Mushroom Play
A new series and more good news
There’s more good news to share for this week’s post. Remember that contract job I applied to last December that fell through? Another role was added, this time with a different team. True to her word, the hiring manager thought of me! It's short-term with a possibility of extension. I’m taking it as it comes. I'm just grateful to be working given a challenging job market especially for creatives.
I’ll be starting soon.
I had to wait a full week over a mix-up about third-party vendors. Thankfully, it’s been sorted out. As of this writing, the contract is being finalized and a laptop will be delivered tomorrow. As much as I want to write an essay about an exhibit I saw in New York last month, my mind is too distracted. It’ll have to wait.
So, I’ll share these collages instead. I finished four before I left for New York City last month, then picked them back up today. It’s play, really—a way to keep the anxiety of waiting at bay.
Why mushrooms?
I just love them in pastas, soups, and stews. My favorite part is sautéing them with aromatics. Roasting is a close second. Last year, in the fall, we had lunch at Daimant St. Honoré and ordered these skewers—a combination of thistle ears, oysters, and shiitake mushrooms. Deeply savory, umami-rich, with a fall-apart texture. Three weeks later, we went back, invited a mutual colleague of my brother’s, and had it again.
Then I thought: what if I combined the mushrooms with the boom collage idea?
I’m not sure what the pace of this contract job will be. I’m hoping to keep my Sunday cadence, though it may be erratic for a while. Once I’m settled and have a sense of the workload, I’ll adjust accordingly.
In the meantime, enjoy these pieces and let me know what you think!
Your Support Keeps this Newsletter Going
Thank you for inviting me to join you every Sunday in your inbox. I am grateful and appreciative for spending a small part of your day with me. If Sundays with Stella brought you something worth supporting, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Those who contribute financially will ensure that this place of inspiration, creativity, and meaning remains free and open to all.
More Ways to Support Sundays with Stella
By request, I’ve created a support page where you can contribute in any amount—via credit card, PayPal, Venmo or BPI for my Filipino supporters. Your generosity helps keep this space open and accessible to all. Thank you, always, for reading. Maraming Salamat!
The Reader is part of the Literature and Library collection in honor of Marica’s love for the written word. This piece pairs a figure from a classic painting with layers of library date-due stamps. The faded ink and stacked return dates speak to a book well-traveled — passed from hand to hand, generation to generation.
Share words of encouragement or gratitude, or offer a simple reminder that someone is loved.
With every note sent, her presence lives on.
2026 Februllage Zine
The zine is here! Whimsy meets graphic boldness: 28 collages, one for each day of February.
Februllage is an annual collage-a-day challenge hosted by the Edinburgh Collage Collective and the Scandinavian Collage Museum. Artists from around the world respond to daily word prompts, creating original collage work throughout the month of February.
When Words Fail Us
If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, stop by and see our group exhibition. The show runs until Sunday, July 19, 2025.
Emeryville Retrospect Reimagined
Through a public art commissions grant from the city of Emeryville, my digital collages are on display at the bus shelters around our little city from May to August 2026. If you are in my neighborhood, stop by and check them out!
Good luck with the new contract, Stella.
These are so great! And congrats!!