b l u c o l a g e

Travel Bug

2010-06-17T13:43:00.002+08:00

The Economist, July 2008

The Children of War

2010-06-16T16:24:00.000+08:00

Happy birthday, I!

2009-08-15T22:36:00.003+08:00

Source: TIME magazine

Deep Thought

2009-07-16T08:40:00.004+08:00

Illustration Friday: Hollow

Sources: Newsweek July 6/July 13, 2009

Dance Into the Red

2009-07-13T09:58:00.001+08:00

ES

2009-07-13T09:32:00.000+08:00

N n N

2009-07-12T23:36:00.002+08:00

I'm back!!

2009-07-12T23:17:00.003+08:00

Turning 50

2007-02-27T07:22:00.000+08:00

I'd rather..

2007-02-11T22:14:00.003+08:00

Inspire Me Thursday: Heart Art

"I'd rather live one moment with you than an eternity without you"
- Oreo cookie

Valentine's Day for Women

2007-02-11T15:12:00.001+08:00

Artwords: Heart

Decipher Your Love :-)

2007-02-11T15:06:00.000+08:00

Hug U

2007-02-07T09:11:00.000+08:00

I Kneel

2007-02-07T09:07:00.000+08:00

Happy Chinese New Year!

2007-02-07T09:04:00.000+08:00

It's Flood Outside

2007-02-07T08:59:00.000+08:00

Misplaced Superhero

2007-01-20T11:16:00.001+08:00

Illustration Friday: Super Hero

It's Showtime

2007-01-20T11:14:00.000+08:00

Material: Calvin Klein Home, Svarowski, Design-for-all web.

Into the Light

2007-01-20T11:06:00.002+08:00

Inspire Me Thursday: Layers

Material: Chanel ad.

Va-Va-Vanilla

2007-01-17T22:41:00.001+08:00

Artwords: Latte

Material: Kraft Foods ad.

Stay Confident

2007-01-17T22:36:00.000+08:00

Material: Skinny Cow, Revlon ads.

I need breathing space.

2007-01-17T22:31:00.000+08:00

Sneakers Everywhere

2007-01-16T22:45:00.000+08:00

Connect Generously

2007-01-16T22:40:00.000+08:00

Waiting Time

2007-01-16T22:38:00.000+08:00

G i n k g o

2007-01-16T22:36:00.000+08:00

r r r o a m

2007-01-13T06:56:00.000+08:00

O cute dog..

2007-01-13T06:53:00.001+08:00

Studio Friday: Travels

I'm in Bali now..
Sun
Beach
Dog

B I G

2007-01-08T09:15:00.000+08:00

Don't take my purse away..

2007-01-07T20:56:00.000+08:00

Daydreams

2007-01-07T20:54:00.000+08:00

Daydreams are my mini getaway...

Butterfly in My Stomach

2007-01-07T20:52:00.000+08:00

Ya ya.. I need sit-up!

2007-01-07T20:51:00.000+08:00

SuperSpider

2007-01-07T20:22:00.000+08:00

My first cutout in 2007 after putting life on hold for months :-)

f r e e d o m

2007-01-06T20:20:00.001+08:00

Inspire Me Thursday: Mantra for the New Year

We are in the same fridge..

2007-01-06T08:08:00.000+08:00

.. only different compartment.

Buzzz...

2007-01-06T08:05:00.001+08:00

Illustration Friday: Buzz

HoliCity

2007-01-06T07:59:00.000+08:00

There are times when we miss our home in city..

Peace?

2007-01-05T17:48:00.000+08:00

Material: Starbucks and Komen Breast Cancer Foundation; Oprah magazine pages.

time to say

2007-01-05T17:40:00.000+08:00

Material: McDonalds and Levis ads, fashion pages.

Options

2007-01-05T17:21:00.000+08:00

it's all about options...
change it up!

Material: Dr Pepper/Seven Up and Evian ads.

Think Zero

2007-01-04T21:44:00.000+08:00

Go to bed. Your dreams are waiting.

Material: Comforel DuPont and fashion pages.

Pull yourself together, girl!

2007-01-04T09:12:00.000+08:00

Material: Oprah magazine pages.

Can't we talk?

2007-01-04T09:09:00.000+08:00

Material: DeLonghi and fashion pages.

Breakthroughs

2007-01-03T18:10:00.000+08:00

Material: 8-Continent ad and Oprah Magazine pages.

So Quiet

2007-01-03T10:23:00.001+08:00

Studio Friday: Changing Names

I'd like to keep my real name, Hima. Why? I simply feel comfortable with my name. It tells about me, the Himalaya mountains, cold - white - quiet - yet colorful :-)

Material: Jenn-Air, Oil of Olay, and Minute Maid ads, pages from Oprah Magazine.

Respect The Time

2007-01-02T21:14:00.000+08:00

Happy New Year!

Material: Chevrolet, Infusium, Oprah Magazine pages.

Happy Holidays!!

2006-12-25T14:48:00.000+08:00

Dear online Art-Friends,

Thank you for supporting me..
Wish you a happy holiday..
Send you best wishes for the new year..
See you again in the new art year, 2007!

Hugs, H

My Colorful Heart

2006-11-08T09:42:00.000+08:00

Studio Friday: Studio Indulgences

My art-studio is located by the balcony. I enjoy the sunlight and Jakarta sky which is seldom blue.

I made this piece on a magazine page in Hebrew. My good Israeli friend brought the magazines from Tel Aviv. The magazine has different style and 'atmosphere'. This looks so beautiful and flowery. In fact, my view is not so colorful but my heart is..

Material: Hebrew magazine. I cannot read the title :-)

Rouge Plant

2006-11-05T22:23:00.000+08:00

Material: Pages from Oprah magazines.

Dangerous Smoky Heart

2006-11-04T13:19:00.000+08:00

Illustration Friday: Smoke

Material: Clinique ad; pages from Oprah magazines.

Reborn HUG

2006-11-03T09:43:00.000+08:00

Studio Friday: I am (Inter-)connected!

Dear Art-friends,

I feel reborn today… errr I mean I make a comeback after exactly one month vacuum. Simply because it’s been out of my routine; I didn’t see the mess, I was not in touch with the art atmosphere,..

I check blucolage last night and your messages have touched me. It inspired me to start doing collage again. So I prepared my art mess this morning. I felt good after finished this first collage. Ya, I should do it again.

Nothing serious about this piece although it includes ‘craziness’. Simply because I haven’t had the patience to browse more magz pages for ideas and the moon has caught my attention more. The ‘statement’ just adds the ‘nice message’ about art as one canal to go outside of hectic world. Ya?

I messed it tho. I forgot the trick to glue well, I broke her neck hoo hoo.. I decided to expose it instead of trying to hide. Enjoy! :-)

DAW, MBO, Belinha, Mauricio, Robyn, and many other art-friends;
I appreciate your care. Hugs.

Material: Dove ad; pages from Oprah magazine.

Plug Into Ubud Art

2006-10-02T22:45:00.000+08:00

Illustration Friday: Quiet

For those who participates in Studio Friday, my apology for posting a 'second-hand' work. Yes, I have posted this work in Studio Friday the same week.

I'm in Ubud now, participating a writers and readers festival. For that reason, I'm not able to create different artwork for different challenge but I like to participate. I followed the theme and thought that my latest art shouts the same 'quiet'.

Ubud is a place in Bali where its art is well-known. I come to Ubud when I need to be away from the noise of a metropolitan because here is so.. q u i e t.

SP: Multi-facets Woman

2006-09-28T21:26:00.000+08:00

This is my first commissioned artwork. My good friend END happily challenged me to make a collage for her best friend, SP, who lives in Bali. I took the challenge. I finished the work this morning, 24.9.06, but can only show the work after the birthday on the 27th.

I started from zero. It happened that I got an idea about a style to picture life of a woman the night before (shown in artwork below). As I only met SP once, very shortly, and talked about nothing but her work; I know nothing about her. The style suits the idea of ‘describing’ her in an artwork.

I interviewed END for hours about SP. I noted down some thirty aspects about SP. I knew, END had no clue about what I was going to do with the information. She must have thought that I would cut body of a woman with many hands depicting her interests :-) Yes, this woman is.. a multi-facets woman.

Let me help you to ‘read’ the 16 symbols in the collage:

She designs accessories using fine silver and semi precious stone.
She is a web designer, likes to wear sleeveless top, and smokes a lot.
She enjoys coloring hair.
She is a speedy driver.
She designs batik-clothing including kebaya.
She likes horror movie with blood, not just scary scene.
She dives, as professional I guess.
She takes time to put on make-up.
She concerns about her body therefore she is a weight watcher.
She likes salad.
She likes dogs and now owns an all-white dog.
She is crazy about coffee.
She likes photography, so I guess she is also crazy about anything digital.
Peace is her life mission.
She writes short stories.
She is born in pig year.

After a long list of her interests, can you imagine how she looks like? She is a tiny lady with high energy who does not like people who underestimate her capability. Very understandable. She has big engine inside.

Happy birthday SP! Wonderful woman you are..

As of my first client END, she texted me “Client pertama puazzzz!!”

Pheeeww…

Plug Into Ubud Art

2006-09-28T11:04:00.000+08:00

Studio Friday: TOOT YOUR OWN HORN... LOUD!

I’m born in a family where many relatives are professional artists. I shared about my family in Your Creativity Roots challenge – Blu Spotlight.

I run two art shops in Jakarta and Ubud – center of art in Bali. That’s canal of my art, through my eyes. I only started to make collage three months ago. I like this form of art. It suits my ‘span of attention’ and time. I’m thinking to do more serious collage using stuffs I found in junk shop or.. my house. I have started but stopped after five artworks. Please check my tresor trové.

Today I’m leaving for Ubud to participate in Ubud Writers and Readers Festival for five days. I would plug into Ubud art..

Prescription

2006-09-26T22:52:00.000+08:00

Materials: a page from Oprah and Nature's Bounty ad.

Friends show evidence.

2006-09-26T20:32:00.000+08:00

I made this piece with END in mind. END, a girl who enjoys Asu and Asem with good girl-friends who show her 'evidence'.

May she find her perfect fit soon.. :-)

Materials: Lee and Prescriptives ads.

I see it anywhere..

2006-09-23T20:37:00.000+08:00

Illustration Friday: Phobia

The topic is challenging. It took me an overnight to think about how to express phobia. I Googled the word and found a very long list of name. Uuh.. It's not easy to differ 'fear' and 'phobia' because phobia can go as detail too.

This afternoon I decided to grab some. Here:

Chorophobia- Fear of dancing.
Chromophobia or Chromatophobia- Fear of colors.
Chronophobia- Fear of time.
Cibophobia- Fear of food (Sitophobia, Sitiophobia)

Now it's easier for me to express someone's fear. When we fear of something, we feel like we 'see' our fear anywhere. In a plate of food, under the plate, as napkins, among the veggies,.. Haunting. It's all over!!

Materials: D&G, Landsend, Storm, Ameriprise ads and a page from Oprah.

P r i a

2006-09-20T20:26:00.000+08:00

Materials: Hallmark Cards, Power Bar, Nabisco, Bausch & Lomb ads, and pages from Oprah.

v e r s u s

2006-09-17T15:03:00.000+08:00

Material: Claussen pickles ad and other.

Mothering Now

2006-09-17T14:44:00.000+08:00

Illustration Friday: Change

Mothering in new ways..

Materials: pages from Oprah's May 2006 features.

I start an art journal!! Yay!!

2006-09-16T22:11:00.000+08:00

"Mix a little foolishness with your prudence:
It's good to be silly at the right moment."
-Horace, Roman poet and satirist

front page

first page of today

first writing of today

finally i decided to start an art journal today. i got the kick from keri smith's blog. i spent half day reading her writing which 'pushed' me in many ways to do more art from daily life.

i also like her writing about 'how to be a guerilla artist'. that is going to be my next project for sure.

so i'm very happy now. i have black-page-book to start my art journey. i make collage, i write longhand, and i sketch. another commitment to meet every day.

material: oprah's september 2005 calendar.

We are waiting.

2006-09-15T22:21:00.000+08:00

Materials: Boca Foods and other ads.

Bouquet of Life

2006-09-13T08:04:00.000+08:00

Studio Friday: A Floral Treat

I like flower arranging. I like to mix flowers with a lot of leaves and fruits. I add 'sign of life' in my collage bouquet. You can find hands (of course), frying pan, tees, a bangle and a little human on top.

Real flower arranging is easy, I know when to stop. In collage, I had to look at it again and again because material is abundant.. I didn't know when to stop!

Here, please enjoy my stop then!

Materials: Clinique and Palmolive ads and pages from Elle Decor.

Bangle Girl

2006-09-12T18:29:00.000+08:00

Materials: pages from Oprah magazine and Pfizer ad.

curiosity kills you

2006-09-11T20:20:00.000+08:00

I spent almost whole day fiddling around with Skype settings. Skype didn't recognize the internet connection. I gave up. I uninstalled the program but haven't re-installed yet. I need rest from thinking about it.

Materials: a page from Oprah magazines; Pfizer, Otsuka America, Best Buy and Baskin-Robbins ads.

Bees

2006-09-10T00:31:00.000+08:00

Illustration Friday: Farm

This is my first work in diptych. The pages are pale. I need to retouch the colors more because both pages don't look sharp.

For the time being, please enjoy my farm with bees!

Materials: pages from Oprah magazine March 2006; Burt's Bees, Friskies, and Best Buy ads.

Spectacular Cat

2006-09-08T19:06:00.000+08:00

do no evil

2006-09-07T00:43:00.000+08:00

B l u e

2006-09-06T11:45:00.000+08:00

Deep
Overarching
Outside nature
Color the flowers

it's all inside

2006-09-06T01:28:00.000+08:00

Studio Friday: Tools of the Trade

Hm.. My tools are common. Pencil, tracing paper, scissors, cutter, glue, and magazines to chop up. What a boring artwork could be..

I thought about ‘bigger’ tools then. The most important tools to create art. It’s everybody’s tools!

First is head.. with all the brain and ideas. Then heart that works all the time to keep the idea alive. Finally, eyes that move for us to help realizing the artwork.

And what happens with the bone.. Ya. It has contribution too. Many artists suffer from back pain so I decided to include bones as one of the tools.

Enjoy OUR tools!

Vacuum it away...

2006-09-05T19:02:00.000+08:00

I'm In Between

2006-09-04T08:45:00.000+08:00

Cookie Monster

2006-09-04T08:43:00.000+08:00

The 100th Art Post

2006-09-02T23:06:00.001+08:00

Inspire Me Thursday: Inspired by Design

Nice challenge. Different.

I was inspired by the composition of a page. Each section has different color but in the same hue. I intended to make similar but in loud colors. I collected colored page with text, not plain. But then of course, the composition became different because I could not always find the right size. I went on. I finished the colorful page but then… it looked better sideways for my sketch idea.

I created this artwork to mark The 100th Art Post of blucolage. I have made five 3-D artworks and 95 collages (including: one digital collage, two collages featured in IMT, and one collaboration work). I found the number only this morning. I was surprised to see how productive I am in
13 weeks.

Back to the theme, I realized that I have been ‘away’ from the inspiring design but I put it as part of developing an inspiration…

Pool of Sameness

2006-09-02T07:43:00.000+08:00

Illustration Friday: Safe

It's not an easy challenge. Safe.

I picture myself being saved from 'the pool of sameness'. Getting out there, I feel safe.

Contra Botero

2006-09-01T22:11:00.000+08:00

Observing my collages, a good friend reminded me that 'man prefers to see slimmer woman'. I argued. For art, 'fuller' woman is more interesting. It has 'shape' and stronger aura. Remember Botero's work? He explains his use of obese figures and forms as such: "An artist is attracted to certain kinds of form without knowing why. You adopt a position intuitively; only later do you attempt to rationalize or even justify it."

Aha!

By the way, I challenged myself to do slim model this evening. It's hard to be satisfied with my work. I cut here, cut there,... before too long the lady has taken three packages of slimming therapy. Grr..

I try to rationalize the 'difficulties'. People have 'expectations'; the right size of waist, breast, arms, tummy,... It has to be proportionate to be called 'nice slim'. And after we get the right proportion, we only have Barbie doll. Plain human without 'beauty'.

That's my justification of my obese figures I love as model :-)

Mona Lisa by Botero, 1977, oil on canvas, 183 x 166 cm

Go Lean

2006-09-01T17:19:00.000+08:00

Selamat pagi..

2006-09-01T08:17:00.000+08:00

Good morning September!!

Weather Check

2006-09-01T08:15:00.000+08:00

Uuugh!

2006-08-31T17:12:00.000+08:00

Inspire Me Thursday: Paints

I’m late for this week’s challenge in IMT. Paints. I’m not into painting. I thought thought thought till I found watercolor-pencil in an office supplies shop last Monday. Hm.. this is technology that didn’t exist in my childhood days.

I was reading O magazine when I remembered that I hadn't answered this challenge. I got an idea. I enjoy my sketch recently, even I keep the cut-outs because I like the shape. I keep my style; magazine page plus collage. I chose one page and started to sketch the fat lady who's trying to pull the pipe. I ‘sketched’ using the watercolor-pencil and brushed her unevenly. I’m happy. The colors look alive! I would like to explore more of this pencil.

I didn’t glue all surface, so the cut-out looks alive, two dimensional.

Please help her… Uuugh!

LaNación - Collaboration with Fiestoforo

2006-08-31T10:30:00.002+08:00

Newspapers from Chile
with Krakatoa in Indonesia as background.

Please view unique artwork of Fiestoforo.

Stay Calm

2006-08-31T08:38:00.000+08:00

Keep The Shape

2006-08-31T08:35:00.000+08:00

The lady wears McQueen's work. She has to keep her shape.

L o

2006-08-30T18:22:00.000+08:00

Elements of Desire

2006-08-30T14:11:00.000+08:00

Unblock me..

2006-08-30T09:30:00.000+08:00

Studio Friday: Artist's Block

This is a product of artist's block. It took me unusually long to make such simple cut.

This is how I usually spend time when I feel blocked. I have stacks of magz around me; under the table, on the table, all over carpet,... I keep moving, but I can also curl up in couch.

But one thing for sure.. I will not let the feeling blocks for days, let alone months.. :-)

Too many choices..

2006-08-29T19:29:00.000+08:00

Misplaced Closet

2006-08-29T19:25:00.000+08:00

I need privacy please..

2006-08-29T19:22:00.000+08:00

It is a 'collaboration' with McD ad..

N O W

2006-08-29T08:18:00.000+08:00

I use picture of a monk in Tibet as background. I found nice 'writing' in a carpet ad that matches the theme. It says (not in original order, with alteration):

And life you feel
so full of bounce
you're walking
on clouds

Nothing else can
reach the heights
of comfort like the
n o w

e a v e s d r o p

2006-08-28T09:26:00.000+08:00

Oh oh.. there's no way!!

2006-08-27T12:29:00.000+08:00

Illustration Friday: Run

What about the window?

Don't tell me!!

2006-08-26T08:10:00.000+08:00

Don't squeeze me!!

2006-08-25T12:05:00.000+08:00

CoverMe

2006-08-25T08:51:00.000+08:00

I'm happy with my size and shape.
I don't need CoverMe perfect face mask.

Hold on..

2006-08-24T08:46:00.000+08:00

Aah.. you fall asleep again!

Felt So Good

2006-08-23T20:19:00.000+08:00

Studio Friday: Who!?

This week’s challenge is “Who!?”. Who inspired us, who we thank for inspiring us. Interesting.

I could say that LIFE has inspired most of my artworks. It’s not necessarily my life, but it could also be life of loved ones or people I met thru the walk of life. I learn a lot from people and their life. Anything can be inspiring.

Today I was inspired by my yoga pose. I enjoy this pose so much that I could do longer than other pose although research says that this pose is not good for woman’s womb. Sometimes it’s just nice to be upside down, like seeing life the other way.

Offbeat but… I felt so good.

Welcome home, dear!

2006-08-23T08:01:00.000+08:00

Nothing is better than being greeted by loved one..

I'm waiting..

2006-08-21T18:21:00.000+08:00

Waiting is boring. Even the lady needs Fun-Mask Clown happy face lotion :-)