Category / Art Making

by lettersbysoo

Muskhane to Needle Felting

In my last visit to Paris in November, I discovered a home goods lifestyle shop Muskhane in the Le Marais neighborhood, just a 3 minute walk from Marché des Enfants-Rouges. The brand’s products I was most impressed by were the felted rugs— how beautiful and ornate they were, and made with such a homely material such as felted wool!

Founded by a French duo, the fondateurs employ craftsmen from Kathmandu, Nepal, to make felted pieces for the home, with a Modern Western twist– soft and muted. Inspired, I knew I wanted to learn to felt beautiful objects myself.

Over Christmas, I received a needle felting tool kit, a large ball of white merino wool (cozy!), and a needle felting how-to book. I finished reading the book over a couple days, and then I set to work.

Initially thinking I’d set about making felted slippers with a stylish pattern, I wizened up to the ambitiousness of such a first-time project and decided instead to make a strawberry.

Et voila,

Bises,

Soo

by lettersbysoo

Fish & Avatar Illustration Sketches

As I illustrated these, my mind took me back to a bible verse in Matthew Chapter 4, when Jesus spoke to the men who would become his apostles, saying, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

I also illustrated an avatar of my sister with the thought that it would be nice if there was more open-sourcing of avatars and characters of multiple ethnicities (e.g. Pablo Stanley’s Humaaans project, but even more diversified). It would long term serve the greater good– in company efficiency and racial equity.

by lettersbysoo

Do Not Worry: Illustrations from Matthew 6 in English and French

At the end of February, I put to image some verses I’ve leaned on during periods of uncertainty, worry, and when I needed to remind myself what I believed in. Tools used were my handy MX Ergo mouse and Adobe Illustrator.

I call these kinds of my illustrations Adult Bedtime Stories, as they are (picture books) children’s books made for adults like me.

The illustrations that follow span scripture from Matthew Chapter 6, from verses 25 to 33 in English and French.

I hope they are useful and bring comfort to anyone who stumbles on them:

Here is a link to the original illustrations:

English Version

French Translation

Bises,

Soo

by lettersbysoo

November 2021 Vlog

Pieces I particularly enjoyed this month at the MoMA:


Shuzo Azuchi Gulliver’s Cinematic Illumination, Floor 4

Retrospective of French anarchist Feliz Feneon.

Making:

I’ve recently discovered that embroidering is a very meditative activity for me.

I’ve been working on this for a couple church services.

I believe the doodling also helps me to focus on sermons a little more too.

For my birthday this year, my older sister asked me what I wanted to do with her to celebrate. She wanted to take me out to dinner, but I asked her if we could just grab dinner to eat casually and quickly; I told her I just wanted to paint with her and make art, and so we did :). She managed to persuade me to agree to making this a painting session of making one of Joan Miro’s famed paintings, The Birth of the World.

This is hers. I made mine off of my favorite colorway which are the 3 primary colors, and I added a boa constrictor digesting the elephant which is another “favorite” of mine from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s Le Petit Prince.

That was a great evening for me.

I really appreciated having a moment to rest, being in a relatively quiet environment, and being able to do something mindlessly, unambitiously, and completely for my pleasure–my pleasure alone.

Just another packaging proto using a lot of makeshift materials:

by lettersbysoo

Homemade Totes

While the materials used did not pass muster, I was very content and happy with my first attempt at making a tote bag with little to no direction. I am also happy and proud of the fact that I engaged sustained effort  (pretty much guaranteed need with hand-stitching) and focus into this (Even a couple years ago, I was not keep my attention on one art project. I had (still have, but less) a hard time focusing, and would always flit about to the next thing before finishing my project because I would get bored after 2 hours). This finished product is a reflection of my progress over the years in improving my ability to focus on one thing at a time.

I did enlist the help of an unused bag; what I did was deconstruct it by its panels, and study that. That must have influenced the success story above.

Learnings from Experience

I understand now why all sewers use thimbles. Sewing with a metal needle for hours on end feels like playing the guitar for hours without any calluses having formed on my fingers. It leads to a unique, unpleasant burn.

I understand fully now why totes are made often with lighter, more thin material, and things that are more structured are made with more durable fabric. It has a lot to do with desired aesthetic.

What I’d Like to Do Better

I would like to start with materials (fabric, straps, colors) that are ideal.

I would like to improve the evenness of my stitching while also getting better on time.

 

by lettersbysoo

Beaded ring, Watercolours, and Illustration in May

 

20200503_143504

Bookmarks and cards to encourage friends during coronavirus days

 

Asset 4Highlands

An inspired illustration featuring characters from Ruth Krauss’ book Open House for Butterflies

Inspired illustration from listening to the song Highlands (Song of Ascent) by Hillsong United one morning meditation before work, and I then proceeded to take the illustrated characters from a children’s book I love called Open House for Butterflies by Ruth Krauss to help depict the scene I imagine the song is singing about: to sing when the mountain’s in our way, and to sing when we’re on top of the mountain 🙂

Recycled unused accessories: deconstructed all the materials, organized them in colors, and then began to make things out of them. Here’s a ring, my favorite kind of accessory.

 

20200522_121847

Love letters are the best kind of letters, don’t you agree? 🙂

Part of a love letter I made for my younger sister waiting it out in Cambridge.

 

20200522_115907

Don’t know what’s going on here, looks like some kind of pulmonary situation bearing fruit (a la the tree that reaps) – air to my lungs?

by lettersbysoo

Making Things With Fruit Peels

Artboard 2 copy 3Hi Sunshine_square format

I was catching up with Christine over ZOOM because we haven’t seen each other since the Corona Virus started hitting New York City very hard and was eating a lot of clementines.

I started making a little square mound of it while we were talking (I always find I need to do something with my hands to stay focused :D)

When my sister came over to the table to see what I’m up to, she laughed at the little mess I made and joked about it being art.

I laughed too, and then thought, “why not?”

And so I whipped up this draft for the day

My cute orange peels :). Thanks for feeding me today.

 

 

Draft 0

20200329_161153

March 29, 2020

by lettersbysoo

MoMA’s Creativity Lab, Donald Judd, and a Little Tomato Farm Out Front of the Guggenheim

At one point did it enter our heads that we can no longer play with arts and crafts… create.. that art making is an activity best left for kids? Getting back our creativity as adults… waking up dry bones…. a hope I have for the city of New York.

“Make use of the empty space, child”

20200307_152141

“Make use of the empty space, child,” (Donald Judd inspired thoughts in my head)

Always leaving inspired by the rich histories of typography

20200307_161039

by lettersbysoo

Making Email Campaigns

I was scrambling to make a deadline for ATEM, but I was creatively “stuck”. After grabbing a late night drink with Andrew at The Penrose and a burger with Joanne, we made this ad in the wee hours in 10 minutes.

This is what we came up with.

The font style is not “I love”

But I like the vibe.

God is very, berry good.

 

Friday, October 11, 2019_Notes of the last night.

by lettersbysoo

Inside My Tulips

When something so simple can give you so much joy:

Start: Pot + 5 tulip bulbs

Flower Bloom:

The beautiful prints and propeller shapes formed by the overlapping petals.

Can you see the pretty fuzz on top of the tulip? It’s supposed to be mold though. 😦

The richness of the flowers’ robes.

13 hours time:

Inspired, so I paint (acrylic and watercolour):

Another day:

Chop chop :

I placed the flowers in a mason jar and headed to my sister’s to surprise her.

2 Days Later: My sister, inspired like me by their beauty started drawing as well.

She is the best drawer in our family by far. 🙂