Living the moment

Tree at Labrador Park

2011-08-02T22:12:00.001+08:00

All sorts of ferns were growing on this tree with lovely buttress roots. Most times I just walk past trees like these taking for granted their majestic presence, not stopping to take in the details. This is why I like to draw because drawing is one way to appreciate the world we live in.

Teochew Opera

2011-07-20T21:51:00.000+08:00

I was early for the Teochew Opera performance at the Food Centre at the Singapore Flyer. Nearer the time of the performance we were entertained by the opera musicians, most of whom were elderly and I was told that one of them was eighty years old. Since I was alone and did not have anyone to talk to, I decided to do some drawings using an ink-based pen. I use an ink pen because I like using strong lines to depict the subject of my drawing. The disadvantage is that I cannot make mistakes with such a pen.

I started this drawing of the stage as I saw it from where I sat. I only filled in the actors later.

Gigantic Bowl of noodles

2011-06-25T18:13:00.000+08:00

The bowl was huge. I couldn't really see the food. Sometimes you have to catch people's attention with something bizarre to make an impression.

Old Kallang Airport Road Food Centre

2011-04-27T23:16:00.000+08:00

A family with two boys were having breakfast while in the background was part of a queue for the Lor Mee at Old Kallang Airport Food centre.

Sweet Osmanthus Tea

2011-04-06T16:20:00.000+08:00

I live the moment looking at this pot of

Osmanthus flower tea

Osmanthus Fragrans (桂花)
and I live the moment
savouring the sweet fragrance of
this tea in surroundings that make
me feel at home
Sweet Osmanthus fragrance
tea with a friend.

Drawings in the past fortnight

2011-04-05T15:12:00.000+08:00

View from a Hotspring Hotel in Wulai, Taiwan.

View of a three-storey teahouse in Jiufen, Taiwan from the window of another teahouse where my friend and I relaxed over fragrant osmanthus tea.

View from the waiting area of the Bus station in the Shuishe Visitor Centre, Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan. Incomplete because the bus came before I could finish the drawing.

Hotspring Hotel in Wulai, Taiwan.

Local coffee cafe on the second level of Suntec City, Singapore. Two 'aunties' having kaya toast and coffee and having a good chat.

Singapore Flyer Food Centre

2011-03-06T23:31:00.001+08:00

Singapore's latest happening makan place at the premises of the Singapore Flyer.

Whatever will be will be

2011-02-24T12:59:00.000+08:00

Nothing can describe what it is like to draw. There are no words, just a feeling of happiness. Nothing can describe the mundane action of repetition but at times the result can be pleasing.

Leaves

2011-02-21T15:16:00.000+08:00

Leaves. Leave me. Leave so that I can focus.

Food Republic sketch

2011-02-16T22:47:00.000+08:00

Sometimes I do not really want to eat. I just want to sit down and chill. Today was such a day. It did not bother me that seated on my left was a Japanese family trying out different types of local dishes and to my left were five aunties speaking in Hokkien with smatterings of English. I just kept my focus on the stall in front of me to the left.

I started by writing the Chinese characters that I saw on my notebook because I did not know some of them and wanted to check them out using my electronic dictionary when I got home.

Then I decided that the food stall to the left which was a beef noodle stall was the most interesting and started to draw whatever that could fit into the remaining space on my notebook.

Random drawings

2011-01-10T11:21:00.000+08:00

For the record, I did these in December just playing around with my imagination, stretching it a little to see how these flowers would look if they are given colours that are out of this world:

Feathers - I always thought they would make great designs on clothing.

Drawings made from a book on Chinese artifacts in the Shang Dynasty. One way to learn about history or anything you are interested in is through drawing. Of course one must like to draw to start with.

In my next life, I want to be either a botanist or a historian. Then again an architect, a photo journalist for National Geographics are also attractive options. If I may ask for more, then perhaps an artist, a singer but never a doctor, a lawyer or an accountant because I would have fainted at the sight of blood, got sick of arguing with people or just simply have migraines looking at numbers.

Bukit Timah Hill

2011-01-10T10:49:00.000+08:00

Somewhere there is Bukit Timah Hill hidden behind a leaf I had found interesting to draw earlier. If you look for the familiar communication towers, the body of water that had filled up over the years in the abandoned granite quarry and the craggy face of the exposed hill now covered by pockets of vegetation, this drawing might finally make sense.

Queenstown Library

2010-12-15T11:10:00.001+08:00

Part of the Queenstown Library nestling in lush greenery. I love this library.

Reconstructing my backyard

2010-09-16T23:14:00.001+08:00

Bit by bit I will fill up the blank spaces. Today, in a spurt of inspiration I drew my crinium lily (on the right) and the fast-growing pandan plant that had sacrificed many of its leaves for my home-cooked barley drink every now and then. The small plant in the middle is the Indian borage plant and the plant in the pot is my peach-coloured hibiscus plant.

West Coast Park

2010-09-03T11:57:00.000+08:00

At West Coast Park, the breeze was blowing at my face and the smell of cut grass was in the air. The sea had no clear horizon because the steely structures of the shipyard, the port, the oil refineries and the gigantic container ships as well as the little fishing boats have taken over the meeting place of the sky and the sea. The view at that level is congested to say the least. So I take in the wide expanse of the sky with the massive display of billowy clouds drifting by powered by the gentle breath of the wind and the scene was beautiful because of that.

Still it lacked humanity until these two schoolgirls with identical backpacks and canned drinks in hand walked into the picture. Playing truant? I guess not for school's out today for the one-week September break next week and I am glad they had chosen to spend their time here than in a shopping mall.

It was a change to quickly capture their forms and then fill in the rest of the scene. Without them I had no motivation to draw what was before my eyes.

Ten minutes

2010-08-17T18:51:00.005+08:00

How did I consume ten minutes of spare time? I could have sat and observed (Boring). I could have read a few pages of the book I had in my handbag (No fun ). I could have chatted with a friend on my mobile (Expensive). I could have ordered a cup of coffee(Already had a cuppa in the morning). So I took out my little sketch pad and drew the couple eating noodles from where I sat. Ten minutes just went and I did not even miss them.

Windows on Ann Siang Hill

2010-08-15T20:34:00.004+08:00

I took several photos in the area of Ann Siang Hill, Singapore. I do not have the time to upload the better ones. I rather like the photo of this pair of windows on a white-washed building and used it to do some experimenting with brush and ink to produce this piece.

Bauhina Kockiana

2010-08-15T20:30:00.003+08:00

Bauhinia Kockiana drawing at West Coast Park.

2010-08-14T12:31:00.002+08:00

Sketched over breakfast at a coffee shop located at one corner of Fifth Avenue and Bukit Timah Road.

Kent Ridge Park

2010-08-07T17:27:00.001+08:00

The same scene but never exactly the same.

Boat at West Coast Park

2010-08-05T10:52:00.003+08:00

One boat at a time. There were so many that I would like to draw.

Pasir Panjang Road shophouses

2010-08-04T15:00:00.004+08:00

Where Pasir Panjang road meets South Buona Vista Road there is a row of old shophouses. In the semi-darkness, I made this sketch to pass some time. The carpark lighting was dim but the facade of the shophouses were illuminated by street lights throwing harsh shadows beneath the semi-circular canopies over each window.

Not

Joo Chiat drawings

2010-08-01T18:32:00.003+08:00

This was the first sketch I made in Joo Chiat. Actually I was not able to complete it because I was late and people were moving on to another part of Joo Chiat. I did not want to be left behind and conveniently too a shot for completion at home.

I did not have much time to do a proper sketch on the spot. This drawing was touched up at home with an ink pen and and 8B pencil that I used to do some light shading so that the windows stand out. I particularly like the creeper draping over one part of the window.

I wanted to make a colourful sketch as aI felt that using black ink would not bring out the character of this building with two green dragons facing each other on the roof. So I used my magic pencil - the one with the multi-coloured lead. Rather childish in rendition but I wanted to look at this building by doing a sketch I enjoy.

I was sitting at a coffee shop opposite and was fascinated by the large tree.
I used an 8B pencil just to try out a different way of drawing. The lead was very soft and the drawing smudged easily. No matter, it was a new experience.

Marking time

2010-07-24T16:39:00.003+08:00

What is time? Is it just a convenient invention to trap us into believing that we do not live forever? Or is it the belief that we do not live forever in whatever form that time is demarcated by stages in our lives from birth to teenage to middle age to old age? Whatever the reason we are tied to time for life and we have no choice but to let time unfurl the events in our lives. This sketch is about how I mark my time with an ink pen whenever I am in this kind of mood and whenever time does not unload anything else that demands my immediate attention and devotion. There are too many things that I want to do and 24 hours is a miserly portion discounting the time needed for sleep and rest.

Palm tree

2010-07-22T17:02:00.003+08:00

I have seen countless palm trees like this one with drooping leaves amidst thick growth of new ones. Sometimes I noticed flowers and sometimes the fruits stopping by to take photos of them. It is only when I take the time to get to know this tree in greater detail that I see ferns growing on them as well.

Tiong Bahru charm

2010-07-19T16:11:00.006+08:00

Four sketches in a day - it has been ages since I was able to devote an afternoon entirely to sketching outdoors.

Two artists sketching away while I made do with whatever was before me having secured a comfortable place to sit down. Luckily the day was not hot or humid because of the rain in the morning. In fact, it was an ideal day to be outdoors. I was enjoying this sketch until I realised that I had made a glaring mistake in the placement of the Singapore flag. I could have kicked myself real hard for this stupid error. As I had used an ink pen to do this drawing there was no way I could eliminate the flaw.

This second drawing was made at the corner of a small park facing a road that runs between these two buildings. The strokes were freer and faster because I was standing in the open with nothing to protect me from the UV rays.

Next I walked around and found this space between two sets of flats with the signature rounded balconies of Tiong Bahru. Under the lowest of these balconies were bicycles and push carts. A clump of MacArthur Palms rose a few storeys high and a rusty disused oil-drum that probaby served as an incense paper burner completed this interesting scene.

My last drawing turned out to be my best effort for the day. It shows the artist doing a painting sitting on a low stool with people watching her from behind. In the background is a 7-Eleven outlet and a sign that tells you that the row of shops belong to block 58. I guess I am better at drawing people than buildings even though I had enjoyed drawing both.

Just for laughs

2010-07-11T17:29:00.006+08:00

This year's UOB Painting of the year was won by a young girl who did a photographic representation of herself in acrylic, as a frustrated artist holding a blank canvas in front of her. In the last two years, the top prize was given to submissions that were photographs instead of paintings. So this year the best part of the pie went to a real painting of what could have been a photograph. What would the critics say this time I wonder for they had been infuriated when a photograph was chosen as a Painting of the Year. This time it's not a photograph but a painting that was so realistically executed that it could have passed off as a photograph. I wonder if this painting could have taken away the top prize in a major photographic competition.

My entry - if I had thought about it carefully - would have been one of these photos of my hat on the Hortpark bag that I had painted on using fabric paints. This submission shows that while I really want to paint like an artist, I do not have the courage to start always ending up walking the parks and taking pictures of the flowers that I would like to paint and dabbling in small-scale and not totally original productions.

Presents

2010-07-08T23:08:00.002+08:00

Two of my friends have birthdays this month and I bought two ceramic pieces from the shop at the Singapore Botanic Garden that came with plain white pouches. I wanted to give my friends a surprise that instead of just gifts that were purchased, I put in my time and effort to paint these frangipani flowers using Pelikan fabric paints.

With the leftover paints I decided to paint this last piece on paper.

2010-07-05T21:39:00.003+08:00

I've decided to use colour pencils more often for it is the easiest medium to use. This means that I will be more inclined to draw and colour instead of always giving myself the excuse that it is too much of a problem to paint using oil or acrylic. Colour pencils are easy to carry around and I shall seriously explore this medium from now on.

What I like about drawing and painting is that I can eliminate ugly contraptions and things that do not fit into my idea of what is beautiful by simply not including them in my picture. Compare my drawing with the photo of the scene at West Coast Park.

At home, I used the 6-colour pencil to capture what I think my plant should look like. The picture looks nothing like the real plant but this is how I feel about art - that it should not be what you see or think it to be sometimes.

Filling up time in between

2010-06-15T00:45:00.002+08:00

One hour is not enough to truly enjoy creating anything artistic. I like to use oils and acrylic but one hour is not enough. By the time I get the materials ready and get into the mood to start, 45 minutes would have passed. So in between doing little things here and there, I decided to just use my magic pencil and fill up whatever time I had to focus on creating something artistic in the most time-efficient way.

Magic Pencil

2010-06-11T15:22:00.007+08:00

This magic pencil that has different colours in its lead enabled me to make these drawings. I like the colours it produces when I turn the pencil nib in various directions. These colours remind me of some of Van Gogh's paintings.The first character I drew was an old lady wearing a hat and she was holding a water bottle with her left hand. She stood long enough for me to complete the drawing. The next two drawings of a lady at the counter had to be done very quickly because she was moving about a lot.

Lastly a customer came to the counter to fill out a form and that gave me time to focus on that unique hairstyle of hers. I would have drawn the rest of her if not for a small boy who came next to me to watch me draw. I gave him my sketch pad and pencil and demonstrated how the pencil worked and he did the squiggle at the bottom right-hand corner of the paper. He then went on, at my urging, to draw his favourite subjects - a hovering helicopter with a soldier suspended on a rope dangling from it, an army tank and a soldier and an aeroplane.

I really enjoyed using this very entertaining pencil that was given to me by my artist friend. This pencil can be purchased at Bras Basah Centre at the shops selling art materials. The pencil given to me by my friend was invaluable and she gave me two such pencils. I observed that the little boy really loved to draw and was truly fascinated by what the pencil could do. In the end, I gave him the pencil because I have two of them. The pencil's value comes from usage and it is better used than stored and every time I use the same pencil in my possession I will think of my friend and of a little boy whom I hope will have many happy hours drawing what he likes most because of the gift he received from a total stranger.

Friendship Art

2010-06-10T13:18:00.005+08:00

Today I want to dedicate this post to my artist friend Linda who gave me this small painting of Alaska that she did. I guess one day we hope to be able to go on an Alaskan Cruise in a class reunion bash to celebrate our entrance into the next decade in our lives. Though I doubt if this thought will materialise I will always treasure this gift from my friend. In addition she also gave me two of her artwork done in pastels, one of flowers on her dining room table and the other a still life in my favourite colours. I like them very much as they exude a warmth that can only come from painting what is in her home.

Some time back, my friend pleasantly surprised me with these gifts of her handwork - painted clay models of a basket with cherries and a small pot of roses. I especially like the cherries and the leaves.

Thank you my friend for the treasures you have so generously given to me.

Passing time

2010-05-09T23:25:00.002+08:00

Maxwell Food Centre is a place I go to once in a while on Sundays for breakfast with my husband. While he was in the queue for our favourite fish porridge, I passed 30 minutes of waiting time drawing random stuff for practice.

When I had done my warm-ups with the pen, I picked out certain characters in the porridge queue for further practice.

On a clear day

2010-05-08T14:30:00.003+08:00

On a clear day, you wish your camera had eyes like yours that see the unblemished horizon, free from haze and pollution and before you the clouds drifting by over the oil refinery where the chimneys were not spewing or discharging dirt into the air. It was a beautiful morning and you wish that where the sea meets the sky you see the outline of islands in the distance instead of man-made structures. That not being possible you could still feel good looking at the blue patches that is the sea and the thick foliage of the flowering Tembusu trees right in front of you.

Artifical flowers

2010-05-06T15:57:00.002+08:00

I do not like artificial flowers especially the very plastic-looking ones. However, I kept these with me for many years because they look really like real flowers. Peonies on my wall and I just love them.

Old Bridge in Xinbeitou Park

2010-04-11T19:09:00.003+08:00

No, the lady in the kimono is a figment of my imagination. I was at this bridge in the park at Xinbeitou and the image of this bridge stuck in my mind. I am not sure why but I guess this bridge looks like a romantic meeting place for lovers. In fact, it was made famous in an old Taiwanese movie called the Old Bridge at the Hot Spring (my translation) that was a love story. So as usual, I had excess ink from my calligraphy practice and made use of it to get the image from my mind onto something more permanent. For the details I had to refer to the photos I had taken.

Lotus pond

2010-03-15T22:49:00.004+08:00

I was practising my calligraphy with not much significant improvement and then suddenly felt the urge to just break away from writing to draw instead. I have mastered neither calligraphy nor brush painting. It did not bother me for I had a wild time letting the brush loose on the rice paper. The character on the left means "Hall" or room. This character is also one half of the expression for 'paradise' which is 'tian tang' in Chinese. It is rather coincidental that the character and the drawing came together for a Lotus Pond does have a heavenly quality and feel about it.

At a foodcourt

2010-02-26T18:20:00.002+08:00

I thought I should return to the basics of sketching, drawing and paying attention to light and shadow, tones and holding a pencil in my hand instead of jumping into painting. Drawing is own-time-own-target with the flexibility of time and place and choice of subjects. I started with m own mug of coffee on the table, then went on to draw the top of a chair opposite me before venturing further to draw this lady with the back to me. It was her shiny jet-black and curly hair pulled up by a frilly band that attracted me. Then an old lady took a seat a little closer and just when I thought I had her there for long enough a time because I thought she was taking her breakfast there, she moved away to another table further away. I was fascinated by her hand - the loose flab of flesh and the age spots as well as the wrinkled hand. Pity I could not catch all these details.

Next, a couple of old ladies sat down to a noodle breakfast. The lady was probably around mid sixty but her hair was dyed black and it was permed. She was dressed in typical 'amah' (grandmother) clothes but they were neat and though I have not got the proportions right, I am pleased that I captured that expression of hers - the one that says "Hey today's my off day from looking after the grandchildren and I am enjoying myself here with my friend."

This is an unfinished drawing because this old man did not stay long enough for me to do a good portrait of him. I started with his hair that was thinning at the top but the rest of it was cut as if a bowl was put on the head and the rim of the bowl used as a guide to cut around the head. Despite that thought which was just to amuse myself, I kind of like his hair style and his neat shirt.

Flowers in my mind

2010-02-10T14:15:00.002+08:00

This is an acrylic painting on a calendar stand. I recycle old calendars using them to practice painting. These stands are small enough to hold in my hand while I sit in a comfortable position on my 'director' chair.

I have not been painting for a long, long time and using acrylic paints took a lot of effort. I have lost the technique of painting form dark to light and it took a considerable determination not to give up. The flowers were painted from imagination and recall. As usual, I was totally engrossed in painting and it was past midnight before I was done.

This is a practice piece and completing it within a few hours I now have the incentive to do more. I have stacks of these calendar stands in my cupboard. Painting to me is like meditation - I totally lose touch with my surroundings when I paint.

Ferns

2010-02-07T23:05:00.004+08:00

I want to paint these Autumn colours
Fill my canvas with these earthy shades
Dip my brush in paint and dapple with the mixtures
let my senses guide my hand and form the shapes
Drawing inspiration from the beauty of nature
Creating something different, something unique
something I like to call my own.

Dellinia Suffruticosa

2010-02-06T22:51:00.002+08:00

I picked up a fabric pen I bought months ago and drew this flower on a shopping bag that was given free by BreadTalk on one occasion. It felt good to be able to draw after such a long while.

Indian Decorative Pot

2010-01-26T21:55:00.004+08:00

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.

Shell Appreciation

2010-01-21T21:05:00.002+08:00

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.

Sea Shells

2010-01-17T18:27:00.004+08:00

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

2010-01-17T00:27:00.005+08:00

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.

Digital manipulation

2010-01-11T00:39:00.008+08:00

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.

Drawings in UK

2010-01-01T17:34:00.006+08:00

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.

Gadek Hot Springs

2009-12-30T00:47:00.003+08:00

During my trip to Malacca, my family and friends drove about 30 kms out of Malacca town to these hot springs in Alor Gajah and everyone had a good time soaking in the hot baths. I had a good time taking photos and doing this sketch while waiting for people to get changed after their dip in the pools of hot spring water.

Passion flower (Passiflora Palmata)

2009-10-01T23:06:00.002+08:00

Leftover paints again. I love leftover paints because they give me the freedom to paint with abandon. The objective is to finish up the paints because paints are expensive and it pains me to see so much on the palette after I am done with a painting. So, the subject I choose need not be a study of anything, just something from the top of my imagination. I managed to use up most of the paints on the palette to come up with an impression of the Passiflora Palmata.

Travel Art

2009-09-27T20:18:00.007+08:00

I was contemplating whether to pack acrylic paints for a short getaway with family and friends. In the end, I dumped the paints because it did not make sense to lug around a heavy bag for a few days spent at a beach resort. Yet, I did not want to be caught unprepared when the mood to paint struck. So, I took my chinese brushes, bottle of ink and two sketchpads. I even brought along watercolour paints. In the end, I only made use of the ink.

Coconut trees in front of the beach.Small coconuts make interesting subjects on the dining table.
A cat hung around during meal times and we fed it with whatever extra food we had. My first attempt to paint this cat was disastrous because it looked like a giant rat.This is a improved version of the earlier painting because the rat features were less pronounced.

Preparing dinner at the dining table.

Washing up - we need more young volunteers.

The rain came in the afternoon leaving behind wet and coolness.

The kitchen from the bar counter.

More of the cat...

2009-09-11T00:53:00.002+08:00

My usual practice of Chinese words with the chinese brush led to a spontaneous illustration of this excerpt from Jimmy Liao's novel 'Turn Left, turn Right. It is a far cry from the original drawing but this is only my humble interpretation.

After that, I just let myself go, so it was one flower after another painted fast and from imagination without referring to any photos or pictures from books.

Sunflower

Glory Lily

Crinum Asiatica

Hydrangea

Singapore Botanic Gardens - Canon 400D with 55-250mm tele lens

2009-08-06T22:57:00.008+08:00

What I like about these photos:

The softness of the pine trees filled me with wonder about how fortunate we are to see these highland trees at our level.

I cannot decide between the two which is better. They both tell you something about the situation at those precise moments when I pressed the camera shutter button.

I like the blurred background, always have.

I like people who have nothing much to say than those who say too much.

My favourite shot.

Experimenting with big and small aperture settings.

A flower I never grow tired of looking at.

A specie of ginger plant.

Landscaped centre piece outside the Orchid Garden that blends well with the surroundings.

Chopin's morning serenade amongst the palm trees.

Protective gear of the rattan plant.

Snapped on impulse but I like the colours.

Going home. It was a great day despite the haze.

Sunflower for HOT

2009-08-04T10:35:00.003+08:00

A sunflower from my heart and my brush to brighten up my friend's birthday. Sunflowers hold the power to bring cheer to anyone looking at it. For me it symbolises friendship. I have drawn and painted sunflowers before. This time I experimented with Chinese brush painting, doing a quick sketch on rice paper and filling up the details with a mix of water colours and white acrylic paints. Again I have chosen to use the western oil painting technique because my first love is still painting with oil and acrylic. Chinese brushes hasten my painting process by allowing me to outline my ideas quickly and smoothly and for me this blend of east and west approach works best because I am an impatient person and yet I like details.

The original painting.

Cannonball Tree flowers

2009-08-01T12:06:00.005+08:00

There are two ways to look at this painting. One is 'Yuks, what kind of colours are those? Cannonball tree flowers don't look anything like these!" The other way to look at it is to say that if I have to create something that looks exactly or close to the real flowers, then I might as well just post a photo of the flowers and forget about painting. Actually, I am not sure if these colours came about because I just could not replicate the original or because in the process of painting and trying to imitate nature, I decided to paint the colours I wanted to see instead. Anyway, it was a good painting exercise and more to come!
Now to relax and play around with the Canon 400D.

Crown flowers - labour in painting

2009-07-28T23:29:00.003+08:00

This is only a small painting that is slightly bigger than a postcard. I was trying out the Artist acrylic paints that I bought over the weekend using colours that I did not have before. Layering the paints from dark to light and trying to play around with different strokes and colour application to get a result that I could be satisfied with, I went from acceptable to overdoing the white highlights. So of the whole series documenting this particular exercise, I like the second last painting best.

Practice

2009-07-27T14:06:00.003+08:00

This is just a sketch of lotus flowers based on photos of individual flowers. I composed the drawing of how they would look together filling in the space between them with lotus leaves the way I imagined they would look to complement these blooms. Ideally, I would like this picture to be in colour. Ideally! Perhaps I might return to this drawing at a later time to fill in the colours, or perhaps I might replicate this drawing in colour. I do not like to dwell on a drawing or painting for too long for I lose interest somehow.

Next, I saw a photo of twoVanda Miss Joaquim orchid flowers in a book on Tropical Flowers. In doing this drawing I was able to appreciate how intricate a design nature has come up with in this flower even though the overall impression, to me, is that it is rather plain and unimpressive. After this exercise in which I had to look at the flower in greater detail, I am quite convinced that orchid flowers are good subjects for drawing and painting.

Practice session

2009-07-21T23:03:00.006+08:00

Painting with brush and ink is like a form of therapy because I wield an ink brush with more ease than one loaded with acrylic. However, I still love painting with oils and acrylic. I love the work of Van Gogh and a few other impressionist painters like Monet and would love to start on something on a bigger canvas the size of a 42" Panel TVand try my hand at painting in that kind of style. Dreams aside, reality only allows me snippets of time here and there to indulge in art. This time I decided to paint birds. I began using the Chinese brush painting approach.

Next I wanted to do something more colourful and so I added some water colours to the basic ink sketch. This was when I found myself applying oil painting techniques. That was rather fun and I really enjoyed this new experience. My reference for these small paintings (size of a notebook that is half A4 size) is the book "A Passion for Birds" by Ong Kiem Sian that contain beautiful shots of many varieties of birds found in our region.

A different approach

2009-07-21T00:04:00.005+08:00

I left this unfinished painting out in the cold for nearly a week. I had started with no idea of what to paint because thinking about the subject usually results in procrastination. So I started by doing a background wash using a big flat paint brush. Then the repetitive action of brushing with regular strokes got boring and I picked up a sponge that was lying around. I dipped it into my glob of acrylic paint mixed with some water and then discovered that I could make interesting patterns with it.

After playing around and getting a feel of using the sponge in a spontaneous manner, I created a background with what I thought looked like waves. A thought came out of the blue to put in shapes that are associated with the colour and the sea. The crescent moon was painted in because I wanted to put in yellow on the blue to brighten up the background. Then I put in more crescent shapes to represent boats. The dolphin, whale and starfish followed next because these are sea creatures that I have much admiration for.

I painted an aeroplane and a ship to represent my travel experiences. By that time, I only had a blue background with blue shapes that outline the basic structure to support the subject that I had yet to materialise in my thoughts. After spending some time contemplating, I decided that the main 'actors' on my canvas would be flowers and especially those I had had some prior practice in drawing or painting. Eventually my boats doubled up as vessels for flowers to bloom on my canvas.

I painted the flowers carefully, layering paints of different colours over and over again to make the flowers come alive. These colours not just the dominant colours of the respective flowers but also colours that they absorb from their surroundings. Painting iin this manner is all consuming because it requires intense concentration. Having done the flowers, the painting looked a little bare. I took a break of a day or two before adding in the leaves.

Not all the colours applied to my flowers are faithful to nature. That is what I like about art - it's all in the eye of the beholder. For me, the colours come partly from recall based on observation, partly from referencing books and photos and partly from how I had felt at the time of painting.

A friend once said that doing abstract is fun and anyone can do it. I am not ready to do abstract paintings, not yet because I believe that if I do not understand what I see thoroughly, my 'abstract' would be child's play, anyone can do it when what I think is that abstract paintings are based on a lot of thinking and feeling before one can look at it and see its depth instead of superficial shapes and colours. So for now, I stick to subjects that are identifiable. So you can see the hibiscus, the sunflower, the Heliconia and the morning glory. Maybe the passiflora lauriflora (passion fruit flower), the banana flower (golden lotus), Air Simpoh and the ginger flower.

Overall, I am satisfied with my progress in painting the flowers as I learned through trial and error while trying to recall what I had learned in my painting lessons a few years back. Learning through doing - nothing beats this kind of learning because it is experiential, hands-on and absolutely engaging. Give me a manual and I will burn it!

This is one of my more enjoyable endeavours in painting because of the approach of just letting ideas evolve and watching the subject develop on the canvas instead of painting what is there before me like doing a still life or a portrait. The painting is still not completed. I am kind of stuck here because I find the background so chillingly cold. My son says leave the background alone and I am very tempted to change the colour. So I am just leaving it as it is for now...till the next wave of inspiration arrives to complete it.

Painting with a purpose

2009-07-14T10:18:00.002+08:00

It has always been hard to get down to painting. I make tons of excuses for myself and then I thought that I would never get down to learning if I do not get started. So it had to start with a good reason and instead of excuses, I gave myself reason to paint. So I decided to paint something for a friend's birthday. No, I did not make the clay container. I picked it up for $1.90 at a nursery, came home and deliberated for half a day on what to paint on it before getting started.

The leftover paints were used to paint the last two mangosteens given by a cousin from Malaysia.

My painting of the Glory Lily

2009-07-12T21:30:00.004+08:00

Ta daaaa! Finished my painting at last. I just realised that the flower has far too many petals. This is the result of working based on impression rather than research. But never mind, this is not a botanical drawing and I can be forgiven I guess for taking liberties with nature.

I also found that painting with fabric paint is not as daunting as imagined. I thought I would make a mess but I managed to find a way to work the paints after overcoming some initial hiccups.

Preliminary drawing

Hibiscus bonanza

2009-07-07T22:41:00.005+08:00

It started with a an imaginery hibiscus in the bottom right-hand corner of the page. Using ink and chinese brush felt good. It gave me a sudden urge to fill the entire paper with different species of hibiscus flowers. And so I did with reference to all the photos I have taken of various hibiscus flowers over the years.

Drawing energizes me even though it was late at night when I did these drawings. It was a great exercise for the soul.

Details, I love details

2009-06-07T17:37:00.002+08:00

Whenever I need to have 'me-time', I draw because that is the time when I am just totally at peace with myself and the world. The more engrossed I am, the darker my drawings become. It is as if every stroke, every pen mark represents the intensity of my thoughts that are all concentrated on the subject that I happen to be drawing. Unlike the drawings of people walking around where there was no time to go into details and my thoughts were fleeting, touch-and-go like, this drawing is more intense because the subject is a photo of flowers. It is static and it had my attention for as long as I was willing to spend time studying its form and appearance.

Photo of the Kopsia singapurensis in 'Gardenwise' (Jul 2009 issue) publication of the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Sketching exercises

2009-06-04T23:08:00.003+08:00

From a vantage point in a building I saw many people walking in the street below. From a distance, I was able to single out interesting subjects and capture the form in the fleeting seconds as each moved across my view, towards or away from me. Singaporeans walk pretty fast especially the younger ones. I decided that my sketches had to be done speedily and should only capture the key characteristic of each person in simple strokes. I also made it a point to sketch only women because I find them more interesting - different hairdos, clothes, handbags etc.

At the end, it was a fun activity for me. I enjoyed the challenge of capturing the images in brief strokes before they disappear from my life in a matter of moments.

Fish

2009-05-29T22:36:00.004+08:00

This pond holds happy fish that are free to swim anywhere within its boundaries. They have no fear of being caught or eaten. They are able to reach old age without disturbances and there is no worry of where food is coming from as they are well taken care of. I like to watch them and freeze their lives at precise moments with the camera and then to play around with the colours, the tones and experiment at framing the subjects in a way that reflects what I was thinking about when I snapped the pictures.

This one above is my favourite because it shows depth and makes me aware of the two dimensions of space - inside and outside the water surface, the dividing plane being the reflection of the plants above and the floating twigs on the water.

I wanted a couple - a big, strong and regal fish and its consort.

I thought the reflection of the cloud interesting and as soon as a fish swam into view I took this picture because at that moment it felt like the fish was entering a heavenly realm.

I was not going to take this shot until I saw my own reflection and thought I should also be a part of nature and took the shot before the fish swam out of view.

Tree

2009-05-27T19:22:00.001+08:00

Look at this tree! Chinese brush painting for the first time and it's a fantastic creation by my son. Wow, I am so inspired!

Time-filler

2009-05-25T23:26:00.004+08:00

Painting with Chinese ink and brush is very relaxing. I don't have to labour over choices of colours because I only work with black and white here. How you use the brush is up to your imagination and how you make impressions and forms on paper is something you can explore to your heart's content.

Most of all, I can do quick paintings in between things I have to do in a day.

Famenco in Blue

2009-05-22T23:06:00.003+08:00

It took less than two minutes to manipulate a simple editing tool to produce this effect. I like it, yes I like it very much because the colours are those I like most. If I were to title this photo it would be "Flamenco in blue".

Sunflowers

2009-05-11T22:43:00.003+08:00

It starts with a wash in the background

then the shapes and shades evolve
colours came and went
only playing with paint
with sunflowers on my mind

Torch Ginger - preliminary to oil/acrylic painting

2009-05-08T10:40:00.004+08:00

I heeded my daughter's advice that I should just paint no matter what may be distracting me from doing so. 'Just go and do your chinese brush painting mum!' and I did. Though I like the free flowing actions that the chinese brush allows me, I am still very much in love with the use of oils or acrylic and addicted to the details rather than letting myself go along with impressions and fine lines that I could have employed using Chinese brush painting techniques. So as time progressed, my painting got darker and darker but it gave me the incentive to move onto oil. This weekend perhaps!

Things in my house

2009-05-05T23:39:00.005+08:00

Only one of the two items here belong to me.

My spectacles and the wrist-rest filled with gel
half of which has been squeezed out by my son. Not drawn to scale.

Plastic chair for kids.

Green capsicums a few days before they were devoured.

My stainless steel kettle since replaced with electric boiler
because I have a problem remembering to turn off the gas.

A cheap but beautifully glazed, hand-made clay pot
picked up from a nursery that I use as a pencil holder.

Where the trash goes...

My marble-and-teak stool, one of four that came with
the marble-top coffee table that serves as my work bench.

Preliminary paintings

2009-05-02T00:20:00.002+08:00

These chinese brush paintings will eventually lead to an oil or acrylic painting on the subject of Torch Gingers. I cannot lose momentum for if I do, the oil/acrylic painting dream will be not be attainable.

What's on my table?

2009-04-22T23:15:00.002+08:00

Sometimes when I look at my table, I have an impluse to just sweep everything into the bin so that I will just have my clean and uncluttered marble-top table again. Then again, when that happens, there will be nothing for me to draw.

One-minute drawing

2009-04-22T22:58:00.002+08:00

First, I need an inspiration and this hibiscus flower was it.

Next, I had to get well acquainted with the flower and this was my best shot amongst several that were taken. Finally, I just reached out for whatever was on my table to create my impression of what I admire about this flower. In this case, I used a pink pen highlighter, an ink pen and for paper, I just used the one that has been plastered to my table top since I started experimenting with Chinese Brush painting.

Xue Mei

2009-04-20T22:05:00.005+08:00

I bought this plant many years ago. It has never grown any bigger since then because it was a bonsai plant. I never did anything to arrest its growth and over the years, it got out of shape, its bark was attacked by fungus but occasionally, it would give me small pretty flowers that were fragrant, usually after I had trimmed its unruly offshoots.

It has stayed in that particular spot in my garden in the last five years, never demanding much probably because it knows that I cannot give anything other than the basic care that a plant needs.

Sometimes I would look at it and wonder if I should paint it. Most times I do not have the time to carry through the thought. So the best I can do is to make drawings of it once in a while.

Home Sweet Home

2009-04-15T21:48:00.003+08:00

A friend I visited asked me to sign on her Guestbook. Seated in the comfort of her armchair, I thought the best compliment I could give would be a drawing of what I saw before me to capture the loveliness of her new apartment where east meets west in her clever selection and tasteful placement of furniture, lighting, art objects and travel souvenirs.

Drawing with light

2009-04-13T15:33:00.002+08:00

One of those things I like to do with my camera. Just setting it to night mode and waving it in the air. I guess I could also set a very low ISO and do the same.

Lights from the IR project.

Going home - the Esplanade carpark looked so cool.

Colour Pencil drawing

2009-04-07T23:18:00.002+08:00

A drawing I did months ago from a photo taken of a Tibetan woman selling necklaces and bracelets in Jiuchaigou, China. I've been toying with the idea of doing an acrylic or oil painting someday. Someday...

2009-03-20T22:20:00.005+08:00

Passiflora edulis - a fascinating flower to paint. It does not matter to me that the colours are not accurate. I just felt that I had to follow a certain feel I have about this flower having taken so many photos of it.

Shell

2009-03-14T23:40:00.002+08:00

I just love holding the Chinese brush, dipping it into water, loading it with black ink and just feel the fluidity that comes naturally whenever I hold this kind of brush. Today I bought some inexpensive colour paints. Soon, there will be more colours...

My thoughts as I took these shots

2009-03-11T23:17:00.008+08:00

I wanted to take pictures of West Coast Park that I had never taken before. This playground with a sea of white sand seemed like a lot of promised fun for kids except that it was not a weekend and the kids were at home studying for exams.
As I was framing this picture I could not help but think of Paris and I tried to imagine this being I.M Pei's glass pyramid at the Lourve Museum.
An invitation to jump, walk, dance - I wanted this photo to have that kind of appeal.

This shot was taken as I was walking around looking for something else to photograph. I thought that the patches of grass on the white sand plus the sprinklings of small leaves made the ground I walked on a visual treat.

I was attracted by the texture and patterns of the ropes. How best should I photograph them ? How could I present them as playthings calling out for attention instead of being content as mere props?
I was apprehensive about taking this picture when I realised how worn-out this particular rope looked from this angle. In the end, I decided that there is no perfection without imperfection and things or people are imperfect only because they are perceived that way by people who choose to do so.

Without children hanging around this structure, it could be an art installation.
I went around this pyramid structure taking a few shots and finally found the angle I liked best. This was it!
Then I thought that since I was in a park, I should include some of nature's construction.
This root of a tree looked to me like a small crocodile.

I like these two pictures very much because they show that the end-product of the pursuit of excellence in education is a kid who is so overstressed he wishes he could lie in a playground forever...

...or perhaps try to run away from the prison that his school has become.
I took this shot purely because of the lines and angles and how the structure appeared as a silhoutte.
Kudos to the designer of this station - it looked like a work of art and made me think of Picasso or Paul Klee.
I thought what fun it would be if two people could come all dressed up and have a drink at this make-believe bar counter.

When I took this shot I was trying to remember the good and bad of taking photos. Hmm, not too bad - something about how to use lines to lead the eye towards the point of interest. In this picture the point of interest are the flowers in the foreground. I think I got it in the wrong direction!

For this picture I wanted to show off the gracefulness of this tree. I had to re-compose the frame few times to get the effect I liked. I think I got distracted by the rocks.
Tree on fire on green grass - what a lovely contrast. Taken with just a flick of the wrist, without thinking.

See, I thought this wasn't really a great composition. When I looked at the picture after downloading it, I realised that it was pretty cool because you can see the 3 primary colours - blue, red and yellow laid out in a triangle.

I thought I should just take an impressive shot of the general scenery and took pains to compose this following picture and with some cropping at home, it is an accurate depiction of the look and feel of the scene when I was standing there.

I saw 3 Malay ladies fishing for fun to pass time. I chatted with one of them and found out that they did indeed catch some small fish. I just wanted to capture all the three women with their colourful headscarves looking towards the sea oblivious to the intruding contraptions around them.

For this shot, I just turned my camera skywards at waist level, took a peek at the LCD panel and shot on intuition.
I took this shot because of the unusual cloud that looked like the profile of a space ship or the top of a mountain in the distance visible above a layer of mist.
These reminded me of lego toys, so colourful against the darkening sky.
I knew this was not going to be even a good picture. It was taken anyway because I thought I should have a memory of what the sea looked like when I was there.
Finally, I waited for this lady to cast her line. I felt raindrops on my arms and it was time to leave.

Wasp photos

2009-03-08T21:29:00.003+08:00

Living the moments with the Canon IXUS 860.

Copying Japanese Prints

2009-03-02T21:59:00.002+08:00

Copying drawings from books is an educational experience. I have many art books and today I chose to look more closely at the pictures in the one on 'Japanese Prints' by Gabriele Fahr-Becker. I am interested in Japanese drawings and paintings because they have neat, fluid lines that I like. I like drawing with ink pens because I find it challenging to draw with the knowledge that mistakes are not good because they cannot be covered up or corrected as you can do with oil painting or pencil drawing. There is always the thrill of getting the drawing right the first time be it copying the work of artists or drawing on the spot.

In copying the three ladies enjoying "The Evening Star Festival" by Torii Kiyonaga I was able to appreciate the meticulous attention that the artist has paid to very fine details. - from the hairstyles to the prints on the kimonos, to the delicate shape of the fingers and especially the prints on the kimonos where the folds and drapes were made to look so fluid and natural because the prints have been placed there as if photographs were taken and the artist referred to them.

Helmet Shell

2009-02-26T21:36:00.002+08:00

I remember that I bought this Helmet Shell from a roadside stall in Pulau Langkawi several years ago. And then it dawned on me that I have boxes and boxes of sea shells containing shells I had picked up from beaches as well as those that were purchased or given by friends. What good practice subjects they will make!

I really love using Chinese brushes as they are so versatile. I could use the same brush for lines and details as well as to create impressions of what is there.

Moments that were well lived

2009-02-25T22:58:00.005+08:00

Drawing the outline of a tile painting (set of three hanging on my wall) with a soft ink pen.
I may leave it as it is or I may try to brush-paint over it.
A diversion - painting copies from the brush painting book I bought that teaches you how to paint animals, flowers and people.

When I had finished with those above, I thought I would try to capture the essence of the Cantonese Opera 'Princess Chang Ping' in the VCD cover picture. Art for me now is pure experimentation. I have no aim to meet any pre-conceived expectations that others may have in terms of creativity and technique. I wield a brush the way a dancer holds a fan and paint the way she dances to the melody in her heart. Because I have adopted this attitude towards my endeavour in art, I am now experiencing a freedom to explore different ways to enjoy art that I did not possess before.

Saraca Tree

2009-02-22T16:31:00.004+08:00

After taking so many photos of the two Saraca trees in full bloom in my neighbourhood, I was really inspired to paint it. This painting was done in about 5 minutes and it was just an exercise to record my impressions of its beautiful flowers before they fade in my memory. I am getting the hang of drawing and painting without any physical reference to the subject and I am slowly beginning to like drawing and painting in this way.

Queue for Porridge in Maxwell Road Market

2009-02-21T23:13:00.004+08:00

I never believe in queuing for food. I was not in this queue for porridge in a stall in Maxwell Road Food Centre that attract perpetual queues. While waiting, I was able to 'study' the typical people who would queue for food. When I finally got my chicken porridge and raw fish salad, I could see why people find it worth their while to stand close to 40 minutes just to get a taste of the famous porridge.

Water lilies

2009-02-20T18:01:00.002+08:00

As far as I am able to, I want to just hold a brush in my hand and paint. I read somewhere that a Chinese painting is not about producing something that matches the real thing. It is about producing a painting that has good 'Chi' and that the act of painting is really like meditation. I don't think I have managed to project the right kind of 'chi' in this particular effort but I agree totally that painting is a meditative process, and a great one at that.

Panda

2009-02-19T18:54:00.000+08:00

I had fun painting this panda from a photo taken by a friend.

Flower for today

2009-02-18T10:06:00.004+08:00

I started off wanting to paint more of the Heliconia in the previous post. I used an acrylic brush on a piece of thin xuan paper and experimented with the brush for a while. And then I got bored with looking at the same picture and labouring to make each stroke more perfect than the previous ones and my vision blurred...

For a while, I wondered about perfection and if it was worth one's precious time to seek it out when it is probably non-existent. So, I thought that life should be led in a more spontaneous and fun way and if one follows one's heart, life would be more meaningful and fulfilling. It was then that I turned the page of the book on flowers that I was referencing to a new flower - the hibiscus. Because I was free from having to arrive at a perfect form for this flower, I painted with only guidance from my mind's eye. In so doing, I found that I actually discovered a new way to hold the brush to create the soft, rolling edges of the petals of the second flower. What a wonderful day!

Brush painting practice

2009-02-17T23:07:00.003+08:00

Learning through experimentation - this is what I find exciting in using this new medium that I find suits me perfectly. I used chinese brushes for these two paintings unlike the previous effort where I had used nylon brushes. The former allows me to be more adventurous in applying the ink to the paper but the latter gives me better control. It will be great to continue to experiment with different types of brushes.

Side-by-side

New experiments - Chinese brush painting

2009-02-13T23:35:00.003+08:00

I was at PageOne in Vivocity browsing not intending to buy anything while waiting for a movie to start. As usual I succumbed to the 20% discount labels on the books. Fortunately, I found a book that I really liked on Chinese Brush Painting with clear instructions and illustrations on how to get started on Chinese brush painting with two hundred over motifs that could be copied for practice purposes. As I could not find my Chinese brushes and ink, I decided to use my acrylic paints instead using a lot of water to dilute them. This is my first copy attempt. Surprisingly, I rather like this style of painting.

With the paints leftover, I thought I should use them to do an acrylic painting but using the brush painting technique above to paint the petals of the chrysanthemum flower.My second experiment was the use of black acrylic ink with a thinner brush to copy the bamboo and pine painting made by the author of the book. I think this style and medium suits me better since I am used to making drawings with ink pens. Thanks to the simplicity of this marvellous book on Chinese Brush Painting I think I could be getting onto something exciting and I should make better use of this book to pick up some basic skills and techniques.

The light was right

2009-02-11T23:02:00.003+08:00

Natural light from the window made these cherries look so inviting. Drawing would take too long and I did not have paints nor patience then. So the camera made these memories possible.

Lavender flowers

2009-02-04T00:16:00.002+08:00

This is the first time I did a painting without refering to any photos. I usually like to look at the real thing or if it is landscape, I like to paint on site. When that is not possible, I paint from photos even though I dislike the flatness of a 2-D reference.

Painting from impressions formed from looking at my lavender photos while organising them on my pc without the actual plant before me had its setbacks as I discovered. In the initial paintings, the leaves were not correctly depicted and it was rather tricky to make them look right. After painstakingly making good the mistakes made, I am determined to keep painting these flowers till they become better than this first effort.

Time fillers - Gloriosa Superba

2008-11-17T10:18:00.006+08:00

It is always too troublesome to do a set up for painting on canvas. It takes too much concentration and effort and so I took the easy way out using children's makers, oil pastels and ink to have some fun with the Gloriosa Superba flowers.

Tried out the fabric pen I bought on a free shopping bag. Will try out the fabric paints I bought some time ago when I next feel the inclination to draw or paint.

Experiment

2008-10-26T16:56:00.003+08:00

White on black and see the effect. I bought a pen that is oil-based, waterproof and opaque and most important can be used for drawing on hard surfaces like glass, wood, plastic and ceramics. I found a notebook with a thick cardboard cover and decorated it with three flowers - the Glory Lily (Gloriosa superba), the sunflower and the passion flower.

Reflection

2008-10-24T00:00:00.003+08:00

I nearly stepped on a tree
I halted for a moment
to consider what it might be
to have an existence
that becomes apparent
only when you choose to see
the details around
the ups, the downs
the inside out and the outside in
A reflection of a tree.

Gone fishing

2008-10-23T00:04:00.004+08:00

Playing around with the contrast and brightness of the shots of carps swimming in a pond. I like the reflection of the sky above and the sprig of water plant dangling overhead like a fishing rod.

Time for flowers

2008-10-13T15:37:00.006+08:00

How do you pass time that contains no schedules, no appointments, no events, no need to do anything except use it in any way you like? I do that by drawing. I let the ink flow from my pen as I connect with the lines and forms of my subjects. Time is wonderful when you have nothing important to spend it on. Time is a heavenly creation when you just spend it happily doing what engages your senses and nothing else intrudes into your consciousness to make you aware of it.

Bougainvillea

2008-09-12T11:43:00.007+08:00

I started out trying to write some Chinese characters using a chinese brush. The first time I was taught to use a Chinese brush for writing was when I was six years old and I have never forgotten how to hold the brush since. Some things for some reason you never forget. Writing is another matter because I have to get used to a new medium. I realised that the brush was too thick for writing and being distracted I decided to draw my bougainvillea shrub. The first attempt(1st photo) was rather controlled as if I was still using a pen to draw. Later, I became more relaxed in applying the strokes and did a second drawing on rice paper. Then I thought I should write some words there to describe what I felt at that moment when I completed the drawing. The writing may not be 'grammatically correct' . What I wanted to say was that having the bougainvillea flower I wish for happiness and good fortune for my family. Actually, I should have started writing from right to left and not the other way round .

Now looking at the drawing, I am just satisfied I have tried something new in art. Artistically, it is so-so for a first attempt, maybe even way below par. If I want to do better than this, I shall have to find out more about calligraphy and Chinese brush painting and find ways to pick up the necessary skills. The shrub has grown wild in all directions. It will be a massive job to prune this shrub and the job has to be done this weekend.

Inside Out

2008-08-27T22:28:00.003+08:00

I gazed out of the window longing for home. What was happening inside was nothing great compared with nature's flourish outside. I chose to record the humble work of nature while trying hard to pay attention to the happenings inside. At least the result was pleasant and the moments well spent.