My Art Journey

Someone had asked if a portion of the sales from my pet portraits would go to any charity. And since quite a number of you had just started following me, I thought I could take this opportunity to share my story with you. :)

I’m an animal lover if it isn’t obvious by now. I’ve always felt a connection with animals (especially dogs!) so naturally you can see them in all my works. My precious dachshund boy had been my greatest inspiration. I had Nono for 12 years and he crossed over the rainbow bridge in 2015. :'( After his passing, I made sure his spirit continues to live on, in my art.

I never had any formal education in fine art or illustration beside some weekend art classes I attended as a kid. Although I could see the gradual improvement in my works over the years, to be honest, I still struggle with confidence. (See the progression in my drawing style below - starting off as simple line drawings to more colours and details).

While I dedicate my life to create art that make people smile, the one mission dearest to my heart is to raise awareness for animal welfare and to promote love and compassion towards animals. Every month, I set aside 10% of my earnings into what I named the Angel Fund. There are a number of animal welfare groups/ causes I support. To date, I’d donated money and merchandise for fundraising to Save Our Street Dogs (SOSD), Causes For Animals (Singapore), Gentle Paws(Singapore), Hope For Paws (United States), Oasis Second Chance Animal Shelter (OSCAS), SPCA (Singapore) and various smaller non-profit groups (some I donated and then forgot their names. Lol). Once in a while, Angel Fund also helps individuals with their pet's medical bill appeals. Beside animals, I help humans whenever I can too! :D I’m happy to have contributed my cards to Punggol View Primary School for their fundraising event and Cause Corps (UK) for a very meaningful project - postcards writing to children with serious medical condition around the world.

So now you know, when you commission an illustration or buy something on my Redbubble store, you’ll be helping the animals (and humans) too! Sidetrack: How does Redbubble works, you may wonder. Redbubble is a print-on-demand store, meaning anyone can upload their art/ photos to sell. If someone orders a product with our design on it, we sellers earn a little profit. How much you set your profit margin will determine how much you earn. For me it’s around 20%-25% since it’s highly competitive on Redbubble. And because Redbubble is constantly running promotions, our profit is affected as well. Regardlessly, 10% goes into my Angel Fund. 

Yes, I’m doing this full time. This includes fulfilling every roles in every aspects you can think of - from creating new art to marketing, managing sales, website, Redbubble, social medias and all administrative, logistic and bookkeeping - all . by . myself. Admittedly, this path I’d chosen for myself can get very lonely and exhausting sometimes. What keeps me going is knowing how many animals/ people I'd helped and will be helping along the way. I'm blessed with this privilege. I only wish I could do so much more. Therefore, your support is very important to me. Every like, comment, share means alot to me. Even better when you commission an artwork or purchase something on my Redbubble store! If you feel inspired by my story and would like to make a donation to support what I do, you can do so via the donation button at the bottom of my website. Your love and support will allow me to continue on this journey.

Thank you for reading my entire essay! Haha! :*

❤ Blessings, Charllotte

 

Lost Stars

But are we all lost stars, trying to light up in the dark?~ ✨ .

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Lost Stars ✨ ~ Same design available on other merchandise. Get two pillows/notebooks at 15% off! ⭐️ Check out our Redbubble store for full product range and other lovely designs!
Store: www.redbubble.com/people/dollgift/shop

❤ Blessings, Charllotte

Midnight Sky

Mad Hatter: In the gardens of memory. In the palace of dreams. That is where you and I will meet.

Alice: But a dream is not reality.

Mad Hatter: Who’s to say which is which?

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❤ Blessings, Charllotte

Rainy Day

As i sat in the comfort of my room, my thoughts and heart went out to the victims of hurricane Harvey. I know disasters, natural or man-made, happen across different parts of the world everyday but seeing images of the aftermath of the recent hurricane makes me wish I could do something to help. I wish I could save all the poor animals too. 😔 It is also a reminder of how blessed I am to be living somewhere free from most of these tragedies. My prayers go out to those in the path of hurricane Irma at this moment. I have friends living in Florida, most of whom I've never met in person but care deeply for. 😢

At times like this, i get really frustrated with myself. I have so much things to say, yet i struggle to put them out in words. It doesnt help when my English sucks. 😩 I'll continue to keep all of you in my prayers. Stay strong 💜💜💜 .


At times like this, i get really frustrated with myself. I have so much things to say, yet i struggle to put them out in words. It doesnt help when my English sucks. 😩 I'll continue to keep all of you in my prayers. Stay strong.

❤ Blessings, Charllotte

Passing Storm

''You can’t calm the storm, so stop trying. What you can do is calm yourself. The storm will pass.’’ -Timber Hawkeye
Ps: Don't miss our giveaway! Details in my previous post.

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Don't miss our giveaway! Full details here, 

❤ Blessings, Charllotte

One-Winged Angel

Sometimes I looked through my past works and wondered what inspired me to draw that or favour a certain style during that time. Other times, I have the urge to remove the 'uglier' works from my website but thought a better way would be to leave them as they are and create another version.

Interestingly, when I asked several friends to name their favourite work(s) of mine, ALL of them gave me different answers. Some of them felt a connection to a certain piece and others simply because they like the illustration/ style/ colour. I was actually quite surprised even my least favourite made it to the top of their list! From this experience, I learnt to appreciate all my works including those I find less desirable, because somewhere, somehow, there will be someone who like it. :)

Here's another re-work on my earlier piece titled, 'One-winged angel'. I was torn between keeping it in simple black & white or giving it a full colour since both will have a very different feel. Perhaps I'll try both! Ha.

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''We are all one-winged angels. 
Our task here on earth is to find another one-winged angel who will share his wing with us, to hold us. And together we can fly back to the most high.'' -Unknown

Art print and other merchandise available here >> Shop.

❤ Blessings, Charllotte

Choose Love

Where there is hatred, there is love as well. Let us choose to focus on love.~ <

''If you hold an anti-war rally, I shall not attend. But if you hold a pro-peace rally, invite me.'' -Mother Teresa

Art print available here.

❤ Blessings, Charllotte

Believe

I finally managed to complete a piece I've been working on for weeks. It took me this long not because it's a complicated piece but ever since I took on a part-time job 3 months ago, I'm having trouble finding a balance between my part-time job, rest and Dollgift. I'd promised myself to draw something on my off days, but all I wanted to do after 3 long days at work, is nothing.. I became depressed because of this. As each week passes, my fear of picking up my 'pen' to draw again increases. I was so afraid I'd lost touch with my creative self. But still, no matter how hard it gets, I chose to keep my faith. And one line at a time, I completed this illustration. Coincidentally, this piece is about holding on to our faith - trust every process, even if it means slowing down or taking a break. :)

''Faith is not about everything turning out okay. Faith is about being okay no matter how things turn out.''~

Art print available here.

❤ Blessings, Charllotte

Brave Heart

Close your eyes, brave ones... and follow wherever your heart leads you.~

Art print is available in our store. We have also just added the following items to our product range!

If you reside in Singapore, you can also visit this retail shop that carry some of our mugs and cards - Cat Socrates. I love this shop so much! Each time I go there, I will buy something back. :p I'm sure you'll do the same. Have a wonderful week ahead~

❤ Blessings, Charllotte

New In Store~

Sorry I haven't been able to update my blog as much as I wished. Please do follow me on Facebook or Instagram for frequent updates.

The other day I was telling a friend about my feelings of inadequacy and lack of confidence in my work. And he said this to me, ''Dear Charllotte, you are one person doing several people's jobs; the creative aspect, production, sales & marketing, delivery and administrative.. and you expect yourself to excel in every areas. Isn't that a little too much to ask of? His words enlightened me. He was so right, I should be less critical and start giving myself more pats on the shoulder from now on.

Have you been kind to yourself? <3

Our web store has been up and running. All the products on my store are designed by me and printed in Singapore. The best part is, you can personalise them with your name or favourite quote at no extra cost. Here are just some of the many cute items we have:

Visit our Shop page for full product range! By making a purchase, you're helping me to keep my small venture going. Furthermore, 10% of the sale proceeds will go towards helping local animal shelters, so you'll be helping the animals too! We thank you in advance for your kind support.

❤ Blessings, Charllotte

Goodbye, Grandpa

My grandfather passed away last week. In two years, I've lost two close relatives, my dad, Nono and now my grandfather. I've grown stronger mentally and emotionally because of these. Losing a loved one is a great reminder that nothing in life is permanent so cherish your life; be good to yourself, do the things that make you happy, have the courage to pursue your dreams and spend more time with people who matter to you.

Goodbye grandpa. Till we meet again~

❤ Blessings, Charllotte

Love Is My Religion

“I belong to no religion. My religion is Love.
Every heart is my temple.” -Rumi

Art print available on Etsy, www.etsy.com/shop/dollgift

I did two Night versions earlier, here's a Day version.

Drop me a message or visit my Etsy store to customise an illustration, www.etsy.com/shop/dollgift .

Also, we've added many new designs to our Redbubble store!

Click here to see full product range and start shopping now, www.redbubble.com/people/dollgiftbyrheea/shop 

Have a fabulous week ahead~

❤ Blessings, Charllotte

New works

''When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It's to enjoy each step along the way.'' -Wayne Dyer

Take time to relax, and enjoy a cup of tea. ~ <3

Art prints available on Etsy, www.etsy.com/shop/dollgift

Now I'm going to introduce the cutest Weenicorn to you. Meet Little Evans (L.E)!!! Isn't she the cutest?

You can follow @krisegirl on Instagram for more photos of L.E and her siblings. Let me tell you, they're all SO cute it's impossible to favour one over the other. In fact I had a hard time deciding which photo to work on.

If you'd like to win a free portrait of your pet as well, simply follow me on Instagram @dollgift. It doesn't matter if your furkid is here or in heaven, I'll pick a random photo from my follower list to work on next. Alternatively, you can also DM me photos of your beloved pet. If your submission is picked, I'll send you a high res digital copy of the portrait for FREE. You may keep the file, print it out to have it framed and hang on your wall or even print it onto merchandise. If you'd like for me to print it out and send to your home, printing and postage fee apply. If your submission is not selected, you can still customise a portrait of your pet. More information here, www.etsy.com/shop/dollgift

Enjoy your weekend!~

❤ Blessings, Charllotte

An Animal's Love

Some people believe that pets are more than just our furry friends; they are our spiritual guides or soul companions, and they are here to guide us, to teach us important life's lessons. I couldn’t agree more. If there were no Nono, there would be no Dollgift, and you won't be seeing drawings of a little girl exploring the world with her cute doxie! I hope everyone who comes across my drawings be inspired by their sense of wonder. :)

I did not grow up in a positive or supportive environment. In fact I have a critical mother who never fails to make me doubt myself. Being an introvert, INFJ and HSP all rolled into one only make things more complicated. I don’t share work related stuffs at home because I know their negative remark is going to affect me. I love my family and I have no doubt they love and cared for me too, but sadly, things don’t always work out the way we hoped no matter how hard we try. Sometimes we just have to go against the wind and do what we feel is best for us. I won’t deny it’s a very challenging path I have chosen. But then again, I have never felt more alive in my entire life. Because of my perseverance, I was able to do the things I enjoy and support the causes I care deeply about. I know if this is my life’s purpose, I’m going to have to keep my faith and trust the universe to guide me.

I have always felt a strong connection with animals. I want to support animal rights not just by monetary means but also through my lifestyle preferences. I have been on a mostly vegetarian diet since 2006 (I said 'mostly' because I still consume fish occasionally) and I try to use cruelty-free products. Now after learning about the horrific treatments of farm animals, I want to go vegan.

I have an envelope labelled ‘Angel Charity Fund’ where I put 10 percent of each sale I make (50 percent from my DOGs collection) inside. Every now and then I come across appeal for financial aids for animal shelters/ rescue centres on social medias, or whichever emergency cases I feel called to help, this is where the fund goes. I also like to contribute my works for fundraising efforts.

Anyway, the purpose of this post is to share my career journey with you. I sincerely want to thank each and every one of you who has supported me in every little ways. Without you, I won't be able to pursue my dreams. I hope by sharing my story, you too, will be inspired to live yours.

I pray that sweet Nono from above will continue to guide me in helping more animals. ^^

The last photo we took together. &lt;3

The last photo we took together. <3

❤ Blessings, Rheea

Superhero Adventure (part 4)

It wasn't hard to spot this Superhero from far. The only thing I had to worry about was getting stepped on. Thankfully that didn't happen. He was rushing off to catch the Spiderman II movie when I found him and so he invited me to join him. Of course I said yes! This sweet gentle giant carried me to sit on his shoulder during the show so I could have the best view (we even shared a gigantic box of popcorn!) Needless to say, it was the BEST movie date I ever had. But..... I really hope I'll get to see Thor soon. :p

You can follow my Superhero Adventure on FB, www.facebook.com/DollgiftByRheea Instagram, http://instagram.com/dollgiftbyrheea 
or subscribe to my blog RSS! 

Sorry for neglecting my Etsy store for a while. I've updated more works AND you can now enjoy SPECIAL DISCOUNT when you get more art prints. Yeah!~ 

Visit my shop for alot more other designs! www.etsy.com/shop/dollgift

Happy shopping!~

❤ Blessings, Rheea