Mall on Rogue Magazine

Mall

Self-Portrait Drawing

Graphite on Paper

(psstt, yes I have a real scar above my eyebrow and brown freckles)

Featuring "The ART ISSUE" 16 Top Illustrators and their Self-Portraits on Rogue Magazine, November 2009

Anjo Bolarda, Dexter Fernandez, Kristina Collantes, Brian Vallesteros, Bjorn Ending, Kristy Anne Ligones, May Ann Licudine, Juan Solon, Apol Sta.Maria, Joshua Agerstrand, Ivan Despi, Niel Quisaba, Kneil Melicano, Luis Lorenzana, Dan Matutina and Rommel Joson

Too curious to see their self-portraits and interviews? It would be better and greater to BUY COPIES on Rogue Magazine! And also they will be posting their UNEDITED INTERVIEWS online at Rogue.ph ! NOW NOW NA!

Anyway, hmm I'm like a talkative celebrity reporter here, hehe. I'm sorry for not being active on my art blog because of my crazy busy art schedule. I'm so surprised that I got more hundreds of visits in my blog statistic everyday. Thank you very much for supporting me and my art! Don't worry, I'm still alive, hehe! I have finished creating my new pieces for the upcoming art show, "Paper Pushers" in Gallery1988, San Francisco, California in December.

And I have my new photography blog, please visit it! This is about I use my new camera toy LX3 Lumix and I love doing my documentary photography! ( Don't get mad at me, my dearest Nikon d90! )

That's all folks. I need to finish my crazy art projects, so I might not active on internet this month up to December. I miss you guys and see you!

Kirkus Pocket Mirrors!

I received pocket mirrors! It's $7 each item. It's adorably perfect for your pocket / purse and bag. It's easy to check yourself out in anywhere! This will be also be a perfect present for your boyfriend, hubby, friends/s, family members, loved ones, circus lovers... or fans of Mall (hehe!)

Only 4 images of my pocket mirrors (my beloved characters Babu & his kitten Abu and my past work, "Parade") I have listed them on my shop, please visit Kirkus shop! Hope you guys like them. :)

I'll work on my new commission for my client Dary and other art projects soon. That's all folks and have a creative wonderful day! 

Sara's Interview with Me

I'd love to share my dearest friend Sara Hawley's interview with you guys. Hope you enjoy reading! 

Your full name: May Ann Lumbang Licudine
Your age: 28 years old
Your location: San Fernando City, La Union, Philippines

When did you first become interested in art? Was there anything specific that prompted this interest?
- My interest in art started when I was in my kindergarten school and was prompted by the awards and attention I earned from my works. During those time I was not accepted by my classmates because of my hearing impairment but with my skill, I was recognized. Moreover, my parents told me that they have observed my interest in drawing when I was just 3 years old. 

What sort of training did you receive in art?
- In my high school years, I took summer art classes for oil painting, charcoal and pastel. In my art college, I took up in Certificate in Fine Arts-Visual Communications for 3 years. Then I also took up in Fine Arts-Painting for 1 year.


What inspires you to create your art?
-Other artists (Hayao Miyazaki, Winsor McCay, Maurice Sendak, Helen Hyde, Mary Blair, Edward Gorey), nature, music, dreams, nightmares, photography, and God.

Has your hearing deficiency impacted your art in any way? Does it inspire any of your pieces?
- I don't think so. As a matter of fact, It help nurtured my skill because it allowed me to concentrate on my work and made my other senses keener that normal. It also made my ideas and concepts more creative and dreamlike.

You were interested in realism for a while. What prompted your focus on children's illustration?
Yes. I was initially interested in realism but then I was not contented with my work which were comparable with the work of other artist. It other word, my realism style is common. My friend suggested that I try illustration. I tried it and I was able to express my ideas and style freely. Most of my works are focus on children's illustration because for me..childhood days is the most wonderful time in a parson's life since your mind is very creative and free to dream and imagine. 


Can you describe your early jobs in the art field?
- After I graduated in college, I worked as a freelance face painter, henna tattoo artist, mural painter, caricature artist, prop artist and art teacher for homeschooling kids. After some times I was hired as a textile designer for 6 months. My work as a designer honed my skill in color mixing, details and the ability to work under pressure.

You have worked on a huge range of projects, such as children's book illustration, advertisements, gallery shows, and even a commercial. Is there any type of work that you prefer to do? What do you like about it?
- I prefer art commissions and gallery shows. I must admit that I like more art commissions more than gallery shows because I enjoy doing every new challenge what clients request about theme, medium and concept, it is also less stressful because of few revisions. For the gallery shows, I love to exhibit my art in gallery shows since it allows me to show my work with other known international artist. 

What was it like winning an award for your children's book? Do you hope to illustrate more in the future?
- It feels great! I like to do more children's book illustration if my schedule permit it. I also dream making an animation movie.


What message do you hope your art will convey?
- I wish to convey Hope, Love and the pursue of one's dream. We must keep on dreaming in a child-like manner coz it will help us cope with our chaotic and constantly changing life. We need to escape once in a while.

How does art affect your work life? Your personal life?
- Art is actually my work life at the moment. It is my main source of income. However it has a bigger impact on my personal life since I relate to other people via the internet..and my work limit my interaction with other people not in the art world.

Please leave comments on Sara's blog. Thank you Sara!

Floods in my house + new piece for the October art show

BRRrrrrrrrr.... I thought typhoon "Pepeng" disappeared. Yesterday, we got floods because heavy rains didn't stop from 5 p.m - 6 a.m. Then we got no 24-hour electricity, eeep. The flood length of the lower house ground floor (stock / junk room) is about 8 feet, it's like a swimming pool. The flood length of the first ground floor (garden, cement ground)is about thigh length. At least we're okay now, but still, the floods hasn't ended yet. I took few pictures today, my feet were super cold. It's still super cold here in La Union, just like Baguio City.

This is my living room. Oh no, my family portrait mural painting is already cracked and dirty. Maybe in the future, I'll create a new mural painting...

Hi! It's me, Mally! Aiyah, my feet is damn cold... Glad my Nikon dslr is okay. Believe it or not, I haven't taken a bath for two days. We have no water until now, hu hu. Dang, I smell so stinky. I wanted to swim in my beach... but I can't, big seawaves might attack me!

Tsk tsk tsk, my old bigger paintings are already wet. I don't worry about them, I don't like my past works, hehehe... *Mall admits and blushes*

My garden got floods, hu hu hu! So I keep my terra-cotta pig sculptures in my room.

Oh no, I found a new kitten! AWWWWW! Poor kitten. My sister Erica takes care of her. We haven't named her yet.

I'm still worried about my friends especially fellow artists from Baguio City and Pangasinan, I really hope and pray that they will be okay. Please pray for Filipino victims. Sorry, I was so late to inform you guys about the October art group show which I'm participating with great artists, "Ghosts and other Transparencies" in Snowmonkey's House of Monsters Gallery, Seattle, USA. The art show is now open, it runs through November 10. Hope you guys visit there!  

This is my old sketch. But I changed it for revision, it looks better than one.

Unseal the Spirits

Graphite & Oil Pastels on Wood

8" X 12.5" *

*I can't remember what the exact measurement*

I love to do a vintage-mood style artwork. If you want to buy my new piece, please contact Curt curt.waller@comcast.net . I got more emails / comments, eepp. I'll try to do my best, I hope my net could be faster so I could reply to all of you soon. Thank you for understanding! Anyway, I have to sleep now. I didn't sleep for 24-hour 'coz of the typhoon... yeah, I kept alert during typhoon. @_@ Goodnight my people! ZZZzzzzz.....

Bewilderknits commissioned work

My lovely client Gwynne has been staring at my blog for months so she enthralled with my work. She waited for me longer because I closed my art commissions. But she gently asked me to make digital illustrations for their Bewilderknits knitted products: website lay-out, price tags, business cards and any small prints. She needed my art commission before October. So I chose digital medium because they can easily use separated Photoshop layers / elements on website lay-out, price tags and business cards, it's up to themselves like fixing elements, editing, go on. We discussed a lot about the art requests, colors, textures and retakes. Before I started working, I observed their knitted products, pictures, shops and faces on their sites. The medium I use was Adobe Photoshop CS3. I just scanned my rough sketches and purely colored them with two default brushes on Photoshop... honestly, without any photo manipulations / effects. It was like, I used crayons on coloring book, ahaha... so fun, anyway.

This is a work for Cora. Gwynne asked me to re-create my past digital work, Babu's Happiness. I adore her red freckles and hair!

This is a work for Gwynne. Hehehe, of course, I changed the boy character into mini - adorable Gwynne. I loved communicating with her thru Gmail emails. She's quite cool!

This is a work for Karen. Sweet smile and innocent eyes! 

And the last one, a snail pulling a cart of yarn balls. 

Whew, I thank you very much for everything, dearest Gwynne. I'm sure you guys will enjoy using elements on Photoshop. I can't wait to see their business cards and stuff!

I enjoyed booksigning with my great friend Zeus and of course meeting great people and adorable kids in MIBF, Mall of Asia. And hooray, I have done my latest piece for the October art group show, Ghosts and Other Transparencies, in Snowmonkey's House of Monsters (yep, his new gallery is baby fresh. So I'll support owner Curt and his new gallery!) in Seattle. I really hope people will like my new graphite + pastels artwork, I'll post it on my next blog entry in October. 

Good night to all of you. I'll reply to many emails later plus my net is so slow, sometimes I can't log in on Gmail and other few sites! Nowadays, I'm feeling sick. A fresh flu. ACHOOO! *Mall sniffs and jumps into a warm gray cloud and flies to Slumberland...* ZZZZZZzzzzz

BOOK SIGNING!

Adarna House authors and illustrators including me will be book signing at the MIBF ( Manila International Book Fair ), Mall of Asia, Pasay City. Please see the book signing schedule below. My friend Zeus Bascon and I will be there on September 17 at 10AM - 12PM. See you guys soon! 

My new original drawings are for SALE!

It's time to sell my original graphite drawings! I got a few emails from my fans, they wanted me to re-create my new pieces, just like my past personal ones "My Art Diary". I really understand that they can't afford my colored paintings, hehehe! Anyway, each drawing is 7" X 7" including white borders, USD $100.

"Nature's Daughter I"

(SOLD) thanks for the quick email, dearest Amanda!

"Nature's Daughter II"

(SOLD) thank you very much, Aaron!

"Nature's Daughter III"

AVAILABLE

And also my small original pieces are for sale too! The size is 6" X 6" including white borders. It's USD $70 each. She's Aya and the other one girl, Cat Guardian.

"Looking back at the past"

(SOLD) thanks for the quick email, dearest Amanda!

"Provoking me?"

SOLD (thanks my dear, Georgia!)

"Untitled"

(SOLD) Merci Merci Merci, Benjamin!

Free shipping (special airmail, just 10 days - 2 weeks). I'll list them in my Etsy shop this Friday or Saturday, hopefully. OR if you want to email me quickly for reserving my original pieces, contact me then. :) Good luck, my wonderful art collectors!

And wish me luck, I'll finish my new 4 commissioned digital pieces in Photoshop this week, hopefully! Goodnight my people!

Tree House pieces + An Unexpected Discovery

(taken photos by gallery nucleus)

Nature Whisperer

9.75" X 13.75"

Mixed Media on Wood, available

Parade of Spirits

9.75" X 14"

Mixed Media on Wood, sold

My Home 

17.5" X 8"

Graphite on Wood, sold

Large view

Ancient Jizo in the Woods

9.25" X 8.75"

Graphite on Wood, available

Masking the Truth

9.25" X 8.75"

Graphite on Wood, available

Diodontidae's Tree Shorthorn

11.25" X 9"

Mixed Media on Wood, sold

Ostraciidae's Tree Longhorn

11" X 10"

Mixed Media on Wood, available

Great Escape

26" X 8"

Acrylics, Colored Pencils & Graphite on Wood, sold

Large view (details)

Please inquire Gallery Nucleus if you're interested in buying, thank you! Sorry, I can't share my own story of my characters Babu and his kitten Abu with you all about my tree house paintings here. I read a message from anonymous in my previous blog post about story ripper, it scared me. So I better to protect my own story for my rights. Plus, I'm not good at making stories 'coz of my grammatical errors, hehe. But hey, my paintings can tell you every different story obviously. I greatly thank you for everything, Gallery Nucleus especially Lin! Please don't forget to check those very prolific illustrators' amazing works out in Gallery Nucleus! 

COMMISSIONED WORK: 

I have finished making my new art commission for my Japanese client, Erin. She loved the simple theme, just like my past works, Babu at the Torii & Niwashi no Babu-kun. I made 3 rough sketches and Erin liked the 2nd one. Sorry, I blurred two sketches because I'll save them for my future shows. Anyway, thank you very much for everything, Erin!

An Unexpected Discovery

9" X 12"

Acrylics & Colored Pencils on Paper

MISCELLANEOUS STUFF

Sneak peek! I have finished doing my self-portrait graphite drawing past month ago. My art including top Filipino illustrators will be appeared on Rogue Magazine in November Issue 2009.

And I love to make my new packages for my hand-carved rubber stamps! They are available in my Etsy shop! And also, I'll sell my few fresh original graphite drawings next time. 

(I look so ghosty, eep.) Whew, I think this blog entry is so long... Anyhow yeah, I'll continue to work on my next art commissions and other miscellaneous stuff. I'm so excited to see and hug my first nephew Liam next week! I'll take more pics of him, eeeeeeeee!!! Thank you for enjoying my blog! Don't forget to see me in Twitter! CIAO!

UPDATED: My website is already expired. I'll pay it later so my website will be back soon. Thank you!

Gallery Nucleus presents Tree House - An Exhibit of Storybook Artists

Gallery Nucleus is bringing together a never before seen collection of storybook artists whose works have been praised, sought after, and very well respected. From the wonderful talents that brought you Coraline and have illustrated such classic short stories as The Red Shoes comes this brand new exhibition of storybook artists.

Gallery Nucleus presents an exhibition featuring whimsical new works by a premier group of narrative artists. This diverse group of artists have all been published and are notably recognized for their works in storybook illustrations.

TREE HOUSE will be sure to transport viewers into the unique fantasy worlds of artists that appeal to all ages!

FEATURED ARTISTS

Chris Appelhans

May Ann Licudine a.k.a. Mall

Raquel Aparicio

Sun Young Yoo

Tadahiro Uesugi

Veronique Joffre

Yoko Tanji

Opening Night will be on Saturday, August 8 at 7 -11pm

210 E. Main Street

Alhambra, CA 91801

Quiet Time

I took a pic during typhoon yesterday. Oh my poor plant... Sigh, my net keeps booting. I guess typhoons always visit Philippines from April to November, aiyah. Before typhoon, I enjoyed exploring wonderful small things in my garden. I can't take more pictures outside 'coz of heavy rains! 

Before I sleep, I would like to share this youtube video with you all. Sevara Nazarkhan is one of my favorite singers (I also like Peter Gabriel's amazing voice). I adore her unique voice, I can't describe it. Hope you all enjoy this song. I wish I could meet her in person. Good night my people!

Big Gossip

I know that you all waited patiently for my mixed media Big Gossip since 2008. At least, I'm finally happy that I have finished my work this time. Hooray for me. *Mall smiles widely*

I must admit that I'm sometimes tired of my own bright happy color technique, I don't know the reason. But I never stop painting bright colored ones, I always love it. Instead my bright color scheme, I tried to find an inspiration about colors so I loved to learn and observe more new things for my new medium. I discovered interesting vintage colors of many old Japanese traditional paintings in Japan Reference site...

And of course, I also love some vintage colors and black lines of the old famous comics, The Yellow Kid and Little Nemo in Slumberland. That's why their vintage style color technique made me wanted to experiment my new medium including wood burning.

So before I started my mixed media piece, I was very impressed by the photographic works of Hiromi Tsuchida about "Festival". I really enjoyed viewing their weird Japanese costumes, characters and face expressions.

I made a rough sketch. Creepy but I love it. 

I was sketching, woodburning, painting with acrylics, colored pencils, charcoal, making textures and scratching my wood board with my fork (I'm not violent, seriously! I just made it looked vintage-style, so fun ehehehe!) And ta-da! 

Big Gossip

10" X 17"

Mixed Media on Wood

Large view

It's for sale, USD $700. If you're interested in buying, please go to my Etsy site. Anyway, thank you very much for reading my blog, hope you enjoy my new piece.

I'll post more new pieces in August. See you all! OYASUMINASAI! ^___^

Come Away With Me + Nature III

MRhhhrrrmmmm... Sorry guys, I can't be active on internet. My new broadband sucks, it's super slow. So I was away from my crappy net and I kept busy with my hectic schedule, running errands and dealing with my bad news / personal problems for more weeks. Anyway, I greatly thank you very much for your comments on my blog. I'm so sorry for not replying to all of you. I'll try to do my best, hope I may have time to reply you all. 

This time, I disable comments on my blog again. No worries, you guys can talk to me anytime in my private Twitter account http://twitter.com/shardula I hope I could be active there if my net should be faster. I think it's easier and better to communicate with you all directly in Twitter than my blogger. 

I'm fully relieved that Nucleus Gallery got my package, whew. I can't wait to post my new artworks in August! By the way, I wait patiently for my clients' requests, I let them to think their ideas for my art commissions. I also have other few art projects, I haven't started doing them yet. I need to take more rest and gain more weight (my weight is 94 lbs. oh no, I should eat more foods!). I know, I should stay healthier, stronger and more active!

Oh, this is my small art commission for Jorge. Last June, She contacted me asap on Etsy and asked me to make a small drawing for her niece's July birthday. I made a graphite drawing for one hour, that's my character girl, Aya, remember? I was so happy that Jorge liked it. Happy Birthday girl!

"Come Away With Me"

Graphite on Paper, 6" X 6"

Alright, it's time to share my simple photos with you all about Nature Part III! When I was away from the net, I enjoyed learning how to use manual settings with my Nikon dslr. Ok, I'm starting to tell you my photo-story, weee! 

Here are my old hand-sculpted terra cotta works again. I love to see my creatures in my garden every afternoon. In 1999, I learned from my art professor about terra cotta sculpturing. I sculpted them for 3 days and indeed, my hands were totally messier like a real mud. Then I let them dry in a cool store for 3 or 4 days... until they became hard like a stone. I prepared a small bonfire for baking my terra cotta sculptures in my garden. The baking time ran at 4-5 hours. After that, they were too hot! I let them stay cool. Then ta-da! After more years, of course they are already cracked, mossed and damaged because of the extreme weather (e.g. typhoons, etc.) But I love those details... so nostalgic and magical.

He seems frustrated because he's always hungry. Now he stares at me seriously.

MISS MALL! WHERE'S MY FOOD???

WHERE ARE THOSE APPLES??? I NEED THEM! I'M SO HUNGRY! Aye, he still waits for falling apples while carrying his basket... sweetly impatient... 

My dog and another pig. I named dog "J" because... well alright, James was my first crush in my elementary. Sadly, the dog's nose and pig's ear were lost, sniff.

I adore his dimples, yes, he reminds me of Chuck Jones' Looney Tunes character - Porky Pig.

Another my piggie sculpture. I put him in the terra pot so he watches over my plants, lol.

I'm not an orchid fan. But they always make me smile. 

I captured that bright green leaf. Sweet.

Yummy blue sky. I enjoy laying down on my ground.

I enjoy exploring more hidden things inside the creepy trees. Fungus ghost or kodoma creatures?

Another dead bat. Poor him. Why do we have many bats here? I guess they need my blood... that's why I have anemia, hehehehe (I'm so corny).

Hello, my baby branch. 

I enjoy smelling fresh pine scent! I love you, Mr. Pine Tree!

Can you find my cat named Sour-Puss?

Aye, he enjoys relaxing.... lazy cat, I know.

Breezy bushes. OHHHMMMmmmm....

And goodbye to my old Sony Cybershot digicam... Meet my new boyfriend, Nikon D90 dslr camera. I was so happy to buy dslr after saving monies since 2004. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy my pictures. I'll post my next blog entry about my new work, Big Gossip later on. I have to sleep now. Goodnight my fellow readers, don't forget to see me in Twitter.

RIPPERS

Hello guys! I'm so sorry for not being active on internet. My crappy old DSL net keeps getting booted during heavy rains. Hopefully we will get a new broadband soon.

I warn you guys about the rippers. My friend Anne-Julie Aubry contacted me that PAK GREEN stole one of my illustrations and her illustrations too for their T-shirts. Anne-Julie said Tuktukshop store on DaWanda (and also in their local store in France) told her that these tees are mass produced in Thailand and are sold from a designer named PAK GREEN. I took screenshots so check them out. Actually, they have removed their tees on site already.

I don't remember the artist's name but I know this famous art.

If anyone knows PAK GREEN, please contact me and Anne-Julie. I hate the way how PAK GREEN does like that e.g. using our arts without permission, making mass production, etc. But not only PAK GREEN, i can sense that there are more "hidden" merchandising places... please let me know if you see one of my illustrations on any products like tees, bags, etc. anywhere especially local stores.

In fact, my friend Mark Salvatus went to Bangkok where he had group exhibit last year. He asked me if I was collaborating with Bangkok people about the art business. I said no. He said that he saw my illustrations (buttons / badges, etc.) at the small merchandising store. He didn't take pics of those products 'coz they said "no pictures, please". He also asked them if they could have their site so they said no. They seemed very tricky. Tsk tsk, those people have no heart, I mean, they are totally bad. In time, if Mark could go to Bangkok again, he will investigate them. Sigh... aarRRRGGGH!

Apart from that, I have finished my 8 artworks (colored ones and vintage-style graphite ones) for the next art group show "Tree House" in Nucleus Gallery. My gosh, I can't believe that my friend Raquel Aparicio also participates too, high five sweetie! I'm super thrilled that Chris Appelhans, Tadahiro Uesugi, Sun Young Yoo, Yoko Tanji and Veronique Joffre are also going to be in the same show! Eeee, they are perfectly suitable for the Tree House show! 

I'll ship my parcel to them soon. Unfortunately, I cancelled to visit USA in July 2009 (sorry Nucleus Gallery and my friends but I love you all hehehe). Hopefully, we might travel to USA in time *please cross fingers*. I'll post my artworks on my blog in August, you guys need to be patient, hehe. 

Anyway, I'll be away from the internet and art commissions / projects. I want to regain my strength, renew my mind, take more rest, talk to my plants / little creatures in my garden, find a pure happiness / peace and solve my complex family problems, hopefully. I miss you all. Good day to all of you, good night to me! *Mall jumps on a fluffy soft cloud and flies to Slumberland* ZZZzzzzZZzzzz..... . . . .