Monday, August 31

#DanaDoesHaiku XIII




Tear-stained, cold-pressed sheet.

Strokes I hoped would bring you back.

Dip the brush. Repeat.


πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ–€πŸ€


It’s close to midnight.

These hollow words hurt my ears.

Just give up the fight.


πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ–€πŸ€


Soft breath in my ear

As we swayed in the moonlight

Fingers clutched two souls




2020 ©️ Dana Eve Valencia






Friday, August 7

Pain Brings Everyone Together




Every so often I wonder how people could feel so much for fictional characters on a movie or TV screen or in a book, and yet they fail to see the same struggles in real people. 


Perhaps it’s because we don’t really know these people around us with depth unlike when we see or read a character arc developing right in front of us.


I imagine that each person in this world has hidden tattoos of their pains, regrets, struggles, and fears. And what you have on yourself, someone else might carry too. 


At times when I ask my students, “How are you?” and they say they’re good. I really wonder if that was true. So sometimes I try a different approach which is sharing my experiences and when I hear a “me too,” it reveals a little of those tattoos which connect us somehow. I don’t want to be just a teacher or a friend, I really hope to build genuine connections with the people around me because, at the end of the day, we are all merely human beings pushing on.


I suppose this is how I feel and think, not because I hope they might give me something in return. Maybe, deep down, I simply know that whatever someone is going through or has gone through, someday I may too. It makes people less, less lonely. 


It makes me less, less lonely.



© 2020 Dana Eve Valencia




Thursday, February 6

#DanaDoesHaiku XII



Bright, warm, summer-dazed
In your eyes, sunflowers dance
Home is your embrace

          ♥️♥️♥️


Warm glow on your face
Moonlight, stars illuminate
Such beauty and grace

          ♥️♥️♥️

Beyond my control
Brown eyes, crinkling at the sides
You’ve captured my soul




#DanaDoesHaiku | On Being Smitten


2020 ©️ Dana Eve Valencia





Wednesday, October 30

#DanaDoesHaiku XI




What blindness it takes
To touch, linger on, and taste
A mouth full of lies

▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️

Curled up and broken
Empty spaces out and in
Heaven forgotten

▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️

Off axis, world spins
Tightened my grip, but, alas,
I choked on your lies



#DanaDoesHaiku | On Betrayal 

2019 ©️ Dana Eve Valencia 





Saturday, February 9

#DannyDoesPoetry | “Tell Me”






Tell me about that time 
you hurt your knees
whilst you begged, broken and raw
yet the door slammed shut
before your shadow.

And the sharp tingling 
traveled all the way up
into your chest
with that last echoing 

“No.”

▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️

Tell me about your 
first love’s low blows,
the warm, silent teardrops 
on your feather pillow.

And when you blew at it 
along with your faint smile,
things felt different.

Now, you could look 
at yourself again 
in the mirror.

▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️

Tell me about your journals,
those loopy ‘L’s and nautilus shells,
the pencil smudges, 
curdle of sadness
whenever you rub out her name.

And you turn the page 
as if winter has trickled into spring.
With that same faint smile,

You are free.




2019 ©️ Dana Eve Valencia 









Tuesday, February 6

#DanaDoesHaiku X




I lay here awake,
Tracing stars on supple skin.
Lips, the smell of wine.

You held my face close.
“Jesus, you drive me crazy.”
Gaze, open-ended.

How I felt bereft,
Aching for the sultry heat 
Of your mouth on mine.

And bam — you and I collide,
Hushed explosions through my blood.
I simply melted.

Tiny flames slowly
Licking at the candle wicks,
Shivers down my spine.

My thighs shook with strain
Pleasure overshadowed pain,
Intoxicated.


2018 ©️ Dana Eve Valencia






Monday, October 2

#DannyDoesArt | Eastbound



Something I realised early on: the more you progress in your adventure with watercolours, the more you invest in tools—money and contemplating time. 

I recently bought a new brush—the versatile Kuretake menso brush Kolinsky, and a new set of watercolours—the lovely Kuretake Gansai Tambi. Both products are of the Japanese brand "Zig", which is favoured by many in the stationery and arts & crafts market worldwide.


The Kuretake Gansai Tambi set has a total of 36 vibrant, dense, and traditional Eastern-inspired colours that come in extra-large full pans and, through accomplishing a DIY colour chart, I've instantly spotted some earth pigments that I thought would be incredibly enjoyable to play with.


As you can see, Kuretake paints are very pigmented and opaque, but these qualities make it fun to use in line and wash pieces which is my preferred technique. It's effortless to lift the watercolours and you don't have to add layer upon layer of colours just to achieve extra pigment. I also dig that there are amazing metallic colours included in the set and an opaque white is available to help produce pastel colours.

Need I say more? Kuretake Gansai Tambi is just worth to add to your art supply haul if you wish to amplify your creative journey.







Friday, September 15

#DannyDoesArt | Vivant



I think it's about time I enthuse about my watercolours, particularly the Japanese brand—Holbein Artists' watercolors. From the moment my brush touched the paint, I knew I was in for a vivid ride. 


Japan is known to be a place with the oldest professional watercolour practice in the world and I feel so blessed to call it my home. The country is famous for its brilliant colours and Holbein continues the same tradition by producing world-class heavily-pigmented watercolours. The Holbein collection boasts unique colours such as the intense bluish-pink Opera and Peacock Blue hues that you won't find in other watercolour lines. With this artist-grade set being part of my artillery, I felt confident in creating bright and buoyant pieces to stimulate my own senses.

Sunsets, I thought, would be a perfect subject to test Holbein's standards in lightfastness and colour vigor. I've always been a fan of sunsets and last week I was able to witness an epic one from the balcony of my apartment. I consider sunsets an "out-of-this-world finale" and one of my favourite subjects to take photos of. This time I decided to preserve the images on paper through watercolour painting.

Here are the materials I used:

☑️ Maruman Art Spiral sketchbook
☑️ Holbein Artists' watercolors
☑️ Daiso paintbrush (#12 round)


As expected, Holbein paints produced exceptionally vibrant colours. They're incredibly easy to work with as the colours flow and blend well. They don't dry on the palette as quickly as the others as well. And finally, they're very transparent, lightfast, and you'll have no problem with granulation.

Holbein Artists' watercolors is definitely a comprehensive travel set and is perfect for students and professional artists alike.