Brush Lettering Workshop with Globe

I can’t believe a few days have passed since the Brush Lettering Workshop with Globe held at Costa Coffee for 50 participants and it all feels like a dream and now I’m back on my desk, typing in the dark as usual blogging guilt-free while the baby is asleep. 😀

During the workshop, I actually felt surreal and just so grateful that I had that opportunity to share my love for colors and drawing with letters in front of an equally passionate crowd–probably something my introverted self struggling with penmanship class never really thought of.

They say that as humans, we tend to create and one of them is through visual arts.  When we create, there always is a story behind why we are compelled to create and here’s mine:   🙂

When I was in grade school, we were only supposed to write a certain way.  I would buy worksheets from bookstores and I remember working on them during the summer between grades 3 & 4.  I was 9 years old.  I brought my cursive penmanship workbook everywhere with me.  I vividly remember practicing how to write while sitting in the Landmark Fastfood area while waiting for my mom to finish her groceries.  So looking at the picture below, holding a brush lettering workshop was probably the last thing on my mind.  To boot, I may be friendly but I’m very introverted.

My dad then, who was working abroad learned about how I can’t seem to get a good penmanship grade just because I write sideways (which I probably developed because I got too tired of having ink on my hands as a lefty).  So, he sent me a calligraphy kit.  Mind you, this is a kit for kids so it had felt pens that looked like highlighters but they were colorful so I was naturally attracted to it.  If you’re wondering how they look like, they’re a hybrid between your modern-day parallel pens & highlighters. 🙂

I continued volunteering for bulletin boards & used my calligraphy there.  I even did calligraphy for my debut envelopes.  I was busy buying cartridges then & mixed leftover ink from my dad’s engineering career. 🙂

Above: Thank you so much Pinoy Screencast for this video! 🙂 By the way, in case you missed it, we are already on Youtube.com/GooglyGooeys. 🙂 

Looking back, I just realized how big a change a small act can do such as my dad sending me new art materials to explore.  Last weekend’s workshop was about creating new traditions so I’ve whipped up a few suggestions that you guys might want to do this Christmas with your friends & relatives (aside of course from sharing a meal…because…you know, everything’s more fun with foooooooood).  *Also, as I typed “whipped”, I was actually thinking about whipped cream. Hehehe. 😀

1. Buy them art materials. Who knows what they will create.
   2. Get together & do an art swap with friends – give until it hurts game
   3. Create wrappers, gift cards, tags & give inspiring quotes.
   4. Teach your friends & relatives a craft.
   5. Prepare a set of quotes that you can hand-letter together–exchange works afterwards.

Thank you so so much to all those who came & made this day special. I’m humbled & infinitely grateful for this opportunity. 🙂 

To those who missed it, you may still watch the recorded Facebook Live Sessions here:

Thank you so much to the 17,000 people who tuned in that day as well. (Now at 19,000 when I last checked. :O OMG.)

Thanks too to Myka Cloma & the Globe team for making this happen…

…also to the supportive hubby–never romantic but always supportive. 🙂 Wahahahaha.

Thanks too to this little guy who visited me after the workshop! 🙂

I’m also reposting some photos from the Globe Facebook album here.  I rarely have photos of myself teaching because I’m always caught midway through a word making some funny expressions. Haha.

I must admit, holding the workshop with three cameras, a projector & a couple of Facebook live sessions got me a bit paranoid if I’m actually being nasal again with my words or hunching my back as usual but thanks to the Globe team, Faber-Castell team and to the production team for all the support! 😀

So I asked for words we could experiment on & someone asked for pizza so pizza it is! ;)

Thanks too to Faber-Castell Philippines for making our day extra colorful! Our watercolor workshop participants used Faber-Castell Watercolors, brushes & pencils for the workshop. 🙂  As I mentioned in the Facebook live post, this watercolor set has CMY (Cyan Magenta Yellow) instead of the usual Red Yellow & Blue.  The printer-like color system it has easily makes it a flexible watercolor set–being able to produce vibrant, pastel, desaturated tones as you please. 🙂 *More about this in a separate blog post soon.*

Ultimately, thank you so much to all the participants who made it to the venue on a rainy Sunday afternoon! 🙂 Thanks too for your heartfelt #ShareYourStory posts on Instagram & Twitter.  I tried tagging most of you here for posterity’s sake.  You know, this 2016, as a new parent, I don’t really get much sleep to the point that I’m not able to remember a lot of things.  I would always tell my friends that if I ever forget something, please help me remember or please don’t take it against me.  I always wake up every 3-5 hours so my short-term memory doesn’t have the chance to get retained by my brain. *Oopsies.*
See you around!

Lastly, I didn’t notice that our last Watercolor Doodles workshop was last October since we had a workshop for kids in Ayala Museum & a couple of workshops in Singapore before this event. to those who have been asking, the next Watercolor Doodles workshop, and the first of 2017 will be at Fully Booked in Greenbelt 5 from 1-5pm 😀

Sign up via the form below:

Read more about our previous workshops here:

Watercolor Doodles at Cath Kidston
Watercolor Workshop for Kids the Ayala Museum
Cebu Brush Lettering Workshop with Rustan’s
Letters & Colors Workshop