Janice and Mark Invites

Here's an unexpected project that was referred to me by my officemate and former schoolmate, ate Jasmine. This is for her classmate back in high school who's about to tie the knot. Janice and Mark, both Chemists, decided to have caricatures for their invitation. Janice did the drawing and i traced it using Illustrator and added their faces based on their photos. They wanted a dark background so i added some glow in the smoke and chemicals. Overall, they liked it and that's all that i wish for. Good luck to both of them and i wish them a happy married life!

Love Heals 1.0 & 2.0

This is for the victims of the Zamboanga Siege. I did this last Christmas which was supposed to be printed as postcards and sold to which the proceeds will be donated to the internally displaced families in Zamboanga. We all need healing from that terrifying experience especially the kids. It's only through love that we can allow healing to happen.



Here is another version of the art which was part of the TimeOut Exhibit of the Faculty and Staff of Ateneo de Zamboanga University. It's a mixed media sculpture where I used wood, nails, strings and paint.

Handmade Wooden Signs

Two of the most creative visionaries of this city has commissioned me to create handmade artworks for their new studio. Vista de Lente Photography headed by Mr Reymond Ledesma and Mr Rey Fortuna, and Inkpressive Invitations by Doc Venus Fortuna, trusted my crafty side to create sweet decors with quotes or phrases and images that will add personality to their new workspace. Inspired by western wedding event styling and my recent relationship with Pinterest, I was challenged to do traditional painting using scavenged wood I found in our garage, by-products of our house's renovation. My output surprised me as well. I didn't expect i can do such things. The feedback were also positive and now, many are already asking me to do one for them. Here are the first set of my "Handmade Wooden Signs" which i created for Vista de Lente. Click photos for larger view. More after the jump.

The set is currently displayed at the reception area of Vista de Lente Photography office at the new L&F Blgd fronting Cecile's Pharmacy along San Jose Rd.

Festival de Verano 2014 Poster Design

Its summertime! Festival de Verano - erstwhile known as the Zamboanga Summer Festival - will officially open on April 25 with the Great Summer Escapade at Sta. Cruz Island, which also aims to promote the island as a prime tourism destination.

 A Kite-Flying Competition is also set and will be the opening salvo for Juego de Antes, an activity that will allow older generations to relive their childhood through traditional games they once enjoyed.

Juego de Antes will feature games such as kadang-kadang, sack race, tumbahan lata, shatung, Limbo Rock, Tug of War, Gerry Base, domino and tubigan. The Festival de Verano will also pay homage to two of the city’s well-known residents: former mayor Maria Clara Lobregat and Gen. Vicente Alvarez.

The Festival de Verano will culminate in a grand parade of lovely belles, gowns and arcs on May 24. Dubbed as the Festival de las Bellas y Flores, the parade will showcase the finest creations of the city’s renowned as well as up-and-coming designers.

Vamos a Zamboanga!

Words by Christian Olasiman
Poster design by Csz97

Day 30: Congrats Banner

Omg! It's finally done. The last one is dedicated to my hard work and for not giving up. After two years, i finished the 30 Day Drawing Challenge! It was not easy for me doing this because im a very moody artist. I'm also not that talented with "drawing" so i used reference halfway. I broke some rules along the way like in day 16 when i used colored background and text should be inside some sort of a banner. But all decisions were made because at that time it just felt right for me. This also has been a great activity for me. It didn't only challenge my skills but also it made me know myself better. I really recommend all artist to do this challenge. It may not be as serious as i did, but practicing your craft will always make you a better artist. I also learned many techniques and even developed my own. I love to explore and just be creative. I hope all these creative juices will never run out. This one I dedicate to everyone who believed in me. Thank you and God bless ^_^

Day 29: A Place You Want to Go

I love travelling! My first time to travel or have a vacation outside the city was after high school graduation. I went to Iligan with the entire Zabala clan. Travelling with family is great! We get to see new places, share new experiences and get to know each other more. My entire childhood was here in Zamboanga, and I always dreamt of going to Disneyland or Universal Studios as a kid watching cable TV. I know a lot of places coz i always read books (as in encyclopedia) and watch nerdy channels like Discovery Channel and Nat Geo. I also dreamt of travelling outside space and becoming an astronaut. As a teen i discovered Harry Potter and no doubt, i wanted to be a wizard and study in Hogwarts. A lot of movie and cartoons made me want to go fictional places like Neverland, Oz, Narnia, The Shire, Rivendell, Gotham, Smallville, and the Pokemon Universe.

But in college i get to travel for real. I went to Manila many times for the Graphika Manila conference. I traveled to Baguio for a Student Journalism workshop. I went to Naga for

Day 28: Anything You'd Like

For today, im doing a throwback doodle from my college days. Back in the days, i would love to hang out at coffee shops just doodling in my planner and taking advantage of the free wifi access.haha. This dates back to 2009, my last year in college. I doodled a new dessert from a cafe which i tried. It's their version of the Knickerbocker, a cocktail of fruits with icecream on top. Knickerbocker is a must-taste dessert when you visit Zamboanga. As you can see im also busy with my laptop. That year i had my new laptop which i bought with my own money. Okay, not entirely mine, my parents helped me a bit.^_^ I worked during summer conducting seminars and workshops and the fruit of my labor was my very own laptop which i use to surf the net when im hanging out at cafes. Today, this laptop is already dead. :( It got wet when rain dripped inside our house due to construction of the second level of our house. I was forced to buy a new one coz i always use it at school for teaching. Anyways, this doodle is just a look back at the good ole days. Hope you like it ^_^

Day 27: Someone You Love

It's not so hard to think of people i love because i have a LOT! My parents, my siblings, relatives, and friends makes me feel loved always and i love them more. This particular artwork is dedicated to my one and only sister, Eldee Grace Michelle, or Ate Chen-Chen. It's her 27th birthday and i thought of making this as a birthday gift to her. Talking about hitting two birds with one stone ;) I created this colorful portrait in Illustrator with a bit of texture added using Photoshop.

Anyways, my Ate is a shy person but she's also adventurous. We both love to travel and explore places and do new stuff. As young siblings, we we're the usual kids who fight at times but we're generally peaceful. The toughest years when she was in her early teenage years when she's very moody with all that crazy hormone side effects. We went at the same high school and she's my rolemodel in terms of academics. She studied nursing at WMSU and i studied IT in ADZU. Now we're already working. She's in Cebu working as a call center agent while arranging her papers for abroad. She's a very fun-loving and adventurous person and i couldn't have a better Ate than her. So cheer's to you Ate and wishing you a great year and prosperous life. May God bless us always!

Day 26: Something You Don't Like

Coming up with something you don't like was kinda difficult. It took me two months to finally come up with one. Well, its already 2014 and i started this series in 2012 and now im down to my last few days. Last year was a tough one especially with all the natural and man made crisis that happened in our country. For something i don't like, i chose rain coz it reminded me of #YolandaPH or #Haiyan, the worst Supertyphoon that hit the Philippines and the strongest one in history. Communities were erased in the map and lots of families lost their lives and loved ones. Rain and wind could be very disastrous.

Here at home, we're not that affected with the typhoon but the series of rainfall caused floods in some barangays. Our house is still under renovation and the roof has a lot of holes. Whenever it rains our living room, dining room and bedrooms get flooded and we have to put catch basins around the house. Then i would mop the floor when it stops. But after a few hours the rain would fall again. I left my 5 year old laptop in our sofa when i was at work and when i got home it was already soaked. Now its dead ad i have to buy a new one for class. Going to work has also been difficult when its pouring because im driving a motorcycle. Most of the time, i really hate rain when it hinders my productivity. But i don't hate it all the time. I only like rain when im in bed sleeping. :)

Aside from rain, i also dislike the fact that im allergic to food colorants and dark colored food like chocolates. I have allergic rhinitis where my eyes turn red and itchy after eating or drinking food with artificial colorants. I also dislike super hot weather, wet socks, bad hair days, annoying music, bad typography, smelly people, bad service in restaurants, and people with bad vibes.