planet vs plastics

Earth Day is a reminder of the importance of environmental conservation and sustainability, encouraging us to come together and take action for a healthier planet and brighter future.

This year wonder | wander | women are in the Philippines to celebrate the dual birthdays of our oldest and youngest Taurean males in the family.

Earth Day 2024

Being in the East for Earth Day, we are forced to confront the contrast between how we deal with plastics over here versus over there. 

Cute Exhibition at Somerset House

The viral exhibition Cute was in its last week a few days ago at Somerset House. wonder | wander | women have always been fascinated by kawaii culture since Hello Kitty and FRUITS Magazine, so we joined our friends and their excited kids for a wander through Cute land.

Cute exhibition header from Somerset House, created via AI

nature | art | science

April 8 marks the end of the 2024 eclipse portal which began on March 23 with the full moon lunar eclipse in Libra.

Eclipses are always highly transformative times with this total solar eclipse is at its maximum strength level. Always falling on a new moon - this eclipse is a supercharged, super activated, super intense event. 

View Finder by Brian Fridge

Utilize this time to transform the limiting beliefs that eclipse our ability to grow and thrive. Use our power consciously and intentionally to take the lead and be courageous in pursuing what sets our souls on fire.

Ainu Stories at Japan House

The Ainu are a Japanese indigenous people living mainly in Hokkaido, the northernmost prefecture of Japan. They have lived for centuries in the north of Japan, not only in Hokkaido but also in northern Honshu, Karafuto (which the Ainu call Sakhalin) and the Kuril islands. Their language is unrelated to Japanese and Ainu culture is very distinct from Wajin, or ethnic Japanese.

Trailer for Ainu Stories at Japan House

sacred heART

Holy Week is the sixth and last week of Lent - beginning with Palm Sunday and concluding on Holy Saturday. Sunday to Sunday to celebrate the Christian festival of the week, culminating in Easter - here is the story explained in classic images. 

fresco of the trial and beating of Jesus - 17th century, St. John the Baptist Church 

The Passion of Christ (from Latin patior - "to suffer, bear, endure") is the short final period before the death of Jesus, described in the four canonical gospels.

hand made, heart based

Long before any arts, crafts or design movements were ever started the skill of hand work was born of necessity as well as creative enterprise. 

Hands hold, make, do, and express so much. They grasp at even more - tools, objects, people, issues, concerns, etc. 

exploring the wonder in everyday acts of manipulation

We lend a hand, shake hands, hold hands, raise our hands. Even taking matters into our own hands. Often admonished not to keep hands idle. 

"The fingers were the eyes of the heart." ~ Joseph Chilton Pearce  

planner art

wonder | wander | women love art journaling! Scrapbooking, watercolour, doodles and urban sketching, whatever it is, we want to try it. But over the past few years we noticed the trend of artistic planners, from Hobonichi to bullet journaling, and last year we finally decided to try it.

I used bullet journals for almost a decade, but aside from a single highlighter, a few stickers, and the occasional doodle when I didn't have my sketchbook, my planner was very basic. I preferred to keep art in my journals and sketchbooks. But watching others draw and paint in their planners, I really wanted to see if I would enjoy it too.

ageing well

Every year, March is designated Women’s History Month by presidential proclamation. The month is set aside to honor women’s contributions in world history. Many countries honor women - giving tribute to their struggles and successes.

Every woman has a story to tell and gifts to share with the world. This month wonder | wonder | women celebrate these magnificent women of advanced ages. 

Advanced Style: Older and Wiser by Ari Seth Cohen

cozy winter comfort food

Living in multicultural cities, wonder | wander | women delight in finding all sorts of special cuisine from cultures all over the world. Still, we love to turn to a few comfort foods we've come to seek out when tiredness strikes and the cravings pop up.

Maomao and Jinshi buy street yakitori, from The Apothecary Diaries

golden gifts

What is it about class reunions and alumni homecomings that pull on our heartstrings? These tradition of welcoming back alumni are opportunities to revisit our alma mater and pay homage to the staff, mentors and peers we learned from in our formative years.

Golderitas & Class of 74evers, 3 Feb 2024

We acclaim the lessons, skills, and principles that transformed us and laid the foundation for who we are today. We make time to affirm our participation in enhancing the quality of learning in our alma mater.

presenting the Mandala Cycles coloring book onstage

botanical watercolours

The study of plants is an ancient science, and as with the oldest sciences, was tied to the mysteries of nature and the body. It was considered essential for anyone of learning to study and record plants and the way they grew. Even children in today's schools are encouraged to draw the parts of flowers and try to grow their own plants from seeds.

Botanical illustration therefore is one of the oldest uses of art. It is both art and science, a study and an appreciation of the beauty of nature. With our eyes and hands, we are analysing the structure of a living thing. Using ink and paint, we are learning to understand a growing thing from the outside in.

rune magic

The runic alphabet - similar to hieroglyphics, pictographs, and even the Native American petroglyphs - represent specific elements, animals, or gods. 

Runes had specialized purposes and were used to write Germanic languages before the Latin alphabet was adopted. A rune is a letter in a set of related alphabets known as runic alphabets native to the Germanic peoples. 

our personal set of runes made out of horn

Islamic geometry: the construction of beauty

In our post about Islamic geometry, wonder | wander | women attended Samira Mian's class on drawing patterns from the palaces of Agra and the Alhambra. It's been a while but we haven't lost our love for those beautiful combinations of art, spiritualism and science.

winter wonder

wonder | wander | women find peace and solace watching the changing light over the water as we sort and pack through more of a few of our favorite things. 

neighborhood winter foliage

Preparing again to leave for an extended journey back to our island home is a complex mix of earnest excitement and worrisome weariness.