a designer's musings

“Someday a real rain will come and wash all the scum off the streets.”

This is just a beautiful movie. Everyone should watch this madness at least once.
The movie is modest, prolific, and painful.

We all need it from time to time.

Last December, I had the beautiful pleasure of visiting the San Francisco Museum of  Modern Art.  It was, literally, a dream come true for me – especially since I’ve had a long withstanding love affair with art.

I wanted to write about one of my modern art favourites: Henri Matisse.  His contributions to the art world were tremendous, if not legendary. He forwarded vast developments not only in French art history, but modern art as we know it.

I was reading about him in an old book, and found out that Henri Matisse initially studied law in France. After an unfortunate bout of appendicitis took over him, his mother gave him a set of colouring materials for his own leisure. What those colouring materials gave him was a lifetime of beauty — a kind of “paradise”, he states.

I’m not going to bore you with any of the other details. I’m sure there were interesting ups and downs to their lives, as well as episodic moments when the mundane becomes extraordinary. It’s a beautiful thing though, to reflect on things that drive us – things that we consider “paradise”; to be afflicted with a kind of madness that encounter these artists is something truly amazing.

Henri Matisse, like other artists, trained on his own with the classical styles, then later on developed his own signature. I love his colourful art works and depiction of every day lives – much like a different Renoir, who was impressionist, his works was a fresh break from the stiffness of classical thought. It was a breath of fresh air from the stiffing corsettes, so to speak. It’s a fusion meal, as compared to the traditional fine dining.

What are your thoughts on favourite artists?

So here’s a favorite, interesting topic trending veteran and noob designers alike : Portfolio Redesigning.

First off, let’s ask our selves..What constitutes a redesign?
I believe it can be called a redesign if it is a re-thinking exercise of how your site is structured to serve other people better. Sites are indeed reflection of people / brands – We should treat our own personal domains with the same ownership that we cater to our clients.

A redesign isn’t merely moving things around, shifting certain elements here and there…A redesign may take a few months, or a few weeks; depending on your urge to shift the way other people perceive you and your portfolio.

Why is redesigning your portfolio so difficult?
To say that it is difficult may be an understatement. To most designers, this feels like a herculean task. The core root of this challenge may lie in the inherent discontent surfaced by designers.

Discontent wha? Let me explain..

Designers are driven by all things shiny and new. Most of the time, we triumph ourselves with features from CSS mania, parading the next big technology, looking at the most suave way to get gradients looking as sleek and beautiful as possible.  We get caught up with this sea of discontent even before we can muster enough courage to arrest our minds.

Which brings me to a direct result of this discontent : Indecisiveness.

Yes, granted.. we are all changing, breathing human beings entitled to our own bouts of fancy.. But when designing your portfolio takes longer than it actually should ( Which is experienced by a LOT of folks) – then you encounter a problem. This problem is that – though you are a good designer, your online space is not reflective of these qualities; and perhaps, there might be missed opportunities (not just work opportunities — but consider networking opportunities or pro bono work – or plain and simple publicity). Missed opportunities that can mean a wealth of experiences.

I say, it is better to have a “working” portfolio; fine tune the details as you go along, then “launch” it when everything is ready. This way, accommodation is there, and there is a nice fancy hotel for your visitors.  Consider getting a Behance account first, perhaps – before your official launch. Its a beautiful site with loads of opportunity for networking.

What I did for my personal redesign is a simple GTD technique to lift projects off the ground : And believe me, it is a simple technique that works wonders.

First off, you have to start with the belief that any complex system can be broken down to smaller tasks. Tasks that you can devote some time on the weekends doing, or late at night after work. These “tasks” are divided into work categories; from Design, Development, and Back end stuff (such as WP customization).

The tasks are then divided into the people who are responsible for them. In this case, since I’ve been very busy, I’ve asked the help of a few friends to help me with the codes.

So now you have the basic tenets of project management : tasks and roles. Of course, I had to cram several roles under my shoes, as I am the orchestrator of the project. Of course, we have to take into account small details of art direction , strategy, maintenance, etc.  But let me tell you this: Once you have clarified your roles, and broken them down to smaller pieces : You will come to realize that it ain’t so darn bad afterall. Put the tasks on a list, tick off those that you’ve done, evaluate your process. Repeat.

According to Parkinsons’ Law, work expands as to fill up the time of completion — Which is basically, very true in such cases. During my process of having my solitary “creative time”  , I jot away notes and ideas that never initially occurred to me.  It is a zesty feeling when you’re entrenched in work; devoted with mind wavering focus on what you want your outcomes to be.

Again, don’t misconstrue me: My portfolio will always be far from perfect, in the same manner that a lot of artists artworks are never perfect in everyones view. Everyone will have a different version of their “perfect” website; but as of now, it is who I am and I’m quite happy with that. I haven’t worked this hard for a portfolio in a long time, and I’m quite proud of it.

It’s very Asian – inspired; a tribute to my mixed cultural heritage. ( PS, I must note that all Filipinos have mixed cultural heritage):

Uses illustration: Another one of my less popular love affairs.It is high-time to embrace illustration again. (Even subtle hints of it reveals itself in the background)

More optimized, focused on details.
* Not all people will agree that work should be featured in this manner. However, after a survey of a lot of sites that I personally love; I realized that showcasing the full screen of a website is inimical to the site’s success at a “portfolio”. I realized that I appreciate seeing the fine details, the craftmanship that goes into all the pixels.
* Also, it saves the trouble of being hounded by work-stealers online. Let’s face it; this is a reality, and we, as designers, should take the trouble to protect our work.

To tell you honestly, I haven’t been a big fan of musicals till recently, when I nabbed a seat in the La Boheme and Cinderella. Amongst my other theatrical favourites also include Rent, and Chicago – musicals that exude vibrancy and poignancy of thought.

NINE: Movie Trailer – The most popular videos are a click away

What captivates me about musicals and theatrical productions is the ability of a production to single-handedly arrest you  and transport you to another world.  We have not seen much of those recently, when most films are now fixated with fanciful effects, much less than the story line.  In the modern world, most people misconceive this: We have come to realize that people will indeed pay for a good story. A good story is the fundamental investment to make any film fly. (Notice, too, that there is an intrinsic difference to what we refer to as “films” and mere “movies” — but that’s a different topic altogether).

Here’s where Nine comes in – What then, do you expect when a star-studded cast of multi-cultural beauties and an award-winning actor (such as Daniel Day Lewis) come together to tell a story?

We get an impressive ensemble. Yup, that’s right. On the surface, Nine tells of a simple story of artistic block – a director finds himself disenchanted with a plethora of failed efforts; and when he’s about to salvage his withering career, he decides upon himself to create a film about his own misdemeanors. A private life crossing over to the surface, a delineation that most artists struggle to compartmentalize.

I think this story gets full merit because a lot of people relate to this all the time. We are confronted with modern day demons. Every day we are confronted with choices between what we can do now, and what we value for life. It doesn’t come as a surprise when Guido Contini engages himself in various affairs — yet at the same time, remains an utmost respect for women, almost as idolatry would suggest. Isn’t this a familiar dichotomy over how Italians have been misrepresented in latter day showbusiness?

It’s not a breach against femininity; on the contrary, Guido loves his women, and just goes to show that his fervor made him want to have it all.  Of course we can’t have it all — So, ultimately, something had to give.

Admittedly, some of the performances within the film were lack luster. I believe that there should have been a bit more weaving onto the story involved — especially during his “dream spells”.  Films that translate theatre must take into consideration that the camera, ultimately, is your additional character – this offers you another eye, an additional weapon to weave the progression.  What happened with Nine was that most of the time we see merely long shots of full facades, we see a line-up of women, dancing and singing : What was their relevance? How was this affecting Guido?
Some scenes lacked the answers.

Daniel Day Lewis, on the other hand, as well as Marion Cotillard, delivers a stellar performance. Both actors were fantastic, brought about by an earthy charisma that doesn’t try too hard. Lewis made for a great Continni – he was indeed a womanizer by virtue, but he didn’t forgo the fact that he was a “lover” as well.

Overall, I highly recommend Nine for it’s fantastic storyline and some of it’s brilliant performers.  The film is a reflection of truly artistic endeavors and dichotomies, and offers interesting discussions afterward. Because we are forever in need of a good story, Nine fits right in – It’s a musical without the extra frills, but a focused attempt on unraveling a musical classic.

Wow, I didn’t realize it’s been ages since I’ve last updated my own “personal” blog.
I’ve been too busy overhauling my life, that this blog has been placed on hiatus.  First things first, let me introduce to you my very own tumblr account – my duffel bag of inspirations and visual delight:

You may view it in http://www.inspire.camilledelrosario.com

On a totally unrelated note, I went book shopping this new year and nabbed the most awesome goodies. Some of which include travel books – since I’m visiting Ho Chi Minh this May, I reckon it’ll be a good idea to brush up on the language, and see how Saigon treats me with adventure.

I also bought myself a copy of Breakfast at Tiffany’s – a Truman Capote favourite.  I’m forever fascinated by Holly Golightly. Of course, Audrey Hepburn brings the icon to life – we all love her too.  Most recently, Marion Cotillard reminds me too much of the famed fashion icon, too! Is she a reincarnation or what?

Alongside my saigon trip, and my planned Bangkok escapade, I also joined the gym! I also recently joined Open- Atelier – a once a week-Singapore-group that focuses on free-painting. We all love free-painting, don’t we?

What’s your new years resolution for this Tiger year?
I’m gonna work on my folio and my CV this year too It’s that time of the year to update!

Santa Claus, Milk and Cookies, Eggnog, Snow, Snowflakes, Cozy weather, leather boots, shopping, Snowman, rudolph, Pine trees, Cinnamon, Bells, Christmas lights, lanterns, family, pets, love, scarfs,waldo, Manila traffic, skylines intoxicated with glitter, prying of Christmas gifts, angels, midnight masses, kids, carolling….

What do you think of, when you think of Christmas? Just thinking about Christmas makes me so excited. It’s that time of the year again, folks!

And since I have this chronic sickness of forgetting people’s birthdays and memories, I’ve decided to share a piece of my heart with everyone. I’ve decided to give away a limited number of hand-drawn, Christmas post cards to friends and family. Simply contact me and provide your name and snail mail address. I’ll be sending you the cards before I leave for the holidays. All of the postcards will be mailed through regular, Sing post mail All i ask from you is to take a picture of the postcard, and email it to me for my follow-up blog post.

This is a purely Creative exercise. If you have any visual suggestions, feel free to let me know too

Cheers!

After a weekend of archery, my now sport of choice ranges from yoga to jogging. I reckon I won’t be working out anytime soon, save for the fact that I can wake up uber early on the weekends to go jog around the neighborhood…sneak in a 30 minute lap or so.

Why is it that I still feel a tad bit chunky, no matter how much I work out? :S Is it really because I’m never destined to slim down like a waif?

Nevertheless, exercise is great – if I don’t get to benefit from losing much weight, at least endorphins make me happier.

.. My mum is visiting me here in Singapore this weekend, so everything has to be spick’ and span. I even arranged for accommodations to make her trip a comfortable one.

This, to me, is a bit bittersweet. In one hand, I do appreciate my mother visiting me – on another hand, I feel like entertaining an extra busy body is very taxing (both on my legs and my wallet, from all the shopping and taxis.). If only my mother can endure the concept of a “budget”, I think we’ll be blissfully content.
This is a very complicated topic which I can’t fully elucidate in this blog entry. I guess, she is what you may call “atas” in Singlish linggo.

I hope the weekend will be a fun and exciting one, despite the holes in my wallet. I’m rather disappointed that I won’t be able to afford more luxurious christmas presents for everyone, since this is a rather huge dent in my allowance.

By the way, I have taken it upon myself to read “Pride and Prejudice” all over again. ( I can’t even remember if I’ve read it.. Thus, this feels like my first time!)

I now wish I hadn’t read the reviews or the cliff notes. Once you read the reviews saying that this piece of literature is one of the most “quoted” and most “reread” books, you tend to put it on a small pedestal, enshrining it with full literary glory. This, then , becomes a basis for your prejudice,(pun intended) and results to a biased appreciation of the piece.

Anyway, I loved the modern adaptation through Bridgette Jones’ Diary so I don’t suppose I won’t like the original. It’s just hard to visualise the engrossing ordeals women had to go through back then – the petticoats, parents offering up their children for “marriage” , the perils and fear of being a spinster — this are anachronistic ideas, yet in the modern day, isn’t this the same challenges that any 30 something year old lady will go through?

On a side note, people may say that thirty is the new twenty. Does it follow that later on in the future, forty will become the new twenty? (and so on and so forth)? Will science catch up with us and enable us to have kids when we’re old and graying? (Hmmm.. will we even turn “gray” to begin with??)

I love how pride and prejudice uses words like “fortnight” and “chuses” – very indicative of old English. Makes me wish to read it in a faux British accent and imagine my characters up front, clad with long dresses and flowered hats.

Anyway.. That’s about all I can say for now. I hope to update again soon.

Great commentary, reposting from ECCP:

****
To all Filipinos Everywhere:

I used to think that corruption and criminality in the Philippines were
caused by poverty. But recent events tell me this isn’t true. It is one
thing to see people turn into drug addicts, prostitutes, thieves and
murderers because of hunger and poverty, but what excuse do these rich,
educated people have that could possibly explain their bizarre behavior?
And to think I was always so relieved when petty snatchers got caught and
locked away in jail because I never fully realized that the big time
thieves were out there, making the laws and running our country. Can it
get any worse than this? Continue Reading »