Artist Block.

I've been having a case of Artist block lately.  It's a terminal disease we artist get once in a while.  Symptoms include, insomnia, lost of appetite, desaturation of your surrounding.  Everything seems so unexciting.  So I did abit of google on how to beat the Artist block and here is what i've got.

It’s a devastating thing for an artist to feel they’ve lost their inspiration, to encounter a creative block. But suffering from artist’s block doesn’t mean you’ve lost your artistic ability and it can be overcome. Dr. Janet Montgomery has some tips to help beat artist’s block:

Beating Artist’s Block Tip 1:
It's the fear of not being able to do it that is making you feel you've lost your inspiration. To get rid of the fear, you must approach your painting as if it were a job and DO IT.  - Yes....A JOB..... :(

Beating Artist’s Block Tip 2:
Force yourself to set a goal of ‘X’ number of paintings. Copy if you must, use kitchen tools as models if you must, but simply getting into the paint itself will begin to inspire you, even if you don't like the subject matter. There's always something to learn.  - THOU SHALL DO ONE TEST SHOOT BY END OF THIS MONTH,  WITH AT LEAST 8 GOOD IMAGES.

Beating Artist’s Block Tip 3:
Change media. If acrylic, go to oil. If oil, go to printmaking. - HMMM....FILM SHOOT PERHAPS?

Beating Artist’s Block Tip 4:
Search for new painters on the web, using Google's image search. Go to galleries. Try to find an artist who's doing something that appeals to you, something that the voice inside you says, "I could do that" or "I'd like to be able to do that." Secure an image and copy it to find out what that artist did and how. Then think about recombining ideas. - BUT I DON"T WANNA COPY.... :(

Beating Artist’s Block Tip 5:
Play the "what if?" game. What if I painted this old subject matter on a tire? What if I put together a still life of bricks? How can I use a new material, a new subject matter, a new style. Be wild in your considerations.  - WHAT IF I COULD SHOOT THIS SUBJECT IN BHUTAN??? WHAT IF I WIN FIRST PRIZE IN BIG SWEEP AND I CAN SHOOT ROUND THE WORLD? :D

Beating Artist’s Block Tip 6:
Remember that everyone has fallow periods. I don't consider them really fallow, just the subconscious taking a breather and getting ready to take a different direction.  - YES BUT IT STILL SUCKS.

Beating Artist’s Block Tip 7:
Check out some books on creative thinking to give you a jolt. - OK......

Beating Artist’s Block Tip 8:
Take a trip to somewhere you've never considered, even if it's only to a local town you've never explored. Always take a sketchbook, everywhere you go. Or a digital camera. Imagine yourself a Lilliput or a giant to change your perspective. - TRIP??? DID I HEAR TRIP??? GOOD EXCUSE FOR ANOTHER VACATION.....oh wait....i need to make some MOOLAH first.... :(

Beating Artist’s Block Tip 9:
Keep a journal of drawings and writings for a month. Pick something from the journal to paint. Review it in six months or a year. - I DO...

Beating Artist’s Block Tip 10:
Compile a scrapbook of family portraits -- not just faces, but each family member doing something typical -- a ‘candid’ sketch with writing about the person, the time, your impressions. Keep it in a journal for your kids' kids. - boring.....

Beating Artist’s Block Tip 11:
Go to a senior citizen center and draw the people there. Talk to them about their life stories. Try to express your response in mixed media using copies of their old photographs, etc. - @__@"  I much prefer the dog shelter....

Beating Artist’s Block Tip 12:
Take a class that forces you to produce in a structured environment. - Any exciting classes coming up? 

A trip to Remember

This year has been filled with a series of unexpected events and much spontaneous moments. A phone call in April from a friend got me slogging day and night at the dog shelter for 4 months, leaving me physically exhausted but soulfully recharged. It was a project that has changed me in many little ways and saw things differently. I saw the ugliest and the most beautiful side of human beings. I saw the selflessness of the fellow volunteers, the sacrifices everyone has made, and how hard everyone has worked towards a common goal. Thou tiring, it has been a wonderful 4 months.

I've been whining to my friends oh how tired i was and how much i needed a break, and Pearly has been "forcing" me to take the break, to get away and rejuvenate....休息是为了走更长远的路。(U need a rest for longer roads ahead) I was all set for a vacation..but to where? I made plans for Bhutan, Manado, Taiwan and decided on Korea in the end. Life has a weird way of twisting around and leading you to places, to new experiences. You don't quite know why you're there at this moment, but later down the road you'll always discover a reason for the choices you make.

Korea proved to be the most amazing trip by far, made wonderful new friends, almost eat myself to death. Had the best travel companion i can ask for. And truly experience Korea for what it is. A trip i will always hold close to heart.

The first crimson sign that marks the arrival of autumn...and it makes me happy.

Looking in from outside.

The ending of summer, slow withering of the once proud and beautiful sunflowers. I imagine a simple and lovely family living in that house, 2 little children prancing around the gardens in summer amongst the once beautiful and proud sun flowers.

If this was the last meal i have to eat....i will die happy. Best Galbi ever!! Real cheap too. My mouth waters thinking of it.

A ray of hope on the far side of the sea. A breath taking moment

The shimmering lights in the city like a precious jewel from Namsan Tower. I felt like i was at the top of the world at that moment.

Ahh...the most sinful indulgence....Samgeopsal with a big bottle of Makgeoli...what else can a gal ask for?

Sitting infront of a million promises made by lovers feel so surreal. I wish for all their wishes to come true.

A little note, a little promise, a little prayer made at the top of the world. I wonder why there...perhaps it was as near to heaven as they could go.

The beautiful people i met on my trip in Daegu. :)

Moonlight Sonata

Shooting Moonlight Sonata was an exciting and one filled with much unexpected events. We had planned to do the shoot at a beautiful flower shop. All planned ready to go and it poured....it poured so bad. When we reached the makeup location, whole of orchard road was badly flooded...cars were stuck deep in waters at the same junction we managed to cross just 20mins before. The roads to our location was flooded as well. We had to think of a last minute contingency plan. And Thank God a friend of mine has an empty Loft i could use for this shoot. The song "Her Morning Elegance" kept replaying in the back of my mind the entire day. Thus this shoot was much inspired by this beautiful song and MTV of Oren Lavie.

Here are a couple of my favourite images from the shoot i'll share with you.

Please be Careful With my Heart.

This is my 2nd attempt in making an MTV. It was a pleasure working with Christian Bautista & Kewei. Whole production was smooth sailing and we managed to complete it in a day.

We thought for a long time on the story and location. In the end I decided, why not do something close to heart. So we did the shoot at Mutts & Mittens where our 85 dogs project's dogs were boarding at. The cute little thing Panda was part of our rescue project.

Panda was one of the dogs that flourished the most over the 2 months.

Special Thanks to Lucas Chiam & Sean Ng for making it possible.

Director - Monica Eng

AD/Edit - Lucas Chiam

DP - Sean Ng

Location Mutts & Mittens, Special Thanks to Cohen Ng

Transit

This test shoot was done earlier this year, but i only managed to get around to it this month due to crazy schedules earlier part of the year.

Special Thanks to,

Model : Margaret Lee White

Makeup & Hair : Jyue huey of The Make Up room

Dress : Mel of Caramel

Asst : Erwin

More of this series can be viewed on

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vividshots/60528976417?ref=ts

http://monicaeng.deviantart.com

something experimental i did at a multi storey carpark earlier this year. Thanks to Vaughn Tan for the lovely dresses and Thanks to Eric for assisting with the lights.

Tuyen and Ngoc

The lovely couple from Hanoi. They met in a little cafe in Hanoi and the rest was pretty much history. They were such a lovely couple to work with. I had the honor of attend their beautiful wedding in Hanoi.

My very First MTV

My very first attempt in making an MTV was a very special experience. It was for a good friend of mine. She's such an awesome singer. Thou the whole process was filled with much trials, we managed to do it still.

The whole MV would not have been possible with the help of wonderful friends, Samuel Woo, Shan shan, Sam Ng (our handsome actor) and the amazing editor Lucas Chiam. Last but not least, Thanks to Dean & Matt from S2S for the opportunities. They have made the whole production a very fun and memorable one.

Here is the lovely Bevlyn Khoo.