my sketches featured in the Italian magazine

Click these images to enlarge.

Great news, two of my pieces - Laksa and Tibetian Temple are featured in the Italian magazine called Animals. News here.

dooling with blue ink

090708_people_ps, originally uploaded by tiastudio.

One of those day when I was taking a break from the office routine, just play with the endorsing ink I found in my office stationery supply box.

house with entrance staircase

Old houses on the left with ornamented entrance staircase are fast disappearing. This house type has its root in the Malay traditional house design. The location is Joo Chiat Place. I sat at the bus stop opposite the house and sketched this. The ornamented street lamp is of a typical design found in the Joo Chiat / Eunos area traditionally a Malay village. This neighbourhood is flooded with immigrants. How do I know? I hear them speaking in at least four different foreign dialects at the bus stop on a Sunday afternoon.

our popular canteen

Designer Pad - canteen at Temasek Design School where creative juices flow. This canteen is very crowded during lunch time simply because it has a few good food stalls such as the Muslim food stall and the western food stall. The drink stall also serves very good coffee and curry puffs. Yummy!

urbansketchers-singapore blog

USK-Singapore blog is up, please do visit and give your comments to my gifted and talents sketcher friends. Spread the news, follow the blog, sign up as follower and those who are staying in Singapore can contact TIA to participate.

Enjoy!

lonely sketchcrawl

I only knew about sketchcrawl after joining USk. #23 sketchcrawl was last Saturday when I had to work on my clay pieces to prepare for the upcoming 3-day & 2-night woodfiring in early August. I still managed to find time to do one sketch at the dragon kiln. Another earlier piece of the dragon kiln was here.

museum night festival

Last Friday, the facade of the National Museum of Singapore was transformed into colourful canvas with spectacular light insllation. The windmill sculptural frame located at the main entrance of the museum carried at least three performers displaying acrobatic dance moves responding gracefully to sound and music. The performance was dazzling and spectacular culminate with a fantastic pyrotechnics show by Action Theatre PAN.OPTIKUM from Germany.

This interior sketch was done sitting outside the museum cafe before the 10.30pm night show. The crowd at the far end was the location for Donna Ong's installation work entitled "The Crytal City" which was one of my favourite display for the event.

Again, the brown colour floor was the left-over coffee from my drink.

mee pok shop

This noodle shop is my favourite lunch place about 8 minutes drive from my office. The first sketch was done sometime in February and the second just last week opposite the noodle shop. The brown road you see was the left-over black coffee. I don't smoke but the thrill I get from a sketch after lunch is probably the same feeling a smoker gets from a puff after a meal. Hmmm... this is not a good comparison when smoking is totally banned in our country at eating places....yes? no?

empty on Sunday?

Two days ago, Asnee, our Thai fellow urbansketcher had a great post displaying his many beautiful works of Singapore. One of which is our busy downtown central financial district sketched at lunch peak hours. I prefer to sketch the romantic side of Singapore, but here is a rare sketch I did early this year on Raffles Place, our downtown financial district. Inspired by recent digital exploration from the fellow urbansketchers, I added the digital colours last night. Although our downtown area is a typical busy financial belt categorised by many tall, modern and contemporary buildings designed by world renowned architects, there are less traffic and people on Sundays. Is'nt that the problem of all the financial hubs in the world that they all look like ghost towns on Sundays?

Raffles Place

I sketched Raffles Place early this year. The place was empty on Sunday so as my mood then I think. Will like to add some digital colours.

army trucks on campus

Army trucks, jeeps, battle tanks, field guns, armoured vehicles and army dogs are on the campus ground on 1 July to mark the Army Day. I wouldn't want to miss this rare opportunity to sketch the tank which is such a remote subject for me. The army boys could not resist to look at my sketchbook and they also helped me to take a picture while I was sketching. The hot weather was unbearable at about 34C (93F) for me to continue so I went back to my airconditioned office for the colouring.

More information from the graduates who are now in the army, on the left is a bionix on the right a V200..they are greek to me.

a sketch of army day in 2004

Today marks the army day and it is timely for me to post this sketch I did on 1 July 2004 on campus. I also did a new sketch today under the scorching sun and will post later.

kopitiam

Stephane's post talks about risking his life to sketch for Gabi and USKs, how about me risking my waistline going to the food outlets eat, drink and sketch! This is a typical drink or beverage stall at our local coffee shop chain called "KOPITIAM". Cigarettes are displayed above the counter but below the menu board. I was intrigued by this big transparent tube in the middle of the service counter. When I was sketching, I saw ice cubes plunging down from the ceiling to the storage under the counter inside the tube. I have not seen anything like this before.

I also realised by observing and sketching the menu board on top of the stall, the difference between traditional toast and French toast is probably the size of the bread! The fact that I like about sketching on location is really about observation and discovery. The nice lady minding the stall was happy to take a photo with my sketchbook. She also thanked me for making her look younger in the sketch.

this is where I was born!

This is an old building in art-deco architectural style with very attractive yellow door, geometrical window grilles and art nouveau mild steel balustrade design. It has a special place in my heart simply because I was born here. It used to be a very famous private hospital founded by the late Professor A.V. Salmon whose aged daughter is still staying at this building with her helper. I last met her a year ago and briefly chatted with her at the building entrance. Dr Yvonne Salmon is the longest serving staff of the then government run Kandang Kerbau Hospital which has been transformed into today's KK Women's and Children's Hospital. Both father and daughter are the who's who in the history of obstetrics and gynecology in our country.

The building has just been given a new coat of paint. I wish it will not fall prey to urbanisation and modernisation which already seen quite a number of beautiful old buildings been demolished in the vicinity.

agony

This was done in July 2003, 5 months after returning to office from New York.

after a good dinner

This sketch was done after a dinner at Kuishin-Bo, a popular Japanese buffet restaurant. The main draw is the sashimi, chawanmushi, snow crab legs, teppanyakiand and the desserts. It is not the best place for authentic Japanese food but my husband and I wanted a place to relax and eat and drink at our own pace on a Friday evening after a long day at work. After two cups of good coffee and a big piece of dark chocolate, I took out my sketchbook and started to draw.

Turkish composer Toygar Işıklı

Asnee is in town part 2

We were so lucky to be in the middle of the army reheasal for the National Day parade. This must be a rare picture with the army choppers over the sky. While we were having a drink at Harry's, the helicopters flew past with this huge Singapore flag. Artist friends from Thailand, you visit Esplanade at such a perfect day and time.

Asnee is in town

Yesterday, I met Asnee, our fellow Thai urbansketcher and Pramote, his friend. Both arrived from Penang after meeting with Ch'ng Kiah Kien. Three of them had a wonderful sketching extravaganza combing the streets of Penang, Malaysia. Asnee will post about his sketching trips to Buthan, Penang and Singapore when he goes back to Thailand. Although it was the first time we met, I was so excited over the watercolour pieces they had done at the Singapore River in the morning before our meeting. Pramote's sketching gear is also making me very jealous! Asnee and I are working hard to get Pramote to join the USK community.



After lunch, we went to Club Street for a quick tour. Asnee and I did a sketch of a newly opened bookstore Polymath and Crust from opposite view of the interior.



We took a photo with Kenny and Karen, the young owners of the bookstore. In the next photo, Kenny was browsing through Asnee's sketchbook.



I also brought them to Esplanade where Asnee did another wonderful sketch while Pramote and I were enjoying a glass of good cold beer.



While I was writing this post, Asnee just gave me a call to tell me they will be leaving for Thailand soon. Till we meet again fellow urbansketchers!

donut cafe

The ladies in my sketch were just too engrossed in the conversations that they did not turn their heads sideway at all! This sketch was done after two pieces of donuts and a black coffee at J.CO Donuts & Coffee. Two years ago, people used to form a long line for at least two hours to buy takeaway donuts at Donut Factory when the donuts frenzy invaded the market. Since then, many more other donut shops have jumped into the wagon like this donut cafe in my sketch. For me, eating donuts is like eating sugar as they are just too sweet. However, the donuts sold at this donut cafe were excellent with great topping and texture. They did taste better than I had expected. Munching donuts with black coffee is not the same anymore - it is a perfect match!

Urbansketchers Video

original here in Italian.

Urban Sketchers May 09 for Galassia Gutenberg from Gabriel Campanario on Vimeo.

same building at different angles

This corner of the street is my favourite spot for sketching. The corner building at Club Street and Ann Siang Hill has been given a new leaf and it is now a very popular hang out place especially for the expatriates in the evening with dinning tables and chairs packing the entire corridor. However, when I did these two drawings from different angles on two separate weekends in the early morning in 2007 and 2008 respectively, the street was relatively empty and quiet. I will probably go back and do another drawing for 2009 but this time, a night scene perhaps....and have you noticed the same road sign (Club Street) at the same place?

1000 Journals, il film a Napoli

1000 Journals - extended trailer from Andrea Kreuzhage on Vimeo.

22nd sketchcrawl in san francisco

22nd SketchCrawl San Francisco from Goro on Vimeo.

air ships in the shopping complex?

I did a sketch at a huge suburban shopping complex called Novena Square. This sketch was done over a regular black coffee at the link bridge which is also the location for a local coffee chain called "Coffee Bean". There are these gigantic "air-ship" sculptures hanging in the atrium that are permanent and I thought they are just too loud and overpowering.

Little India

Singapore is a multi racial society. So far I have done sketches on Club Street near Chinese area, Kampong Glam the Malay area and how can I not do a sketch right in the heart of Little India? Here it is - Kerbau Road.

The weather was hot and humid at about 34 degree C. I could not find a comfortable spot on the street so I decided to sketch inside the car with the air conditioning turned on. I was lucky to find a parking lot opposite this building.

a busy artsy weekend

I had a very busy weekend. On Saturday, I did a sketch on location and completed a A2 size watercolour piece at home. On Sunday, I had my usual 'first Sunday of the month' breakfast at the Dragon Kiln followed by a visit to Sock Fong's glass studio at Emily Hill. My friends and I even made time to visit an art exhibition before the closing time at 6pm. We took a group photo at Sock Fong's glass studio.
From left: Yulianti Qey (Mrs Tan), Hua Hoong, Carol, Sock Fong, Siew Kuan, Tuan Yong and TIA.



Sock Fong and her studio assistants going through my sketchbook. It was a day with good food and very very good avanti expresso!

napkin sketch

Cathy Johnson, a fellow Urabansketcher, posted a napkin sketch. It reminds me of the one and only napkin sketch I'd done two and a half years ago during a dinner at a Chinese restaurant. The quality and the texture of the napkin; or we call serviette; was not good and ideal but I did like the flow of the ink on the surface. The original sketch was given to the little girl and I kept an image with a camera. I used my favourite Lamy fountain pen to sketch and it has been my faithful companion till this day.

the last sketch of the day

In the evening, I went to attend a book launch at my friend's new bookstore called "Polymath and Crust" at 86 Club Street. It now gives me reasons to visit and sketch more of my favourite street. Photos here. The sketching bugs following me even on my day off. Three sketches on the same day when I am out of the office. *smile*.

at the car showroom

I did this sketch of Nissan 370Z at the car showroom when I took half a day off from the office to send my car for general servicing. It is very expensive to own and drive a car in Singapore. The reason is because we have to pay for a 10-year Certificate of Entitlement, (COE)before we can own a car. This beautiful Nissan 370Z will cost around S$160,000 (about US$110,000) and it is probably much cheaper in other countries. A typical car will cost around S$70,000 easily.

smoking, no smoking?

In public area, smokers can only take the seats marked with yellow line. This popular food centre at Adam Road hang huge A3 size 'smoking' and 'no smoking' signs at the umbrella poles.

doodle at a meeting

I doodled to keep awake at a meeting. I listened while my hand moved.