Things have been insane since I last posted. I don't even know where to start. First of all, traffic to this website has increased so much over the past few months, yet I have not updated anything. So here goes some updates. If you're new here, do check out my "about" to have some background info about who I am/ what I do. I will be updating that in a bit!

Malaysia is still in lockdown, so I've had to pause the release of my new Kimonos and cushions. My factories are still closed. It's very unfortunate and really, I feel for my factory partners, they're truly suffering right now :(

- Brand Collabs - I have SO MANY coming up, that now I have to carefully pick and choose which ones align with what I wanna do. I can't say who I'm working with (yet!), but I am SO EXCITED. I really do enjoy working with brands because I get to see my prints on products come to life, without having to manage a team or have the resources to make it happen. I love product design and retail, but I also love working alone, so this is how I make it happen to get a large volume of products out without actually having to manage the production part. So many interesting brands have approached me, and I'm like a kid in a toy store - I want to do EVERYTHING! But of course, there is only ONE of me, and I only have 24 hours, and I don't believe in killing myself for work, so I can only do a few at one time. I love working with fashion, interior and beauty brands...so if you're a brand wanting to collab with an artist, do reach out! I truly enjoy creating a product that people will love. And I especially love TEXTILE DESIGN (since I am, after all, a textile artist turn artist/illustrator)

- Commissions - I've had a few really challenging paintings that I worked so hard on, notably - Pintu Rahsia and Secret Sungai. These two were really detailed, required a lot of layers, and a few techniques I wasn't so experienced in - so I was nervous as hell while doing the paintings. But I needed to push myself, and get out of my comfort zone anyway, so I HAD to do it. It turned so great though! So great I was so sad to let them go. I feel more confident trying out new techniques now that I know i'm not a total failure at it. I did however, do a few parts a few times to get it right. I feel like I should point that out more often as I don't want to discourage people from getting into painting - so for the record, I make a LOT of mistakes which I just re-do again and again until I get it right. Sometimes I have to find a new method to achieve what I want. I also have a separate canvas where I practice doing those techniques before I do it on my actual canvas. It's really a very mafan situation sometimes. I do get frustrated and feel like I want to jump off a cliff, but that usually signals that I need to order bubble tea and take a break.

Secret Sungai

Pintu Rahsia

Right now, I'm working on my new series for Project MIRRO, called DAYDREAMS. I will write a separate post about the whole journey. It will be launched in early September, hopefully. I am challenging myself to finish 20 paintings by then - I know I can do it, I just have to keep at my schedule and keep my focus. The problem with me is, I get distracted with other things easily, so I'm trying to manage that right now by announcing to the world that I'm gonna do this release, so I have to keep my word. Many people have asked me when I will be doing a restock on original paintings on the website, and I kept saying “soon” since 3 months ago. So the “soon” is NOW, finally.

Aside from paintings, I've also been busy with digital commissions. I've decided to stop doing a few types of commissions like logos, wedding cards, and portraits. Even though I'm able to do these things, it doesn't really align with what I actually wanna do. Which brings me to Project MIRRO - something I actually want to do, but always have no time to do. I really enjoy painting and creating for myself, and then selling those items in my shop. Sales have picked up significantly, so I really need to focus on growing the brand. You will see more art prints and paintings regularly from now on, I promise!

Lastly, MIRRO NOTES is something that really took off these few months. I had no idea my illustrations and random scribbles would amass a following of 9k and counting within a year! I have so many ideas for this new outlet / expression of mine, that did not fit into the "Project MIRRO" mold. I really do have an alter ego. When I paint, I love painting beautiful things, landscapes, nature...dreamlike places. So much so people assume that I’m some "zen motherly" person haha. My personality does not fit that at all. Honestly, the dominant side of me wants to make memes. The sillier and dumber the meme, the more I like! I love “internet culture”, Disney / fan art and connecting with people online through sending jokes. I love making dumb pantuns. That’s just how I am like, even in real life. I just cant’t take life so seriously. Curating a “beautiful IG account” through “beautiful curated imagery that speaks to your brands image and values” just does not fully translate to who I am, if that makes any sense. It doesn’t feel like “me”. It feels like a brand / a company. Very neutral, very professional. I want to distance myself from the usual brand storytelling I have done the 10 years I was in Marketing and Business Development. When MIRRO NOTES became an “outlet” for me, I felt like, FINALLY I can be myself now. I can do whatever it is I want to do, without “diluting” my “professional, serious” artist side. I like having the two separate, because they are both VERY DIFFERENT aspects of my art / expression. As you can see below :

MIRRO NOTES : Maleficent and Ursula have Tea. Read the whole story in the caption here

I don’t know where MIRRO NOTES will take me, though I do have some things up my sleeve for it…like MERCHANDISE. Things are just slow because I am not sure if it's the right time with lockdown restrictions etc etc….we’ll see how it goes, no promises!

In conclusion - I’m excited for all the new ideas and projects I have coming up! I really don’t have a life outside of work right now, since it’s lockdown - I’ve just been busy working on all these projects to distract myself. I’m trying my best to spice my routine and take reasonable breaks so I don’t DROWN in a sea of work, but I’m struggling with that as well. Definitely running out of ideas of what to do that is non-work that keeps myself occupied. Anyway, that's a post for another time.

For now, I wish you all the best of health, mentally, physically! I also wish for you $100,000 in your bank account by tonight :P

Thanks for reading!