Midori Journals

I was using Midori notebooks from 2001 to 2009 for a good twenty years for my travels.
2001 to 2002 - Lucca and other cities in Italy
2002 to 2004 - New York, Ausable Chasm, lake Placid, lookout Mountain and other cities in America
2003 to 2009 - Hong Kong, Shanghai and other cities in China
2003 - Thailand
2006 - Taipei
2008 - Chicago
2009 - Penang
2009 - Korea
2010 - Zhangjiajie, China

What a fest at Shi Yang Shan Fang

Lin Bin-hui, a former architect transformed his vision of life in a culinary mountainside retreat at xizhi city. A devout Buddhist, Lin in fact runs Shi Yang Shan Fang,食養山房, more like a spiritual retreat than a restaurant. We had a great time roaming, sketching, drinking tea and eating soul food.

First Sketch in Taipei

My first sketch in Taiwan for this trip was a visit to the famous Tamsui fisherman's wharf, 淡水漁人碼頭. Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf is a popular shooting location for Taiwanese serial dramas. I was told the restaurants around the wharf frequently host live bands to provide entertainment for guests but the day I was there, it was very quiet. Shops were closed and not many tourists so I could sit on the steps in front of the shops and sketched peacefully. The wharf is also home to the Tamsui Lovers' Bridge, 淡水情人橋.

Li Yu Tan

This is Liyutan, another lake at our homestay.
Almost forgotten about this piece coz it was in a separate sketchbook made of Saunders Waterford Watercolour Paper.
I feel the emotion of my piece does not do justice to the state of serenity, calm and peaceful of this lake from the photo below.
埔里鲤鱼潭，七里山塘民宿

Itashao Pier

Last page of the sketchbook.

Itashao Pier is one of the four piers at Sun Moon Lake. I visited all the four piers, they are:
Itashao Pier 伊达邵码头
Syuanfuang Pier 玄光码头
Chaowu Pier and 朝雾码头
Shuishe Pier (where we stayed)水社码头

At Syuanguang Pier

Buskers at Syuanguang Pier, one of the four piers at Sun Moon Lake. Only one of them (second from the left was from minority tribe, the rest were not but they were all members of a local band). I got them all to sign on the sketch. — at 玄光碼頭.

Taomi Eco Village

Paper Dome by Shigeru Ban at Taomi Eco Village.

During the Taiwan 921 earthquake, 70% of the small village was destroyed. The villagers turned the crisis into an opportunity to not only reconstruct, but also to re-brand the village. 10 years on, Taomi village prides itself as an eco-village, with Paper Dome as the centerpiece. The Paper Dome originated in Japan, and is the embodiment of the love and mutual assistance between Taiwan and Japan community reconstruction experience sharing in addition to being the heart of Taomi Village. — at 紙教堂 Paper Dome.

Chaowu Pier

Second sketch as we walked to Chaowu Pier to wait for the coach. It was more like a coach park than a proper pier so I sketched the woods instead of the waters.

A New Sketchbook for Sun Moon Lake

First sketch in Sun Moon Lake Sketchbook. We are now out of Taichung and visited all the four piers at the lake. This was at a look out point called "Nine Dragon Mouth" 九龍口 and not a pier. We later walked to the pier called Chaowu Pier to board the coach.

Good Bye Taichung, Hello Nantou

Last page on Taichung Sketchbook 2. We were out of Taichung. View from an artist's home hugging the steep slope overlooking the hills called 九九峰 at Nantou County, Caotun Township. — at Nantou County. Artist's Hu Shi Zhong's info:
sylvia577.pixnet.net/blog/post/236794964-%E5%B9%B3%E6%9E%...
www.businesstoday.com.tw/article/category/80732/post/2015...

Last Sketch of Taiwan Trip

Last day before leaving Taiwan flying to Hong Kong.

Breakfast at Yue Lake Backpackers. It has private rooms overlooking the beautiful Sun Moon Lake. We were lucky to stay for a night before changing to another room without the lake view. The rooms were all fully booked. We were lucky to be given the rooms because the owner was the student of Chu, Puli instructor and an Urban Sketcher.

I have two sketches done on Laloran Sketchbook. Incidentally, my very first and last sketch on the recent Taiwan Trip before Hong Kong were drawn on this book.

Sun Moon Lake Sketchbook

So this is how it will look like if I open the Moleskin concertina sketchbook flat from first page to last page.

Huashan 1914 Creative Park

So nice to have some quiet time to do a sketch in Taipei — at 華山1914文化創意產業園區.