Jun Sketchwalk

We went to Garden by the Bay for the Jun sketchwalk. It was really fun and exciting although the weather was so hot and humid. This was done after lunch with only a few sketchers who were helping to man the booth. We were representing Urban Sketchers Singapore for an one-day event which I found out later that it was the first anniversary for Garden by the Bay! Happy Birthday!

The supertrees

We went to Garden by the Bay for the Jun sketchwalk. It was really fun and exciting although the weather was so hazy, hot and humid. This was the first sketch in the morning when I hide at the shaded corner at the Chinese garden overlooking Silver Garden to sketch. 11 out of 18 of these Supertrees are embedded with environmentally sustainable functions like photovoltaic cells to harvest solar energy. These unique trees of up to 16 storeys in height can be found all around the Gardens - 12 at the Supertree Grove, while the remaining 6 are placed in clusters of threes at the Golden and Silver Garden.

Rain after Haze

This was the day that it rained in the east for the very first time after the worst spell of haze in the country. I was sitting comfortably under the shelter but this family was not so lucky. We moved in to allow their table to be protected from the rain but it did not work when the rain got stronger. The family of four did enjoy family bonding time over their lunch with a big umbrella on their table. HA!

June Sketchwalk at The Meadows

This sketchwalk will be part of the National Family Celebrations 2013. It will be a satellite event billed as a bonding activity for the families expected to gather at Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade and Promontory.

It will centre around The Meadows at Gardens By The Bay, though you are free to explore further. A map of points of interest will be released on Thursday night.

Do continue to sketch after if you wish to.

From 3 to 6 pm, the public can visit the booth to collect free sketchbooks and drawing materials and enjoy sketching as a family, inspired by what we have put up for show.

Some things to also note:
1) Should the haze create unhealthy conditions, this sketchwalk will either be moved indoors or cancelled.
2) Plan for road closures due to rehearsals of the National Day Celebrations and the Milo Youth Triathlon. Refer to http://www.onemotoring.com.sg/.
3) Family Day Out Carnival itself is from 10 am to 7 pm.
4) There'll be a picnic-styled free concert from 5 to 9 pm at the Gardens.

See you there!

Epigram's sale conference

A sketch at the sale conference organised by Epigram, our publisher for the neighbourhood series. So far these are the titles published under the series: Toa Payoh, Tiong Bahru and Bedok. The next one is Queestown.

Day 5 - Kek Lok Si Temple

Kek Lok Si Temple.

350 x 350mm ink and watercolour.

This is a must visit destination for tourists in Penang. The tower has not lost its charm but the entire complex is now very commercialised with very built-up structures here and there. The only thing remain unchanged perhaps is the beautiful blue sky hugging the lushly greens.

Day 4 - Tiger China House, Penang

Koh Lay Huan House, 25 China Street.

350 x 350mm ink and watercolour.

Visited this beautiful big conservation house with the Penang sketchers. It is a private home of Rebecca Wilkinson and we were so honoured to be given the permission to sketch the interiors with the help from Gwynn and Li Jynn. I was so overwhelmed with the spaces and the furnishings that I forgot our mission - to sketch.

When I toured the house and finally settled down to a spot, others had already started and got into the groove of sketching. Perhaps I was a little too ambitious to sketch on the big format so I decided to capture the mood to give it a 'sense of place' - a very unique place indeed.


more info on on their website here.

Day 3 - Chew Jetty and Armenian Street

Day 3 at Chew Jetty.
Went for a trip with sketcher friends to Penang from 13 to 18 Jun, 2013.

350x350mm ink and watercolour

I was there two years' ago. Chew Jetty is so touristy now. Most of the residences have converted into home-stay for tourists or transformed into little shops selling souvenirs. It has definitely lost its rustic charm and rural appeal. I will probably give it a miss if I do visit Penang again.

Day 2 - Campbell Street, Penang

Junction of Campbell Street and Cintra Street at Chinatown, Penang.

350x350mm ink and watercolour

We sat outside the corner of Campbell St and Cintra St in Chinatown. The Rolex shop was not open yet in the early morning and we were all hiding in the shade under the scorching sun. Then I noticed a women clicking away with her iPad non-stop. She broke the silence and started talking to Jenny Tsai from Taipei. She introduced herself as Ms Wong and she was the lady boss of the Rolex shop!!! She is also from Taiwan! Jenny and Ms Wong struck the same chord and Jenny got an instant discount for a Rolex lady watch at RM$24,000. Of course no sketcher was ready to pay that kind of money. We were all happy to complete the sketches. Ms Wong was nice to offer us drinks, toilet breaks and lots of photo takings with what else, her iPad. Once again, this showed that 'sketching is a social activity'. We later had our lunch at the traditional dim sum shop a few doors away and again, some sketchers were sketching the food that started a lively interaction between the waiters and some other folks in the shop.

NDP screen shots

National Day Parade 2013

I was featured in Our Stories of this year National Day Parade 2013 website. It was filmed on Monday morning and uploaded on Thursday night by the NDP team.
The rest of my story is on NDP website at this link - http://ndp.org.sg/our-stories. Enjoy!

new tools

Since I lost my pencil case with my hero fountain pens in there, I needed fountain pens badly for my coming sketching trip to Penang from 13 to 18 Jun. So, I went to Straits Art to buy the fountain pens and something else, not one but three Escoda brushes and a Escoda pouch. I am all ready for the trip!

Crowd at the Polyclinic

I had my blood test last week and I went for doctor's consultation on a Saturday. The Polyclinic at Marine Parade was so crowded! This Malay uncle on my left was dozing away with his POSB bank card in the plastic sleeve hung over his neck. The lady in front was marking his students' test papers while the fashionable Malay lady on the front row had her dark sun glasses over her tudung. I lost my fountain pen so I used the black brush pen to do this quick sketch.

Possible National Day Project

Here is another one I did on Monday morning at Tiong Bahru for a National Day project. It was fun doing it again at the same spot for a photo shoot, possibly a video format. It was a great feeling to be able to contribute to this year's National Day again. The previous experience was the launch of the National Day First Day Cover where my art pieces were made into stamps. You can read about it here.

Commonwealth Drive Market

Andrew just came back from Japan and he needed to sketch Queenstown so we both met up at Commonwealth Drive Market on last Saturday evening. It was pouring cats and dogs so my sketch of the market was not completed. We took shelter at block 118 and I did a sketch facing the opposite block 98. The Zhi Char stall at block 118 was really good.

Tanglin Halt Market

The building typology for Tanlin Halt Market at block 48A is similar to block 38 at old Queenstown town center opposite the library characterised by its parabolic roof. Built in 1964, it was given a facelift in 2003 and it has one of the most delicious Wanton Noodles.

Phoenix Park

Block 138 at Phoenix Park is the location of my friend's art studio to conduct classes for young children. The compound is so beautiful with lush green and low rise buildings built in 1949 by the architectural firm Palmer and Turner as the regional headquarters and centre of power for the British, coordinating its military, political and economic activities in East Asia. In 1966, it was at Phoenix Park that British Defence Secretary Denis Healey announced to the press that the British would begin withdrawing troops from Singapore. The withdrawal of the British was completed in 1971 and marked the close of a chapter in Phoenix Park’s history. Phoenix Park is a Historic Site by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the National Heritage Board on 29 Aug 2012.