Logo

The logo was designed by James Lim, the sketcher who went as team one from 18 to 24 Nov 2017. It was used on the T-shirts.

local food before leaving for India

I will be leaving for India for a sketching trip this evening, so before I tuck into curry and spices, let's have a bowl of my favourite meepok and kopi-O at my favourite place, Lau Lim mee pok at Simpang Bedok.

found our favourite food stall

We used to go to the zi char stall (cooked food) at the old location at Telok Kurau but they moved a few years back. I chanced upon the new location driving along Changi Road so we decided to go there for dinner last Sunday. It was super crowded and we waited for an hour for our food to arrive. It was worth the wait but I might try to go during weekdays. After the meal, we had ice-cream just across the road called "Leng Leng" as in "cold cold" in Chinese with all the local flavours such as gula melaka, black sesame plus others. The posters on the wall were super hilarious when the texts were in Singlish.

I ran out of ink but my son continued to sketch and it was a pleasure to watch. Here are the photos taken of him sketching.

Petain Road

Result of November Sketchwalk. There are three parts of Petain Road in this long sketch namely the shophouse, the park and the playground.

Petain Road was named by municipal government of Singapore in 1928 after Field Marshall Henri Philippe Petain, one of France’s greatest military heroes from the First World War. However, the name drew controversy when the French military force grew from bad to worst as Petain became the Prime Minister of France in 1940. There were suggestions to change the name of the road when it became a notorious red light district in Little India in the old days. Today, this row of beautiful shophouses are the homes of rich and famous with elaborate majolica floral ceramic tiles covering the walls and flowers, cranes and phoenix adorning the pillars and walls. Directly across Petain Road is a big park with lush green and a colourful playground.

Size : 700mmx300mm
Paper : Saunders Waterford

it is staring at me

This motorcycle was staring at me to sketch it. I think it belongs to a student on campus.

Parenting with iPad

I am alright with tissue box on the dinning table at coffee shop but not the iPad. Why are the young parents letting their kids glue to the cartoons on the iPad at the dinning table? The parents should try to engage the children with meaningful conversations or activities from a very young age at the dinning table.

November Sketchwalk at Little India

We're going to Little India this weekend, at the Kitchener Road vicinity. Kitchener Road stretches from Jalan Besar and cuts through the heart of Little India.

START
9:30 am
City Square Mall
— main entrance where the Christmas decor is going up

Closest MRT station:
Farrer Park on the North East Line
Exit H or I

END
Somme Road Playground
— stone's throw from City Square Mall
https://goo.gl/maps/wV2eFEX1o8N2

We'll meet at 12:15pm to share our works from the session.

Tampines One Toast Box

I needed a local coffee after my lunch at Tampines One, Toast Box was just there but very crowded during lunch hour. There was a constant line at the counter and I was so lucky to find a very tight seat just next to the column at the back that I could see the entire cafe. An ideal angle to watch people and sketch. Two old uncles were chatting over coffee, office workers having lunch, executives looking at their phones all the time, mothers talking about their children and senior couples helping each other with their food and I was sitting there sketching, such is life!

My father loves Steak

We brought our 85-year-old father to this one michelin star restaurant for his favourite steak on Saturday. I did a sketch before he arrived and my fountain pens had no ink. So this was done in ball pen.

My brother said "we will be there 10 to 15 mins" and we both forgot our father now walks in a much slower pace. He may walk slowly but his mind is still active and he knows he is a blessed man in the world.

He thoroughly enjoyed his two glasses of beer and a 200-g steak, still with all (except one) of his real teeth intact.

Bumpy Ride

My mother-in-law passed-on on Tuesday, 7 Nov 2017, 11:10am at The Changi Hospital. I was just returning to work on the same week under a re-employment contract after my official retirement the week before. Tough week as I continued to teach 5 classes on Wednesday and Thursday in addition to attending to the wake and funeral preparations. My elder son also rushed back from Hong Kong. On Sunday, I sat at the back seat of my car for the very first time as I was always on the front seats. I was able to sketch amidst the bumpy ride on our way to collect the bones and ashes of my mother-in-law at Mandai Columbarium.

Both my parent-in-laws born and die in the same year, 1930 - 2017, aged 87 with 6 great grand children. Blessings!

Result of last Oct Sketchwalk

Work in progress for the top two sketches.

I sketched from the left of a long sketch. This is the tiger and I was trying to continue with the leopard in the afternoon but did not, may be another day. I will be back.

I last brought my three children there for the Dragon water ride when they were little. Yes, the Dragon water ride was the main attraction for many years before Universal Studio on Sentosa island. Built in 1937, Haw Par Villa is famous for its often gruesome depictions of Chinese folklore’s 10 Courts of Hell apart from the Dragon water ride near its main entrance. The theme park is recently repainted with all the existing features and scenes from Chinese legends such as Journey to the West and Madame White Snake. From the many antique cars owned by the brothers, you can tell how the brothers love to flaunt their wealth.

You will see tiger balm advertisement all over the park since that is what the two famous brother, Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par got the fortune from in the old days. I sketched the Haw (tiger) and will sketch the Par (leopard) another day.

October Sketchwalk at Haw Par Villa

We're going to visit the ten courts of hell! With over 1,000 statues and 150 giant dioramas, you'll have a field day capturing scenes from Chinese mythology, folklore, legends, history, and depictions of Confucianism.

It is also the relaunch of Haw Par Villa after a switch of managing entity, so there will be lots of activities throughout the day, and plenty of media coverage.

MEETING POINTS
9:30 am
Jade Room – Outside
(go straight up the slope after entering park gate)
– Quick briefing (good for newcomers)

12:15 pm
Jade Room – Inside
– Gather for "sketchgawk" where everyone displays works done for the day; for staring at, drooling over and snapshots.

12:30 pm
Group photo for posterity

A glimpse of sea view

Now I only stay at Hotel Jen when I visit Hong Kong because it is just a stone throw from Belchers where my granddaughters are staying. It is very rare for me to do a sketch from the hotel window since I rather spend more time with the two cuties.

It was a gorgeous Sunday after T8 typhoon warning the day before and it was also rare that I got up too early with nothing else to do. They cleared and cleaned the roof top of the old mansion opposite the hotel now I only saw huge aircond coolers, fences and pipes. There used to be laundry hanging and an old lady exercising on that roof top but they were nowhere to be seen.

The Hong Kong rooftop activities are diminishing so as part of its culture and heritage. With that gone, I now focus on the sea view beyond from the hotel window. Hong Kong waterways are busy with so many big and small cruises, cargo ships, tugboats, vessels and barges.

Hong Kong sketches

I was in Hong Kong visiting my granddaughters from 13 to 17 Oct, 2017. There was no time to sketch and there was even a T8 typhoon warning on Sunday morning when we got out of the hotel looking for my favourite porridge shop at the corner of Belcher's and Sands Street.

Most of the Hong Kong sketches were done on the last day - eating at Tim Ho Wan after checked-in, on the Aiport Express MTR train and one last one at the airport lounge, best thing to do while waiting to board the plane.

Airport Lounge

Love sketching at the airport lounge, especially sketching the plane that I would be boarding soon.

Off to Hong Kong

First time got a seat with ample leg room and sat next to a design graduate I taught around ten years ago. While she was sleeping on my right, I did a sketch inside the SIA cabin looking left. It felt like I was still sitting there watching.

Cool 360 view of a long sketch

Cool, FB made it into 360 view, love it, have fun clicking at the link below

Total 10 pages of a long sketch on one location for the recent Kuching trip capturing Jalan Main Bazaar, Waterfront, the new modern looking bridge, the new Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building Petra Jaya Sarawak Malaysia and the Sarawak River plus the rehearsal for rescue operation on a Sunday morning!

Click to see 360 view of a panoramic sketch here at
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10159364870145244&l=2835516a42

Day 4 at Asia-Link Sketchwalk: Kuching 2017

Hong San Si Temple in Kuching

Read about this Hokkien temple is easily the finest temple in Kuching. It is just located opposite Marian, our hotel which stood on a small hill leased to the hotel by the Anglican Mission overlooking the undulating Sarawak River.

I was in Kuching to attend the 2nd Asia-Link Sketchwalk 2017 hosted by Urban Sketchers Kuching from 5 - 8 Oct, 2017.

Everyone was sitting outside the hotel fence sketching this temple, it must be one of the most sketched temples at the event. This long sketch took up 9 pages from the "Moleskine Japanese Album Large" concertina sketchbook and I just took photos of the long sketch in parts and stitched them in the computer. I have given up scanning long sketches.

Asia-Link Sketchwalk 2017 in Kuching

Asia-Link Sketchwalk 2017 in Kuching

Share Talk Speakers

I am ready!

Robertson Quay

I was trying to travel really light with a sketchbook, a fountain pen, watercolours, a brush pen and a stool.

Thanks Patrick Ng for the ink refill. This piece took two reserviours of inks to complete and I only brought one fountain pen. So I started with splashing watercolours first rather than my usual ink work.

I used 6 pages in Seawhite concertina sketchbook Seawhite of Brighton, adding the balustrades and some details after the show and tell.

Family Lunch

Tasty Court today was crowded with 4 big tables of office workers having company lunch.

I observe the changes at this place in the neighbourhood and I am happy for this quiet corner at Jalan Tua Kong and Figaro St to be so lively again with this new restaurant by a famous chef.

Stewed rice vermicelli with seafood and supreme stock in opeh leaf is really good. We had the chef's special chicken last time so today we tried the duck in mango sauce, yummy!

www.facebook.com/Tasty-Court-by-Chef-Pung-718798384975248/

Self Portraits

Two self-portraits one with pencil and the other ink and wash. One with glasses and one without glasses both done after my cataract removal surgery which was on 23 Aug 2017. I am still trying to get used to the new vision which is not balance now since I only operated on the left eye. Meanwhile I am relying on wearing contact lens on the right eye only and I will need reading glasses for desk work. I am working with my eye doctor to have the other eye operated so that I can use my right eye to read without wearing reading glasses in the future. Right now I am also having clear and bright vision like seeing cool light in the operated eye and blur and yellowish like seeing warm light in the other eye.

September Sketchwalk at Robertson Quay

This weekend, we'll be swarming the former godowns of Robertson Quay. Named after Dr J. Murray Robertson, a prominent Municipal Councillor of colonial era Singapore, it is the largest and most upstream of the three main historical quays on the Singapore River, the other two being Boat Quay and Clarke Quay.

MEETING POINTS
9:30 am – Start at the roundabout end of Merbau Road
*between Bella Pasta and ROSSO VINO
https://goo.gl/maps/VL8iS8K4g1H2

12:30 pm – End at Robertson Bridge
*outside Limoncello Pizza & Grill
https://goo.gl/maps/4mwhPYDDF8p

These old warehouses, today integrated into newer developments, show another historic layer to an ever evolving Singapore River. Compared to the busy throngs of people further downstream, here the banks are much quieter, flanked by residences, hotels and laid back restaurants.

The Alkaff Bridge, painted by Filipino artist Pacita Abad, straddles the middle of the district, and gazetted godown buildings sit at Caseen Street, Merbau Road and Robertson Quay.

Little India

Adding details to an old sketch at Dunlop Street, Little India. No fountain pen for the first time.

My motivation for this piece? I always wanted to get the road signs in with no outline. That explains why the signes are almost in the centre.

Neighbourhood pizza place

Bakers&Cook is side by side with Plank, both operated by a celebrity chef Dean Brettschneider who also runs a baking and cooking school. My son joined me for dinner later and we met an old colleague of mine, what a day!

I Love our Local Coffee

The freshly brewed coffee here is S$1.70, black and thick just the way I like. The shop just added the glass door and glass shopfront for a new air conditioned interior but the glass door never shut properly for that kind of heavy traffic to the shop.

In the past, the local coffee used beans that were drum-roasted with sugar, margarine and maize. The beans were sticky, shinny in dark black brown before they were ground and brewed with a sock-like cotton strainer.

Teo's noodle at Bedok

It is weekend and such a long queue at Teo's noodle at Bedok. Everyone in the line was looking at the smart phone except a few middle-age aunties.

Must try since we were not in the hurry. I could also do a sketch while my hubby in this sketch in red top was waiting in line. The noodle was really good except getting a little salty towards the end, still yum! Will definitely come back again and again.

Even my other favourite local dish was seeing a even longer line. It was not too long a queue when I last visited the stall and did a sketch here

Good Vibes Only

My very first cup of coffee for the day at 1pm here at cafe called "Stamping Ground Coffee", no wonder I was feeling strange in the morning without my coffee. This cafe outside my house has a rather long name. There are only three big tables inside the shop but if you don't mind the heat, there are seats outdoor.

Good food, good coffee, hope I have a sketching company next time. Good Vibes Only!

First Outdoor Sketch after a brief hiatus

my demo piece for the students from LaSalle on a Saturday, so there were overlapping shapes, lines and washes here and there as I spoke.

As I talked about learning points for the students such as line qualities (thick, thin, continuous, broken lines), composition (mountain, valley, vertical, horizontal and oblique), tonal values (scale 0, 2, 5 , 8 and 10) and accent colours at 3 spots with washes, I finished a sketch with ink and washes.

This is also the first outdoor sketch after my eye surgery, such fun!

Pan Pacific and Conrad Hotel

I sat at the indoor cafe and looked through the window without wearing my sun glasses for the first time even it appeared to be very hot outdoor.

Sketching Pan Pacific Hotel on the right brought back fond memories. My office was involved in the Marina Square Master Planning in my first job as a junior and young architect in 1979. Pan Pacific Hotel together with Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Marina Mandarin Hotel were the first three hotels at Marina Centre designed by John Portman widely known for popularizing hotels and office buildings with multi-storied interior atria. I remember I saw John Portman briefly at the office boardroom and admired the large and detailed models at that time. I heard his sketches done on the spot were kept by the bosses and they were probably no where to be traced by now.

Within a short span of over 30 years, Marina Square at Marina Centre is now fully developed with so many new hotels and mega malls sprouting out here and there, Portman's hotels still stand timeless and modern in this cluttered world of new buildings.

On the left is the relatively newer luxurious Conrad Hotel designed by another famous American architect, Philip Johnson. Far left is Millenia Tower by Kevin Roche, Pritzker Prize winner. All such luxurious and expensive buildings.

View from the Library

This is the view from the Marine Parade Public Library. You can spot the Church of the Holy Family easily from the low rise surroundings. The entire stretch of land opposite the library is currently under construction for the new Thomson East Coast Line (TEL) so it was boarded up and construction equipment are seen everywhere. The TEL will open in 5 stages from 2019 onward, and interchanges with all existing lines. Across the Library will be the Marine Parade Station which is under stage 4 scheduled to open in 2023. Another 6 years!

More information on TEL at https://www.lta.gov.sg/content/ltaweb/en/public-transport/projects/tel.html

Sunday Breakfast

So many uncles gathered together at the coffee shop for Sunday breakfast, are their wives at the wet markets nearby?

The old uncles spoke so loud about a ghost story at the old Tampines Road and used phrases like ”电脑合成” (digitally manipulated) and other proper Chinese terms rather than mixtures of Mandarin and English or Singlish, I was impressed.