House #36A

Salmi's birdhouse is finally done. Took me a while to fulfill her request for a Tudor birdhouse.

Firstly, it's not of the right architecture ...especially the roof ... wrong structure! The shape of the whole house just made it difficult to make it look like a Tudor house.



Secondly... it was a make-over from a decal-pasted design to this. Had to remove the decal pieces, re-apply coats of gesso and paints to cover the mess created hehe

Anyway ... the outcome is pleasant enough... I hope. Salmi is happy ... so I am happy too :))

... and soooooo now... on to my next project ... painting daffodils on a bin :)





Have a great day y'all .... :))

The week that was ....

Hello everybody ... the sun plays hide and seek behind the clouds today. I feel sluggish as I'm a sun-person ... but ... my spirits are not dampened as I managed a very fruitful week last week. This week... I spent time completing the tasks :))

Chempaqa's tray is a design I adapted from Bonnie Heppe Fisher. I simply adore her paintings ... it gives me a feeling of serenity everytime I look at them :)

Then there is this bin that I'd put on hold for almost two years ... basically because it was a repeat design (I hate repeats). I painted for Marina a bin of ALMOST the same design ... hehehe no two paintings can ever be exactly the same right???!! ... some two years ago. Her sister liked it and asked me to do the same ... AFTER Marina got me to paint on another piece of same design!!! Two repeats I can accept ... but to repeat THREE times???? ... hehehe hence the loooonnngggggg delay!!! Oh dear ... thank God she's patient enough to wait... oh dear! Anyway ... it's done now ... but oh my! where did I keep the pedals huh???

Oh well ... it has been a great week ... after a long hiatus from painting. The queue of commissioned jobs is long ... Alhamdulillah ... Salmi ... your birdhouse is next ... InsyaAllah :))

Backyard in the kitchen?

The mood to paint seems to be mighty elusive these past few months... I have been very unproductive :((( BUT today I amazed myself. Completed Ani's plastic dispenser all in ONE day ... huhu..... oh well, at least the major part of it haha

She requested for a garden scenery ... I made it to look like a backyard with garden tools and pots to boot. Have a look see ... again, as usual, it's a prelim .... I may or may not add more to it :))

That's it for now ... nite2 :)

eat ur veges!

Just a short note this time ... seems to have lost the knack for words lately. Anyway ... painted these vegetables on a kitchen towel holder ... still not too please with the carrots (appears flat and not cylindrical!) ... but oh well, that was the best I could do after 3 re-dos! Paint has become a wee bit thick there after all the touch-ups haha ...



That's it for now ... taa :)

Avian family :)

I don't really paint animals or any other kind of figurines unless there is a request for them. Thus, this I paint for Yasmin. Actually, I barter trade with her ... my paintings for her grandma's wardrobe ... I hope I did justice to the trade :)

This was painted on a cutlery box


















.... and this is for Zoe, her beautiful daughter :)



... painted from my heart :)
Thanks Yas ...

Long hiatus :(

Since the last solo workshop, I had been unproductive. Seemed like all energy had been sapped out from within me ... and to top it all ... the fasting does not help in creating any enthusiasm in painting!!!

Finally last week I managed to get something done for Salmi. Completed her 2 shelves with a local flower, the bunga kangkung (sorry don't know what it is in english hehehe). Made them a mirror-image of the other on the shelves.

Then yesterday.... I finally found the courage and confidence to paint tea cups on her WHITE LACY LINEN tablecloth. Courage? Yup ... there was this nagging fear that I would spoil and mess up the piece!!! ...and today ... it's all done :)) A tea cup at each of the 4 corners of the 6-seater tablecloth.... and if I may add ... am mighty pleased with the result *pat pat pat on the shoulder*




















So that's it for now ... until my next bout of painting mood ... have a great weekend ahead ...

solo workshop #5 - just roses

Had another "Just Roses" workshop last 6 Aug 2011 ... this time way up north in Sg Petani, Kedah.

It was the first week in the month of Ramadhan. I was fasting, thus it was a real test of endurance for me. Drove up north around 5.00pm, made many stops along the way at ALMOST all the R&R's ... finally reached Sg Petani at around 11.00pm. Workshop is at 9.00am at the community hall near the hotel, but I have to be there by 8.00am to set up the place... not much rest there....


Anyway ... all went well. It was a group of 9 enthusiastic ladies together with our solo male participant. 10 enthusiastic painters with 3 absolute beginners ... but hey ... we finished way ahead of time!!! 45 minutes to be exact ... it was a good fruitful day. Thank you all :))

solo wkshop #4 - just roses

Another small group... but it was worth it. With these small groups I gained experience on how to teach roses within the stipulated period. Alhamdulillah...with these four beautiful ladies (3 of whom were really really really really inexperienced as in had never touched a brush let alone done a stroke of any sort!) ... I learned to deal with time and techniques to ensure that all could complete their project in time ... and this time, I had 20mins to spare :)


Well ladies, I hope you enjoyed the experience. Yes... it's not that easy ... but yeah! it's not impossible either ...right? It goes to show that, all that is needed is passion and perseverance ... and of course practice!!! (that goes without saying!!!) Thank you ladies ... for making me believe that nothing is impossible if you put your heart to it :)

Kak Masnah's table ....

Alright ... ok ... it's done! It wasn't difficult when painting in the objects in the subject matter ... but it was stressful to make it look realistic! Another futile attempt at Trompe l'oeil. Pls take note that I have no formal training in this form of art, what I read and what I @think@ is right is what you see here hahahaha .... literally this is just painting from the heart :)) ... books are not enough for me... I need to see the masters do it :(

So finally ... it's done... and it's going to it's rightful owner later this afternoon *sigh of relief*

4 JULY 2011

It is Zaiton's b'day today ... and friends gathered at the House of Hazienda to celebrate this auspicious day with her. The tea setting was just beautiful... fit for a lady as pretty as Zaiton. Of course the food was just scrumptious... and I'm glad I went with an empty stomach hehehehe

Earlier in the day, my hormones played up with my moods (yup!just blame the hormones!!!) but all that changed the moment I stepped into the House of Hazienda. The ambience coupled with the presence of our lovely friends perked me up :) ... thank you all

But what really made my day was the fact that we, the Golden Girls, really let our hair down. Had so much fun playing the games and participating in the quirky competitions haha ... and I won TWO of them! Third place for creative nail painting ... to paint 5 fingernails within 2 mins and the other was for the catwalk ... haha .... yup!yup!yup! I came out tops ...*lalalalalala

Oh well... it was a good whilst it lasted ... and now I'm back home ... back to mundane duties and responsibilities *sigh*

Have a great week people ... once in a while do be a sport and allow yourself to just let go and be crazy :))

p/s : photos will come later ya ...

Just Roses --- solo workshop #3

I had just completed another solo workshop at my home studio but just an hour ago. It was a small group consisting of students of various levels. Ina was there to refreshen her skills, Lidya is an intermediate student but had left her brushes to rest for a very long time. Ann is an absolute beginner with no experience but equipped with love and passion for decorative painting. Today's workshop is a test on my teaching skills too.

I had always declined to teach roses to absolute beginners. I want them to be the master of their brush and be able to handle all the various strokes involved in decorative painting but then I thought why not this time. Hence, the first of such workshops began for me today ... and Alhamdulillah ... I made it!!! They all finished at the stipulated time ... I'm mighty proud of my students :)

Kosmo, Fri 1 July 2011 ... we're there :)

Hey hey hey ... it's us in the news again! The pictures speak for themselves ya... I'm actually lost for words but felt that I do need to boost my ego a wee bit today ... hehehe ...uhhh no! MUAHAHAHAHAHA is more like it ....

The interview was done in mid May at my place, and a week later at Zaitun's place together with her students as she was conducting her class with them ... and after a while I'd forgotten of it's existence ... so that's it for now from a stiff-fingered blogger :(

Have a great weekend :)

Another solo workshop - Just Roses

It has been a long time since I last updated my blog... basically because I have a bad case of writer's block. Not that I have nothing to show off ... it's just I just don't feel like writing ... muahahahahaha EXCUSES!!!!! Anyway ... here I am again... announcing my upcoming workshops at various venues

"Just Roses"

- a workshop for beginners and for others that may need to refresh their their skills

Date : July 3 2011 (Sun)
Time : 9am - 5pm
Place : Nora's Studio, Kg Sg Penchala, KL








Other venues:
6/8 : Sg Petani (Lis - 0174699018)
9/7 : Shah Alam (Ros - 0123684622)
16/7 : Kemaman (Ita - 0179221424)
23/7: Muar (Shahlina - 0193664930)

I'm spreading my wings to all other parts in Malaysia ... so please choose your venues and contact the respective organisers. First 3 to sign up with payment gets an early bird gift hand-painted by yours truly :)

Have a great day ... be hearing from you soon ya ;))

The Busy Counter Top :)

This is my current major project ... have been at it for the past two weeks putting in a lot of thoughts in filling in the space to create a lively corner for a rendevous with a loved one :)



The lady sipping tea as she attends to her letters whilst the master of the house having his morning coffee with crepes drowned in honey .... that's the story it's telling :)) Try to hear the lively chat between the two :))

It's not finished yet... still need to put in details on the plate of chocs and finale on the mugs of coffee and tea. Shadows and cast shadows are still missing ... nothing "sits" in as yet ... everything seems to "float" on the table ... so keep tuned in ya ... but currently I'm taking a break .... don't seem to have any ideas as yet on how to proceed :(

Nora's First Solo Workshop :)

Had my solo workshop two weekends ago (19 March 2011) .... it's only now that I've fully recovered from the stress and fatique :( Converted my dry kitchen-studio into a workshop and I actually can have space for 10. Will think of more workshops later :))



It was a small group of six enthusiastic painters ... Syakireen and Monalisa (both from Melaka), Azie from Putrajaya, Kak Wan (from Kelana Jaya), Zaiyan (from TTDI) and Akmam (last minute entry from .... errrr... I forgot....sorry dear :(

They come with varied experiences ... from the totally fresh to the more experienced ones .... but I know we had fun and everything was completed within the time stipulated.... except for Kak Wan who had to stop earlier because she had to go to KLIA and Zaiyan who had to take a longer lunch break because she had to attend to urgent matters back home :)) However they will continue to complete later in a normal class.

Silly me however, forgot to take group pics but I do have some to show as they were painting :)

That's Syakireen flanked by Akmam on her left and Monalisa on her right .... all hard at work

Zaiyan together with Azilah and kak Wan (below) .... proving a point that being a senior citizen is never a hindrance to indulge in one's desires ;))

Some of the ladies with their finished paintings ... a first at still life for all of them ;))

They have asked what's the next workshop ... maybe I'll do lace work on a box next ... hmmmm

Would you like to join?

The "Carved" Lazy Susan

Something different on a lazy susan completed but a few minutes ago. The design is adapted from traditional Malay wood carvings done my way. Had it antiqued to make it look more traditional .... but of course it's not varnished yet (a'ha ... that's me... can't wait to show off hehehe)

Yup! That's it for today .... need to go back to my studio... on-going preparation for the workshop in March :)

Confirming workshop in KL

DECORATIVE PAINTING WORKSHOP

"THE TRIO"

Date : 19 Mac 2011
Time : 9.00am - 5.00pm
Venue : Nora's Home Studio, Kg Sg Penchala, KL

Skill level : Beginner - Advance

You will learn/refresh skills :
* basic surface preparation
* basic comma strokes
* floating
* dry brushing

Contact : 017-2517512
E-mail : norana_g@hotmail.com




* Limited places available. Please confirm by 13 Mac 2011. Hope to be hearing from you soon :))

The Trio

I have been toying around with this idea for a long time now. I finally sat down and had them on paper and wood and this is the outcome.

I'm starting a workshop in Penang sometime in May. Am still in the midst of discussion and negotiation for venue and will have all finalised, God Willing, by next week... so keep checking my blog here for details ya ;)

What's in it for you? Decorative Painting is for all who has the interest in painting but lack the in-borne talent for it ... thus the reason we learn the techniques to attain the skill. So have no fear, Nora is here to guide you through the process. Do not be intimidated... we all have to start somewhere, right???

Anyway, from this project, you will learn

• surface preparation
• some basic strokes to create the leaves, daisies and filler flowers
• the art of floating and dry-brushing to create shades and highlights on the objects to give them "life"
• the technique of painting fruits and other still life objects
• to have fun while painting :))))

I'm also looking for anybody who'd be interested to help me organise this workshop in their area. Email me at norana_g@hotmail.com or call me at 013-2770425. My contact in Penang is Ira (013-2725496)

I am excited ... hoping that this dream will materialise :))

The 20 min job ..

Tried to do some serious painting today ... but the mood to focus was not there. Had this rolling pin hanger base-coated many moons ago... so to pacify my guilt for not painting... I started to doodle with roses again. Now not too sure whether to give away?...sell?... or keep for myself? ...hmmm we shall see .....

... still trying to complete the lazy susan ... but at the same time was contemplating to finish off the 10 little containers that Chempaqa sent to me ...errrr ... MORE than many moons ago hehe... 3 done ...7 to go ... all with different fruits but because it's so small it has become a tedious chore even for my tiny hands to handle ... oh well

Till the next episode my friends... have a nice day

What's new this week?

Was painting a trompe l'oeil design on a lazy susan ... somehow got stuck putting in the details ... so pushed that aside first until the juices flow again ... hopefully soon! Hence ... just so I don't waste time ...completed projects for Dee and kak Nomi ... something simple that does not require me to crack my brain (or whatever that's left of it at this age hahahaha!!!) ...

Dee's diary... painted my infamous roses on the leather jacket ... that was a quick job ... hehehe I like! I like! That's what I would normally do... whenever I get stumped by a major project ... I'd just stop and divert to something simpler ...

Then next painted on Kak Nomi's cutlery box. She had the crackled effect done ages (and I mean AGES ago ... like 3 years ago haha). It was a project she started but abandoned due to err.... hmmm I forgot what!!! Anyway ... I completed it for her ...again with my infamous roses!!! Another quick job hehehe ... I like! I like!

Also for Kak Nomi ... painted a bouquet of lilacs and daisies on a portable reading table. Another easy project ... I like! hehe ... that's it for the week... now for more serious painting of still life and trompe l'oeil ... back to the studio ....

That's all folks ...for now. Have a great day ya ... God Bless ...