tiastudio

old toys

2012-01-27T00:38:00.001+08:00

Ernie from Sesame Street by Jim Henson in the 60s, Pikachu & Poliwhirl from Pokemon of late 90s, are part of the soft toys kept at home untouched for a long long time! Poliwhirl also known as Tadpole Pokemon has a zip and is a reversible toy.

I was trying to do a memory exercise here. I am not drawing directly from observation but more on memory. So the proportion of the toys are not 100% accurate. You get my points.

Jan 2012 Sketchwalk this Saturday

2012-01-25T19:07:00.008+08:00

This saturday 28 Jan, we will be sketching inside AND all around the National Museum of Singapore. we will also cover the fort canning park which is just behind the museum. It's free and easy so you can chose just the museum or both locations. We will meet at the museum's main porch (or around the front) at 10am. We will then spread out to any part of the musuem we want. It is the museum's open house that day, so you may also visit and draw in any of the galleries for free (see below).

We will meet back at the museum's main porch at 1pm where we will gather for "show and tell" and then head for lunch. See you there!

second day of Lunar New Year

2012-01-24T23:12:00.004+08:00

It was second day of Lunar New Year. The waitress opened the door and said : "Ma'am, happy new year and you have a lovely drawing." So she noticed while I was sketching at my table after my favourite prawns aglio e olio and coffee. Today the pasta was a little too salty but the coffee was still as good. Both father and son who was sitting on baby seat were holding an iPhone and a certain iGame respectively, what an iGeneration. Personally, I think these iDevices should be discouraged at the dinning table although they seemed to be the bonding agent between the young father and son.

first day of Lunar New Year

2012-01-23T23:26:00.001+08:00

First day of Lunar New Year we were having the biggest reunion dinner at Ju Shin Jung, a Korean restaurant. There must be about 50 family members from my husband side. The seniors were sitting at the proper table to have their meals while the rest of us were given the traditional floor seating. The children loved it but for me, I needed to change my sitting position once a while to allow for blood circulation in my legs. It was a fun-filled night with great company.

Happy Lunar New Year to all!

2012-01-20T23:44:00.003+08:00

kopitiam at tampines mart

2012-01-19T01:20:00.001+08:00

The success story of Kopitiam - a popular local chain of coffee shops, is the story of Lim Ben Huat, a very savvy businessman who started working at a tender age of nine as a coffee stall helper at Esplanade Food Center. When he tendered for a coffee shop at Bishan Street 11 - a public housing estate for 2 million dollar in 1989, people thought he was crazy. Today, Kopitiam investment chain owns 8 food courts, 5 coffee shops, 2 cafes and about 20 stalls selling desserts.

Result of Sketchwalk at New Bridge Road

2012-01-17T23:18:00.003+08:00

A very long and big dragon dominates the streets of Chinatown bidding goodbye to the year of the rabbit and usher in the year of the dragon. The design concept is the work of six undergraduates from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), the newest university of the country. The dragon is very impressive and the sketchers were drawing it from across the road sitting in the shade.

I had problem scanning my sketch. I needed to scan 4 times to join them into whole. I was too ambitious to do a bigger piece at last Saturday's sketchwalk. Size 680 x 240mm (27" x 9.5"). Details on the right building later were added later at home.

Here are some photos of the sketchwalk with Steven Reddy on his way home from China to Seattle via Bangkok and Singapore! It was fun having Steven with the Singapore sketchers chatting, sharing, sketching and eating together! Steven also received a copy "The Art of Urban Sketching" by Gabi from Singapore. The book will only be launched in February but we got our copies first from Basheer Book Store because the books were printed in Singapore.

Five Stars Chicken Rice

2012-01-14T02:01:00.000+08:00

A sketch of the Indian family after a plate of delicious chicken rice at five stars chicken rice shop at East Coast Road.

MAAD

2012-01-13T23:59:00.000+08:00

After work, I went down to Red Dot Museum and visited the portrait artists from Organization of Illustrators Council (OIC) for the MAAD (Market for Artists and Designers) event. I sketched the singer that I did not know instead of the portrait artists that I knew.

Joint Admission Exercise

2012-01-12T23:42:00.000+08:00

It is that time of the year again for us as educators. The Polytechnics in Singapore are conducting Joint Admission Exercise. We are wearing the hats of the advisers in the admission hall for the applicants when the GCE 'O' Level result was just released on Monday. Good luck!

Prawn Noodle

2012-01-11T23:44:00.006+08:00

The prawn noodle stall at Adam Road Food Centre was still very popular when I was there during the weekday but less crowded as compared to weekend. The decorations for Lunar New Year were spotted all over the stall with blinking lights and red everywhere. A little overkill in my opinion.

Ad-hoc Chinese New Year Sketchwalk

2012-01-11T12:44:00.005+08:00

We will sketch with Steven Reddy from Seattle this Saturday. Steven is going home from China via Singapore from 10 to 18 Jan. Check out his blog full of beautiful sketches. Before his trip to Singapore, he sketched with the Bangkok sketchers so now he is egar to meet the Singapore Sketchers.

Meet 9.30am at McDonald's Lucky China Town Point located at 211 New Bridge Road. We will explore the New Bridge Road, the big dragon, the bridge and the row of beautiful heritage buildings aka Majestic Hotel, Yue Hwa Emporium. Here is the map.

at forty hands

2012-01-07T00:16:00.000+08:00

A sketch at the Forty Hands before the book launch on 'Muar' by Dr Lai Chee Kien and the NUS project group at Books Actually opposite the cafe.

Teochew porridge

2012-01-06T23:09:00.004+08:00

Speed drawing as the line was long and moved very fast. Customers came and left for Teochew porridge stall at Bedok food centre.

Teochew porridge is generally referred to home cooked style buffet with watery porridge, fried luncheon meat, salted eggs, steamed fish, Chinese sausages and chye poh omelette (salted radish). Oh yes, don't forget a small plate of tau see sauce (salted black bean sauce) to go with the steamed fish.

The book "Urban Sketchers in Lisbon - drawing the city"

2012-01-05T23:00:00.000+08:00

I got my copy sent by Eduardo Salavisa tonight.
If you like to purchase a copy, click the buy button on side bar at USK.

video of Lisbon by Gabi

2012-01-02T17:47:00.002+08:00

The memories of 2011! An unforgettable July afternoon near Lisbon, celebrating the end of the Symposium with friends, music and opened sketchbooks. The Sabina song is so beautiful.

In the video I was sketching and the sketch was posted here.

a sketch on first day of 2012

2012-01-01T23:45:00.000+08:00

My first sketch of the new year!

I spent my first day of the year fetching my 80-year-old mother from her church at 12noon and brought her to Por Kee Restaurant at Tiong Bahru for a very good lunch with their signature dishes - the champagne Pork Rib and braised sea cucumber with chef's special tofu. I caught up with my dad who spent his morning painting the house when I sent my mom home. I later visited Singapore Art Museum just in time for the last day of Amanda Heng's show and then took a coffee break with a piece of carrot cake at the nice cafe "Food for Thought". Before I reached home, I bought 3 slices of very good beef and cooked one steak with mashed potatoes for my 16-year-old son who loved it so much!

What did I discover:
If you want to be happy, be. ~Leo Tolstoy
We can do no great things, only small things with great love. ~Mother Teresa

Looking forward to another great year!

last few sketches of the year

2011-12-31T23:55:00.000+08:00

Orchard Road mall is crowded with people but the outdoor walkway lacks interesting icons, well designed kiosks, artistic signages, festive sculptures which are badly designed and installed. The scales are very flat and dull.

This corner at Scape off the main Orchard belt is dead and quiet. The blue umbrellas and the big shades cast by the trees attracted me to sketch the otherwise dry and empty area.

After show and tell, some of us went to nearby food court at Cineleisure where I did a sketch on my Muji sketchbook.

last sketchwalk of year 2011, hello 2012!

2011-12-31T18:55:00.009+08:00

To celebrate the last day of the year, I decided to do a colourful piece for the otherwise dull Orchard Road Mall in my personal opinion. This morning we had the last sketchwalk of the year 2011 and we met so many new and young faces. There was Charles, a 9-year-old boy who stood next to me in the photo. He joined us for the very first time.

Spread the good vibes of sketching people! Looking forward to a great 2012 ahead!

Year End Sketchwalk at Orchard!

2011-12-30T11:17:00.004+08:00

Hi all,
For the last saturday of the year, we will be having our sketchwalk along Orchard Road. This will be our chance to capture the christmas decorations before they come down. (christmas is still on considering there are supposed to be 12 days of it.) Here is the plan:

10AM- Meet outside ION's entrance (where the colourful sculptures are. Facing Tangs)
1PM- Meet at Scape (outside Toastbox) We will either head for the basement or one of the higher floors of Scape where we will have space for "show and tell". Then we will have lunch around the area.

Weather report say that saturday will be stormy. But we will have plenty of shopping centres to hide in if it does. If you feel overwhelmed when you think of Orchard Road, too many things to draw, and the crowds, then think along these lines -
1. isolate smaller interesting things. eg, just one decoration or one shop.
2. Use the crowds to your advantage. You can hide among them to sneak a drawing of interesting people.
3. Go into and around the malls to explore and draw. Some interesting ones are ION (interesting curves inside and outside. Outside Prologue bookstore could be nice to draw), Lucky plaza (with a lot of maids on leave), Mandarin Gallery (they have nice big chairs to sit inside), Scape(interesting building design. Dance classes upstairs.), and youth park (across from Scape. it's not a mall. but it could be interesting.) You could also capture buskers in the underground tunnels (between Tangs and ION. Between Lucky Plaza and Takashimaya.)

See you there!

PS. Edric will be leading a group after lunch to finish drawing the Tudor Court area. (other end of Orchard Rd). Please follow him after lunch if you are one of those who can't get enough of sketching!

The Art of Urban Sketching

2011-12-29T00:35:00.003+08:00

YES! The book is available FIRST in Singapore. Copies at Basheers Graphic Books are all sold out but the folks at Basheers reserved a copy for me to collect today! Here is the video by Parka who bought his copy earlier. It is an incredible book put together by Gabi, our energetic and highly capable President of Urban Sketchers which I am also one of the founding board directors. I also helped to coordinate the Singapore chapter of the book. Order your copy at Amazon now or you can wait for the world-wide book launch in Feb 2012.

Here is the link to order online.

final sketch at Hong Kong airport

2011-12-28T00:25:00.003+08:00

a final sketch at the Hong Kong International Airport before boarding the plane. The quick portrait was my daughter at a dinner earlier. I did her mouth too big this time.

Tim Ho Wan Dim Sum in Hong Kong

2011-12-27T00:10:00.004+08:00

a sketch at the road side while waiting to go for a dim sum lunch at Tim Ho Wan Dim Sum meal (添好運點心專門店)。One Mitchelin star but 3 hour wait! First we went early at around 10am to get a number (our number was like 107 or something like that) and went back to the shop 3 hours later. We got our table only at around 2.30pm.

We also tried another Mitchelin star Mark's Wanton Noodle at Causeway Bay, no need to wait.

Hyatt Regency Shatin brunch

2011-12-26T22:18:00.000+08:00

The day after my son's wedding, together with the new Mrs Lee, we spent quality family time at Hyatt Regency Shatin for their fantastic buffet spread for brunch.

cafe and restaurant in Hong Kong

2011-12-26T02:22:00.001+08:00

Afternoon tea at McCafe in Tsim Sha Tsui before meeting my elder son for dinner. It was situated in the basement of a building along a very crowded street. The other sketch was done after a meal at Harbour Restaurant located a few steps outside my son's apartment at Manhattan Heights. The restaurant served really good soup served in a big ceramic pot.

Hong Kong Ocean Park

2011-12-26T02:01:00.002+08:00

The following day we arrived in Hong Kong, we visited the new attraction called the Hair Riser at Hong Kong Ocean Park. According to CNN International, it is a "floor-less roller coaster traveled at 88 kph, upside down, just for the hell of it". The ride was only one-week old.

My husband and I wondered around the theme park while our daughter and son went for a few rides. They had a great time and I had a sketch on the colourful Hair Riser while looking after their bags at the outdoor seating area of a cafe.

Hong Kong Trip Dec 2011

2011-12-25T01:47:00.000+08:00

My family attended my elder son's wedding in Hong Kong. I was excited, busy but still tried to do some sketches before and after the wedding when we were combing the streets of Hong Kong. It started from the Changi Airport - 3 sketches at starbucks, at the boarding gate and while we were high in the air.

X'mas Eve Sketchwalk on 24 Dec 2011

2011-12-24T21:59:00.004+08:00

This morning, we had a X'mas eve sketchwalk at Vivo City, I did three sketches. Two on the giant X'mas tree and one on the ship "Logos Hope" - a one-of-its kind ship which sails around the world as a floating library and book store. The piece was presented to Drewscape as a X'mas sketch exchange among sketchers. He promised to give me a scan of the sketch of the ship later. The video is by Parka.

size : 254 x 178mm (10 x 7")

and here it is!

first page in a new muji sketchbook

2011-12-23T23:55:00.001+08:00

first sketch in a new muji sketchbook.

Christmas 2011 sketchwalk at Vivo City

2011-12-22T16:14:00.005+08:00

Dear fellow Urban Sketchers and friends,

In conjunction with the closing of the Urban Sketchers Singapore: Volume 1 Exhibition at the URA Centre and also to celebrate this festive season the way we know best (through sketching, of course!), we have lined up a series of sketch walks for you!

1) First of all, we shall make a special return to Vivo City as we did for last year's Christmas sketch walk.

Venue: Vivo City's Sky Park Amphitheatre

Date: 24 Dec 2011 (Saturday)

Meeting Time: 9.30am

Show-and-Tell Time: 12.30pm

This time, we'll explore the Sky Park area, and sketch-able subjects include the giant Christmas tree, the huge rooftop wading pool, the various outdoor sculptures and installation artwork (including the Elephant Parade!), and also the nearby cable-cars, cruise liners, waterfront and ferry terminal facing Sentosa Island, as well as St James Power Station. And that's just the outdoor ones!

At the same time, we would like to reprise the "Sketch Gift Exchange" game that we had last year, in which every sketcher who turns up would participate by drawing a special piece (in any of your own preferred style, paper and size), submit it into a box or bag, and during the show-and-tell session, randomly choose ANOTHER fellow sketcher's work as a Christmas gift to bring home!

So please remember to bring along your own single-sheet sketch paper (or card) in preparation for this special exchange.

We could also buy your lunch and bring it over to the Amphitheatre for the show-and-tell session at 12.30pm sharp, and picnic at the same time.

After that, we should then all make our way back (by bus *) to the URA Centre by 1.30pm to have a special closure of the exhibition, and also to help remove and collect back our sketches on display, as well as purchase any of the frames used in the display if so wish.

There might be special announcements after that, so do keep yourself available till around 2.30 or 3pm if possible.

* We could take the public bus services 80 and 145 to URA Centre, or alternatively, if we could get around 30-40 sketchers, we would hire a special charter bus via URA, for S$40 and split the bill. Do leave a comment under this post with your name to indicate your interest to share this charter bus.

2) Some of us who might not be celebrating Christmas at home and might like to do it with fellow sketchers, could join a special Christmas Day sketchwalk!

Venue: Orchard Road (from Ion Orchard to Tudor Court)

Date: 25 Dec 2011 (Sunday)

Meet: 1pm at Orchard MRT Station (Ticket Office)

Show-and-Tell: 3.30pm at Tudor Court

3) With the Monday (Boxing Day) being a public holiday too, some of us would like to take this opportunity and sketch over at Pulau Ubin.

Venue: Changi Point Ferry Terminal
Date: 26 Dec 2011 (Monday)

Meeting Time: 10am
Show-and-Tell Time: 3pm and beyond.

4) There will also be a final and official last-Saturday-of-the-month sketch walk on New Year's Eve. So while keeping an eye on the updates, do keep that morning free to join us too!

WATCH THIS SPACE!
In the meantime, see you all there, and have a Merry Christmas!!!

For "watch this space", check USKSG blog for update!

Result of Sketchwalk at Kreta Ayer

2011-12-12T21:38:00.003+08:00

Last Saturday sketchwalk at Kreta Ayer was one of the last in the series to have another young planner from URA, Jevon Liew, URA to deliver an interesting and informative talk before the sketchwalk.

Chinatown of Singapore is a very unique neighbourhood where you can find not only Chinese temples but also an Indian temple at Temple Street, a Muslim Mosque at Mosque Street, a Methodist Church at Telok Ayer Street and an Indian Shrine at Boon Tat Street.

Today, Chinatown comprises five districts: Telok Ayer, Bukit Pasoh, Tanjong Pagar, Kreta Ayer and Ann Siang Hill.

Last Saturday, we explore Kreta Ayer, the heart of Chinatown.

URA talk and Sketchwalk at Kreta Ayer

2011-12-10T22:16:00.002+08:00

last sketch

2011-12-09T00:00:00.000+08:00

last page of muji sketchbook started in early November.
Bedok Food Centre. I had my favourite fish soup and rice at Hung Kang Fish Porridge.

lunch at Jack's Place

2011-12-08T22:58:00.003+08:00

I had a fall two days ago so I was on pain killers. I felt better and I went to Jack's Place for lunch with my son who was dropping his overdued library books. At Jack's Place, we met Mr Tang Guan Bee, the respectable architect who sat next to our table. He was so gracious to pay for our lunch. Great company.

URA talk and Special Sketchwalk

2011-12-04T21:33:00.004+08:00

Dear fellow friends & USK sketchers,

This will be our one of our last few sketchwalks for 2011 and URA has kindly organised a special talk for us before we begin our sketchwalk to Kreta Ayer. This talk by URA's planner Jevon will be very informative and many sketchers found it useful during the previous talk. We hope that by knowing more Chinatown's history, culture and architecture, we will be able to sketch with an enlightened mind. Please help us spread the word and bring all your friends to this special event!

Meeting point - URA centre
1) Talk by URA Planner - URA Theatrette (Level 3)
2) Location #1 - Sago Lane (corridor between block 4 & chinatown hawker centre)
3) Location #2 - Junction of Keong Saik road & Kreta Ayer
4) Location #3 - Kreta Ayer People's theatre & Community Centre
End point - URA Atirum

Date : 10th Dec 2011
Time: 10-10.30am (Talk by URA Planner)
10.30--1.15pm (Sketchwalk)
1.15-1.30pm (Show & Tell)

** Just a gentle reminder that our recently published Urbansketcher book is still on sale at URA atrium, Kinokunikya; Basheers, BooksActually & Woods in the Books. If you are wondering what to buy for christmas, this is definitely the perfect gift to get!

field trip with students

2011-12-01T23:05:00.005+08:00

I brought the students to Singapore River for a drawing field trip today. I did the demo with three totally different sketches today. They are:
1. Hero M86 with Noodler's ink on 305x229mm (12"X9") 300gsm (140lbs) watercolour paper.
2. Hero M86 with Noodler's ink on 130x130mm (5"x5") Muji Sketchbook
3. Bamboo dip pen with Hero ink on 400x200mm (8"x6") 300gsm (140lbs) watercolour paper.

bedok at night

2011-11-30T22:48:00.005+08:00

At this coffee shop opposite Temasek Junior College in Bedok, men were seen drinking beer in bottles kept chilled in a big tub. Young and sexy Chinese girls would go around to serve and pour the beer for the customers who were mainly middle age Singaporean men. Beside drinking, most of them were watching TV provided by the coffee shop owner and some were seen reading the evening Chinese newspaper. This lady in my sketch appeared to be so bored while the husband was drinking his beer and reading the papers.

another demo

2011-11-29T23:11:00.000+08:00

A quick demo piece in A3 size to a group of students in my drawing class at the campus.

salty dishes

2011-11-28T22:57:00.000+08:00

That's a quick sketch of my husband at a family dinner. We were having the fish soup steamboat and the crab vermicili at the coffee shop next to Siglap Centre. Both dishes were so salty! We will probably not visit the stall for a very long time to come.

shopping therapy

2011-11-27T23:06:00.000+08:00

I don't like shopping but I like the coffee break when I go shopping. This is a sketch after my favourite Kueh Lopes and the brewed coffee at Oleh Oleh Teahouse at Parkway Parade in the afternoon.

Kueh Lopes is one of the many popular Malay desserts made from glutinous rice wrapped in individual triangle using banana leaves and left to boil for a few hours. They are served with grated coconut and palm sugar syrup.

result of november sketchwalk

2011-11-26T22:23:00.003+08:00

I did three watercolour pieces at today's sketchwalk. At Teck Lim Road, I was attracted to the view of UOB Plaza through a narrow passage and the playful light and shadow. At the corner of Keong Siak Road and Teck Lim Road, I liked the scale and proportion of the rear view of the row of shophouses and a colourful triangular car parking sign powered by a solar panel attached to the top of the sign. The third location, I was again attracted to the interesting light and shadow cast on this building situated at the corner of Jiak Chuan Road and Teck Lim Road.

November Sketchwalk

2011-11-22T22:46:00.002+08:00

Hi all, here is the sketchwalk plan for this saturday. We will be reprising Keong Saik for the new comers and covering Bukit Pasoh too, which will be a new area for us all. If you come late, please find us along this route.

Meeting/Endpoint - URA centre Atrium

Location #1 - Junction of Neil Road & Teck Lim Road

Location #2 - Keong Saik road

Location #3 - Bukit Pasoh (Majestic Hotel)

Date : 26th Nov 2011

Time: 10.00am --1.00pm (Sketchwalk)

1.00pm (Show & Tell @ Atrium)

at the airport cafe

2011-11-21T23:35:00.001+08:00

My youngest son was selected by his school to visit the Venice Biennale and we were at Changi Airport last Thursday night to send him off to Venice. We were waiting at the coffee club before he joined his 6 other schoolmates and 2 teachers at the check-in counter.

lunch at waterloo street

2011-11-16T23:49:00.004+08:00

I had lunch at my favourite chicken rice stall at Waterloo Street on my off day. I was surprised there was no queue but as I finished the plate of chicken rice and a cup of coffee, the lunch crowd started to build up. People were standing next to me but I did not know whether they were looking at my sketch or they were waiting for me to leave so they could take over my seat at this busy lunch hour.

Skinny Pizza

2011-11-15T23:18:00.003+08:00

Black in colour, the squid seafood pizza was so good! After splashing some coffee, I started a sketch. Teety from Skinny Pizza, Raffles City was so in awe when she saw me sketching her restaurant. She repeatedly said "my god" like more than 10 times.... Ha!

heavy rain

2011-11-13T00:23:00.015+08:00

At Saturday ad-hoc Sketchwalk. I did three sketches with two under the heavy rain at second location. This was done at the first location at Ann Siang Hill just outside URA building. Ann Siang Hill is characterised by the old clans buildings at both sides of the road.

At second location. Started a sketch at Boon Tat Street and it began to rain like cats and dogs. Got to find the shelter along the narrow five foot way on the left of this location.

My third sketch at the junction of Amoy Street and Boon Tat Street. Some of us took shelter at the narrow five-foot way along Amoy Street looking at Boon Tat Street. I was sitting near to the umbrella you see here before the rain started. Finally a group picture for the great turn out. The heavy rain did not deter the spirit and we had a great time sketching together!

Video of Sketchwalk on 12 Nov 2011

2011-11-12T19:51:00.000+08:00

URA talk and Sketchwalk at Telok Ayer

2011-11-08T19:29:00.003+08:00

Meeting point - URA centre
1) Location #1 - Ann Siang Hill Park (deck infront of P.S Cafe)
2) Location #2 - Junction of Amoy and Boon Tat street
3) Location #3 - Thian Hock Keng temple
End point - URA centre

Date : 12th Nov 2011
Time: 10-10.30am (Talk by URA Planner)
10.30--1.15pm (Sketchwalk)
1.15-1.30pm (Show & Tell)

2011-11-07T23:18:00.000+08:00

My husband was busy so I brought my son and daughter to Katong Village for Korean BBQ dinner. We booked a table earlier so we were given the side room with about 5 to 6 tables. The main dinner hall, where the buffet table was located, was so crowded and smoky. The 3 groups of dinners next to our table were all foreigners with our immediate neighbouring table speaking in Thai and other people in other tables speaking in Korean language. I did the sketch after our wonderful dinner on a new Muji Sketchbook.

Our hair and clothes all smell of smoke and meat when we left the place.

USKSG book launch photo collage

2011-11-06T23:27:00.001+08:00

the book poster

2011-11-05T23:34:00.000+08:00

Support "Give a little, Ge a sketch!"

2011-11-04T02:10:00.000+08:00

collage of sketches for Oct

2011-11-04T00:55:00.002+08:00

last page of Oct Muji sketchbook

2011-11-03T00:11:00.001+08:00

Hurray, last page of October muji sketchbook. I love the olio pasta at Coffee Club Siglap in my neighbourhood.

Interestingly, I started this Muji Sketchbook with a sketch at Coffee Club and ended the book with a sketch at another Coffee Club outlet.

Korner at the Scarlet Hotel

2011-11-02T23:43:00.001+08:00

Took a day leave to send the books overseas in the morning and went to deposit two books to the library, a requirement for a publisher like me. Before going back to URA centre to help man the book sale counter, I went to chill at the nearby cafe called "Korner" on the ground floor of the Scarlet Hotel at 33 Erskine Road off Club Street. Korner is the latest addition to the increasingly trendy scene on Ann Siang Hill and Club Street, however, the interior though cozy with all the ornaments, patterned ceiling and colourful throw cushions; is overkill for a small space in the otherwise narrow shophouse envelope.

in the local newspaper

2011-11-01T00:16:00.002+08:00

We were featured in the two big local newspaper Lian He Zao Bao 联合早报 and The Straits Time dated 23 Oct and 29 Oct 2011 respectively.

lunch at telok ayer hawker centre

2011-10-31T22:46:00.004+08:00

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

2011-10-31T02:06:00.003+08:00

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

2011-10-30T23:30:00.000+08:00

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

2011-10-29T23:38:00.000+08:00

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

2011-10-28T23:41:00.000+08:00

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

2011-10-27T21:35:00.006+08:00

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

2011-10-27T02:22:00.003+08:00

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"

2011-10-26T00:48:00.004+08:00

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

2011-10-25T22:27:00.000+08:00

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

2011-10-24T00:13:00.001+08:00

Mas Ayu at Upper East Coast Road

2011-10-23T02:34:00.001+08:00

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

2011-10-22T23:13:00.003+08:00

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

2011-10-21T02:19:00.002+08:00

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

2011-10-19T22:29:00.001+08:00

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

2011-10-16T00:55:00.000+08:00

sketch on the receipt

2011-10-15T19:01:00.001+08:00

old charm coffee shop

2011-10-14T23:23:00.004+08:00

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!

Coffee Club at Kinokuniya Bookstore

2011-10-13T23:03:00.000+08:00

I went to Kinokuniya to collect the sample of the book that I publish for Urban Sketchers Singapore. The book entitled "Urban Sketchers Singapore volume 1" will be sold at Kinokuniya on the book launch day for S$49. Before the appointment, I was chilling out at Coffee Club inside the bookstore with a cup of coffee and a piece of "hazelnut caramel craving" chocolate mousse cake.

This is a double-page sketch on a new Muji Sketchbook of size 130 x 130mm.

all are welcome

2011-10-12T19:37:00.000+08:00

USKSG Volume 1 BOOK LAUNCH

2011-10-10T13:34:00.000+08:00

Dear friends & fellow sketchers,

The upcoming Urbansketchers-Singapore book is nearly ready and we are very excited and pleased to share this unique book with you.

It has taken us many months to put together and no easy feat. The book now has 252 coloured pages filled with more than 360 beautiful sketches. Come join us for the official book launch on the 21st October, 5pm at Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) Atrium. The launch will also be accompanied by a very comprehensive and colourful exhibition showcasing our tools, sketchbooks and live sketching demostrations.

Follow this link to pre-order your books at only SGD$39 instead of the original price of SGD$49 after the launch.

the little presale foldout

2011-10-07T19:28:00.000+08:00

The is the initial little presale foldout we did to promote the USKSG book. I brought a few copies to Lisbon and told people that the launch date was 9 Sep 2011. We then set up the facebook page, website and twitter to shout out to interested people and the launch date was finally set to be on 21 Oct 2011. These few weeks a few memebers from Urban Sketchers Singapore are busy with our book launch on 21 Oct 2011 at URA Centre. I am the independent publisher for the book it is our contribution to promote the manesfesto of Urban Sketchers worldwide.

Steve Jobs (1955 - 2011)

2011-10-06T10:58:00.000+08:00

late lunch

2011-10-05T00:43:00.003+08:00

I took another half day leave to attend a meeting on the Urban Sketchers Singapore book launch at Urban Redevelopment Authority on Monday. I went to Beach Road for my late lunch before the meeting. Thien Kee Steamboat Restaurant in the basement of Golden Mile Complex is where my family met for steamboat dinner when I was young. At night the place was usually packed to the brim with people especially on weekends.

dinner at sakae sushi

2011-10-04T20:36:00.005+08:00

Last Saturday was a productive day, I not only did a sketch during sketchwalk at Balestier, I also did three sketches on Muji Sketchbook during breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is the one done at dinner at Suntec City Sakae Sushi. The young french couple sitting in front of my seat was with their new born baby. The young father was holding the milk bottle and feeding the baby when I sketched them.

Result of Sketchwalk at Balestier Road

2011-10-03T22:14:00.000+08:00

Balestier Road is the location for an ad-hoc sketchwalk last Saturday. I joined the group in the afternoon after lunch at Loy Kee Chicken Rice. The row of shophouses was built in 1926 by a female developer, Mdm Sim Cheng Neo. It was designed by the architect firm of Westerhout and Oman. It is also called Sim Kwong Ho building as the name is inscribed on the front parapet of the building. The modern building on the right is Balestier Point built in 1986. It is an award winning building which derives its inspiration from Habitat 67 designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie in Montreal, Canada who is the architect for the Marina Bay Sands at Marina Bay of Singapore.

lunch at Loy Chee Kee chicken rice

2011-10-02T23:55:00.000+08:00

breakfast

2011-10-02T23:25:00.000+08:00

I had porridge breakfast at Marine Parade Food Center. It was a complicated scene with people moving, talking but I managed to do a quick sketch.

typical street scene in Hong Kong

2011-10-01T21:15:00.000+08:00

This is the corner of Soy Street, a typical corner of street scene in Hong Kong with lots of overhead signages across the narrow street, small buses, cars and people.

art cafe at K11

2011-09-30T21:06:00.001+08:00

K11 is accessible from the underground passage between Tsim Sha Tsui and East Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station where our hotel Regal Kowloon is situated. K11 claimed to be the world's first art shopping mall and we did see a lot of design shops and public art installations at the mall. I had a good coffee and sketched the cafe when I got really tired with all the walking and looking.

view of Kennedy Town

2011-09-30T20:57:00.000+08:00

I did a sketch from my son's apartment in Kennedy Town. I could see ppl and living quarters on the roof top of the old buildings just like what we saw in the Hong Kong movies.

Saturday dimsum brunch

2011-09-29T18:14:00.005+08:00

Everytime when we visit our son in Hong Kong, he will bring us to City Hall Maxime's Palace, a Hong Kong institution for a hearty dim sum meal.

Cafe de Coral

2011-09-28T01:00:00.001+08:00

Cafe de Coral or 大家樂 as it was normally called, must be the most popular local brand in Hong Kong when you think about Chinese style fastfood. We had our breakfast in Mongkok and we found one near the MTR station. I thought the customers were more tourists than the locals.

view from the hotel

2011-09-27T01:28:00.000+08:00

View from my hotel Regal Kowloon. We stayed there on Friday night and we were trying to extend for another night but it would cost SGD600 so it was not worth it since we could use the money to do some eating and shopping and stay at my son's apartment in Hong Kong Island. I did this sketch while waiting for my husband to arrive from Guangzhou via ferry with his consultant team on an official trip. We later met up with my son who brought us to a very nice place for a very good fishhead steamboat dinner, a poplular Hunan dish.

Hong Kong skyline

2011-09-26T22:02:00.014+08:00

My contribution from Hong Kong on last weekend when everyone in Urban Sketchers Singapore was working hard on a panaromic sketch of Club Street in Singapore on Saturday. Read Paul's great post here.

The air in Hong Kong was polluted so I really could not see the buildings clearly. I walked the entire stretch from one end to the other end and settled down with an icy coffee at Starburks at Avenue of the Stars. View from Kowloon towards Hong Kong Island.

In the air sketching

2011-09-24T00:17:00.002+08:00

I went on a weekend trip to Hong Kong last Friday. I did the first sketch at Changi Airport on a new sketchbook I bought from Lisbon. The sketchbook was handmade by Ketta Linhares. You can follow her here. The second sketch was done in the air inside the Singapore Airline plane. It was shaking most of the time when I did this sketch. I just went with the flow with curvy wiggly lines.

mindless sketching

2011-09-23T00:55:00.000+08:00

lots of work in the day so mindless sketching helps me to relax at dinner.

my shoes

2011-09-22T21:15:00.000+08:00

Shoes are the most common subject for sketchers and here I am sharing mine. I started drawing the left shoe and half of the right shoe a few months back at a meeting. The ink dried up and I only completed this page recently in Sep 2011.

sketchwalk this month

2011-09-21T22:24:00.006+08:00

Hi sketchers,

This month's sketchwalk will begin at 10AM at the sculpture outside URA Centre (Along Maxwell Rd.) We will walk up along Ann Siang Road and then along Club Street toward Far East Square. Pace is free and easy as usual. You may make your own detours whenever and wherever you like. We will regroup again at 1PM at Ya Kun coffeeshop located outside Far East Square for "show and tell." There are lunch places nearby. Closest MRT station to start point is Tanjong Pagar station. (See map for clearer picture.). You may continue to sketch in the afternoon after lunch with Edric Hsu who has a very good recommendation to have dinner at Nazt Bistro Lounge at Club Street after 6pm. Edric can be contacted at 96358132.

Please contact Paul 97923622 for more info or if you can't find us. If you come late, please find us along the route as mentioned. We will be there. See you this saturday!

USKSG on New Paper

2011-09-20T00:00:00.000+08:00

pottery jungle

2011-09-19T00:13:00.003+08:00

On Sunday, I felt that I should do a sketch today when sketchers in USKSG were working hard at Sentosa. Spread the sketching bug people!

at the library

2011-09-19T00:00:00.001+08:00

Library is a good place to draw people. This guy caught my attention at the National Library with his long socks up to his knees. Since nobody wears long socks in Singapore, I am sure he is a tourist. Plus he has a nice paper bag next to him that I assume it is a shopping bag which a tourist would carry. Just guessing.

local food centre

2011-09-18T22:40:00.001+08:00

It was a Sunday. Sheng Siong Food Centre at Jurong West was packed with lunch crowd. There were student hostels near-by so most of the customers were young men and ladies from China. This Singaporean father with twin sons were enjoying their food next to the wanton mee (dumpling noodles) stall. The stall was also selling roast duck, pork and char siew (braised pork). The stall was trying to extend their territory by placing two trolleys in front of the display counter. The food centre was cluttered, busy and noisy.

Devil's Brew at Rocky Master

2011-09-18T02:07:00.000+08:00

At Rocky Master opposite the National Library. I had a simple spaghetti aglio olio and their special coffee - the Devil's Brew. The coffee was cold and the spaghetti a little too bland. I added lots of pepper and tabasco to taste. The family in my sketch left and another big group of Indian family walked in. They talked about the current legal cases in Singapore so they could be lawyers with the insider juicy stories which were more tasteful than my dinner. The sepia tones here were the Devil's Brew.

Pacific Coffee at Red Dot Museum

2011-09-17T22:46:00.019+08:00

Last Friday, I took a half day leave to attend to the book project. A sketch at Pacific Coffee at Red Dot Museum before the meeting with URA did help to calm my nerve. Almost everyone in the cafe was working on a computer, the guy on the right in the sketch was talking on his mobile for quite a long time so I could sketch him. Two men in the photo below took over the seats left vacant by the guy in my sketch almost immediately.