I'm getting the hang of speed drawing videos...

  My second speed drawing video! These are really fun to do. I'm probably going to make more of such videos. You can't see it in the video, but I was actually feeling quite nervous during filming... I think that's why I missed a few sections. :x  Oopsies.

  Also, this time I used a song without copyright, so there shouldn't be ads on the video. I'll be using non-copyrighted songs in my future videos.

  stephaniejennifer.com

Diva's Zentangle Challenge: Organic

  This week's challenge was to create a tile that developed organically and naturally. I've not done a black tile in quite some time, so I sat down with one and this happened:

It reminds me of a flower floating down a stream...

  The patterns that I used were "Hibred", a variation of "Auraknot", and "Tipple". Pens used were 
Uni-ball Signo Broad in white, Sakura Gelly Roll in silver, and Zentangle®'s soapstone.

  Also, I have a current on-going giveaway that is open worldwide, and I'd love for you to join. ^-^

You can view my review of an online art store called "Visualtroop" with the giveaway via this link: (click here).

  There were so many great submissions for this challenge. Other than that, I hope you're having a great week so far~ 

Review of Visualtroop + July Giveaway

  Visualtroop is an online store that sells products with designs from various artists on them. They print on shirts, tote bags, notecards, and even produce art prints. Any artist can submit their works to the site which gives you a wide variety of art styles across the site. The artists still retain the rights to their works and get 15% from products sold. It's an awesome way to make merchandises if you’re an artist, or support an artist by buying awesome merchandises.

  The site is well designed and easy to navigate. I love the “Quick View” function that the site has. Local shipping is made via Singpost. Charges vary depending on whether you choose regular or registered mail but they're very affordable. International shipping starts from $6 to $50, depending on what you order.

  I made an order with them on the 9th of July 2015 and the order was fulfilled on the 21st of July 2015. The order reached me the very next day. :) And here are some pictures:

The flat cardboard packaging contained the print, while the box contained everything else.
The box was a little bent, but nothing in it was harmed.

And here's everything that I bought. ^-^
From top in clockwise rotation: "Abyssus" archival print, "Love #2" photo print in white frame, "Penguinception" T-shirt, "Moths" notecard with envelope.

I have a soft spot for "The Little Prince"...
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye."
(If you noticed, I also switched out the frame that the print was originally in. The frame that I got from Visualtroop felt better with the "Abyssus" print.)

Everyone loves a good graphic tee. I already had ten T-shirts before this purchase.
But I just couldn't resist the cuteness of "Penguinception".

  The prints were crisp and clear. Everything felt good to the touch. And it's just great to see a company that is hitting all the right marks on what a good website should be like.

  As a lovely gift to you, Visualtroop has offered me a discount code to share. Use the code "10EVERYTHINGISART" for a discount on your next purchase with them. You'll be supporting local brands and artists while getting awesome merchandises at the same time. Win-win!


  My experience with Visualtroop has been really positive. And seeing that I was due to run my next giveaway, I decided it'd be a great idea to give one lucky reader the chance to have something from Visualtroop!  ^-^


Here are the rules:

• If you've been a long-time reader, you should know that this isn't the first giveaway I'm hosting. However, this will be the first giveaway that is opened worldwide. So matter where you live, you're eligible to join. I'll cover the postage fee so you don't have to worry about that.

• The giveaway starts on 27th July 2015, 08:59, Singapore time and ends on the 24th August 2015, 09:00, Singapore time.

• Please provide an e-mail that I can contact you with if you win the giveaway. The winner will be drawn randomly and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends.

• The winner will get to pick whatever design that they like. You can view all available options if you (click here)

• If you have any additional questions, feel free to send me an email- stephanie_jennifer@ymail.com

Other than that, you can join via the widget below. Anddd~ Good luck!

(Obligatory disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Visualtroop. I paid for the items within this review. All words within the review are my own, and this really *is* an honest review and not a sponsored blog post.)

First Speed Drawing Video

  I'm no stranger to speed videos... But mostly it was just me speeding up videos of me flipping through art books to show you guys. This time, though, I did a speed drawing video.

  The set up was a little awkward... Also, I used a lap desk-thingy, and that made the video a little shaky in certain parts of the video. But I really do like how the video turned out. ^-^  Maybe, into the future, I'll do more complex works, or add my voice, or do videos of me talking to the camera about various topics. We'll see where it goes. For now, though, enjoy my efforts.

  Anddd~ I updated my website a while ago. If you're interested to see it, you can click on this link. Also, my order from Visualtroop arrived yesterday, so expect a review about them soon. Plus, giveaway time draws near. *smileyface*  Have a great week ahead~

Stephanie's Sketches v.10

  I know I've not been very active online, but I am trying...

  Here's a bunch of things from my sketchbook to make up for the lack of posting:

Colourful page using Winsor & Newton's watercolours.
This will probably be a WIP that I will never finish, cause I quite like it as it is.

I laid down the black ink first, and then added white lines using Uni-ball Signo Broad.

WIP. I love how the black background makes it pop.

This was done as an exploration of lines. I loved it so much that I included very similar piece in my exhibition. 

Here's another.

People say "I can't do ______"...
Can't. Can't. Can.
You CAN do it.

Bright and cheery Zentangle© tile.
Pattern used: "Nzeppel" 

And lastly, a girl with antlers.
I might do more silhouette portraits with Zentangle patterns in them in the future.

  And... That's about it for now. I'm busy with getting ready for my exhibition but will try my best to post on this blog, and I will definitely still keep up with replying comments and emails. If you live in Singapore or will be visiting in August, do drop by my exhibition. Details can be found via this link.

  Also, I just checked my calendar, and we are scheduled for a giveaway very very soon. So do stay tuned for that. ^-^

Joey's Zentangle Challenge: Florez

  It was a busy week for me last week, and I don't think the busy-ness will ease up anytime soon. Getting an art exhibition ready is no easy task but I'm loving every step of the journey. I still found time to do a Zentangle challenge, though.

  This week's letter is "F", and we're using "Florez". I really like "Nzeppel" so this pattern was fun to do too. I did this week's challenge on a Bijou tile.

Travel Log: New York

(This is a picture heavy post. I also post quite a number of selfies in this post... I think I've gotten comfortable with the idea of putting my face on my blog now. Anyhows. This post isn't exactly an art post. It's more of a diary-style post. I do hope you'll still enjoy it.)

  First things to know about New York; don't leave your belongings unattended— ever. In Singapore, you can use your bag to reserve your table at a fast food establishment. In New York, you do that and the only thing you'll have left is the wallet you had in your hand.



  I arrived in New York in the late morning. My godmother was there to pick me up from the airport. I stayed in the Bronx area (which is where she lives), and it wasn't as bad as how some people made it seem. Bronx has really nice old architecture.

Mainly African-American, Spanish, and Hispanic live in the Bronx area. Different Bronx districts have different slangs. It's really cool to hear people having conversations with their own slang.

  After I reached my godmother's place, I slept for a while to get rid of jet lag, and then we went to Times Square at midnight. The trains run all through the night. Imagine that.

And the subways... My god, the subways..... The subway system is so complicated and sometimes they close down stations or stop services. And subways are noisy.
You'll also see subway performers quite often, and it's good to have spare change in case you like their performances and want to show some love for their craft.

Times Square is quite alluring at night, though.

We took a horse carriage ride around the area that night and I took many pictures throughout the ride. The night was cold, though. 

The horse carriage ride was very similar to what you see in this picture.
The horse that pulled us was chocolate brown, though. It was really pretty.

Thereafter, the first three days in New York for me were shopping days.
  Go to Best Buy for your electronics.
  New York doesn't have Walmart because they don't pay minimum wage so New Yorkers didn't want them in their city. They have Target.
Burlington is awesome. Hats are great. Dresses are so pretty. Sunglasses are cheap. Well, everything is cheap, really.

The hat and the dress I'm wearing in this photo are both from Burlington.
But I'm not in New York in this photo. I'm in Providence for a CZT Seminar. You can read about that by clicking on this link.

Five Guys!
This is their "Little Cheeseburger". It ain't little at all, though.
Pizza is $1 a slice in certain places. Everything is big- pizza slices, burgers, fries, fizzy drinks, etc.

At an Oakley store to get something for my SO.

  The last few days of my stay was used to go to tourist-y areas.

Like the Statue of Liberty.

Bet you've never seen the behind of the Statue of Liberty.

(Not the most flattering of angle for a photo...)

You have to take a boat to the island.
It cost USD18 for the boat ride.
Here's a nice selfie of me on the boat to make up for the not-so-nice previous photo.

Pretty seagulls by the shore of the island.

  The next day, I visited Broadway to watch "Lion King" with my mum. Apparently, productions in other countries are scaled down and there isn't a rotating platform on those productions either. Of course, I wasn't allowed to take pictures of the stage and all that, so here's a mask that hung outside. It was huge! Like, as tall as a human sort of huge.

"Remember who you are, Simba.... Remember."

Then we went to Magnolia Bakery for cakes.
Here's me sitting by a fountain right near the bakery.

The pigeons wanted to eat the cakes too...

Then 4th of July happened. Lots of illegal fireworks in the neighbourhood I was staying in.
This picture was taken from my balcony.

  The next day, I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It's right by Central Park.

I saw a fat squirrel in the park on my way to the museum.

The streets have their own charm.
It's not a clean nor green city like Singapore.
And it's not a resort destination like Hawaii or the Bahamas. But the city does have its own character.

Then I reached the museum!
There were lots of little stands selling art prints, and also food and drinks.

  The museum is huge and I could make a whole post dedicated to the art within it. But here's a very small selection of the more famous pieces that you may instantly recognise. Can you remember which artists made each pieces of art? Tell me your guesses in the comments section below. :)

Detail of the frame in the above painting.

This one shouldn't be too difficult to guess...

  And so concluded my trip to New York. The city was charming. The people were friendly. I greatly enjoyed my trip. Now I'm back in Singapore, I'm busy preparing for my exhibition in August. I'm back to my regular posting schedule. I'm feeling super creative and I'll definitely be posting more of my own art on my Instagram, Facebook, and on this blog. Thanks for reading this far. You're lovely.

Here's one last cute selfie taken in the airplane.
I hope you enjoyed the photos and my musings.
Till' next time~

Certified Zentangle Teacher Seminar: What to Expect

  I've always loved the Zentangle™ concept and the main reason why I wanted to take this course was to become certified and have the required training to teach others about the Zentangle method.

  I was going to visit my godmother in New York, America and gosh knows the ticket aren't cheap.... And since I was going to be visiting America, I thought why not make a stop-over to Providence too.. So I booked a slot for the Zentangle seminar in June, and then booked my ticket to New York. In between my vacation in New York, I would then take a train from New York to Providence for the seminar. And then head back to New York for three more days before flying back to Singapore.

  The reason for this post is mainly to let others who want to take part in the Zentangle seminar have an insight on what actually happens throughout the course. I updated this post with pictures and my thoughts as each event happened to ensure that this post presents the most accurate description of my journey. I hope it helps you in some ways. :)

  I registered for the course on the 25th of February and paid a small part of the fees to secure a place for the seminar. I then received an e-mail from Martha with an invoice. I paid for the course, in full, on the 27th of February 2015. Martha seemed like a very pleasant person, and payment was relatively easy.

  On the 6th of April 2015, I received the zentangle starter kit as pictured below. 

That's a card sealed in an envelope with my name written in cursive on it!
I also loved the texture of the box...

Everything fit into the box perfectly.
The DVD, the little explanatory booklet on what Zentangle was about, some Zentangle tiles, a sharpener, a 20-sided dice, two Sakura micron pens, and two pencils.

  This is a really great Zentangle starters' kit. Although I have been tangling for quite some time already, I still watched the DVD.  

  I'm really excited about the Zentangle seminar!

---
  On the 28th, I travelled from New York to Penns Station to take the Amtrak to Providence. Bright and early at 6am, the morning was cold as it was drizzling. The bakery right outside the waiting area is amazing- the bagel and chocolate croissants are really good. Business Class seats were spacious, and if you have a business class ticket, you get free non-alcoholic drinks. You make a few stops before you get to Providence. It's a 3 and a half hour ride from New York with lots of photo opportunities if you like urban, and also green landscapes.

Here's what the inside of the train station at Providence looks like.

  Hotel Providence is a four diamond hotel. Within walking distance of the train station, but we took a taxi cause' we had luggages and it was drizzling and freezing cold.

Cold and drizzly, indeed...

Zentangle welcomes you!

  Check-in is at 2pm, but really, you have the entire night to do whatever you want.

  Upon registration ,we received a tote bag filled with a variety of Sakura pens, a little pouch to keep those pens in, a brown box, a sketchbook, the schedule plan for the duration of our stay, and a folder to keep loose papers in.

  The Zentangle store opened at 4pm and you can buy lots of products at a discount from there. The first thing I bought was the Zentangle book by Rick and Maria so that I could get it signed by them during book signing later that evening.

Maria, Rick took a picture with my mum and I during book signing.
Rick and Maria are really sweet people with a lot of passion for what they do.

  The course is quite intense because they're jam-packing so much information into just three days. It's a nice schedule, though. It goes: Breakfast > Class > Tea break > Class > Lunch > Class > Tea Break > Dinner > Optional Event of the Night.

  I can't tell you too much about what happened during the actual classes because it'd ruin the magic of the event. However, let's just say surprises are plenty; you'll learn plenty; the good vibes that fill the room are just brilliant; Rick and Maria (and Molly) are all genuinely passionate to teach you what they know of the Zentangle method and I know you'll have a splendiferous time if you choose to attend the event.

  The food that the hotel provided was really nice. Breakfast was fruits and yoghurt, toast with various jams, and scrambled eggs. Lunch and dinner were varied. The service staffs were lovely. And the room was spacious and clean.

The weather was nice on the second day so we got to sit outside in the garden. It was quite lovely.
I also think that due to the cold weather + clean air in Providence, my skin became really clear.

We went to have dinner at "Cheesecake Factory". 

They have *really* great cheesecakes.

So much so that on the last day of the course, we made sure to buy extra slices to take to New York.

The art scene in Providence is pretty good.
Look at this nice mural that I saw in a parking lot. Beautiful, isn't it?
It's by artist Natalia Rak and is done in spraypaint and acrylic. You can visit her blog here.

I'm now an official Certified Zentangle Teacher!

  It was a great experience. My mum and I actually discussed the possibility of us going back again in a year or two. I learnt a lot about the Zentangle method and can't wait to be able to start classes to teach children about it. It's one thing to read about the Zentangle method online and draw by yourself. It's quite another thing to be at the seminar and soak up the positivity and passion of other like-minded people.. If time and money allows, I definitely recommend going for the seminar. The next best thing would be to take a class held by a CZT.

  I hope you liked this post and found it useful. As always, I'm here for questions and comments via email (stephanie_jennifer@ymail.com) or via the comments section below.

Back to New York I go... To follow the adventures I went on in New York, click right here.