Friends who Make.Good.Art.

Call me slow, but I just realised that I have quite a fair bit of creative friends. By creative, I do not mean those who work in a creative industry, but rather, those who add a splash of creativity in their  lives through their own projects. So I’ve decided to write a post to pay tribute to my friends who put their souls out there. You guys are such an inspiration.

In no particular order, here’s to my friends who Make Good Art.

Oh & Ah by Teck Yew, Tuck Loong and team

This charming little store is chock full of handmade goodies. Whether it is a piece of jewellery  or a home deco item, everything is made with much love and heart. Just browsing the site makes a gloomy day a whole lot brighter!

L.A.R.K  by Ching

If I were to pick just one word to describe this store, it’s “Kaleidoscope”. Everything is so colourful! This talented designer also fronts a band and offers her expertise on audio thingamajigs. It’s a wonder how many things she can do in a day! Salute!

Lines+Splines by Caryn Foo

My buddy from high school is an interior designer by day and a jewellery queen by heart. Ever since we were pimply-faced teens, she’s been into jewellery. She would make bracelets and necklaces with whatever materials she could find and give them to deserving people (like moi) as gifts. In fact, I still have a yellow bracelet which she made for my 15th birthday! I’m so proud that she has a store of her own now.

Pestle & Mortar by Hugh and friends

If you think Threadless is the only t-shirt store worth checking out, you’re dead wrong. This brand has swag. But these guys don’t just stop at making uber-wearable designs. They also put heaps of effort into the branding, marketing and photography of their lookbook. They also undertand the power of creative collaboration and more often than not, you’ll catch local DJs/ tv hosts sporting their designs.

WhoMovedMyFckinWords by Lilian Lee

This collection of quirky quotes will, to borrow a phrase from its creator, “warm the cockles of your heart”. The brainchild of a hyper-talented (and hyperactive) art director, these pearls of offbeat wisdom often leave me shooting coffee out of my nose as I struggle not to laugh like a hyena over breakfast. Fans of subtle sarcasm should totally bookmark this site.

Earring Addict by Dawne Lee

Just one look at the name of the store and you should know what you’re in for. These simple, elegant designs pair up fabulously with a multitude of outfits. If you haven’t got any piercings, go get some. Or, you could just pick up a necklace…or two.

I’m pretty sure I have more friends who are making good art but I’ve spent more than an hour writing this and I’m hungry. So I’m going to end this post with a speech that inspired the title of this post.

So guys, thanks for making the world a tad more creative and artistic. I hope you will continue to Make.Good.Art.

Friday, the 13th – The Good Stuff

Yesterday was Friday, the 13th. I’m not particularly suspicious so I didn’t start the day with gloomy thoughts, which worked out well in my favour because it turned out to be really fun day!

It started off with a relatively sane day at the office, a respite from a week of mad deadlines and intense brainstorming. Then I was told that there was a DigitalLab session at Google in the afternoon, and quite a few people couldn’t go, so there were spots for those who wanted to go. Of course I said yes to that! Who would pass up a chance to visit Google’s spanking new APAC office right?

So off we went to Google and what a colourful place it was!

According to one of the Googlers, each Google office incorporates elements of local architecture, which explains the usage of tiles, windows, furniture, and materials that are commonly seen in traditional shophouses here in Singapore.

The best thing about the place was how it didn’t feel like a workplace. It felt like a place where people could get together, at anytime of the day to collaborate on projects and share ideas.

After this visit, I can clearly see how Google comes up with the many innovations and ideas that make our lives easier every single day. I’m guessing that the abundance of snacks, food and drinks plays a huge role in this too!

Apart from a very inspiring visit to Google’s office, I also had dinner with Ian and his buddies from Ipoh. The amount of Malaysians working here in Singapore is pretty astonishing. I’m guessing that at least 1 out of 3 foreigners you see in Singapore are Malaysians. But you don’t notice it because we blend in pretty well.

After a huge dinner, Ian and I headed to the Red Dot Museum where MAAD is hosted as well as the monthly Portraits After Dark, organised by the OIC. MAAD was lovely, filled with all things cute and creative. Ian and I managed to book a 930pm slot to pose for the artists and we ended up buying 4 portraits at $10 each! We bought these portraits not just because they resemble us best, but also because they were rendered in 4 different styles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a challenge to hold our expressions for 20 minutes but we had fun. After buying our portraits, we headed home and witnessed an unpleasant incident on the MRT, which I will blog about in the next post because the title of this post doesn’t allow it.

🙂