Masons at Gillman Barracks

Second piece at Gillman Barracks on a Saturday morning. People from Masons were very nice that they came out with free scorns with jams for us and invited us to have lunch at the restaurant at a special price. Before lunch, a group photo at the huge carpark shaded by the banyan trees near Masons.

Gillman Barracks

We explored Gillman Barracks for our Sketchwalk on last Saturday of March. The complex was first built in 1936 as an military camp but it went through a few changes. I remember one my my engineer friends invested in this entire place and converted it into a eating and entertainment enclaves in the late 80s. We tried to support by having parties and visited the famous "Kar Soh Fish Head Soup" a few times. However, the location was too remote for people like us staying in the east. I heard it was really tough for the operators then. Now, this place has transformed yet again into a latest contemporary art destination in Singapore.

We were there at 9:30am in the morning and the place was totally deserted although it hailed to create a vibrant arts scene made up of museums, galleries. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the vast space, the lush greenery and the great company sketching together. I did two pieces on my newly acquired sketchbook bought in Bangkok for only 300bht or S$4.00. One sketch was done at block 22 overlooking block 9 and the other piece was done near the big banyan trees outside Masons, block 8.

Size : 160mm x 300mm
Media : ink and watercolour

Coastal Settlement

this is my third time at the same restaurant within a short span of two weeks! love this place, food is good, decor is cool, ambiance is cozy. Village or kampong living with a modern twist!

March Sketchwalk

Hi all, sketchwalk this saturday March 30th, will be at Gillman Barracks. This is a former military camp which has been converted into a place for art galleries and eateries. I've not been there myself, but sketchers who have been there recommend it.

The closest MRT station is Labrador Park (Circle Line Station CC27.) From there, it is just a short walk up along Alexandra Rd to the Gillman Barracks at 9 Lock Rd. A clearer direction and map can be found here: http://www.gillmanbarracks.com/visit.php

We will gather at Gillman Barracks (9 Lock Rd) at 930am to start our sketchwalk. So please have your breakfast before coming. Sketchwalk will be free and easy so you can draw whatever catches your interest there, be it buildings or bugs. At 12.30pm, please return back to the start point (9 Lock Rd) where we will gather, look at everyone's drawings and take photo!

Everyone in Singapore is invited. And if this is your first time, we encourage you to travel light as you may have to do some walking. Bring a hat in case it gets hot. Bring a foldable stool if it will make you feel more comfortable. All drawing levels are welcome so don't be shy. You are also free to use any drawing tools and technique you wish. In fact, this is a good time to try techniques and art tools you've never tried before because it is all just for fun!

The place is relatively easy to find and it will be easy to spot the sketchers. But if you are seriously lost, you may call 91070735. (But please call only if you are seriously lost or else I will have to keep answering my phone will I'm sketching. Thanks!) See you all there!

Mini Anagama Firing

We had the mini Anagama firing over the weekend. It started on Saturday 16 Mar for a 48-hour firing, the longest that we have ever done. The mini Anagama was built by the resident potter Steven Low from scratch. He had experimented after a few rounds of firing and this is the first time the group is firing with this small wood kiln.

Size : 250 x 250mm (top) 254 x 178mm (bottom)

my youngest son is 18

My son's 18th birthday, the family went to Les Bouchons for his favourite steak. It is located at Tyler Print Institute at Robertson Quay. It is a very cozy steak house with very good collection of wine. This was drawn on the table paper and I just torn the paper and brought home for a scan after the meal.

Size : 300mm x 260mm
Medium : ink

Teppanyai dinner

No acrobatic style but the chef was good at his teppanyaki knife set. Business was good that there was a constant long line of customers waiting for seats.

Dhoby Ghaut

Saturday we visited Dhoby Ghaut area. Dhoby means laundry and this area was the laundry drying yard in the past. Now, the modern open amphitheater is so quiet and located away from the MRT station. People hardly walked towards the beautifully designed amphitheater. I did two pieces one inside the amphitheater and another one from the open space looking towards the amphitheater.

Size : 410mm x 310mm or 16" x 12"
Medium : Dropper ink and wash
Paper : St Cuthberts Mill's Bockingford Watercolour Paper

Thai neighbourhood

Day 2 - 4th piece. This Chinese community was vibrant and full of life with shops and hawker stalls sprawling over the narrow roads. It was just next to the Princess Mother Memorial Park.

Size : 410mm x 310mm or 16" x 12"
Medium : Dropper ink and wash
Paper : St Cuthberts Mill's Bockingford Watercolour Paper

the canal community

Day 2 - 3rd piece. In the afternoon, I followed the group to visit a market only to find out that it was an abandoned old market in the Roang Kram Community. We then walked to this interesting open space in a dense residential quarter. The fish mural wall was a community project and there were so many big and small, simple and elaborated outdoor shrines on the right.

Size : 410mm x 310mm or 16" x 12"
Medium : Dropper ink and wash
Paper : St Cuthberts Mill's Bockingford Watercolour Paper

another Monastery

Day 2 - 1st and 2nd pieces.

left - This is the Monastery area at Wat Buppharam. As the monks had been informed of our sketching activity, they left us alone but a few came standing behind us and watched for a short while. Again, I had to sketch the attractive overhead cables, they were all over the city. I also noticed there were many stray dogs around but they were well taken care of by the monks.

right - On the left is a bell tower, not very tall but I was intrigued by the small gap between the bell tower and a old charming house with large roof overhang. There was a man who came down of the stairs and entered the room on the left of the bell tower. It must be a very very small room probably only 2m x 2m.

Size : 254mm x 178mm or 10" x 7"
Medium : ink and watercolour

a Chinese temple in Bangkok

Day 1 - 4th piece at the Klongsan area, the Kuan Yu Shrine.

Size : 410mm x 310mm or 16" x 12"
Medium : Noodler's Spirit of Bamboo ink and Watercolour
Paper : St Cuthberts Mill's Bockingford Watercolour Paper

monastery

Day 1 - 3rd piece at the monastery area. We saw many devotees entering this monk's residence with offerings. He must be a very popular monk. The monk later came out of the door and conducted a simple ritual to bless a new car parked along the road where we seated. By now, I noticed Bangkok had all the wooden or metal posts with huge overhead cables tangling, running across everywhere.

Size : 410mm x 310mm or 16" x 12"
Medium : Dropper ink and wash
Paper : St Cuthberts Mill's Bockingford Watercolour Paper

turtle lake

Day 1 - 2nd piece. A Chinese style turtle lake and garden near to the Steel Fence Temple or Wat Prayura Pagoda. I had only ten minutes so I decided to do a very broad-stroke sketch. I used the dropper directly from the ink bottle to sketch.

Size : 200 x 400mm or 8" x 16"
Medium : dropper ink and wash

at the jetty

Day 1 - 1st piece at Wat Prayurawongs river view. The building on the right is Department of City Police. I was sketching this view from the floating platform after the bridge on the right. People were surprised that I did not get any headache or motion sickness. I said I had that all the time imaging myself moving left, right, front and back in everyday's life. HA!

Size : 200 x 400mm or 8" x 16"
Medium : ink and watercolour

Wat Pho

Day 0 - A very quick sketch before the sky got darker, plus i was doing work, distributing name tag, badges, sketchbooks and saying hello to so many sketchers from Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Taiwan, Australia, Phuket and Bangkok. Before the sketch, I joined the tour conducted by the assistant abbot of Wat Pho. We were treated to a welcome dinner hosted by the temple in the open ground. Some sketchers were still sketching in the dark.

Size : 200 x 400mm or 8" x 16"
Medium : Ink and Watercolour

Join us this Saturday

at the airport

We were so early at Suvarnabhumi Airport, rested well at the airport lounge and ready to go home!

colourful dessert stall

Classic Thai mango sticky rice dessert plus many other choices!!!! The pile in front of the lady is the sticky rice.

at the mosque

A very relax sketch at the Mosque along ChaoPhraya River. As we visited Thai shrines, Chinese temples and the Muslim mosques, it was so fascinating to know all the religious buildings co-exist harmoniously along the ChaoPhraya River. The abbots, monks and imams all spoke the Thai language in their respective costumes.

a group photo

Group picture at Princess Mother Memorial Park on the last day of the event on 24 Feb 2013. Participants from Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand sketched together with new friendship and lots of fun despite the hot and humid weather at 38deg C at times.
Photo credit : The Royal Photographic Society of Thailand (RPST)by Mr. Jirawat Phuengsomwong และคุณอ๊อด

Tak Sin Cross River Ferry Pier and Ibis Hotel

Day 1 on 22 Feb 2013 for the Sketchwalk ChaoPhraya event in Bangkok. After checking in at Ibis Hotel from the airport and having tea reception hosted by a nice local lady who co-owned a nice cafe, we walked to Tak Sin Cross River Ferry Pier to take a water taxi to the other side called Sathon Pier along ChaoPhraya River for just 3.50bht or below 20cents!!! We then took another water taxi from Sathon Pier to Wat Pho for the temple tour and recepiton dinner hosted by the Assistant Abbot. What an honour!