The Art of Lavina Marie

Probably on account of my childhood fondness for Polly Pocket, I've developed an affinity for all things miniature: miniature furniture, miniature dolls; but what really drives me over the edge and into the sea of kiddish delight... is miniature food.

My small but growing collection

I only came to know and love miniature food - that is, food that looks real but is made out of clay or other similar material, and is TINY - in the 2000s, upon stumbling across a member of deviantART who propagated the stuff as a form of art. Known for her handle PetitPlat, Stephanie Kilgast has taken the miniature art world by storm with her amazing polymer clay creations:

Photos from PetitPlat

As much as I'd love to get my hands on those incredibly CUTE foods, they're unfortunately out of my reach, quite literally; most of the best miniature foods are only sold abroad, usually in the US and some parts of Europe, and are slightly above my spending capability, haha.

However, the most readily available and affordable miniature foods that I've come across so far are in Bangkok, Thailand. Though not as heavily detailed as others, the foods there are still nothing short of amazing. During my last visit, I managed to buy the first items of my miniature food collection:

Jars of donuts, bread, and macaroons *u*

Smaller than a piso coin!

This was all I was able to buy at the time. When I found out a couple of months ago that Joey was heading out to Bangkok for business, I asked him to buy me me one or two more. He came back with several, and just the other day, he handed them to me:

So awesome ♥ Now I just need a tiny shelf to display all these items, haha! Miniature shelves and display cases are also available in Bangkok, but are relatively expensive - between P500 to P1000. Perhaps when I've acquired a steady income I'll have the chance to expand my collection. For now, I'm content with these pastry and sushi lovelies of mine. I actually want to try making some foods myself, using polymer clay, but I think that endeavor can wait; I have my art and watercolor workshop pending :D

I hope your day's going well!

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I tried out the new cotton rag paper I'd purchased a few ago from Paperchase, using the Arthur Rackham that I've been recently toying with. This inking technique sure is growing on me; could it be I've found my distinctive style? *o*

I love how the style forces me to practice drawing, which has always been more of my forte than painting. It's a very familiar style, in other words, so I'll see if it works out for me later on. As for the cotton rag paper, I love how it works with ink; I want to hoard more :))

Yesterday, as I was browsing through random illustration blogs on the net, I came across an artist whose work I think mirrors my current experimental style more so than that of Rackham's: Warwick Goble.


From Book of Fairy Poetry VII 1920

A contemporary of Rackham's though not as popular, Goble made a name for himself in creating beautiful fairytale illustrations inspired by Japanese and Indian themes. His work can be found in select MacMillan publications such as The Water Babies (1863) and Treasure Island (1883), as well as in the first edition of The War of the Worlds (1898) by H.G. Wells, and many folk tale anthologies (notably Other Japanese Fairy Tales and Tales of Bengal).

Nautilus Ship

Sea Nymphs

Unlike Rackham, Goble seemed to love colors more; in several of his works you can see splashes of different colors (watercolor was his primary paint medium), all encased within thin, almost nonexistent ink lines. I love how soft his technique is; it makes his art appear dreamy, quite perfect for a fairytale setting in my opinion.

A Fairy Revel

I don't think I can ever achieve the subtlety of Goble's work; I'm having a fantastic time trying to though! The controlled application of lines and the delicate washing of colors, blended together in a calculated recipe of imagination to create a story of a thousand words; artists like Warwick Goble remind me how much I love art.

On that note, I'd like to wish you all a happy happy New Year's Eve. :)

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Merry Christmas, everyone! :D I hope you and your families are blessed with love and happiness this season. I've been working on a piece and review for some time now, and I can finally share it with you, and in time for Christmas Day too, haha!


Dewfairies at Work Ink and watercolor on illustration board 38.4 x 25.7 cm

I recently acquired a set of twelve Derwent Inktense blocks through the generosity of Times Trading Inc., and I've been enjoying time experimenting with them for a piece inspired by the works of Arthur Rackham (as with Marion's Rest).

Inktense blocks are water-soluble ink blocks that boast incredible versatility; they can be rubbed dry onto paper like pastels, or else washed with water like paint. I use them like blocks of watercolor, but they're much more vibrant, opaque, and permanent (so permanent, in fact, that my paintbrushes are stained *o*).

Unlike with watercolors, dry Inktense washes can be painted over without affecting the layers underneath. For this reason, it's very difficult to cover up mistakes when using Inktense blocks, as once the ink dries on the paper, it can't be lifted or dissolved. It's funny really; I tend to make mistakes a lot, so every time I would lay the paintbrush down on the paper, I'd hold my breath :))

I had a hard time adjusting to the Inktense blocks; for one reason, they weren't blending at all well with my initial choice of paper (Daler-Rowney), and I couldn't gauge the amount of ink to place onto the paper. Finally, though, after managing to find the perfect paper for the blocks (Bainbridge cold press, a US-made illustration board) and spending a considerable while trying out different mixes and paintbrush load amounts, I discovered that Inktense tends to overpower water.

The blocks can be scraped and the shavings mixed with water.

The blocks are highly concentrated; a single amount mixed with water can already produce a dark, vibrant color on the paper, which can't be effectively blended or removed without first having washed the paper with water. It's thus difficult to use the blocks to create soft paintings, if you're not conscious of your mixes.

I love how the colors just pop, though :D

Due to their vibrancy, however, Inktense blocks are wonderful for making details stand out, something I'm very partial to. Watercolor tends to fade into the background if not enough paint is loaded into the paintbrush; with Inktense blocks, however, you need only load a little, and it's enough to draw out a bright, clear line on the paper. Moreover, Inktense colors don't bleed into one another as watercolors love to do, a characteristic that I found most useful in painting the under layers of the grass and flowers.

I did use watercolor for some portions of this piece, though, in laying down washes for the sky, and the fairies' skin and hair. I wasn't sure of the effect diluted Inktense would produce, and I didn't want to risk botching the fairies' appearance - and if there's anything I truly hate in my painting, it's botching the fairies.

I've yet to practice painting skin and hair with the Inktense blocks.

In a nutshell, Derwent Inktense blocks are a highly versatile medium (and can, in fact, be used on silk and other surfaces), permanent and vibrant. If used like watercolors, they do require a considerable amount of patience and practice, more so than the watercolor medium itself, I think. If mastered, though, these blocks can produce a vast range of rich and beautiful works.

On that note, I'd like to wish you all once again a Happy Holidays, and a wonderful year ahead. ♥