Impromptu Johor Bahru Trip

Did 3 sketches on the new A4 watercolour papers. It’s a last minute impromptu trip to join three ladies to Johor Bahru. So I had no Malaysian notes but no problem - thanks to their loan and great company!

I put a map here to show the location of Flame and Fern near KSL City Mall. There are other red spots I want to visit in the future trips.

Muse Watson watercolour papers 300gm, Japan. https://www.muse-paper.co.jp/
Size: 297 x 210mm A4

6 Letter Brunch Cafe at Crawford Lane

This morning I joined I Jio You Sketching! and Cafe Sketchers Singapore to sketch at 6 letter brunch at 464 Crawford Lane. I had the big breakfast and my usual long black at the bottom right of this sketch. So happy to sketch with younger friends as they made me feel very much younger!

I sketched on the last three pages of Baohong Accordion Sketchbook square format with the new long-kinfe-nib fountain pen and Winsor and Newton watercolours.

Baohong Accordion Square
Size: 510 x 170mm

Video on April Sketchwalk

HarbourFront Centre soon to be demolished

I bought a few packets of normal A4 cartridge papers 135gm when I teach at Brahm Centre. So I just brought a few to the official sketchwalk and did the splashing for the sky on the spot. I love the blue by Talents Van Gogh watercolour set. The rest are Winsor and Newton watercolours.

Cartridge papers 135gm
Size: 297 x 210mm

Kampong Glam

Yap Yeen Yee and Teoh Kim Seah from Malaysia joined us on a Fridat morning to sketch Kampong Glam. It was a very humid and hot day at 33degC but we were all very happy sketching together with the group at Clementi Artists 金文泰咖啡聚 and The Society of Chinese Artists.

Arches Watercolour Paper
Size: 680 x 280mm

April Sketchwalk at HarbourFront Centre

Hi Sketchers!

For April 2026's month end sketchwalk, we have a special collab sketchwalk with Mapletree to say goodbye to HarbourFront Centre, which is closing this year! This will be followed up with an exhibition of selected sketches, similar to our sketchwalk at St James Power Station and exhibition at ARC last year.

If you are keen to be considered for the exhibition, please print and fill in the release form from here: (https://drive.google.com/.../1uSO.../view...).

There will be a photographer on site to take photos of the event and photograph your sketches for the exhibition after the show-and-tell.

Formerly known as World Trade Centre when it opened in 1977, HarbourFront Centre was renovated and given its present name in 2003. It was once the gateway to Sentosa and the Expo hub before Suntec City and Singapore Expo were built. Ferries ferried visitors to and from Sentosa island and large-scale events like the book fairs and Festival of Books were held at the exhibition halls (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1PtRhXgYGp/).

HarbourFront Centre is closing in the second half of this year, and Mapletree has invited us to sketch and bid farewell to this historic landmark. An exhibition is planned to feature selected sketches. So bring your sketch tools and your stories and join us!

There will be a welcome briefing with our hosts at 9:30 am before we begin.

If you wish to sketch indoors, you may patronise one of the cafes or eateries. Please do not set up your stool inside the mall as it will obstruct shoppers.

Please note that the show and tell location is at the front entrance of HarbourFront Centre.

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𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀:
Date: 25 April 2026
Time: 9.30am - 12.15pm
Nearest MRT station: Harbourfront MRT
Meeting point: VivoCity Lvl 3 SkyPark beside Marché
Throwdown location: Harbourfront Lvl 1 entrance
Address: https://maps.app.goo.gl/bZQHJsZCtiK6hwcG8
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𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆:
9.30am: Briefing at meeting point.
9.40am: Free and easy sketch
12pm: Start packing your things and make your way for Show & Tell
12.15pm: Show and Tell (Harbourfront Lvl 1 entrance)
12.30pm: End
*Please note that location of Briefing and Show and Tell may subject to change if weather changes. Admin will edit location on this post if any changes.
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𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲:
By participating this Event, you agree with the followings:
1. My participation in this Event is entirely voluntary.
2. I am aware of and agree to assume any and all risks which might be associated with the Event and I will not hold Urban Sketchers Singapore (USkSG) and any admin/organiser responsible or liable in any way for and will not commence any action arising from the Event, or claim for any loss and/or damage (including, without limitation, personal injury and/or property damage) caused by or sustained as a result of my participation in the Event.
3. I will indemnify USkSG and keep USkSG indemnified against all losses, claims, demands, actions, proceedings, damages, costs, expenses, and any other liability arising in any way from my participation in the above Event.
4. For participant under 18 years old, his/her parent/guardian are aware and agree to the above clauses.
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𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆:
1. Make your way to the location, be aware of surroundings, and maintain necessary distancing.
2. Challenge yourself to explore hidden corners that hasn't been seen/drawn yet; this will also help prevent too many of us crowding the same perching points.
3. Post your sketches, snapshots and videos online — 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬 #𝐮𝐬𝐤𝐬𝐠 — so everyone can easily find the day's artistic output.
4. Some sketch leaders will go around to catch you in action for posts on Facebook and Instagram, so look out for them!
5. Happy sketching!! 
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𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘀:
Event banner by Favian Ee

SUTD 2026 Edition

For the record - four instructors and about 80 students at Singapore University of Technology and Design. We just concluded the SUTD 2026 Edition, what a talented group, again. Keep sketching!

Posted by Tia Boon Sim on Saturday 18 April 2026

New Towers at former Liang Court

Work in progress!

Here is one new work started this week with the very nice long knife-nib fountain pen gifted by Andrew Tan. The ever changing skyline includes the new towers at former Liang Court and former Arcade. We have become tourists in our own backyard.

A Dinner Date

We don't see our youngest son often since he leaves early for work and comes home very late after 10pm. So we made appointment last Thursday with him to have a good dinner near his office at Izakaya Niningashi at 2, Craig Road. Very unique dishes plus a rare place to have warm sake.

Local Production

Support local production. Watched the 2012 version now watched it again with new cast.

Posted by Tia Boon Sim on Saturday 11 April 2026

Video on location

Burmese Buddhist Temple

Check out the temple from this link: https://www.bbt.org.sg/

The Page Boy (Thu-nge-daw):
These two boys make sure all is in good order for the arrival of the king and his entourage. Page boys were young sons of lesser princes and nobles who served as errand boys in the palace. He is dressed rather like a jester, but with gold medallions and chains around his neck. He wears his hair tied in two bunches, one on either side of the head, high above the ears.

The Bell:
This bell outside the temple which is carried by two unique royal page boys is one of the master pieces for Myanmar traditional art. Devotees love to ring the bell as it is attractive and exclusive, especially for first time visitors.

The Chinthay:
The mythical lion-like creature standing in pairs at the entrance of a Burmese temple is called a Chinthe (or Chinthay). These statues function as guardians to protect the pagoda or temple from evil. While often depicted as stylized, powerful lions, they can sometimes appear as "man-lion" figures.

The pagodas:
Burmese pagodas, or paya, are sacred stupas in Myanmar that typically house Buddhist relics and act as centers for worship and meditation. They are often bell-shaped, gilded with gold leaf, and topped with a spire called a hti, featuring prominently in Myanmar's landscape, which is often called the "land of pagodas".