dome at parkway parade

This is Cafe Dome next to Borders at Parkway Parade, one of the biggest shopping malls in the east. When I was there in the morning, the timber framed glass doors connecting Borders and Dome were still shut on the left. It was a significant day for Borders who was to close its biggest flagship store in Asia at Wheelock Place in Orchard Road due to a dispute with the landlord. This store at Parkway Parade will be the only one in this country.

trouble Borders

Orange Thimble in Tiong Bahru

The Orange Thimble is a new cafe in Tiong Bahru. The same owners as White Canvas Gallery. I like the concept and the ambience of the place. One of my Tiong Bahru sketches was hung on the wall.

Katong Laksa

I had a bowl of Katong Laksa before heading home. I had to sketch this family sitting in front of me directly. They were wearing the sport T-shirt that had country flags on the sleeves plus the word EPL on it. The scale was also interesting with the little girl sitting among the party. As I was sketching, I dropped the Hero Pen and the nib was alright but I could feel it cut the paper a little as I sketched. The ink also flowed more and bled a little.

I do not mind it, just need to get used to it as long as the ink continues to flow.

A dinner date with my children

I brought my son and daughter for dinner when my husband was on business trip last Friday. I had been very very busy since my return from Lisbon so I treasured the dinner date very much. I pampered them by ordering dishes that they like. I managed to do a sketch after a very good meal. We continued to shop and bought a pair of pants and a very nice shirt for my son.

This sketch was done on the first page of the new Muji Sketchbook. Size 130 x 130mm.

Prawn Noodles at Thomson Road

I took a half day leave in the afternoon and drove to Thomson Road for my lunch. I saw this crowded coffee shop just opposite Novena Catholic Church so I decided to check it out. From the newspaper clippings on the wall, I realised that this coffee shop was hailed as having the legendary prawn noodle from Whitley Road! So I ordered a bowl of dry noodles with medium size prawn and a cup of coffee. The verdict : I like it very much especially the soup.

This sketch is also the last page of the Muji Sketchbook size: 130 x 130mm.

Stamps with my artwork

First Day Covers are here!

National Day First Day Cover

It is out! The news release on National Day First Day Cover. If you not already known, the stamps feature 4 of my sketches of which two were done on locations in Joo Chiat , the heritage town and Taman Jurong to give tribute to late Goh Keng Swee's economic contribution to our country. My earlier post with the sketches is here.

a simple sketch of Obidos

I was ambitious to try a big format for Obidos. But there was no time. So I had to keep it very simple. Colours were added later and I kept it as simple as I started on site. Less lines and textures, just shapes and simple colours.

This was the last one inside the walls. Size 200 x 400mm or 8" x 16" ink and watercolours.

Day trip to Obidos

We took a day trip to Obidos on Monday, 25 July, 2011. I did two big format sketches and this is the very first one at size 200 X 400mm or 8" x 16".

I then moved on to do the second piece on a square format. You can spot Pramote and Ana in the picture too. For this piece below the size is 200 x 200mm or 8" x 8".

splashes with Forty Hands coffee!

back to people & cafe sketches

People and cafe sketches done over a few days after my Lisbon trip.

Result of Sketchwalk at Peranakan Musuem and Substation

Result of last sketchwalk back home. Although I was still having jet-lag from the Lisbon trip, I attended the July sketchwalk last Saturday. I was so glad to see so many young new sketchers. They had great potential. Thanks Parka for the pictures.

my sketches on National Day Stamp First Day Cover!

Sintra & Obidos after Lisbon

After the symposium ended on Saturday 23 July, on Sunday 24 July, a few of us were invited to join the USK Lisbon group for a celebration at the beautiful weekend house of Pedro Cabral and Rita, his wife at Sintra. The group worked very hard to make the symposium a great success! Among the Lisbon sketchers, there were also talented and really professional guitarists and singers.

On Monday, 25 July, 2011, I also joined Asnee, Pramote from Thailand, Ana Luisa Frazão and Dulce Nunes from Portugal for a day trip to Obidos to sketch. It was like a mini symposium. These five sketches were done in the Muji Sketchbook.

Obidos, a old walled town, is 100km in the north of Lisbon. Bougainvilleas were everywhere and the town retained some authenticity when no new building was permitted and only the existing structures within the walls were used as shops. The walls of the old town were painted white, with blue or yellow ochre trimmings. The town was occupied by the Moors before falling into Christian hands and that explained the Moorish patterns everywhere.

Lisbon Symposium - Day three

Lisbon Symposium - Day two

Day two I attended the workshop called "Stories of the Square" by Melanie Reim and Angela Luzia. These are the sketches I did according to time stamp the top one being the last and the quickest like 5 to 10 mins. The A4 auction piece was missing in my original post to raise fund for scholarship for the next symposium but the successful bidder, Mario and Ketta Linhares scanned a copy and sent to me so I can now show it here which is the second one from the top. The interior was the lecture hall packed with participants, instructors, speakers and volunteers.

In the afternoon, I attended another workshop by Eduardo and Monica. It was about movements and we watched people at the Cais Do Sodre. I totally forgot about these two pieces of people sketches. They were done on A4 sizes as exercises. I enjoyed being a student again and followed strictly according to their instructions.

First we did the tree sketch along the way from FBAUL to Cais do Sodre just to warm up for about 20 to 30mins. Then we arrived at Cais do Sodre to do the people sketch after watching them for a while.