The Singapore painter ran a cat-themed brand for ten years before turning to her own work. Now she paints calm, dreamlike worlds of whales, cats and night skies from her home studio.
Adel remembers fumbling through the entire transaction. It was the first painting she had ever sold, and it was difficult to let go of. “I couldn’t believe it was actually happening,” she says, “that there are people out there who actually appreciate my art.”
Adel is a visual artist and illustrator from Singapore. She tells stories through calm, tranquil paintings with a touch of whimsy, made in acrylic gouache, watercolour and coloured pencil. That first sale, she says, gave her a reason to keep pursuing the work.
01 — The startTen years of cats, then her own paintings
Before the paintings there was a business. For ten years, Adel ran a cat-themed brand as a small business owner. On her Patreon page she describes what came next as “expanding my perspective and discovering new things in life.”
She is honest that art does not run to a timetable. “Unlike content creation, making art is never a consistent process,” she writes. Some stretches she paints day after day. Other times she lets her mind rest for days, or even weeks, and does not create anything at all. Her members’ community, The Blank Canvas club, follows along through sketchbook pages, works in progress and creative experiments.
02 — The workA world between the real and the imagined
Her paintings often show wildlife in whimsical urban settings, amid an unfolding, dreamlike world. A caravan of whales. A town of cats. A sunflower field under the night sky. She describes it as a space between our real world and the imaginary, a place to retreat from the noise of everyday life and find solace in the most ordinary moments.
The inspiration comes from the stillness and solitude of nature: the night sky, the boundless sea, the changing seasons, and her two adopted cats, who usually keep her company in her cosy home studio. For Adel, making art is also a form of catharsis. It calms her thoughts and brings a sense of inner peace and healing during difficult times.
What I draw is something only I can create.
Whale Caravan. Wildlife in a whimsical setting, one of her recurring subjects.Artwork: courtesy of AdelThe Cat Town. Cats appear throughout her work, inspired by her two adopted cats.Artwork: courtesy of AdelSunflower Field in the Night. The night sky is one of the things she paints most.Artwork: courtesy of Adel
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Whale Caravan. Wildlife in a whimsical setting, one of her recurring subjects.Artwork: courtesy of Adel
03 — The quietFinding stillness in a busy city
GigDay first met Adel at her booth at Artcade Singapore in September. Later, we asked where someone who paints peace and tranquility actually finds it in Singapore. Her answer was closer to home than you might expect: along the island’s park connectors. “You would be surprised that there are lots of nature and wildlife to be found,” she says, “if we slow down and look out for them.”
The other half of her answer is about screens. Disconnecting from them, she says, helps bring peace and quiet into the mind. When she is not making art, she can usually be found reading over a cup of tea, journalling, or on a quiet walk in nature.
04 — The advicePrice according to your value
We asked Adel three questions about selling her work. Her answers, lightly edited:
What did it feel like to let go of your first sold painting?
It was indeed difficult to let go of my first ever painting that I sold. I remember fumbling through the entire transaction because I couldn’t believe it was actually happening — that there are people out there who actually appreciate my art. It really gave me a reason to keep pursuing my field of work.
Where do you find peace in a city as busy as Singapore?
You would be surprised that there are lots of nature and wildlife to be found along local park connectors if we slow down and look out for them. It’s one thing that I really appreciate Singapore for. And on top of that, disconnecting from our screens also helps bring peace and quiet into our mind.
What would you tell an artist who is ready to start selling?
Don’t be afraid to price according to your value. If your art didn’t sell at your first fair, someone else who appreciates your work will come along someday. Keep on creating only what you can create. I wish someone had told me to stop searching for my art style, because what I draw is something only I can create, and that is my art style.
Adel is on GigDay as a visual artist. When we first sent her these questions, she was busy preparing for a group exhibition in Tokyo. Her advice to anyone starting out is the same thing she is still doing herself: keep creating only what you can create.
On GigDay
Meet Adel
Calm, dreamlike paintings and illustration in acrylic gouache, watercolour and coloured pencil, from a Singapore visual artist. Booked, briefed and paid through GigDay.
