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Last Day on Day 4

Day 4 - 17 Aug 2025
Last record of the recent ALSW trip in Phuket. Forgot what did I do in the morning; probably having hearty breakfast with friends whom we met only once a year during ALSW. In order not to miss the mass group photo at Golden Dragon Monument at 12noon, we arrived early to take photos with friends. This time we had not one but two national flags for the mass group photoshoot. Love it!

We walked to the Phuket City Hotel under the scotching hot sun for the final closing ceremony, what a blast with the 'yellow pencil' passed to Urban Sketchers Pune for the next ALSW. Very sure the tag is "ALSW2016Pune"!

Well, the spirit was so high we continued to walk to the Sunday Night Market at the old town and I did a sketch after having my dinner at Little Phuket. Ya, I didn't eat much or forgot to eat at the closing ceremony. The night ended in the high note with another group photo at Soi Pradit lined with beautiful graffiti art.

See you in Pune next year!

Phuket Sketches

I did two loose Arches and two Etchr Accordion Sketchbooks for this trip Asia-Link Sketchwalk Phuket 2025. The sketches were posted individually and this is the collage of all of the sketches including the collected stickers.

Thanks for a memorable experience.

People on Day 1

Day 1 - 14 Aug 2025
777 participants from 26 countries for the event in Phuket not to mention those came without the tickets. It was impossible to say hello to each and everyone daily. Thanks to those who said hello and took photos and sent to me. I am not good in taking photos with people so here is a collage on people I met on Day 1. Interestingly, I could identify by my outfit to know which day these photos were taken.

Registration was to start at 1pm so I went to local coffee shop for my breakfast with the recommendation of our Grab driver. I did a sketch at Aroon Restaurant with Michelin awards from 2019 to 2025. I met a couple of sketchers in the shop and along the way. Many sketchers already busy sketching as I strolled leisurely before settling down with another sketch at the Golden Dragon Monument and met a group of Thai artists preparing for the Thailand Biennale Phuket 2025. Photos of Biennale at my post.

I also met a group of Taiwanese sketchers led by their teacher. Very busy saying hello and catching up with old friends plus meeting new ones during registration from 1 to 5pm. Party began soon after with a sumptous welcome dinner and spectacular performances. What a blast and fruitful day.

Surprise!

Day 1 - 14 Aug 2025
I name this photo collage "Surprise" because it is still a surprise to me up to this day. I was so shocked Asnee and I were called up to the stage and each received the Legend Award with a beautifully presented Museo brush as senior founders of Asia-Link Sketchwalk.

The stories of ALSW is here at this link: Link

Food in Phuket

Sketches done will be posted separately. First record of Phuket will be a collage of food I eaten. I tried to frequent the local coffee shops besides the popular tourists' eateries, cafes and restaurants.

Don't play play, even the dark, gloomy local coffee shops I went all have Michelin awards from 2019 to 2025. Yummy and delicious food they served. I didn't go to the other crowded modern cafes and pubs where there were demo sessions.

Phuket offers abundant seafood from prawns, squids, crabs and various fishes to unique local seven-colored lobster which I sketched but didn't try. Next trip!

Places I went in that order by day:
Wonderlounge, Merlin Kitchen, Cafe Amazon, One Chun Restaurant, Aroon Restaurant (first sketch here), Roti Thaew Nam, Chuan Chim, The Tent Phuket, Little Phuket, Limelight and Tu Kab Khao. I also bought instant noodles at the airport, HA!

ALSWPune2026

Asia Link Sketchwalk Logo

I have been busy after returning from Kuala Lumpur sketching trip, but it is a must to follow the updates on Asia Link Sketchwalk in Phuket this year from 14-17 August. I take pride in updating the logo from the old post here: https://tiastudio.blogspot.com/2023/08/asia-link-sketchwalk.html

The seed of Asia Link Sketchwalk was first planted by earlier sketching trips organised by Penang for the Georgtown Festivals in 2012 and 2014, then Sketchwalk ChaoPhraya in Bangkok 2013 and the first USk Symposium in Asia (Singapore) in 2015 continued with formalising Asia Link Sketchwalk started in Bangkok in 2016. The rest is history.

Asia Link Sketchwalk Phuket

Sketch Clinic

Come see me the "Dr. Sketch" if you caught the sketching bug, I will prescribe you with the correct medicine.

Video from ALSW2024

Asia Link Sketchwalk will be in Phuket next year

Impromptu Demo Session

I completed all 5 Etchr Accordion Sketchbooks thanks to Er Win and Etchr Lab, also James Ethos Klaus as my partner in crime at the demo session.

Posted by Tia Boon Sim on Tuesday 6 August 2024

ALSW2024 Day 1 - My work appears on 4:00

Video by Parka covering Art Market on Day 1 of Asia Link Sketchwalk Penang 2024. Three of my Etchr Accordion Sketchbooks were displayed at Etchr booth. You can see my works at the booth from 4:00 of this video.

I was told all Etchr Accordion Sketchbooks were sold out on Day One. WOW!

Here are the other 3 videos from Day 2, Day 3 and Day 4.

Last sketch in the sketchbook

Last sketch in the accordion sketchbook after ALSW at Lebuh Armenian. Added the 'beca' as a local fixture at this...

Posted by Tia Boon Sim on Tuesday 6 August 2024

Before leaving Penang for home

I made a clip before leaving for airport in Penang. This video only showed sketches done in the two Etchr Accodion Sketchbooks and people I met on the day after Asia Link Sketchwalk was over.

I met Tony for breakfast at Victoria Garden Hotel and also Onion Oh from Suwon, Korea in the hotel lobby. Then I went to Yap Kongsi to sketch with Hendriko, now residing in Jarkata. We had lunch at Jawi House, a Michelin resaturant. Hendriko and I also met and sketched with Hong Keng Wong, originally from Singapore but stayed in Perth for the last 40 years. Not to mention I also met a group of talented ladies from Shanghai espeically Da Niang (大娘) with her powerful sketches.

Also sketching at the same road I found Pramote and Sutien from Bangkok and Jarence Yoong, the pretty volunteer from the organising team, forgot to take a photo with her. So happening!

Visit Nanyang Stationery Store in Penang

Support Nanyang Bookstore in Penang. Ms Lee or Ah Ping told me if you buy RM$100 of art materials from her shop, you...

Posted by Tia Boon Sim on Monday 29 July 2024

Flying to Penang!

Manish Pimpley from Urban Sketchers Pune caught me sketching at the airport lounge. Both of us were heading to Penang to attend The Asia Link Sketchwalk 2024 (ALSW2024) from 1 to 4 Aug 2024.

Asia Link Sketchwalk Penang

So the news is out, Asia Link Sketchwalk will be held in Penang from 1 - 4 Aug 2024, only 400 sketch passes are available. No workshop pass for the very first time, only demo passes.

More details at this link.

Day 11 - Insadong

Finally did a sketch in Insadong after lunch. Very crowded in the day but very empty at night when we went there last two nights. We stayed in Insadong after returning from Suwon.

Posted by Tia Boon Sim on Wednesday, 11 October 2023

Finally, a sketch at Insadong near to the hotel where I stayed. Hotel Kuretakso can be seen right in the middle of this sketch.
11th sketch on 280 x 255mm Saunders Waterford Watercolour Sketchbook.