

iPad: Pro 11” // Pro 12.9” // Others

Laptop: MacBook Pro 13” // MacBook Pro 13” with calendar // MacBook Pro 15” // MacBook Pro 15” with calendar

Desktop: iMac 27” // iMac 27” with calendar

The Akar Dani Series

August 2, 2021

There's a house somewhere in our neighbourhood that used to have a beautifully lush Akar Dani plant cascading over their back wall. I used to walk past it in the mornings, and every time I did, I felt happy. The vibrant fuschia and pale pink colours of the flowers lifted my spirits, and it inspired me to create the Akar Dani series, a collection of abstract pieces centred around the colour palette of the Akar Dani flowers; a range of vibrant pinks and deep emerald greens.

It was also an opportunity for me to play around with a newly acquired set of Procreate gouache brushes from one of my favourite illustrators, Lisa Glanz.

"Brush Strokes #1" - The first piece in the series. If the heavens cracked open and rained Akar Dani flowers, this is how I imagine it would look like.

"Brush Strokes #2" - A variation on the same theme, but I wanted it to look a bit more gloopy and drippy; a bit like raindrops racing down a window pane.

"Stripes" - Like a lot of people, I love me some good stripes! I initially painted stripes of equal width, thinking that the colours would be enough to lend it character. It still felt boring, though, and I started playing around with different widths until I decided to just let the lines go all over the place, and create wonky, lopsided stripes. I added random textures and patterns here and there - I wanted it to be a fun piece; something chaotic and colourful, something that would brighten up your mood.

"Fish/Lilypads" - I enjoyed making "Brush Strokes #2" and I wanted to create another piece in the same vein, but one that felt a bit calmer and more deliberate. As I was painting this, I thought it looked like a school of (green) fish swimming through the (green) ocean, and went along with that image in my mind. After it was completed though, it looked more like lily pads.

"Sidewalk" - By this time I was done playing around with random brush strokes, but I was still obsessed with the Akar Dani colour palette. I wanted to create something slightly more “structured”, but still organic and abstract. I was inspired by the pavement tiles near the neighbourhood shops. Like “Stripes”, this piece started out somewhat geometrically correct, but morphed into organic shapes and a riot of colours and patterns.

"Sidewalk" was supposed to be the last piece in this series… until one morning, I noticed a blank white wall where the luscious Akar Dani plant used to be. The owners of the house had pruned it, cut it down, with nary a trace to be seen or found. I was sad to see it gone; it used to brighten up my mornings so. I decided then that I needed to create another piece, one that actually featured the flower in some form. For some reason I wanted it to be a repeat pattern. The result was not one - but two patterns in a Damask style. I couldn’t decide between the two, so I kept both, and named them, imaginatively, “Akar Dani I”, and “Akar Dani II”.

Unlike “Sidewalk”, these two patterns were really the final pieces in the series. I’d had my fun with the theme, and it was time for me to move on and explore other themes, other colours, and other tools. Once this lockdown is lifted and more businesses are allowed to operate again, I’d like to make these into art prints - I think they’d look nice.

Until next time, stay safe!

-A-

Wallpaper Wednesday: Scallops 2

July 6, 2021

It’s time for new wallpaper! 😄

This month, I chose one of my favourites from a collection of geometric patterns I designed a few weeks ago. I’d just finished a Skillshare tutorial on creating geometric patterns on Procreate and boy, was I hooked! Designing geometric patterns can be addictive - playing with shapes and different permuations, different colour combinations - I was creating one pattern after another for days on end until it got a bit too much… random patterns were popping up in my mind’s eye as I drifted off to sleep, or first thing in the morning, and even in the shower!

Scallops 2. Check out the texture on this!

This particular pattern has a bit of an Art Deco/1950’s hybrid feel to it, in my personal opinion. The motif in this pattern is one commonly found in many Art Deco or Art Deco-inspired patterns, and in my case it was totally unintentional. I was just playing around with circles; cropping, flipping, and arranging them in a tile. The colour palette, however, is what gives it its ‘50s/’60s vibe, and that was intentional - if not fully, then at least at a subconscious level. At the time I started getting into geometric patterns, I’d just finished binge-watching The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix (late to the party as always).

I was transfixed.

Apart from the brilliant storyline and performance by the cast, I simply loved the aesthetic. The fashion of that era - the silhouettes, the hairstyles, the colour palette… and the patterns. Glorious, beautiful geometric patterns everywhere. The wallpaper, the textiles, the upholstery - everything. It was a feast for the eyes and I absolutely loved it.

Huh. Thinking back, maybe I started creating geometric patterns because of The Queen’s Gambit. It inspired me to search for geometric pattern tutorials instead of kindling a love for chess 🤓.

In any case, I hope you like this month’s freebie wallpaper. I had a lot of fun creating it, and I think it’ll give your devices a nice retro vibe.

-A-

*As always, these are for personal use only.

Scallops 2

Mobile: iPhone // Android

iPad: Pro 11” // Pro 12.9” // Others

Laptop: MacBook Pro 13” // MacBook Pro 13” with calendar // MacBook Pro 15” // MacBook Pro 15” with calendar

Desktop: iMac 27” // iMac 27” with calendar

Wallpaper Wednesday: Swirly Whirly

June 9, 2021

I’m sorry this is a bit late this month; last week I was “recovering” from the side effects of the Covid vaccine, and staring at a screen was the last thing I wanted to do then. But all is good now, and these days you’d have to pry my iPad away from my cold, dead hands.

I actually had another design in mind for this month’s wallpaper; I’d already prepared all the files, in fact. But at the very last minute, I changed my mind. Over the recent long weekend, I’d been watching Skillshare tutorials, doodling, and making one repeat pattern after another. The pattern I’m sharing with you today is one of those I created over this period, and it’s particularly significant because it’s a type of pattern I’ve been meaning to create for a while now, but wasn’t exactly sure how to.

Some time towards the end of 2019 (ahhh those glorious days Before Covid), I was in a bit of a swirly doodly mood - and if you follow me on Instagram, you may remember this swirly piece:

There are others, sitting safely between the pages of my sketchbook. Every so often I would entertain the notion of making repeat patterns out of those swirly doodles, but it all felt a bit too complicated, and I didn’t think I would get the continuity and flow I wanted. Sometimes I’d come across similar patterns in the wild - on household textiles or on clothes, and I’d stare longingly at them, wishing I could create something as nice.

So I was really pleased to have learnt new techniques, and that I can finally make these swirly patterns. I’m looking forward to making more of these, and seeing what other variations I can come up with.

In the meantime, I shall leave you with the Whirly Grey wallpaper for your devices. My apologies for the sorry excuse of a name... I’m really bad at naming my patterns, unfortunately.

Enjoy!

-A-

*As always, these files are for personal use only.

Whirly Grey

Mobile: iPhone // Android

iPad: Pro 11” // Pro 12.9” // Others

Laptop: MacBook Pro 13” // MacBook Pro 13” with calendar // MacBook Pro 15” // MacBook Pro 15” with calendar

Desktop: iMac 27” // iMac 27” with calendar

Wallpaper Wednesday: Dokoh

May 5, 2021

Hi there! Hope you’re staying safe. If you’re fasting, I hope you’ve had a blessed Ramadhan so far. We have about a week to go, and I suppose some of you have started making MCO Raya preparations. All the best!

I wanted to make this month’s wallpaper Raya-appropriate, without resorting to the typical images of ketupat, pelita, or moonlit skies. Don’t get me wrong - I have absolutely nothing against a bunch of ketupat hanging in the upper corner of a poster, or glowing oil lamps set against a dark, moonlit sky; I just didn’t feel like creating a pattern using those motifs.

And yes, I go through moods. Sometimes I feel like playing with watercolours. I love going through my paints and picking them out, experimenting with different brushes, and just watching the colours mix together on paper. I appreciate giving up control over the way the paints move, and letting them do their own thing. In some cases, I add details and highlights in India ink, or white acrylic ink, and when I’m feeling blingy, I add metallic gold ink details.

I even enjoy the steps after I’m done painting, ie scanning, cleaning up, and editing the artwork in Photoshop. There is a part of me that finds certain repetitive and/or operational tasks almost therapeutic. If I had to choose a household chore to do, it would be ironing. I could zone out while listening to a podcast or an audiobook. Similarly with editing digital scans of my artwork, I would zone out while zooming right into all the details, isolating the paper background, and tweaking the contrast and saturation to just the right level, with something playing in the background. And maybe a sweet smelling candle burning.

Sometimes I still feel like creating pattern motifs on paper, but I want to use Illustrator instead of Photoshop in the editing and pattern making steps. So then I wouldn’t paint, but I’d sketch (to the best of my ability) or doodle in ink. I’d choose colour palettes from images I see in magazines or things around me, import them into Illustrator, and click click Pen Tool Blob Brush Space Bar Command, I’m in the zone.

And then there are times when I just want to do it all digitally. No paint, no paper, no brush pen pencil nothing. Just my Procreate and me, doodling away with a tap tap erase and pinch pinch zoom.

By the way, I have a four-and-a-half-year old toddler who spends every waking hour talk talk talking, plus our neighbours are undertaking a massive renovation on their home, and it’s been seven months (so far) of wrecking knocking piling hammering drilling…. so if you notice a certain pattern in my writing, I hope you’ll understand why.

So anyways, back to Procreate and digital art - this month’s pattern is precisely that; one which I created and edited on my iPad, using watercolour “brushes” which mimic the real thing. I was inspired by the dokoh - the traditional accessory worn with the kebaya or baju kurung. They’re usually worn in sets of twos or threes, and can usually be worn either as brooches or a necklace. It is equally as stunning when worn alone, as some do.

I love the intricate metalwork in the dokoh, and I started thinking how I could translate it into a pattern. So I doodled away, came up with a few I quite liked, and chose this one for this month’s freebie.

I hope you like it as much as I do, and I hope that it brightens up your day, even if for a fraction of a second. In the current world we live in, we try and find warmth in the tiniest sliver of sunshine.

You’ll find the links below. As always, these files are for personal use only.

Enjoy!

-A-

Dokoh

Mobile: iPhone // Android

iPad: Pro 11” // Pro 12.9” // Others

Laptop: MacBook Pro 13” // MacBook Pro 13” with calendar // MacBook Pro 15” // MacBook Pro 15” with calendar

Desktop: iMac 27” // iMac 27” with calendar

Wallpaper Wednesday: Strings

April 7, 2021

There is a restaurant nearby that we used to frequent pretty regularly, even before we moved to the neighbourhood. In fact, we’d been going there for more than eleven years (with a bit of a hiatus in the middle, when we were out of the country). It was a small and cozy little place, with warm lighting and orange-upholstered booths that could comfortably seat a group of four (or up to six, if we all squish in).

The staff were friendly, and always greeted us with a smile. They used to tease the kiddo, and occasionally he would get a complimentary ice cream, much to his delight.

They had a pizza station at the back, which was the kiddo’s favourite spot; he enjoyed watching the uncle make pizzas, and afterwards he would pretend, using his hankie and imaginary toppings, to make his own. Their food was good and never disappointed. I rarely strayed from my usual choices (the black pepper beef udon, ginger beef kuey teow, or Indonesian fried rice), but on those times when I felt like trying other items on the menu, they were usually just as tasty. When my sweet tooth called out for attention, I would have their hot banana pancakes, which were more crepes than pancakes, but sinfully delicious either way.

We were there for dinner back in January 2019 2020. The booths were all occupied so we sat at a table at the back, near the cashier. As we were having dinner, I spotted what looked like a rack, or a piece of furniture, which had twine zigzagging across it, held taut by upholstery tacks. I was doing the #30DayChallenge then, and used that as inspiration for my pattern the next day. I named the pattern simply, “Strings”.

The restaurant is still there, but it’s been recently revamped. They’ve refurbished the place, changed the menu, and changed their name. The orange booths have been replaced, and they’ve done up the place in sophisticated shades of grey (if memory serves me right). We’ve been there once since they reopened, and they’ve changed their staff, too. Despite the menu change, their food is still delicious. We’ll probably eat there again some day, but it won’t be the same. It no longer has that neighbourhood cafe ambience that made it so cozy. And it no longer has hot banana pancakes.

But I guess I still have this pattern :-)

And I’ve decided to make it available to you as this month’s freebie.

That dinner last year was perhaps the last time we were there before Covid turned our lives upside down, and before the refurbishment. Although the pattern itself looks nothing like the place or even the rack that inspired it, it will always remind me of orange booths, a pizza station, and hot banana pancakes.

I hope you like this month’s freebie. It may not remind you of a beloved haunt, but I hope it brightens up your day in some other way.

Enjoy! :-)

*As always, these are for personal use only.

Strings

Mobile: iPhone // Android

iPad: Pro 11” // Pro 12.9” // Others

Laptop: MacBook Pro 13” // MacBook Pro 13” with calendar // MacBook Pro 15” // MacBook Pro 15” with calendar

Desktop: iMac 27” // iMac 27” with calendar

Wallpaper Wednesday: Prickly Plants

March 3, 2021

It’s that time of the year again, when I find myself drenched and dripping in sweat just moments after stepping out of the shower. When the earth is parched and I can almost hear it screaming out for rain. When I look up at the sky and am immediately blinded by the bright, bright rays of the sun, bouncing off the clouds. When the days seem to get longer and it’s still too hot to be playing outside after 5pm. When the laundry dries to a crisp if I leave it out for too long.

It’s that time of the year again.

It was the scorching heat that inspired this month’s wallpaper design; it reminded me of some cacti and succulent doodles that I’d done a few years ago. I did it back in 2017, when I was following a line drawing tutorial by Peggy Dean, of the Pigeon Letters. When it came to giving the doodles some colour, I thought to myself, these are supposed to be green. Maybe a pop of red here and a bit of yellow there. But mostly green.

How boring.

I took out my paintbox and looked at the neatly arranged little squares of gorgeous rainbow colours, glistening like jewels in a treasure chest. I had to use them. I had to use them all.

And so I did.

I painted them green and blue and purple, transforming them into plants you imagine you’d find in the underwater garden of a mermaid. Some I painted in red and orange and emerald green; the colours of a lush tropical rainforest. Others I clothed in pinks and purples, with a touch of indigo, and they became almost spring-like; the kind of spring you’d see if Mother Nature had turned up the contrast and saturation.

I had fun doing it, but then I moved on to my next practice session, my next tutorial, and left the whimsical succulents sitting quietly in my sketchbook. I almost forgot I had them, had it not been for the confluence of the weather and the search for ideas for this month’s wallpaper.

So now they’re here; resurrected, given a new lease of life. Waiting to adorn your phones and iPads and computer screens.

I can’t offer you a tall glass of ice-cold water to beat the heat, but I can give you a collection of whimsical, pretty little desert plants to cool the eyes. :-)

Enjoy!

* As always, these are for personal use only.

Prickly Plants

Mobile: iPhone // Android

iPad: Pro 11” // Pro 12.9” // Others

Laptop: MacBook Pro 13” // MacBook Pro 13” with calendar // MacBook Pro 15” // MacBook Pro 15” with calendar

Desktop: iMac 27” // iMac 27” with calendar

Wallpaper Wednesday: Gong Xi, Gong Xi

February 2, 2021

Is it already February?!? Gosh how quickly time does fly... which means... time to refresh your wallpaper!

This month I have a little bonus: you get two free wallpapers! Since Chinese New Year is just around the corner, I thought it’d be nice to have a little theme going on. The first wallpaper, “Gong Xi”, is a repeat pattern featuring traditional Chinese knots. The second option, “Peonies”, still sticks to the overall theme, but would also suit those who don’t celebrate Chinese New Year, or just prefer floral designs in general.

I’ve made the calendar version available in both wallpapers (desktop and laptop versions), so really, you have four options!

Gong Xi Peonies_All Devices2 w Title.jpg

Gong Xi Peonies_All Devices3 w Title.jpg

It’s still a crazy and scary (not to mention depressing) world out there, and this year’s CNY celebration will be pretty low key, I’m sure. A new wallpaper won’t replace a reunion dinner, but if it can brighten up your day for even a few moments, then why not?

The files can be downloaded below.

Enjoy!

-A-

As always, the wallpapers are meant for personal use only.

Gong Xi

Mobile: iPhone // Android

iPad: Pro 11” // Pro 12.9’’ // others

Laptop: MacBook Pro 13” // MacBook Pro 13” with Calendar // MacBook Pro 15” // MacBook Pro 15” with Calendar

Desktop: iMac 27” // iMac 27” with Calendar

Peonies

Mobile: iPhone // Android

iPad: Pro 11” // Pro 12.9” // others

Laptop: MacBook Pro 13” // MacBook Pro 13” with Calendar // MacBook Pro 15” // MacBook Pro 15” with Calendar

Desktop: iMac 27” // iMac 27” with Calendar

New Year, No Smell

January 27, 2021

What a start to the year.

We weren’t even halfway through the first month of the new year when I noticed something odd. My 4-year old son was washing his hands in the kitchen when he said something smelled funny, and asked me what it was. I didn’t smell anything weird, but I looked around all the same. I noticed the fish I was defrosting for dinner, and thought he could have been referring to that.

But I couldn’t smell it.

Maybe I’m coming down with the flu, I thought.

The flu didn’t come. There was no cough, no runny nose, not even a sneeze. I could breathe easily. But I could smell neither my morning coffee, nor the onions that I sautéed for our stir fry dinner. I took the lid off a 3-wick scented candle and took a whiff: nothing. Not even when I picked it up and stuck my nose into the jar. I sprayed perfume into the air in front of me. Nothing.

I couldn’t smell a single thing.

I started Googling, knowing full well the answer to my question, hoping I was wrong. A little ball of panic grew in my gut as I scrutinised my calendar for places I’d visited and people I’d met in the past 14 days; but nothing in it could confirm my suspicions. My mind was a whirlpool of thoughts and fears, denials and consequences, but once I’d calmed them down, I stopped Googling for answers, and searched for a list of clinics and hospitals, instead.

At 7:20am the next morning, I went for a swab test.

As I was waiting, I spotted a rainbow. A good sign, I tried to convince myself, although I knew it was merely evidence of raindrops and sunlight, not of intruders in my body. When your mind is addled with fear, you cling to any sign of hope, no matter how ridiculous. It is how feelings are calmed, and how superstitions are born.

The swab test wasn’t as painful as I’d feared; just uncomfortable. And it was over before I knew it. I would receive the results within 24 hours; if I don’t hear anything by then, I was to call them.

I drove home and went up to my room where I had begun to self-isolate. The wait had begun. I started messaging close friends and family members, to inform those I’d met recently, and to share my fears with those I hadn’t. Apart from the anxiety of waiting for the results, and the confusion over where and how I could’ve gotten it, I felt perfectly fine. I didn’t have a fever, or a cough, or breathing problems; I had none of the other symptoms that had been drilled into us through the many infographics and articles flooding our lives over the past year or so. I just couldn’t smell.

I slept early that night. There had been no phone call.

I woke up the next morning and looked at my phone. There had been a missed call from an unfamiliar number the previous night, at 11pm. I could feel that little ball of panic again, forming in my gut. I put the phone down, and headed to the bathroom. I needed the shower to chase away my nerves, and I was hungry. If I was to receive bad news, then I should do so on a full stomach.

I calmly ate my breakfast, and then called the hospital. After a few tries, I got through, and having given my details, I was asked to wait.

A few minutes later, I received a call.

My test result had come back positive. I had COVID.

Ok, I said.

How else was I to respond?

The doctor asked what symptoms I had. Just the one, I said. Had I been exposed to anyone who was positive? Not that I know of, I answered.

“Do you know where you could’ve gotten it?”

“I have no idea.”

I was advised to isolate myself (which I’d already done), to get plenty of rest, and drink a lot of water. My symptoms were mild: Tier 2, he said, so I would most likely be allowed to quarantine at home. Above all, he said, stay calm, and everything will be ok.

I told my husband my results, and then I started calling those whom I’d had close contact with over the past ten days. My husband and our son went to get tested themselves, as did my close contacts.

The waiting game began again.

My husband didn’t seem to exhibit any symptoms, but my son had the sniffles. Please let that not be a symptom, just the common cold, I pleaded silently. I started thinking what needed to be done if they both tested positive. If they do, I thought, hopefully their symptoms will be mild. I feel fine, I told myself; I can still take care of him. Would all three of us be able to quarantine at home? What if any of our symptoms became worse? It was common knowledge that quarantine centres were quickly filling up, and that the healthcare system was fast approaching a breaking point.

Stay calm, I told myself.

Their results came back the next day, and they both tested negative. Thank God.

I continued my self-isolation with some degree of relief. I realised that it could still be the incubation period for them, but I allowed myself what little sense of security the first negative results afforded me.

One by one, the family members whom I’d had contact with received their test results. They all tested negative, thankfully. There was an exception: our part-time cleaning lady, who (up until recently) comes in twice a week. She, too, exhibited very mild symptoms: a sore throat and a runny nose. She has since been quarantined and discharged, and is feeling fine, thankfully.

At the time, I honestly believed I felt fine; just slightly under the weather, if anything. In hindsight, however, I realise that there was definitely fatigue, especially on days 4 to 6 of my symptoms. I’d wake up feeling slightly lightheaded, but at the time, I put it down to hunger. I had more than enough energy to get out of bed and into the shower, so I didn’t think much about it. My appetite wasn’t great, but I never skipped any meals, as I knew my body needed the fuel. Funnily enough at the end of every meal, the moment I finished eating, I would immediately feel tired and sleepy. I’d tidy up as quickly as possible, and then rest in bed. I took several cat naps throughout the day. I tried reading, but I couldn’t get past a paragraph before I drifted off into sleep. I felt slightly achy, but at the time, I thought it was because I’d been spending all day sitting or lying down in bed, either sleeping or on my phone.

On day 7, I woke up feeling refreshed. There was no lightheadedness; I felt the way I normally feel on any given morning. I didn’t feel sleepy or tired after meals. I didn’t need cat naps. The aches had disappeared, while my appetite returned. I found myself craving mee hoon tomyum for lunch. I ordered it, and finished the entire thing. I tidied up after myself, and as I was wiping down the surfaces with a disinfectant wipe, I caught a whiff of something.

Could it be...

Was my sense of smell returning?

I took the lid off the scented candle, and... nothing.

Slowly, I told myself. This will take time.

My 4-year old, however (let’s call him H), couldn’t shake off his flu. His sniffles were now accompanied by a chesty cough. He was taking cough and flu meds, he was his usual active self, and - more importantly - his test results had come back negative. He’ll be fine soon, I told myself.

There is this small matter of the incubation period, a little voice whispered in a tiny crevice of my mind. Shhh, I told it. He’d already had the sniffles when he took the test, I said. It can’t be.

I felt pretty much the same on day 8; my appetite and my energy had definitely returned. I opened the cap of my shampoo bottle and sniffed; I detected a faint trace of the yummy banana and coconut concoction. I took the lid off the scented candle, and held it up to my nose. There it was: the sweet and cozy aroma of a white caramel cold brew. It was faint and delicate, but my nose detected it.

I spent the rest of the day still in isolation, but with a renewed sense of hope. I was recovering. I even managed to do some work, drawing and “painting” on my iPad.

That night after dinner, H had difficulty breathing. My husband took him to the hospital while I stayed home. The doctor checked his vitals, which were ok. Continue with the flu meds, she said. H took a second swab test, just to be sure.

The next morning, after breakfast, H had difficulty breathing again. Back to the hospital he went. He was fitted with an oxygen tube, and an X-ray was done.

At around noon, my husband called. Was his test result out? Not yet, he said. But H has pneumonia.

My heart lurched. The ball of panic resurfaced in the pit of my stomach.

So what happens now, I asked. He’ll be temporarily warded in this hospital, my husband told me, until we get his results. If it’s negative, he stays here. If it’s positive, he’ll be sent to Sungai Buloh, the designated COVID hospital.

That little ball of panic grew, and it grew quickly.

He’s only four, I thought.

There was nothing else to do, however, but wait.

I couldn’t concentrate long enough to read, so instead I distracted myself with YouTube videos and a bit of work, stopping every now and then to check my phone. Six long hours later, my husband called again.

H’s test was negative.

Thank God.

It hasn’t escaped me how crazy it is that I was thankful it was “just” pneumonia. It’s perverse, I know, but I truly felt relieved.

H was warded for two days and two nights, and my husband stayed there with him. I still had to self-isolate, so I stayed at home with only Muci, our cat, to keep me company. Despite being home alone, I never felt lonely, thanks to Whatsapp messages and video calls. To his credit, H was in good spirits throughout his stay in hospital, and seemed unperturbed by the IV stuck in his bandaged arm. His “robot pistol hand”, he called it.

Once his condition improved, he was discharged and allowed to rest at home. I continued my self-isolation and was “discharged” several days later, after I’d undergone a COVID assessment by a doctor.

Our lives are somewhat back to “normal” now, in that we are back to our usual lockdown routine: my husband working from home, H attending e-learning classes, and me supervising him while doing the chores and squeezing in some work where and when I can.

H is recovering nicely. He has a bit of a cough still, but it is slowly going away. I have partially regained my sense of smell; I can smell a freshly showered H, and onions sauteeing in hot oil. I still can’t smell my morning coffee, though. If previously my afternoons were punctuated by the smell of my neighbour’s curries and fried chicken, wafting through my open windows, now I only hear an odourless clanging of a metal spatula against a wok.

Hopefully with time I will fully recover my sense of smell. Until then, food expiry dates are my friend, and I will cherish whatever I can smell, be it sweet or foul.

To this day, I don’t know for certain where I could have gotten the virus. I was unlucky enough to have contracted it, but I was extremely fortunate that my symptoms were very mild, that my family was safe from it, that all my contacts - barring one - tested negative, and that we were all in a position to get tested immedately. Things could have been worse.

2021 has been insane so far. And it isn’t even the end of January.

Till next time, stay safe everyone.

Wallpaper Wednesday: Seven, Eight, Lay Them Straight

January 6, 2021

Happy new year!

I hope the first few days of 2021 have treated you well - or at least marginally better than the train wreck that was 2020. How was your new year’s eve? Ours was spent quietly at home, doing nothing much. I think I was reading in bed when the clock struck midnight, and everyone else in the house was fast asleep. We went on a short staycation in the city over the new year’s weekend, but apart from that, it’s been pretty much like any other day in this pandemic-stricken world of ours.

This time last year, I’d dived into a 30-day pattern challenge, with all the gusto and optimism a (normal) new year typically brings. No such resolutions or challenges this year. It isn’t that I’ve lost all hope, or that I’m walking around shrouded in a dark melancholic veil of doom and gloom (although there are those moments...); I’m just being realistic about the amount of time I will have this year. With the pandemic (still) wreaking havoc over our daily lives, who knows what the year will be like. We’ll just have to take it one day at at time.

So enough with being sombre... let’s add some colour to our lives! Since it’s a new year and all, it’s a good time to refresh our device wallpapers and screensavers, don’t you think?

This month’s wallpaper freebie is one of my favourite patterns from last year’s 30-Day Challenge - SevenEightLayThemStraight. What I like most about it is the colour palette. The muted blues work well with the pastel grey, yellows and peach, and it just makes me feel... calm. I also like how the lines are wonky and uneven but neatly arranged - perhaps a metaphor for this new year? If 2020 was the year that upended our lives and left all its pieces in a jumbled heap on the floor, perhaps this year we’ll be able to pick everything up, little by little, and slowly arrange it in a way that makes sense to us.

We can only hope.

Oh, and I’ve added a little bonus this year - a monthly calendar! The desktop and laptop wallpapers now come in two versions: with or without the current month calendar. Hope you like it!

As always, these wallpapers are for private use only.

Enjoy!

-A-

iPhone

Android

iPad Pro 11"

iPad Pro 12.9"

iPad Air / Mini / Pro 10.5" / iPad

MacBook Pro 13"

MacBook Pro 13" w Calendar

MacBook Pro 15"

MacBook Pro 15" w Calendar

iMac 27"

iMac 27" w Calendar

Wallpaper Wednesday: Exhale

December 2, 2020

Can you believe it’s already December?!? Time flies when we’re battling a pandemic, huh?

It’s been a rough and crazy year for each and every one of us, no matter our situation in life. Lockdown, semi-lockdown, working from home, not being able to work at all, homeschooling, travel restrictions, not meeting our loved ones as often as we’d like, little to zero social life... the pandemic has affected us in one way or another; nobody’s immune.

So sometimes we need to remind ourselves to breathe in...

... and exhale.

When the world outside is so ugly, sometimes it helps to have something pretty to look at. And since a lot of us are now increasingly tethered to our devices, maybe changing up our wallpapers and screensavers would be a nice distraction. It won’t kill the virus, solve our water woes, or save us from global warming, but if it brings a tiny bit of happiness when your screen lights up, why not?

I designed this pattern way back in January, when we were still on a new year celebration high, and the ink was still wet on that list of 2020 resolutions. Our lives were still normal and hadn’t been upended and scattered all over the place like beads on a marble floor. Do you still remember what life was like back then?

Sigh.

Exhale was part of my 30-Day Challenge, where I tried (and succeeded, yay!) to design one pattern a day for the month of January. I designed the tile in Procreate, then vectorised it and brought it over to Adobe Illustrator so I could make a pattern and scale it up without any issues. (I didn’t think ahead when I made this and the Procreate canvas I used wasn’t big enough, otherwise it would’ve been possible to create the pattern in Procreate itself or with Photoshop. But hey, you learn from your mistakes 😄).

I haven’t done any tiled patterns since then. I remember having a lot of fun doing it, so maybe I should create more. Adds an item to laundry list of things to do in 2021.

Alrighty then, enough of me blabbering; time for you to download your December freebie* and brighten up your devices. Links are below, as usual.

Enjoy!

-A-

iPhone

Android

iPad Pro 11"

iPad Pro 12.9"

iPad Air / Mini / Pro 10.5" / iPad

MacBook Pro 13"

MacBook Pro 15"

iMac 27"

*For personal use only.

Introducing: Wallpaper Wednesday

November 4, 2020

If you like to change up your tech wallpapers and screensavers every so often, and if you like some of my patterns and artwork, then you may like…

Wallpaper Wednesdays!

On the first Wednesday of every month, one of my designs will be available as a free downloadable for you to use as a wallpaper or screensaver for your phone, iPad/tablet, laptop, and/or desktop. (For personal use only)

To kick things off, let me introduce…

Vitamin C!

This pattern began as a random watercolour doodle in my sketchbook a couple of years ago. I had just gotten my hands on a set of Dr Ph Martins liquid watercolours, and I was trying them out. The doodles stayed in my sketchbook until recently, when I felt a bit uninspired and started leafing through my old sketchbooks. I found the sketch, and decided to practice making a seamless repeat pattern in Photoshop.

Vitamin C is a fresh, fruity, and sunny pattern, which will brighten up a gloomy day (we’ve been having a lot of those lately).

I hope you like it, and I hope it’ll make you smile :-)

Enjoy!

iPhone

Android phone

iPad Pro 11"

iPad Pro 12.9"

iPad Air / iPad mini / iPad Pro 10.5" / iPad

MacBook Pro 13"

MacBook Pro 15"

iMac 27"

Freebie: Merdeka Hibiscus Mobile and Desktop Wallpapers

September 11, 2020

It was Merdeka Day, so I attempted a loose painting of a hibiscus in my sketchbook to mark the occasion. It turned out better than I expected, and I liked it so much that I didn’t want to just leave it hidden in my sketchbook. I also didn’t want to bring my sketchbook around with me and keep opening to the page with the hibiscus painting every so often because err… I’m not that crazy. Not yet, at least.

So I created a wallpaper for my phone, instead.

Then I thought to myself, “we need things to be coordinated”, so I created wallpapers for my iPad, my laptop, and my iMac as well.

And because my 4-year old tells me that “sharing is caring”, I’ve decided to make these wallpapers available to you, too! If you like the Merdeka Hibiscus as much as I do, or if you’d just like to change up your tech backgrounds, or if you want to dress up your phone/tablet/computer in time for Malaysia Day, feel free to download any - or all - of the wallpapers below.*

Download your phone wallpaper here

Download your iPad/tablet wallpaper here

Download your laptop wallpaper here

Download your desktop wallpaper here

*For personal use only.

The Watercolour Batik

July 11, 2020

A friend of mine - J - is moving abroad for work, and she asked me to paint her something that she could bring with her, that would remind her of home. She said she had batik in mind, but gave me the freedom to explore other ideas, too.

Her commission was a much needed shot in the arm. We were eight weeks deep in the Movement Control Order aka MCO aka lockdown, and I was feeling a bit tired with very little motivation to paint or design any patterns. Between having the kiddo at home 24/7 (he’s at a very active and talkative stage right now), and the extra chores that inevitably came with the lockdown, I honestly just wanted to spend my downtime catching fish on Animal Crossing. So when J told me she wanted a painting, I was more than happy to set to work!

The “research”

I thought of all the traditional cultural references I could use, but I started with batik because that was what J had in mind. I rummaged through my wardrobe for pieces I could use as reference, but I have a laughable collection of batik sarung (I’m more of a t-shirt and shorts kinda person when lounging at home), and the batik baju kurungs and pareos I wear to weddings and raya events are more abstract and modern. I wanted something more traditional.

Thank heavens for Mr Google!

After browsing through pages and pages of batik images and pinning some I liked, I sketched out a few ideas and started thinking about the technique I wanted to use. Do I use masking fluid to try and replicate the wax resist technique employed by batik craftsmen (and women)? Or do I want to only use the motifs as inspiration? Do I want to make my piece look like batik, or do I want it loose and abstract?

I eventually decided not to use masking fluid, as I thought I could get more precise details with a brush or dip pen and white acrylic ink. (This is purely due to my inexperience and lack of practice with the medium, not a fault of the medium itself).

The colour palette

Most of the traditional batik that I used as reference had a lot of warm reds and blues, with some green and brown as accent colours. I wanted a softer colour palette instead; something more pastel-y. I was in the mood for cool pinks and purples at the time, so I built my colour palette around that, with some cool blues and greens thrown in.

It was a perfect opportunity to test out my new Sennelier paints :-)

The sketch(es)

I definitely needed a sketch for this piece; there were a lot of details that I wanted to plan out beforehand. I made several rough thumbnail sketches to figure out whether I wanted the piece to be an abstraction of traditional batik motifs, or something more “literal”. I eventually decided to go with the latter. In other words, the painting would have a badan kain (literally the “body”; the largest area of the batik sarung), a kepala kain (the “head”; a smaller, rectangular portion of the batik, where the motifs were usually different from the badan), and a gigi kain (the “teeth”, ie the margin that runs along the top and bottom edges of the batik sarung). There is also a broader margin called the gunung kain that runs below/above the upper/lower gigi kain, but I chose to exclude that detail.

The pucuk rebung motif was something I often found on the kepala kain of the batik pieces that I looked up for reference, so I wanted to include a simplified version of it in my painting. The motifs on the rest of the painting - on the badan, the papan (the two narrow rectangles in the kepala portion), and the gigi - were not based on any references. I left the tanah kain (literally “ground”, aka the background) white. I had tried a couple of mini test paintings with a background wash, but I preferred the way the colours popped against a white background. Had I used masking fluid, however, a background wash would’ve made more sense, and been closer in technique to the real batik process.

A simplified version of the pucuk rebung motif. — A simplified version of the *pucuk rebung* motif.

Bring on the bling!

As I was looking at all the different batik I’d googled, I realised that my favourites were the ones which had a lot of fine details and dots which added texture and highlights to the overall design. I liked the idea of a detailed, textured piece, and I’ve always enjoyed adding ink details (especially dots!) to a watercolour painting or doodle. I wanted to try out a newly acquired bottle of white acrylic ink, and I was tempted to add shimmery metallic details as well. Any excuse for some bling! I started out using a dip pen, then switched to the thinnest brush I own, and then found myself going back and forth between the two tools depending on my mood, undecided as to which one I preferred.

Adding the metallic details was perhaps my favourite part of the process, so much so that I had to stop myself from covering the entire painting with tiny little metallic dots. Instead, when I reached the final portion of the background which was still untouched and paper-white, I decided to ask the opinions of friends - via an Instastories poll. The majority of those who replied voted for me to keep it clean, without any additional details - so the decision was made for me… and the painting was done!

The finished painting, ready to be delivered.

I actually painted a second option for J; also a batik-inspired piece. I typically do this - paint more than one option - if I have the time. It’s a way for me to experiment with different styles and approaches, and I just like to provide options if and when possible. It was this first painting that J chose eventually. The metallic details won her over, she said :-)

The piece is now safe in the hands of J. Hopefully it will survive their trip, and brighten up a wall of their new home.

-A-

The #30DayChallenge

January 31, 2020

Helloooooo there! Long time no write! We’re a month into the new year… how has 2020 treated you so far? I know we’ve had quite a bit of sad and scary news in the past few weeks, but I hope that at the same time you’ve had some positive starts - or at the very least, something exciting and wonderful to look forward to at some point in this year.

Like a lot of other people, I approached 2020 with a list of goals for myself. It’s a pretty short list - I’m trying to be realistic - and one of my goals is to have a portfolio of pattern designs by the end of the year. If not a complete portfolio, at least one pattern collection (ie 8-12 patterns designed around a central theme). I would have to choose the ones I feel are my best designs, and to do that, I’d have to design many, many patterns (at least a hundred). Which means this year will be a year for me to practise, practise, practise.

That was when, just a few days before the start of the year, I set myself a challenge: to design one repeat pattern a day, every day, in the month of January, and post it on Instagram. The #30DayChallenge. Yes, January has 31 days, but I thought a nice round number like 30 would look and sound nicer, and I could give myself a day off on the 31st.

Why did I do it?

I wanted to do the challenge to force myself to practise regularly, and I was hoping that the daily deadlines would instil some form of discipline and establish an efficient workflow in my day-to-day routine. I also wanted all 30 patterns to be seamless repeat patterns, as I wanted to train myself to use Illustrator (and other tools) quickly and efficiently.

So how did I fare?

Well firstly, I managed to complete all 30 days (yayyy!). I honestly thought that I would end up skipping a few days, perhaps due to sick days, toddler/family emergencies, and the most likely hurdle: general laziness. Thankfully life was kind and didn’t throw me any curveballs, and I managed to keep my lazy bones in check.

The more important question is, what did I learn from this exercise?

1. Don’t overthink it. Just do.

I realised very early in the challenge that whenever I have even an inkling of an idea, I shouldn’t mull over it for too long. Just run with it. It doesn’t matter that the idea may not yet be fully developed; just start sketching. The pattern will develop along the way. It will take form as I’m sketching out the motifs, and more so after I digitise the sketch and work on it in Illustrator (or Photoshop, or Procreate). Sometimes the sketch won’t turn out the way I imagined it would (I’m looking at you, goat-rabbit-donkey monstrosity in Day 4:“Hippity Hop”), but go along with it anyway. In the context of this exercise, it’s the process that matters.

Day 4: “Hippity Hop”. The dark grey goat-rabbit-donkey is staring straight at me, accusingly.

2. Ideas will morph and evolve.

Some days I had a very clear idea of how I wanted my pattern to look like, and I managed to achieve it (Day 1: “Houses” and Day 30: “Dance”). Other days, I knew exactly what I wanted to sketch, or what I was inspired by, but absolutely no idea where I was going with it. I would play around with the motifs until something clicked (Day 6: “Strings” and Day 15: “Anyam”). Then there were days when try as I might, I just couldn’t translate the vision I had in my mind to the end design (Day 2: “Ombak” and Day 17: “Bougainvillae”). The best and most rewarding instance however, was when one source of inspiration led to several designs. Towards the end of the month, I was inspired by a metal filigree art piece I’d seen hanging on a wall in a hotel. I started doodling filigree patterns, and this resulted in not one, but five consecutive tiled filigree designs, each one “evolving” into the next iteration. (Day 26: “Filigree”, Day 27: “Tiles”, Day 28: “Spring”, Day 29: “Kerawang”, and Day 30: “Dance”). I’d seemingly entered into a filigree/kerawang phase of sorts; one I would happily revisit.

Beginner’s Luck? My very first pattern of the challenge, “Houses” turned out just as I had envisioned it. It took until the very last day of the challenge for this to happen again.

I hit a stumbling block on the second day; this was not the pattern I had in mind. I wasn’t happy with it, but I posted it anyway.

3. Inspiration is everywhere.

Daily deadlines meant that I didn’t have the time to “look for inspiration”. I needed to use whatever I had at the time, and it could come from anywhere. It could be something I’d read (Day 1: “Houses” and Day 13: “Crossword”), or a song I’d been listening to (Day 3: “Better In Colour”). It could come from experiences (Day 2: “Ombak” and Day 4: “Hippity Hop”), or from random things I notice in places I happen to be at (Day 6: “Strings”, Day 16: “SevenEight Lay Them Straight”, and Day 24: “Cozy”). There was a day where I “cheated”, and browsed through my old sketchbooks to look for old sketches that I could use (Day 21: “EllieFunt”).

There were days when I wasn’t inspired by anything specific, but I just felt like making marks on paper, or doodling lines and shapes (Day 7: “Kusut” and Day 10: “Check Check Chequer”).

This scene inspired Day 4: “Hippity Hop”.

Day 7: “Kusut”. This wasn’t inspired by anything in particular; I just felt like doodling circles and lines.

4. Every pattern has a story.

Each time I posted a pattern on my Instagram account, I tried to write something about it; usually what inspired it, or something about the design process. I learnt that having a story - and sharing it - made a design more interesting (to me, at least). It gives meaning to what I create, and to those who view it.

5. Developing a personal style requires more practice.

I knew that I would have to create far more than 30 patterns for a personal style to emerge, but I was still hoping that I could see a modicum of identity peeking through. That hasn’t happened yet, as far as I can see, and that’s fine. It just means I need to design more and more patterns, and I see nothing wrong with that.

So what’s next?

Will I attempt another #30DayChallenge, or something similar? I thoroughly enjoyed the excercise, so I think I will, but perhaps not too soon. For now I need to do some housekeeping (hello, 196 unread emails!), and work on some other areas I’d like to improve. I’ll slowly put the patterns up on products in my Society6 shop, and I’m planning to make some available as free downloadable wallpaper/screensavers. So watch out for that!

If you followed me on my #30DayChallenge, thank you! I hope you enjoyed my patterns. If you have any favourites, do let me know. It’d be nice to see what everyone’s opinions and tastes are like.

If you haven’t seen it yet and your curiosity is piqued, all 30 patterns are on my Instagram page, @almaheradesigns. Or you can click on the link at the top of my site. Do let me know what you think.

Until next time, toodles!

-A-

The Overfloor Pattern Commission

September 25, 2019

A few months ago, a friend and former colleague of mine, R, commissioned a seamless repeat pattern for a custom-print large deskmat - one of those long rectangular ones on which you place your keyboard and mouse. Popular, I believe, with gamers.

It was my first pattern commission.

The “Brief”

The “brief” was simple; he wanted me to design a pattern based on the “Overfloor” - the name given to one of the buildings of the school he went to. It is perhaps the most recognisable feature of his school, with its pseudo Graeco-Roman pillars and the wide expanse of green fronting it (the building overlooks the school’s rugby field). I guess I should explain here that the school is well known not only for its academic achievements, but also (perhaps more so?) for the fervent loyalty and pride displayed by its alumni. Being married to an alumnus myself, I was quite familiar with their fealty, and I’ve seen many an alumni tie, kain sampin, and lanyard out in the wild to understand that an Overfloor deskmat was bound to join the family one day. That I would have anything to do with it was something I had not expected.

Sure, I said. I’ll see what I can do.

This was going to be a new challenge for me. I hadn’t attempted designing a pattern based on buildings prior to this, and I couldn't (still can’t!) draw a straight line to save my life. Why do you think all my doodles are circles?!? Yes, there are rulers and set squares and fancy geometry sets, but I obstinately chose to sketch and draw freehand, and celebrate all the wonkiness and non-perpendicular angles that came with it.

Ink & watercolour sketch. It looks as if the roof is ablaze. I promise you it’s unintentional.

I attempted a few styles: a straightforward pencil and ink sketch, loose charcoal sketches, sketches with and without watercolour, and geometrically-perfect vector-based stylised shapes. I digitised the sketches and worked on them in Procreate and Photoshop for when I wanted to retain the gritty, grainy quality of the charcoal lines or the painterly look of watercolour, or in Illustrator for when I felt the drawings would translate well to vectors.

Charcoal & watercolour sketch. Wonky pillar alert.

The Colour Palette

Choosing the colour palette was the easiest part of the entire process. It only made sense to use the school colours, and R had included a specific background colour in his brief. He’d even given me the hex code - which made it that much easier for me. The colour palette, in short, had been predetermined from the get go.

I played around with several patterns and different iterations of each, and ended up with a selection I was comfortable with. I showed them to R, and thankfully he liked what I’d done. It being my first pattern commission and all, I’d been worried that I’d strayed too far from the mark.

R chose a pattern from the selection I’d given him, and sent it to the printers. It would take a couple of weeks or so, the printers told him. I hope it turns out ok, I silently prayed to myself. I then pushed it to the back of my mind and went on with life.

The Pattern In The Wild

After an episode with the wretched Influenza B (the toddler), and the frustrating annual affliction that is the haze (the country), R messaged me with some good news. The deskmats had arrived, and they looked good!

Aaaaaahhh to see my pattern out in the wild….

It feels nice.

It really does.

Watercolour Doodles: Drifting

September 13, 2019

I remember this one. I had Yayoi Kusama on my mind, and I was filling my sketchbook pages with spiralling lines of polka dots and circles. Some in ascending order of size, others descending. Some snaked their way across the pages of my book in monochromatic fashion, others skipped and hopped through a rainbow of colours.

It was therapeutic. I would zone out while painting those circles, one by one, trying to make each one just slightly smaller or bigger than the previous one, moving from one shade to the next.

Then I got sick of circles and polka dots.

So I painted squares instead.

I was also sick of the orderliness of the shapes gradually ascending or descending in size, and I wanted some negative space.

So I ended up with this:

I had a new addition to my paints at the time, and I used it for this painting. It was Daniel Smith’s Undersea Green; a colour that, for me, conjures images of scaly reptiles, seaweed swaying in the ocean depths, and humid mangrove swamps. If you’re a cat owner, like me, it may also remind you of one of the more wonderful perks of having a pet cat: hairball vomit.

But I’m pretty sure you’d agree that “Undersea Green” is a much better name than “Cat Vomit”, or “Hairball”.

And I can promise you I was NOT thinking of my cat’s occasional gifts to us when I was painting this.