Decluttering before CNY

So busy as Chinese New Year is around the corner. I have not done any CNY shopping yet and there will be at least 30 people coming to my house on first day of Chinese New Year for lunch probably another group from my hubby side for dinner. Being the elderest child in my family, it will be the second year as a new tradition for CNY day one visitation after my father passed on in Jun 2023. The worst part of this is that I have yet to declutter all the stuff in my house. The stuff from my grown up children and from our offices after retirement. Last year we discarded our grandpiano of 30 years! This year we will get rid of the 4 violins before CNY. There are three in my house and one from my elder son's house to be sent over. All these years we were waiting for new owners for some valuable stuff but we are not good at selling so they might be thrown away eventually despite their values. These stuff had served us well so we are very thankful.

Our daughter's family is now clearing the Korean cabinet from their small living room in our house. That huge and heavy Korean cabinet will be discarded but not sure she can get it done before CNY.

Bring it on year of the snake!

Collage

Mission completed. The Circuit Breaker is also extended to 1 June but I don't think I have the energy to continue sketching as new semester gets into the third week plus I am teaching online everyday except on Monday. All the teaching professionals are the ones that are extremely busy teaching online not to mention the steep learning curve to putting curriculum online when the Circuit Breaker is announced.

Last day of Circuit Breaker

Day 28 CIRCUIT•sketch•BREAK

YES! Last day of first round of Circuit Breaker and USKSG sketch challenge so I decided to finish the last three pages in the concertina sketchbook. I am very happy the wall lights are still working in our living room especially the Pio Pio Light on the right. The living room is now the baby playroom full of laughter and joy during this period. My first sketch on the first day is on my grandson and this last sketch is also on his home playground.

What you see when you are awake

Day 27 CIRCUIT•sketch•BREAK

Following the prompt to sketch what you see when you are awake in the morning. My bag and the fan are just next to the TV I sketched on day 26 in the bedroom. My bag has not been out except for groceries shopping for less than 5 times. The colourful beaded tussles attached to my bag was a reminder of my trip to the Red Indian reservation craft shop in the early 90s.

TV in my Bedroom

Day 26 CIRCUIT•sketch•BREAK

Following the prompt to sketch the TV in my bedroom and things around it. The carved wooden tapestry hanger was there behind the TV for ages, no one in the house claims the item.

Guppies

Day 25 CIRCUIT•sketch•BREAK

Sketching the props inside the fish tank is easy but sketching the moving fishes is a different story. It was fun though to sprinkle a little salt to create the textures.

Pop-up Books

Day 24 CIRCUIT•sketch•BREAK

I am a sucker for pop-up books and one of my favourites is a book entitled "Welcome to the Neighbourwood" by Shawn Sheehy. This is the third copy I bought, one for a friend's grandson, one for my granddaughters and one for myself. I also collected a few pop-up books by Robert Sabuda although they appear to be more commercialised like the one here on the left corner of the sketch.

This is a page on Hummingbird.

"Hummingbird - A master of craftsbirdship.
Hummingbird begins her nest by forming a cup out of plant pieces. Then she uses her beak to weave in a sticky silk fibre that holds the nest together. To hide the nest from enemies, she covers it with lichens. A soft lining of fluff from dandelions or bulrushes makes the nest cosy and warm.

The sticky silk fibre that Hummingbird uses is provided by her eight-legged neighbour."

Stuck with this view

Day 23 CIRCUIT•sketch•BREAK

View out of my bedroom window from the desk, not my favourite view in the house but I am stuck with this view since working from home.

Family Room

Day 22 CIRCUIT•sketch•BREAK

Sketching the photo wall of the family room. The wall hung architectural model behind the African lady sculpture belongs to my son and it should be discarded. The guitar and pipa in their cases standing quietly with the lady. There is another music stand but where is the electric guitar now?

My desk again

Day 21 CIRCUIT•sketch•BREAK

Following the prompt today to sketch the desk with my laptop showing the online tutorial for a 9am class tomorrow on EOC - Expressions of Culture. Attendance list is ready, bring it on!

I cook lunch today

Day 20 CIRCUIT•sketch•BREAK

Today is Sunday and our helper is off resting in her room so I cooked lunch. A one-pot rice with long beans, pork, dried shrimps. It is more like porridge but still tasty and get a thumb's-up from my son here.

Korean Food

Day 19 CIRCUIT•sketch•BREAK

Supporting Joo Bar, my daughter ordered Korean food and the famed orignal Makgeolli, their own rice wine. Following prompt from USKSG, I sketched the Joo Bossom, their steamed pork belly. The best on the table was still the grilled pork belly not in this sketch, also army stew and kimchi. Yummy!

Balcony View

Day 18 CIRCUIT•sketch•BREAK

Started this balcony view yesterday and completed it today. The construction site in front of our estate has totally stopped during this Circuit Breaker period and the showflat "INFINI" opposite the road has no visitors. The blocks you see here are Lagoon View with blue facade on the left and Laguna Park on the right. They are facing the sea. I used to stay at 24th floor at Laguna Park facing the sea. My old house is at the extreme right in this sketch partially hidden by my neighbour's balcony. I practically only move one street away from my old place, also from high rise to low rise, from sea view to pool view.

Sketching Magnets

Day 17 CIRCUIT•sketch•BREAK
My magnets and gifts on the wall following USKSG's prompt to sketch still life or found objects for day 17.

Bathroom

Day 16 CIRCUIT•sketch•BREAK
Follow USkSG's earlier prompt sitting on the bathroom throne and sketch the vanity top. Sketching the reflection in the mirror is quite a challenge.

This is also the first sketch for this challenge in a new sketchbook.
... See more

Bedroom

Day 15 CIRCUIT•sketch•BREAK
So I started this and completed this corner of my bedroom. The classic lamp was the precious wedding gift by my classmates from School of Architecture. The SG book of A to Z is for my 9-month old grandson. A is for aunties and C is for chilli crab. Uniquely Singapore.

A - Aunties
B - Botanic Garden
C - Chilli Crab
D - Durian
E - East Coast
F - Fullerton
G - Gecko
H - Hawker Stall
I - Ice Kacang
J - Jurong Bird Park
K - Kopi
L - Lanterns
M - Merlion
N - National Day
O - Orchard Road
P - Peranakan
Q - Quays
R - Religions
S - Shophouses
T - Trishaw
U - Umbrellas
V - Void Deck
W - Wet Market
X - Xiao Long Bao
Y - Yellow Flame Tree
Z - Zoo

Framed View

Day 14 CIRCUIT•sketch•BREAK
Follow USkSG's prompt today to frame the view from the living room on a very hot afternoon. I had to be quick before the naughty cat sneaked out from the living room to the balcony when the cat proof grilled gate was pushed away for me to sketch this view. Oh dear, the balcony is in a mess!

This is also the last page in the sketchbook

My Aquarium

Day 13 CIRCUIT•sketch•BREAK
Sketching fishes is challenging but fun. This aquarium was moved from my office to my home when Circuit Breaker was announced. I bought the fish tank to support students' fund and it stayed with me for more than 20 years from room to room at my workplace. The fishes come and go but this batch of guppies had been there for 2 to 3 years without me buying any new ones. Yes, they reproduced, the plants also grew and the tank has reached an equilibrium level that I only need to clean the pump once a while.

Shoes

Day 12 CIRCUIT•sketch•BREAK
I followed the prompt by USKSG today to sketch shoes. There are 6 adults and a baby in my house but looking at the shoes we have on the 3 shoe racks and those in the cupboards, it appears there are hundred people staying in this house. There is even a pair of children shoes; in red in this sketch; that belongs to my granddaughter from Hong Kong. She must have forgotten to bring them home. The heels and platform shoes are my daughter's. It is the best time now to sort them out and declutter!

Introducing Beemo

Day 11 CIRCUIT•sketch•BREAK
Very hard to sketch the cat and I try. Beemo has the entire living room to herself but she likes to jump up on top of the grand piano to have a higher and better view of human, I think.