lunch at telok ayer hawker centre

I needed badly to get out of my office for some outdoor fresh air so I drove to Telok Ayer Food Centre for the famous Lor Mee. However, the stall was closed on Monday. I had fried Kway Teow instead. I was stranded when it started to rain like cats and dogs so I did a sketch of the lunch crowd.

Result of Sketchwalk at Duxton Road, Neil Road

I was trying to do a smaller piece knowing there was a time limit. However, I continued to sketch with my usual format at 400 x 200mm complete with watercolour washes. It felt like another speed sketching session. This time without my proper tools. I did these two sketches with my favourtie fountain pen but only one new ZIG waterbrush. My usual tools, Holbein waterbrush plus my favourite watercolour set were part of the exhibits at the URA Centre.

And here is the slide show put together by Parka on our October Sketchwalk.

Sunday Sketches

Did two sketches today at lunch and dinner. Lunch at McDonald in the heartland, Bedok North Block 539. As it was in the public housing estate, the customers were mainly the residents in the neighbourhood. The four children in the photo came to McDonald without their parents or accompanying adults. The girl was very small probably around 3 years old. The two boys looked smart with their frame less glasses while the other boy was obviously older and probably their friend. Four children were watching the TV while eating the burgers. They came, ate, watched the TV and left in like 15 minutes, enough time for me to sketch them.

The ambiance for the dinner sketch was totally different. As a popular Japanese restaurant, the customers at Megumi appeared to be more sophisticated. Most of them were families with children or old grannies and granddads. There were occasionally couples and one young lady was carrying a big bouquet of flowers obviously given by the young man. So sweet!

The Plain at Craig Road

Went to this cozy, designer look cafe called The Plain at Craig Road after Saturday sketchwalk at Duxton and Neil Road. A very hot day for outdoor sketching. It was nice to chill for a while at The Plain. The beautiful young Asian lady noticed I was sketching her and whispered to the American or European boy friend who was having egg benedict that looked so inviting. But I was not hungry so I ordered the coffee and ice cream affogato.

my favourite noodle shop

At Simpang Bedok with my favourite bowl of Meepok - a flat noodle. It was raining heavily so I stayed for a while and did a sketch.

Sketchwalk Oct, 29 Oct

Hi everyone,
October's sketchwalk will follow the same plan as the previous adhoc sketchwalk around the Tanjong Pagar and Duxton areas. There is much to draw and discover around these parts.

We will meet at URA centre (location 1) at 10am then walk over to the corner of maxwell road to sketch the former Jinriksha Station at 1 Neil Road (location 2). Afterwhich, we will walk and sketch along tanjong pagar road and explore duxton road and duxton hill area (location 3) before walking back to URA centre for our show and tell at 1pm. (see map) Then we will have lunch! If you get lost, please look for us along the mentioned route (we will be everywhere) or meet us back at URA centre after the sketchwalk.

This sketchwalk is open to the public and everyone is welcome, regardless of skill level!

sketches on feedback form and chocolate packaging

This evening, I left the sketchbook at home so I did a quick sketch on the feedback form at Jack's Place. I did the sketch before the food was served, around 10 mins. We went to the food court for some desert after our dinner. I did another sketch at the back of the chocolate packaging.

the book "Urban Sketchers Singapore Volume 1"

The book that we have been all waiting for is out! Order a copy here!
The book showcases sketches and photographs that were done in the past two years from 2010 to 2011. Some of the buildings that were sketched had already been demolished so some of the pages literally record our memories.

33 contributing sketchers responded to the production of the book so the sketches offered a wide variety of styles and techniques. As a publisher, I make sure that it is not just a visual treat so there are also descriptions for the places, stories of the places plus quotations by sketchers and friends.

The book is also on sale at the "Urban sketchers Singapore Volume 1" exhibition at URA Centre, 45 Maxwell Road from 21 Oct to 24 Dec 2011. The book has a hard cover at 248 pages with over 360 images. Here are some pages in the book, they are from Parka's flickr album. Enjoy!

USKSG Volume 1 now available at Kinokuniya

Our book Urban Sketchers Singapore Volume 1 is now available at one of our biggest bookstores Kinokuniya at Ngee Ann City, Bugis and Liang Court. Here is a picture of our book on the bookshelves of Kinokuniya @ Ngee Ann City.

Our strategy to have a plain book cover works! we wanted a minimalist look cover among the colourful book covers in the art and design section.

video from Lisbon

Mas Ayu at Upper East Coast Road

Saturday night dinner with the family just outside my house. This Malay restaurant is very popular with a few signature dishes. It also opens for 24 hours.

The night before the book launch

These pictures were taken on the night before the book launch on 21 Oct 2011 at URA Centre, 45 Maxwell Road.

Saturday Book Launch Ad-Hoc Sketchwalk

To celebrate the launch of the new USKSG volume 1 book at URA centre, we will be having a special adhoc sketchwalk around URA centre, Tanjong Pagar and Duxton.We will meet at URA centre (location 1) then walk over to the corner of maxwell road to sketch the former Jinriksha Station at 1 Neil Road (location 2). Afterwhich, we will walk and sketch along tanjong pagar road and explore duxton road and duxton hill area (location 3) before walking back to URA centre for our show and tell at 1pm. (see map) Then we will have lunch!

Don and Paul will be the sketchwalk leaders this saturday. So contact them for more information. Don- 84183032. Paul- 97923622.

raining day

I took a half day leave to collect the rubber stamps for the exhibition before heading to this shop at Eunos Avenue to look for brown paper bag. It started to pour heavily so I sat at this coffee shop, ordered a bowl of noodles, cup of coffee and sketched.

collage of sketches for Sep

sketch on the receipt

old charm coffee shop

I feel very comfortable at this over 30years old Jin Wee Coffee Shop at Siglap because we can speak Hainanese, our dialect to the shop helpers. We particular like their fish head steam boat which we never failed to order at our recent visits. While steam boat is powered by electricity nowadays, this shop is still using the traditional charcoal to heat up the broth. Yummy!