a little place to call my own (art and fashion blog)

I've been painting all my life and I still feel like I have so much to learn. That's the thing about painting, it's so full of possibilities and there are so many different mediums out there that a part of you always feels like a beginner, even when you have degrees that prove otherwise.  Painting, sometimes it  feels wonderful and sometimes frustrating, but  I guess that what they say is true, when you love something, you find time for it. Lately I've been working on some classical themes, looking up to 16 century painters and perhaps also trying to interpret their works in my own way. Today I'm sharing two recent works of mine. They are not reproductions ( I do enough of those at art courses), but they are inspired by classical paintings.  1. MADONNA WITH THE BABY JESUS #1 The medium for this one is acrylic paints on cardboard. I added finishing touches with a marker, so technically speaking this painting is a mixed media one. I'm pretty happy with how it...

Happy Sunday darlings! How are you doing? As you can see, I'm still working hard on improving my illustrating skills, always trying out new things and drawing more and more in the process. I do aspire to to polish my fashion illustrations. As much as I enjoy drawing imaginary outfits (i.e. designing clothes), I find drawing real outfits to be just as fun. In addition, I think that by trying to portray real clothing items, things we wear and actually know, we can improve our fashion illustration skills because you know- 'draw what you know'. Alright, I'm not sure is that actually a saying but  if there is 'write what you know', why shouldn't there be 'draw what you know'?  So, here is an outfit I actually wore. I took these photographs to show you my new closet (I'm planning to do a series of post focusing on my new home and the interior designing I did) but this outfit seemed cute enough for an illustration. Plus, it will take me a while t...

I have another quick post for you, a post in which I'll be sharing a few photographs of my dear Split city and an outfit of the day. I already wore a similar outfit here . This short black coat is a favourite of mine, probably because it is so easy to style. This time I paired it with a red hoodie for extra warmth. The boots I wore have high heels, but comfortable ones, so this styling is stuck somewhere between casual and dressed up. It is not exactly dressed up, but it is not entirely casual either- that could perhaps be said of majority of my outfits. I liked to mix feminine items with casual ones. Some might call it casual chic and I wouldn't mind. I suppose that I like to have fun with clothes, but I don't like to suffer for fashion. My style is probably a reflection of that. A bit playful, but nothing extreme. From time to time, I do wish I was a bit more fashion forward, but there is always time for that, right?  This was a  bittersweet moment captured h...

Today just a quick post, sharing my art. The medium is watercolour on paper. I'm not sure how I feel about this painting. I have a feeling like something is missing but I can't quite figure out what. I will probably have to work on this idea a bit more.  Maybe I need to add a background? Lately I've been finding inspiration in classical paintings more than anything, mostly in the work of sixteen century painters. It is amazing how accomplished they were. I do honestly feel we have a lot to learn from the classics.  I took part in another art course (my third one) last year and perhaps I will prepare a post about it one of these days. As soon as the new art course starts (this February), I will probably sign in again. I feel very comfortable using oil and acrylic paints, but I need to work more on my watercolour skills. Aquarelle is a painting method I still need to work on. In many ways this medium is quite unique, and I need to learn more about the technicalities, t...

I told you that you're going to see more of this coat, didn't I? Here I styled it with a turtleneck, a skirt, a pair of leggings, a pair of boots with high heels and a black leather bag. I braided one braid to the side of my head, like I sometimes to. It's a very practical hairdo and it can save you from a bad hair day. You know those days when your scalp is starting to get a bit oily but it is still not time for another hair wash. What to do when your hair gets quite oily but it is still not time for a hair wash? I usually braid all of hair. I opt for boxer braids or a fish bone. Speaking of which, how often do you shampoo your hair? How does your hair routine looks like? I'm curious. I usually shampoo my hair only once or twice a week. Years ago, I heard some hair model say that she only shampoos her hair once a week because too much shampoo destroys our natural oils and so on and I guess I took her advice to heart. It is good to note that shampooing and washing ...

As you can see, I'm still working on my fashion illustrations. As of late, books have started to make their appearance as a fashion accessory in my illustrations. I dedicated a whole post (  Can a book be considered a fashion accessory?  ) to this subject this month. Besides books, I've also been into illustrating dresses and skirts paired with boots. These three fashion illustrations I'm sharing today are more Spring friendly, so you're welcomed to imagine a coat over them. left: watercolour, right: coloured pencils and markers colour pencils & markers colour pencil & markers (fashion illustration) Today I've also prepared an outfit proposal that is my answer to the question of 'how to style a mini skirt this Winter?'. My suggestion is to pair the mini skirt with tights and a turtleneck (a warm coat goes without saying) because that will keep you warm. If you want to spice the outfit a little bit, why no...