Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Indian Decorative Pot

Drawn from a black-and-white photo of an Indian Decorative Pot. The time spent studying the intricate patterns during the drawing process made me appreciate the artistry of whoever made this pot. The design was probably in his or her head evolving as the potter shaped the pot. It made me realise that what had initially been just a heavily decorated pot was really one that carried nature's motifs of flowers and leaves elegantly. I started at the top drawing the knob of the cover of the pot and worked my way down layer by layer. The shape of the pot was not perfectly symmetrical because it was hand-made. My initial concern was that the pot had to be well-balanced and I worried that I might not be able to complete the drawing satisfactorily because I could not produce the desired shape. It was a relief to find that human hands are not robotic arms and precision is not crucial here. As I progressed from the top to the bottom of the drawing I had a sense that the potter must have lived those moments crafting this pot to the fullest. I wish I could have that experience of producing something concrete like this decorative pot.



Thursday, January 21, 2010

Shell Appreciation

Shells are nature's works of Art. They are always perfect, always beautiful. I cannot replicate nor outdo nature. Perhaps I could use them as an inspiration to jump-start my dormant creativity.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Sea Shells

Each shell marks a moment in my past. I collected shells because I love the beach. Most of the shells were picked with the bigger and more exotic looking ones given to me by friends and sometimes purchased during holidays in Malaysia. I did not know what to do with them for a long time but now, they could make great photography subjects for photography practice.




Experimenting with camera lens and settings

I have a Canon 400D with a standard and a 200mm zoom lens. I also have a Canon 100mm Macro lens. I did not buy them but since they are at my disposal, I thought I should not let them go to waste. While looking for an object for my practice session, I saw this lovely shell that I used to decorate my book shelves. Shell collecting used to be a hobby of mine and I have boxes of shells stored away somewhere in the house. This shell is the Fasciolaria Trapezium and is found in S.E. Africa and the Pacific. These are shots taken with the standard lens using the Aperture Priority feature.



These were taken using the Canon 100mm Macro lens and using Shutter Priority.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Digital manipulation

These were done years ago using the Microsoft Editor or some simple photo manipulation software. I remember I enjoyed playing around to get these effects with such a simple tool.




























Friday, January 1, 2010

Drawings in UK

Arranged in chronological order, this is Weymouth town with the chalk cliffs in the background.
Castle in North Wales.
Harlech Castle in Wales.
Bridge in a town we stopped by for a short break.
Part of the Royal Crescent in the City of Bath.
The facade of the Roman Baths.
Buskers entertaining passers-by in Summer in front of the Roman Baths.
Pulteney Bridge in Bath.
Inside Wells Cathedral.
Burneham on the sea.
Castle Coombe Village.

Edinburgh Castle from a park below.
Scotland, Isle of Mull, wet and foggy.







Scenes in the Lake District area.

Mt Snowdon in N.Wales.
Cornwall _ St Ives, from the window of the B&B we were staying in.