Tag Archives: abstractpainting

Some colours and a lot of silver linings…

Posted on by
1
Life is colorful. It can be dark and gloomy. It can also be a fiesta of bright colours. Whatever it is, a mix of all or not, there is a lot silver linings for sure. One just need to seek to find it.

I am happy that creativity tickled my frozen psyche right at this moment. It means that I am slowly breaking into my inner self and process what I am experiencing these days.

It has been weeks since I am trying to get hold of motivation – the one that I used to know, that kind where I feel I can do anything in all aspects of my life. For quiet some time, all I feel is exhaustion – from motherhood, from full-time work (whose future perspective is for quiet awhile absent), from home management, from all other obligations in my life. I have just been pushing and pushing – to accomplish things I need to do. I literally feel doing 3 shifts in a day – from being a mother to full time worker to mother to home manager.

Don’t get me wrong. I want it like that. I want to work full time and be a mom, a wife and at the same time pursue some of my creative passions like writing & photography. I know there are things I cannot do as a result – like having to be able to cook warm meals all the time or have a super orderly home. It is hard, this I know for sure. But when you are inspired, the hardship is bearable, knowing that is gives meaning and fulfilment at the end of each freakin hard & long day.

I have to admit that my struggles at the moment sprung from the fact that work is unstable. There is a restructure and my team is affected. Since that announcement almost a year ago, I have been just managing my emotions. I get depressed from time to time and add to that the hardships and the pressure of the other aspects of my life.

Maybe I have been pushing so hard, to just go on, managing one moment at a time the different pressures and obligations I have, to the point of unconsciously burying issues in my subconscious. I am actually pretty good with self processing and pretty self-aware but this one somehow escaped me until it “surfaced to earth” again, so to say.

But like any other overwhelming situation, I know that I have to break them down into chewable pieces and take things one day at a time. For now, I am happy that I painted which I have not done for a long time. I am happy that I was able to express myself through that. And that’s it for now.

Creative Fridays Entry#3: a photowalk down memory lane – from Munich’s Glockenback to Vitualienmarkt

Posted on by
Reply

In our pre-baby years, we used to live in the Glockenbachviertel (root word translation – “Glock” – bell, “Bach” – creek, “viertel” – quarter – so bell-creek quarter). It is located very close to the city center of Munich – where Marienplatz is only a walking distance. It is an area where the yuppies, hippies and LGBT community hangs out. It is known for its bars and restaurants closely situated next to each other. I usually describes it to friends visiting or new in the city as the Berlin of Munich but cleaner (not mean to offend Berlin – as it has also it’s own charm).

By chance, I was in the area because a friend celebrated her birthday wherein the bday-dinner became a spontaneous bar-hopping adventure. In short, I took the chance to make the bar-hopping also a photo-walk exercise and here are the shots I took.

“Hats off, hats on” – I have always been amazed about this very specialized store on hats. I guess it has found its niche market and is still thriving.
“Kat & Mae” – my friends posing while waiting for their cocktail orders at Fraubartels Bar (https://www.instagram.com/fraubartelsbar/). Although it is my first time to visit this place, I know this was already in the area 3-4 years ago (or more). What I specially like about this place is that the decos are very artsy and the bar looks really nice.
Still at Fraubartels Bar in Klenzestrasse – https://www.instagram.com/fraubartelsbar/. I played with the photo editing and applied an abstract kind of feel into it.
Cafe Pini!!!! I love this cozy cafe in Klenzestrasse. I specially like their spaghetti bolognese and sandwiches. It is a good place to either meet and catch up with friends or just enjoy the solitude & peace of your ME time. https://www.cafepini.de.
https://www.instagram.com/cafe_pini/
Klenze 42-A – this is our old address. It brings back a lot of good memories.
“Holy Home” – this is indeed the name of this cozy bar. It is situated right beside the Gaertnerplatztheater at the Reichenbachstrasse part. Aside from the drinks, this bar offers a lot of unique deco items which are definitely a delight to the artsy eyes. See more below…
still at Holy Home: once you go further inside, there are still some hidden sections you can squeeze yourself into – making it ideal for a more intimate conversations among friends and lovers.
still at Holy Home: who says an old phone cannot be used as a deco. This is definitely an art-candy.
still at Holy Home
last photo at Holy Home…

The last top of our spontaneous bar-hopping/photo-walk is the Robinsons Kuhlmann Bar at Corneliusstrasse 14. https://robinsonkuhlmann.com

Entrance facade in Robinsons K. Bar
“shots! shots! shots! – everybody…” I was playing around with the photo using Snapseed to inject an abstract painting effect into it. I think I missed painting abstract. So this is just it for now.
On our way to Isartor, we passed by Paradiso Tanzbar (Dance Bar). Did you know that Freddy Mercury used to hangout in this bar when he was living in Munich. I can understand the people lining up outside in order to get in. As to this photo, I was also playing around with it in order to get that abstract painting feel.
https://www.paradiso-tanzbar.de/
https://www.instagram.com/paradisotanzbar/

So we had a walk from corner Ickstatstrasse – Klenzestrasse to Isartor and we passed through the infamous Vitualienmarkt (another favourite part of mine in Munich). It is a food market mostly from the local farmers. Products sold ranges from vegetables and fruits to gourmet delights like cheese, wine, salami & other cold cuts among many many others. It is right next to Marienplatz and has also restaurants and a beer garden to enjoy. It is said to have started since since 1807, except on Sundays and public holidays. Below is a gallery of photos taken during that.

Before this post gets really long, I hope I was able to bring you with me as I had this delightful tour around the City Center area of Munich, specifically from Glockenbach to Vitualienmarkt. And who knows, you might one day visit Munich and this is definitely the areas not to missed. And for those who share the same love with me for Munich, let me know which parts are your favourites and why?

So bye for now and see you or read you in my next creative adventure. Aufwiedersehen!

2020 is an ultimate high, not!

Posted on by
Reply

I am able to finally squeezed in painting while my baby is napping. It has been a long time since the last time I did paint. Inspired by today’s very exciting moment that we are in (hope you get it that I am sarcastically saying this), I came up with this:

“Ultimate High”
hand painted, acrylic in canvas, 50 x 60

Hope you like it. Let me know 😉. Thank you and stay healthy everyone!

“Tough Love”

Posted on by
Reply
Acrylic on Canvass, 50 x 60
©  2019 Mary Grace Aragon


I freshly made this painting depicting how I feel about tough love. I believe that it is one of the greatest form of love and care we can ever give to our loved-ones. It is needed from a mother to a kid so she can grow strong and resilient. It is needed from yourself to yourself, so we can be the best that we can be. It is needed from friends whose friendships are genuine enough to tell the other the truth about anything. And I hope that we can give this kind of love to our loved ones, especially at times when they needed it. Hopefully we can give this to ourselves also when we need it it the most.

In the painting above,at the surface, tough love seems to be dark, negative, rude, rough but if you examine closely, it is the most life-giving kind of love, it is the most growth-enabling kind of love, it is the purest and highest form of love one human can give to his/her fellow human being and to his/herself.

Cheers to tough love!