Dairie C Illustration – Unique Fine Art Prints

Dairie C Illustration

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Healing Arts for the Soul

Hi, I’m Dairie. I’m a self-taught watercolour artist and illustrator.

With the combination of a soft, subtle palette and fine painting technique, I create art pieces to relive the memories and authenticities of old (sometimes forgotten) architectures, vintage goods and the essence of good food.

Whether you are here to shop for a new art print for your home, or looking to collaborate for something unique, I hope you will find much comfort and joy while browsing through my collection.

Watercolour painting of No. Fifty Cheyne, London — I came to love painting buildings with climbing plants. This is one of my favourite pieces, not only because blue is my favourite colour, but I love how it exudes such joy and happiness.

Spring in Jeju Island, watercolour painting

Watercolour painting of The Artist's Garden, Melbourne — In a wash of delicate watercolours and detailed greeneries, this commissioned painting captures the beautiful Fitzroy Nursery and its weathered façade before it closed for new development of bustling commerce.

Watercolour painting of an old camera / photography studio in Guangzhou, China — Back in the days when people would visit the studio to have their family photos or portraits taken, or to have photos developed. Fast forward to now where most people have its own camera, including the handy phone camera. Looking back at life, time will fly, things will change, but the memories will always stay.

Watercolour painting of Sydney cafe — This is possibly an all-time favourite for many. This painting bought back a lot of wonderful memories for my friends and me. It was a popular place for families and friends sharing a brunch, and I want to depict that by adding a blurred image of humanity to the café’s interior.

Watercolour painting of a vintage corner kiosk in China — Adding to my childhood memory series. The kiosk was a world of magic and delight. The shelves were adorned with candies and snacks of all shapes and colours, and board games / paper cards, like a kaleidoscope came to life. The fine details and brushstrokes were not merely mechanical but infused with reverence for the history etched into every crack and crevice.

Watercolour painting of a Kyoto Coffee House — A cosy little coffee house hidden behind the parking lot in Kyoto. Using various shades of brown, I wanted to present the earthiness, warmth and simplicity behind this hidden germ.

Artist Illustrator logo design

Watercolour painting of an old Chinese bakery shop in Hong Kong — One of the oldest Chinese bakery shops in Hong Kong, famous for its traditional egg rolls.

Watercolour painting of an old laundry shop in Taipei

Watercolour painting of an old milk bar in St Kilda, Victoria, Australia — Part of my childhood memory series, this painting was of an old milk bar in St Kilda East that first opened in the 1920s and still running today. Although milk bars are slowly fading away from our streets, they are far from forgotten as some business owners kept the legacy of the business, while introducing new measures (like a good coffee and pastry) to upgrade the store.

Watercolour painting of a vintage tailor shop in Tokyo — Built in 1925, this former Eiraku-ya shirt and tie store in Nihonbashi Toyko, Japan, is no longer in sight. The adjacent Japanese restaurant will also sadly be removed. Here’s my way of paying tribute to the past, and may these memories not be forgotten.

Watercolour painting of The Royal Exchange, London — Commissioned artwork of the beautiful The Libertine based in London. In delicate watercolour, I was glad I got to capture the spirit of this shopfront and The Royal Exchange building façade in fine strokes for my overseas clients, as it dances with grace and refinement.

Watercolour painting of Shakespeare and Co, Paris — With meticulous care, I tried to depict the tired surface and weathered façade of the aging building by applying a soft, subtle palette. With each stroke, I blended the colours with finesse, layering on concentrated pigments to highlight specific areas.

Watercolour painting of an old hair salon in Japan — Another private commissioned painting. This cute, retro style salon is based in Japan. The owner of the shop is so sweet, allowing visitors to take as many photos as they want, even if they’re not there for a haircut.

Watercolour painting of a Chinese Candy Box (Lunar New Year celebration) — The box is generally presented during Chinese New Year, though may also be used for other important events such as Chinese marriages. It usually consists of 6 or 8 kinds of sugar preserved dried fruits, nuts and candy. The sweet treats and red box symbolise good fortune, luck and happiness for the year.

Watercolour painting of various Christmas choux — Inspired by @spatuladesserts, I painted this sweet trio with my own little twist of green grapes, mango and strawberry choux au craquelin. With a subtle palette, it offered a harmonious balance to the artwork.

Charcuterie board in watercolour — A painting that was completed just in time before the long weekend in Australia as family come together to celebrate with joy. Here’s hoping it will bring a smile on your face as you wind down with a glass (or two perhaps).

Watercolour painting of various Christmas cakes — Another Christmas dessert trio inspired by patisserie from @thepeninsulatokyo and @aman_tokyo. This is my first attempt at painting cakes and pastries in watercolour, with each stroke capturing the spirit of the season in a tapestry of joy and warmth.

Watercolour painting of various Chinese New Year Food — In celebration of the Chinese New Year, this was part of my watercolour painting series of the different type of savoury and lightly sweet cakes and puddings served in celebration of the auspicious occasion.

Nostalgic joy logo design

Retro train station waiting room in watercolour — In the ethereal medium of watercolour, the nostalgic train station waiting room is bathed in the golden embrace of sun rays, casting shadows that dance with memories of journeys taken and timeless anticipation as dreams wait to unfold.

Watercolour Vintage Luggage — In pastel hues reminiscent of a bygone era, I want to capture the faded elegance of these vintage luggage as it stands as silent guardians of cherished journeys, whispering tales of the adventurous past.

Old Sydney Hotel in watercolour

Honey & Co, London in watercolour — A private commissioned artwork of a restaurant based in London. At the time of creating this painting, there were no photos available of the entire building, but that meant I had the chance of putting on my imagination hat. That’s the magic with art, it’s creatively challenging.

Watercolour painting of an Easter bunny — Happy Easter! Baby bunny is preparing something sweet and special for all. Using traditional, detail technique, I added layers of light brush strokes to create a fluffy bunny character.

Christmas dinner plates in watercolour — Painted this in the spirit of the festive season. If you look closely at the painting, you will see that I only used 3 colour. The subtleness helped portray the softness of the napkins, while adding a glow to the cutlery.

Watercolour painting of tong yun (Chinese sweet glutinous rice balls) — Watercolour painting of tong yun (Chinese sweet glutinous rice balls).

Watercolour painting on an Easter cupcake — A spoonful of sugar in pastel watercolour to sweeten your day with happiness. Who can resist a chocolate treat during Easter, particularly when combined with a vanilla frosted cupcake.

Teddy Bear in watercolour pencil — This painting bought back one of my many childhood memories of drifting to wonderland while cuddling my favourite toy or teddy bear to sleep. Something about its smell, size and shape that provides a sense of warmth and emotional comfort.

HJM cafe, Sydney

Garden tools in watercolour — This series of gardening tools was created for a new japandi style home. The owner loves gardening and wants something with a minimalist design that adds a calming atmosphere to their home. It wasn’t easy painting white on cotton paper, so I opt for a warm yet light off-white, beige and timber colour tone.

Garden tools in watercolour — This series of gardening tools was created for a new japandi style home. The owner loves gardening and wants something with a minimalist design that adds a calming atmosphere to their home. It wasn’t easy painting white on cotton paper, so I opt for a warm yet light off-white, beige and timber colour tone.

Garden tools in watercolour — This series of gardening tools was created for a new japandi style home. The owner loves gardening and wants something with a minimalist design that adds a calming atmosphere to their home. It wasn’t easy painting white on cotton paper, so I opt for a warm yet light off-white, beige and timber colour tone.

Vintage food scale in watercolour

Vintage caravan in watercolour

London Christmas car in watercolour

Retro Vitasoy bottles in watercolour — Another painting of my childhood memory series. Using a diluted mix of watercolour paint, I filled in the first layer lightly before building up the tones. This created a vintage effect conveying a sense of nostalgia.

Sydney based logo design

Christmas tree in watercolour — This Christmas tree illustration was made for a local collaboration which I have been fortunate to work on quietly behind the scenes. This was printed as labels on the limited Christmas wine bottles sold across Australia.

Watercolour painting of Flinders Street Station, Melbourne — This brought back many good memories and for those who have not visited Melbourne, this is an iconic landmark nestle right in the heart of the CBD. If you look closer, you can see all the intricate details.

Watercolour painting of the Brick Alley Cafe, Dublin — This was a part of a storefront painting challenge. The painting was a test of patience, but it turns out to be a great way to relieve stress. I was oblivious of my surrounding while working on this piece, and am quite happy seeing this come together, brick by brick.

Watercolour painting of an old coffee house based in Oaska

Watercolour painting of a Ryukyu restaurant in Okinawa

Watercolour painting of Bourke St Bakery, Sydney — Perhaps one of the most well-known bakery amongst locals and visitors to Sydney. A great place for a morning coffee kick.

Left Bower cafe, Sydney

Watercolour of a Sydney cafe — Another cosy Australian café in our neighbourhood serving wholesome food and white horse coffee. The name of the café was taken from the owner’s mum, in celebration of the love in the community and the delicious food and coffee that it has to offer.

Watercolour painting of the Princes Pier in Melbourne — Constructed on the Princes Pier in the 1930s, this restored gatehouse, and the pier played a pivotal role in Australian trade, accommodating outgoing troops and incoming migrants, particularly during the post-war period.

Watercolour painting of a Sydney cafe

Watercolour painting of the Custom House, Sydney — One of the landmark buildings in Sydney, the Customs House. Built in 1845, it was the headquarter of the customs service until 1994 when the city transformed the building into the creative cultural space it is today.

Vintage corner store, Hong Kong

Kicks Lab, Tokyo

Mita sneakers, Tokyo

Skit Shoes, Tokyo

Soma clothing store, Tokyo