In The Time Tunnel

"In The Time Tunnel"

The time has been set to France in 1851. Contrary to popular time travelling beliefs, one does not travel at blasting speeds filled with blurry dizzy images. Instead everything is magnified and illuminated. One finds somewhat strange bizarre absurd sightings in the tunnel. Some of them are fellow time travellers while many are in fact old irretrievable memories and deep heartfelt sentiments. They, like anyone else, yearn to be remembered, not forgotten or forsaken. Memories which are retrieved will cease to loiter in the tunnel. The owl historian apprentice takes all she sees to heart.

This 2nd piece of the Time Travel collection measures 16 inches by 16 inches on canvas. Antique bisque figurines, vintage hardwares, clock watch parts and brass stampings are glued onto the canvas with trusty epoxy glue. I like how the owl look with the antique optical lens over her right eye :D

The Gears That Set History In Motion

"The Gears That Set History In Motion"

Finally, here's the first piece of my Owl Time Travel collection!

I made a wish on Christmas 2011 that I would wish to time travel to France in the 19th century, this 1st piece documents the moment when gears started shifting in my head for this possibility. It turned out quite different from the sketch that I showed in the previous posting, especially the background. I thought a dark and almost black background gives that mysterious sense of imagination.

This artwork measures 16 inches by 16 inches on canvas. The owl is embellished with vintage clock and watch parts acquired from a watch parts dealer from Eastern Europe. Her head is layered with mainly clock and watch gears, I added a bee in there too, inspired by the saying "I've got a bee in my bonnet!" !

Somnia Romantica by Marjolein Turin

I've been charmed by the idea of returning to the days of the 19th century lately :D  Marjolein Turin, a fashion designer from Netherlands and owner of the brand Somnia Romantica, constructs exquisite clothings of that century that will make one eager to hop into a time machine in search of a victorian adventure. Marjolein's handmade pieces are inspired by history, often based on authentic patterns in her collection. Through this brand, she hopes to bring a touch of nostalgy and dreamy elegance into today's modern and hectic world. I must say she has successfully done that :D

Thanks to Marjolein, I have the liberty to share some of her inspiring creations here. I'm in no way affiliated to her shop nor have I been paid any advertising fees to write this post, I'm just someone who has fallen head over heels with her works and hopes to wear some of them in the not too distant future :D She has a wider collection at her shop  which I'm certain you will have a great time browsing. All her pieces are made to order, you can be sure that each piece will be lovingly tailored to suit your requirements, using only quality materials. I'm impressed by the comments and feedback left by her customers:

Dearest Marjolein, I wanted to send you a very positive feedback for your items, as I feel you are just the best in your trade for your work. When items arrived it was decorated in such a lovely box with a beautiful note. They items were sewn so beautifully and with love, your taste for materials is exquisite. I am so in love with my two peices that came from you, they will be heirlooms someday. I also saved the beautiful tags and brouchures from your shoppe for keep sakes. They fit beautifully. thank you again, Michelle Webster

Hi, I wanted to let you know how much I LOVE this blouse. It fits perfectly, and is soooooo flattering. You have a fan and repeat customer as soon as I can afford it. Thank you so much for the care you put into making this, and checking with me during the process. Stunning.

Absolutely beautiful! I've never had an item of clothing fit me this well, or accentuate the right parts of me as this has done. Highly recommend this seller! Excellent communication also!

an absolute delight to work with! and my ivory petticoat/skirt is beyond gorgeous. the fabric is soft and luxurious, it hangs beautifully, and feels like i am wearing a cloud! she worked very quickly in order to ship my item and have it arrive by a specified date (which it did). i cannot wait to order another item in the future (i already have my eye on a couple of items)!

The blouse is beautiful and so well made. Marjolein was a pleasure to work with and so very considerate. The craftsmanship and design of the blouse is outstanding!

Top Frances, victorian, burlesque, steampunk, black lace, Somnia Romantica by Marjolein Turin



Blouse Calais,victorian,steampunk, visual kei, black lace, Somnia Romantica by Marjolein Turin



Blouse Frances, victorian, steampunk, burlesque, lolita, Somnia Romantica by Marjolein Turin

Capelet Noir, victorian, steampunk, edwardian, black lace, Somnia Romantica by Marjolein Turin

Skirt Flora, victorian, fantasy, steampunk, Somnia Romantica by Marjolein Turin



Skirt Silene, Fantasy, Victorian, Steampunk, Gothic, black, Somnia Romantica by Marjolein Turin



Petticoat long, victorian, burlesque, steampunk, tule,Somnia Romantica by Marjolein Turin





Dress Asinina, victorian, goth, fantasy, lolita, Somnia Romantica by Marjolein Turin





Dress Lourdes, victorian, goth, burlesque, halloween, a-symmetric, faux stretch leather, Somnia Romantica by Marjolein Turin

Have a day filled with dreamy nostalgic elegance!

Owl Art - Renoir's Summer 1880 (Original Mixed Media Assemblage Collage Art)

Here's the 7th piece of my "Catching A Fleeting Moment" collection, Renoir's Summer 1880.

If I could live for a moment in a master's painting, I would choose Pierre Auguste Renoir's Luncheon Of The Boating Party :D He portrayed 14 Parisians from diverse backgrounds enjoying a summer Sunday at Chatou, the Maison Fournaise along the Seine River. It was not just a group portrait, it was a scene, a moment in modern life that Renoir wanted to express through this painting.

Susan Vreeland's New York Times Best Seller, Luncheon Of The Boating Party is a vivid novel of what went on behind the scene of this materpiece. Through the author, I was being transported to the summer of 1880 where Renoir organized the setting and his models to pose for him over several Sundays and it was here that he met his future wife, Aline :D I would have loved to be the silent observer of the happenings while Renoir worked passionately on his canvas.There was an interview with Susan Vreeland at the last part of the book  and she expressed it so aptly that I couldn't agree more. When asked why she chose Renoir's Luncheon Of The Boating Party as a subject for a novel, here's her reply:

Besides being the central masterpiece of the art movement that changed the look of art forever, it represents the qualities of the French soul: joyous friendship, appreciation of beauty, verve, and the intoxication with life. It invites us to ask ourselves: How can one live a life so filled with beauty and so rich with pleasure?............what is the painting about? In part, it's about the tantalizing riches of the senses. It evokes sensuous experiences beyond the visual: the feel of the breeze on the skin, evidenced by the fluttering scallops on the awning and sailboats making their way upstream; the frangrance of the fruit that fills the nose; the taste of wine that enlivens the palate; the feel of one's surroundings - one woman's fingers in a dog's fur, the sun on another one's back; the sound of songs sung by boaters as they row past, and by the models to each other. They are sucking pleasure out of everything, valuing the last taste in the glass and the colors surrounding them, noticing the look in soneone's eyes and engaging in spirited exchange.

One looks at the painting and envies for an instant the characters' capacity to fill themselves with pleasure, to grasp the fleeting present and hold it as one might hold a bird before letting it go. The painting is imbued with this encouragement to notice the delicious details in life, to value the moment, and to each other. Seen in the press of high-speed living, it seduces us and urges us to stop and look and listen and taste and feel - and ultimately, appreciate. At its' best moments that's what fine art can do if we let it work on us."

This Blue French Letter fabric by Tracie Lyn Huskampm printed by Windham Fabrics is used as the background with the owl painted with bright summery colors. The owl's eyes are embellished with white pearls and her wings with sparkling gold rhinestone gems.

One of the major highlight of this piece is a miniature dollhouse framed painting of Renoir's Luncheon Of The Boating Party, measures about 2.75 by 2.25 inches. Found these petite glass Czech intaglio cabochons of sailboats which I mounted on vintage blue buttons, love the way they seem to sit nicely on the buttons.

Felt the need to include a vintage watch face here because Renoir was determined to complete this painting before the summer lights came to an end, time was of essence. At the bottom right corner is a yellow brass artist's palette, I added some paint onto the palette. Other border embellishments included wooden butterflies, french colored ribbon, antique metal buttons, rhinestone buttons,an antique gold stamping of the side profile of a lady (I wanted her to represent Aline, the woman with the puppy who eventually became Renoir's wife) and orange red poppy fabric flowers, those were the flowers found on Aline's hat :D

This artwork measures about 12 x 10 inches and 14 x 12 inches when framed.

Owl Art - Child Of The Eternal Garden (Mixed Media Assemblage Collage Art)

Here's the sixth artwork of my "Catching A Fleeting Moment" collection, Child Of The Eternal Garden.

This piece is one that reveals my thoughts about the ageing process, such a delicate topic. To begin with, I'm someone who is concerned about ageing. Even though I do my fair bit to engage in some daily age-defying acts and routines, deep down I know and we know that it does not halt the ageing process, it just simply slows it down and the eventual state is still a certainty. So then, the question is how to age gracefully? Investment on the inward part should pay off in the long term. Weariness of the heart can add years to a person's face, hence cultivating (I use the word cultivating because it's hard work, just like farming) a positive and vibrant thought life perpetuates the mind's rejuvenating process, I suppose it invites the child of wide-eyed wonder and drives out the adult who has resigned to fate.

In say about 30 years from now when I reach 65, I hope I will look just like this artwork :D Obviously with rust and age but with charm nevertheless. Almost everything is this garden is old BUT it's weed-free with blooming flowers and glimpses of jewel-ly sparkles.

 I had in mind to construct an antique European garden. This is an elegant French garden fabric, I tea-dyed it to make it look older than it originally looked. Painted the owl on the fabric and embellished her eyes with lilac pearls and her wings with light green rhinestone gems. You will see broken bisque porcelain artifacts such as the doll head and two dogs, they were dug out from a factory in Germany's doll-making region in the late 1800s-early 1900s.  I added some intricately-designed metal buttons from the Victorian era and vintage watch faces all around the border.

 I particularly love the antique-flavored verdigris patina stampings, that's why many of them are here. Someone from Latvia custom made these pretty fabric florals for me, getting the right florals was the most time consuming part of this piece but they were worth the wait :D

This artwork measures about 10 by 10 inches and 12 x 12 inches when framed.

Owl Art - An English Rose Garden Tea Party (Mixed Media Assemblage Collage Art)

Here's the second artwork of my "Catching A Fleeting Moment" collection, An English Rose Garden Tea Party.

I often daydream that if I could hop onto a time travel machine, I hope it could transport me to a victorian tea party in a garden full of roses and a table filled with multi-tiered stands of colorful pastries. While the adults are engaged in their tea chats and pastries, I love to imagine that somewhere in a quiet corner of the rose garden, there's a little girl enjoying her version of tea party with her dolls and teddy bears. The little girl has her own miniature tea set and she's busy playing host to her doll and teddy friends. There's such an endearing charm to all of these :D

Searching for the right rose fabric took me quite a while and I finally settled for a shabby chic warm beige piece with roses and tiny stars. I love the wallpaper look that this fabric was able to provide. I went for dusty pink shades for this owl,white pearls and pink rhinestone gems add sparkle to the owl's eyes and wings.

The oval border was embellished with many delighful pieces of miniature ceramic tea cups, saucers and teapot. And of course, the cakes and sweets! Fabric roses, butterly applique, a teddy bear and pink floral themed yoyos add lots of sweet victorian charm. One of my favorite piece has got to be this fine porcelain cameo of a girl and her doll, it's mounted onto a vintage style brass frame.

The artwork measures 12 x 10 inches unframed. When framed, it measures about 13 by 15 inches.