Demo ~ Shopping at Gambier Street, Kuching

It's been ages since I did a proper demo. So I guess I should do one again.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I was invited to an exhibition this coming July in my hometown in Sarawak, Malaysia where the theme is "Our People, Our Culture". I did one portrait of a local native man recently, and was quite satisfied with it. Now, I'm going to paint a street scene. I wanted to show the community in its daily activities, so what's better than to paint shoppers in a busy market.

This is a scene based on a photo I took several years ago of a strecth of shophouses selling spices and groceries. I've painted the exact location at a slightly different angle about five years ago. I believe my painting skill and style have improved and changed since then. So, hopefully this one will be a lot better, crossing fingers and toes.

Here's the drawing, on full-sheet of Fabriano Artistico stretched on 20" x 28" stretching frame.

Then, I painted the first glaze of colours wet on wet, but pretty controlled using a no.8 round brush, which I reckon is a decent size to use for such detailed painting as it holds sufficient water and yet small enough to control where I want the wash to go to.

Before the wash is completely dried, I lift out some paints to get the highlights on the clothes and rice sacks.

This is a messy chaotic market so I need a lot of patience to paint all the different objects and yet not to turn the whole thing into mud.

Next, I built up the forms and structures of the various objects in this complicated scene. I made use of negative spaces, lines and glazes of darker colours to define shapes of the carton boxes, rice sacks etc. while at the same time I darkened the background. Also, the main figure is slowly built up with glazes and strokes to indicate shadows and creases on her cloths.

After that, I threw a variety of colours to the upper shelves to create more interest which would have to be darken in my next instalment in order to contrast the main figure against the shopfront. I also painted the canvases on top of the shop. I used mainly wet-on-wet technique on the blue canvas and while the paint was still fairly damp, I lift off some paint with a clean brush to create the soft highlight effect. In contrast, I used the dry brush technique on the green canvas just below to vary the textures and feel. However, I'm not sure if this is a good decision as both canvases are so near to one another and yet they are rendered so differently.

More details were painted, adding more darks as appropriate to the sacks, boxes, merchandise hung from the top shelves, then I darkened the background. At times, I have to paint carefully around the various objects as I hate using masking fluid which will always leave a trail of harsh lines so I try to avoid it.

Finally, I made some corrections to the left side of the blue/orange canvas, painted the ropes using white gouache, gave the background another cerulean blue + burnt sienna wash to darken it so as to create more contrast against the main subjects and lastly, finished it off with some darks here and there as I deemed fit.

..and last but not least, here are some close-up shots of the painting...

Glad it's done now... hope you like it. Comments and critiques are welcome as usual.

*EDIT: Change of title to "Shopping at Gambier Street, Kuching"

Iban Man

It has been a while since I'd painted a portrait (It must be more than 2 or 3 years ago?!!) I'm definitely more comfortable in street scenes, landscapes, boats, etc. I guess it's a personal preference, I find portrait difficult especially when I often can't get the likeness of a person.Having said that, a local gallery in my hometown (Kuching, Sarawak in Malaysia) got my business card from my mom and they e-mailed to invite me to take part in an exhibition. The exhibition is to be held in conjuction with the renowned Sarawak World Rainforest Music Festival this coming July and the theme of the exhibition is "Our People, Our Culture". So, I guess I have to paint a portrait or at least something to do with the people of Sarawak.So, I painted this... This old man is from the Iban ethnic group. The largest tribe in Sarawak. You can read all about them and their lifestyles here. Many of them are now living in modern facilities and lead better lives than thier ancestors who were once the infamous Borneo headhunters and pirates.


Full sheet of Fabriano Artistico, painted with W&N, Rembrandt, Schmincke, M.Graham, Holbein Artist Watercolour paints.Hope you like it. Comments and critiques welcome as usual. I will probably paint a few more paintings and choose a couple of better ones... stay tuned... :)

Outdoor Painting - Kinta Road, Singapore

I was out about painting en plein air again last Sunday with a group of artist friends. This is an old shophouse along Kinta Road, near Little India. Many people crowded around us to watch us paint. Some looked on quietly, some made a few comments amongst themselves in their own language, probably in Tamil which I do not understand... they could criticize, said it's a horrible, or bad mouth me all they want and I won't understand a word! haa!

After watching us for a while, an Indian woman came up to me and asked "Are you guys having a competition?" I was dumbfounded, unsure how to react to her question, so I just smiled and said "No, we're just painting for fun". Then came her next question "Are you an architect?" "no, no... we're just here to paint. It's our hobby".

She nodded and left us... this is just one of the many questions and funny incidents I've encountered over the years when painting en plein air... fun, isn't it?

Well, here's the painting...

Here are some close-up shots of the details...

Hope you like it. Comments and critiques are welcome!

Jalan Besar, Singapore

I painted this a few days ago at home. This stretch of road is called Jalan Besar, literally translated as Huge Road in Malay, probably because it was the widest road before Singapore's independence from British rule.

Here' s the painting, a quarter-sheet, painted in 2.5 hours.

Jalan Besar, Singapore (11" x 15")
If you would like to own this painting, click HERE

and here are some of the close-up shots of the painting

Hope you like it. Comments and critiques are welcome as usual.

Singapore Chinese Cultural Festival Grand Art Exhibition 2008

I was invited to participate in this group exhibition in conjunction with Singapore's Chinese Cultural Festival 2008. There are many different types of artworks in the show, ranging from traditional chinese brush, calligraphy to 'western' arts like watercolour, oil, sculpture, etc. There were even bonsai plants amongst the display. The exhibition was opened on 29 Feb 2008 and ended on 5 March 2008

Here are some photos taken on the opening day.

... and my boy decided to pay a visit over the weekend.

There was a huge drum outside the exhibition hall, and he definitely had a great fun hitting it.... I think he wants to be the new Kitaro.


Hope you enjoy the photos... :)

Trying my luck on eBay again!

Well, it's been more than 6 months since I sold my paintings on eBay. So, I guess it's about time I do it again. I painted this beach scene based on my recent trip to Bintan island. It's a quarter sheet painting, just the right size for easy packaging and sending by mail to buyers from anywhere in the world.

Bintan Lagoon Beach (11" x 15")

If you would like to own this painting, click HERE

Port Arthur Ruins - Tasmania, Australia (10" x 14")

If you would like to own this painting, click HERE

Yes, if you think this one looked familiar, it's because I've listed it before but since there was no taker, I'll list it again. Hopefully, my eBay sales will pick up again... it was quite encouraging the last time I ventured into eBay but went into hiatus probably due to work, family commitments and mainly because I have not been painting quarter sheets, therefore having no inventory for eBay sales. I figured there are still a demand for affordable small size original paintings judging from the e-mail inquiry I received from time to time. So, I'll try to at least paint one or two quarter sheet a week. Wish me luck!

Outdoor Painting - Pandan Shipyard, Singapore

Ever since I moved to Singapore in 1998, I have always lived in the Eastern part of the island and worked in offices located in the island's Central Business District and East for the past 10 years. My weekend plein air locations are usually around the city area and well-known landmarks like Chinatown, Little India, Singapore River etc. Hence, the Western part of Singapore is almost like a foreign country to me.

So, I was really glad to find out that my fellow artist friends have planned to paint a shipyard located at the very end of the West coast of Singapore.

Here I was last Sunday at Pandan Shipyard... it was like a breath of fresh air, definitely something different from the usual street scenes and shophouses that I've painted numerous times.Here's a picture of the location, we had to walk under a bridge to get to this spot.



It was a cloudy day and the surrouding under the bridge was quite dark and we had problems seeing our paintings clearly and it was definitely difficult to determine and judge the right colours and tonal values. A few artists decided it was too taxing on the eyes so they did some sketches but I presevered.

Here's the painting...I spent about 3 hours painting it on location and probably another half an hour doing final touch-up at home. Half sheet of Fabriano Artistico (14" x 21") painted using Rembradnt, Holbein, Schmincke and M. Graham professional watercolour paints.



I decided to change the colour of one of the boats from blue to red so as to have more varieties and make it more interesting but after I'm done, it seemed too dominant now. I could probably still tone it down a bit but might ruin the transparency I currently have.... I'll probably come back to it a few days later to see if it really needs a fix. What do you think?

... and here are some close-up shots of the painting.



Hope you like it. Comments and critiques are welcome as usual.

Outdoor painting - House on Emerald Hill

Last Sunday, I was back at Emerald Hill, a classy residential area just a stone throw away from Singapore's famous busy shopping district, Orchard Road. The houses here are all built during the pre second world war era with a mixture of European and Asian architecture.

I arrived around 9:30am and the sun is already out. I was here just a few weeks ago but this time I chose another house.

Here's the location pic

I spent around 3 hours to finish this.Half sheet of Fabriano Artistico (14" x 21") painted using Rembradnt, Holbein, Schmincke and M. Graham professional watercolour paints.

Hope you like it. Comments and critiques are welcome as usual.

Outdoor painting - Maude Road, Singapore

I have always started and finished an outdoor painting on the same day, in one sitting, and perhaps touch it up a little bit when I get home. But I have seen some of my artist friends patiently plan, compose and paint their outdoor pieces in two sittings or even three. They would pick a spot, ponder and plan the composition, draw the outline and then start painting. Half way through the painting, it's almost lunch time, so we all pack up and leave. They would then come back to the same spot, same time on another day and complete the painting.

So, that's exactly what I did for this piece. I realized sometimes I am too quick to rush and finish off a painting. So, for this painting, I decided to paint slower and have time to plan and think about my colour, composition and was able to paint more details than my usual outdoorworks..... and I think the result speaks for itself... I just love the rich colours and strong sunlight in this piece.

Here's the location where I'm seated. This is Maude Road, off Jalan Besar in Singapore.

The finished painting.... done over two Sundays... half sheet of Fabriano Artistico (14" x 21") using Rembradnt, Holbein, Schmincke and M. Graham professional watercolour paints.



... and here are some close-up detail shots





Hope you like it. Critiques and comments are welcome as usual.

Fishing Boats - Penang

How did you spend your Christmas? I hope you all had a grand time! Well, I went back to my hometown and spent quality time with my family. I guess that's what Christmas is really all about... being with your loved ones and having a meal or two together :clap: :thumbsup: ..... although most festive holidays are now being exploited for commercialism and profit-making and lost their true meaning :(

Anyway, I was bored one afternoon when Javier is having his afternoon nap, so I took out my painting gears and painted this scene in Penang, Malaysia based on a photo I took last year.

I spent about 2 hours on this piece. Painted on Fabriano Artistico using Rembrandt, Schmincke, M.Graham and Holbein Artist Grade watercolour paints.

Hope you like it. Critiques and comments are welcome as usual.

Wishing you a HAPPY & PROSPEROUS new year 2008!

Another plein air - Emerald Hill, Singapore

Together with an artist friend, we went to paint plein air again last Sunday

This is another location that I've painted many times. The most recent one which i did more than half a year ago was a quarter sheet plein air and it was snapped up at the first listing on eBay.

The weather was perfect today and the strong sunshine is casting fabulous shadows all over the place, although it may not be visible from the location pic I took using my camera phone below.



Here's the finished painting... half sheet of Fabriano Artistico, painted with W&N, Rembrandt, Schmincke, M.Graham and Holbein Artist Grade watercolour paints.



The foreground is my own use of "artistic license" as I felt the road is too empty, so I added the foliage... not sure if it works well but anyway... guess what?!! A guy who came over to watch us paint, decided to buy both our paintings. This place is beginning to turn into my favourite hunting ground now.... or so I thought...

You see, he was so interested in our paintings but didn't have enough cash with him, so he told us to deliver them to him the next day, and he will have the money to pay us, so we gave him our namecards and left with our paintings. However, he sent me an e-mail the next day...

"Marvin,

I've decided against buying the paintings.

Thanks anyway."

Just like that, our hopes are gone! Looking at his address, he's staying on the top floor (penthouse?) of a posh condominium in town... So, I think financially, he should be very well-off and able to afford the paintings... but who knows? may be the wife said no..... oh well... better luck next time.

Anyway, critiques and comments on the painting are welcome as usual.

Hobart, Tasmania

Adeline and I visited Tasmania, Australia during our honeymoon back in 2004 and spent around 2 days in the city of Hobart. I especially love the scenic view around the harbour with many boats docking around the area. I still remembered vividly how we tucked into a nice big seafood platter in one of the floating restaurants there, and it was delicious!

I took many photos then with the intention to paint some of them and they have been with me for nearly three years now but I was either too busy or was being put off by the complicated scene.... until now

So, I decided to challenge myself and painted a full sheet painting of the harbour last week. I think it turned out pretty well. Here's the painting.

Paper: Fabriano Artistico 300gsm - stretched and stapled into stretching frame (20" x 28")

Paints: Winsor & Newton, Holbein, Rembradnt, Schmincke, all artist grade paints and some white gouache for highlights.



and here are some close-up shots...






Hope you like it. Comments and critiques are welcome as usual.

Demo - Taman Ayun Temple, Bali

It's been ages since I did a full-sheet watercolour and I'd have to admit that I'm getting rusty at painting large-size watercolours.

Anyway, Singapore Watercolour Society (SWS) has been renting a room at Telok Kurau Studios, a Art Housing Scheme by Singapore's National Arts Council, as its official premises since the start of the project in 1997. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Telok Kurau Studios, the management committee of the studios will hold an art exhibition and invited three SWS members to represent the society in this event. As the society's Secretary-General, I was chosen as one of the society's representatives but I haven't got any recent painting for the show, so I painted this full-sheet watercolour over the past two days.

This is a photo I took nearly 3 years ago while holidaying in Bali.



Step 1 - Drawing the outline



Step 2 - Painting the first glaze.
I did the sky with Cerulean Blue and mixed a little Cobalt Blue and threw in some Ultramarine Violet to add more interest to the sky. The roof of the huts are painted mostly in Yellow Ochre with a little touch of Turqoise Blue and Translucent Orange. The Pagoda-like buildings in the background are painted in Sepia, Yellow Orche and Burnt Sienna, while the foliage is painted in Sap Green, Azo Yellow and Cerulean Blue. I also painted the ground with light washes of Yellow Orche and Burnt Sienna.



Step 3 - At this stage, I started to build up the values of the various structures by glazing darks over the shaded areas, paying attention to the light source. Colours used are essentially the same as the previous stage but using more pigments than water but making sure I maintain the fluidity of my paints so as not to turn the darks into mud.


Step 4 - Finally, I added the finishing touches to various things throughout the paintings by painting in the details and decided to darken the foliage on the left, soften the clouds in the sky, emphasized the shadows, painted the plants on the foreground and the two figures, etc.



Below are some close-up to show you parts of the painting in detail.




I used mostly Winsor & Newton, Rembrandt, Schmincke, Holbein - all artists grade watercolour paints. Paper used is my favourite Fabriano Artistico 300gsm Rough.

I hope you like this little demo that I've put together. I can see quite obviously that the painting s I do at home more detailed compared to my outdoor works as I have the comfort and time to sit down and paint slowly. This is painted over 2 days (or should I say late nights), approximately over 8 hours in total. I hope this is good enough for the show. :)

Critiques and comments are welcome as usual.

EDITED: I realized that the distant tree on the top left-hand corner was running almost parallel with the roof line. So I changed the tree a little to get more variations. Also, I felt that the foreground foliage was weak and decided to darken it and add a few stronger and bolder strokes to punch it up. It served to anchor the whole composition better that way.


Now, that's better... :)

Bridging Ties With Watercolours - A Success!

Here are some pictures taken during our exhibition Bridging Ties With Watercolours - Singapore Watercolour Society's 38th Annual Exhibition, which is also the second joint watercolour exhibition between SWS and Penang Water Colour Society (PWCS). It was held from 31 August - 4 September at Ngee Ann Cultural Centre, Singapore.

It was a success as everything went as planned, although we had initial hiccups when we lost the detailed painting information submitted by our Penang counterparts. If you're reading this, thank you Mr Khoo, for calling back to Penang to gather all the important information. We really appreciate your help.

We had a big crowd on the opening day, and we got some rave reviews from friends who attended it.... and I had another good reason to be excited this year too.... you'll understand when you see the pics below... :)

Preparation

Arrival of Guest-of-Honour, Mr Seng Han Thong

Visitors admiring the artworks on display

SWS President, Dr Michael Lim making his opening speech

President of PWCS, Mr Khoo Cheang Jin addressing the audience

Guest-of-Honour, Mr Seng Han Thong officiating the opening of the exhibition

Mr Seng Han Thong touring the exhibition hall,
accompanied by Dr Michael Lim and Mr Ong Kim Seng
(can you spot me at the background? Haa!)

(From L to R) Me, Ms Anne Lim, Mr D.J. Tan, Ong Kim Seng, Dr Michael Lim,
Mr Seng Han Thong, Mr Ho Yee Ping, Mr Khoo Cheang Jin

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and finally... me and my two paintings

Little India, Singapore .... SOLD on the opening day! Yay!!!

Flinders Street Station, Melbourne .... still available :P

You can see more photos of the event in my facebook album

Inviting All Watercolour Art Lovers...

Singapore Watercolour Society will be holding its 38th Annual Exhibition 2007 from 31st August to 4th September 2007 at Ngee Ann Cultural Centre, Teochew Building.

This year's event will be bigger than ever before as members of Penang Water Colour Society (PWCS) will jointly participate in the exhibition in conjunction with the 2nd Singapore-Penang Watercolour Exhibition. Hence, the exhibition is titled Bridging Ties With Watercolours, which significantly represents the co-operation and close friendship not only amongst artists from both islands but between the young and senior artists in both societies.

Over 60 artists from both societies are participating and 120 pieces of high quality watercolour artworks on display and most of them are for sale. Don't miss this opportunity to see for yourselves the magic of watercolour works done by established watercolourists.

The opening of the exhibition will be held at 6:30pm on Friday 31 August 2007.

If you wish to attend the opening, kindly drop me a mail at marvin@marvinchew.com so that I can send you an invitation card.

See you on the 31st August!

I'll be very very BUSY soon

In two weeks time, Javier will be one-year old! How fast time flies. He's getting very hyperactive. He can stand and walk a bit, provided he holds on to something... sometimes he will let go of his hands and try to balance himself but still ends up falling over.... ha ha
Keep trying!! Daddy knows you'll succeed soon!!

Javier at 10 mths old

Well, after he celebrates his first birthday, I will start attending a part-time course (work related) for about 2 months. The classes are on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and almost the whole day on Saturday! It's been 5 years since I passed my ACCA Exams, and now I have to go back to studying and there will be a TEST at the end of the course. YIKES!!

Therefore, for the next couple of months, I'm not sure if I will have anytime to paint. :-(
It will be very very hard to juggle around my full-time job, the classes, co-ordinating the activities of Singapore Watercolour Society (I'm thankful to have the help of our capable committee members!!)...... and of course, playing with and looking after my precious Javier. I guess painting will take a back seat for a while.... in fact, I haven't painted for 2 weeks already. :-(

Well, here are two 1/4 sheets which I painted a couple of years ago.... Hope you like them.

Port Arthur Ruins - Tasmania, Australia (10" x 14")
If you would like to own this painting, click HERE

Serene Creek (10" x 14")
If you would like to own this painting, click HERE

Old Gems

I was looking through a stack of my old paintings to pick out a few better ones to show a
potential customer last week when I spotted two quarter sheets that I have painted a couple of years ago. I thought they were just ordinary, nothing outstanding when I finished painting them, so I just kept them with my other paintings then. But when I saw them again last week after two long years, they seemed to offer a different aesthetic values than I remembered last time.

Now, I can appreciate the foggy effect on the background of Misty River and the lost and found edges on the boats and distant houses; I also liked the economy of strokes in Sarawak Longhouse and the bold spontaneous brushstrokes that suggested the trees and foliages.

Misty River (10" x 14")
SOLD

Sarawak Longhouse (10" x 14")
SOLD

I guess it is same with life sometimes. We do not seem to put much importance on what we already have; we hardly have time to ponder and cherish what we have in front of us. When we looked back, we tend to remember the good old days when we were still kids, or when we were still in school, or when we were still enjoying life as care-free college students or young adults. Perhaps things aren't the same anymore, but do cherish what we have at this very moment as things do not stand still.... time waits no one so be grateful and enjoy the good times and learn from the bad ones.

Sunset Cruise - Chao Phraya River, Bangkok

Here's something a little different from me, a sunset!
This is a scene along Chao Phraya River, which flows through the heart of Bangkok City, the capital of beautiful Thailand.

I was there in November 2005 and again in March last year for work related seminars. I spent whatever free time I had taking photos of the lovely place, but considering the tight schedule, I only have a handful of good ones. However, I did take a short cruise along the Chao Phraya River during sunset and the view was simply breathtaking. So, here it is, my impression of the stunning sunset I experienced that day.

Here's the painting...

Sunset Cruise - Chao Phraya River, Bangkok (11" x 15")
SOLD

and here's the close-up shots...

Hope you like it. Comments and Critiques are welcome as usual.

Boat Quay, Singapore River

Boat Quay, Singapore River (11" x 15")
SOLD

This is Boat Quay, along Singapore River which I have painted on many occassions, both from studio and plein air. Scenes like this along Singapore River have always been the favourite painting subjects of Singapore's pioneer watercolourists such as Lim Cheng Hoe, Gog Sing Hooi and T.Y. Choy just to name a few.

Although I didn't have the chance to meet these late artists, I am fortunate enough to hear many great stories about their masterful skills and energy in promoting the art of watercolour to the younger generation. Together with a group of artists, they would gather around Singapore River every Sunday morning without fail. Every view, every angle along Singapore River had been covered by these amazing group of painters.

Today, the traditions of painting plein air on Sunday morning is kept alive by us, members of Singapore Watercolour Society, where we paint all over Singapore. Although I may not be able to do this week in week out now, I will try my best to go out and paint as often as I can as nothing beats the direct observation of the painting subjects, where the results are often fresh and spontaneous... and it's more fun painting together with friends than doing it alone in the studio.

Outdoor Painting - Mohamed Sultan Road, Singapore

I went out for plein air painting this morning with a few artist friends. It's been months since I joined them as I've been busy with work and family commitments so it was great to be able to paint en plein air today.

The subject of today's painting is the old shophouses along Mohamed Sultan Road. The area is now famous of its bustling clubbing scene where many of these shophouses are renovated and converted to pubs and nightclubs.

Here's the building I'm painting...


There are renovation workers currently working on dismantling the interiors of the run-down building covered with greens and bushes... one of the workers actually came over to watch us paint, and told me they'll knock down the whole interior of the building but will keep the front facade as this area is marked for heritage preservation. Hopefully, they'll do a good job in keeping this beautiful building.

Mohamed Sultan Road, Singapore (11" x 15")
SOLD

Well, I don't really like this painting as I think I rushed to finish it. There were too many messy lines and I'm to blame for poor planning of colours and execution of paint... especially the shaded areas where it has started to get muddy.... may be the only two things I liked about it is the roofs and the building on the extreme left as it's not in focus and I painted very very loosely.

Oh well, now you've seen a bad painting from me...

Anyway, here are some close-up shots.




Comments and critiques are most welcomed. :-)

Doing OK on eBay...

I had my two wisdom teeth on my left as well a badly decayed tooth - 3 in total - extracted on Tuesday, my left cheek is swelling and it's uncomfortable... but hopefully after it heals, I can enjoy cold drinks and ice-creams again without any pain!

I have been trying to sell my smaller paintings through eBay since a few years back but have not been very successful. I put down my distance away from the USA and Europe where the majority of eBay art buyers are located as one of the main reasons why my eBay business has not been doing well. Another reason could be the subject matters that I paint. Street scenes and landscapes of Singapore, Malaysia and South East Asia may not exactly attract buyers from Western countries.

However, I gave it another shot towards the end of last year and have been listing most of my quarter sheet sized plein air paintings. To my delight and surprise, they are selling well. Almost all my paintings were sold either on the first listing or relist. I wouldn't say they are selling like hot cakes yet, but at least they are moving out of my studio and off to someone else's walls.

So, what makes the difference? Perhaps my painting skill has improved leaps and bounds compared to two or three years ago, which I honestly hope so. Distance may not be a problem after all since a registered article from Singapore could generally reach any distance worldwide within two weeks of mailing... and I now realized there are many people who are mesmerized by the simplicity and beauty of South East Asia.... or may be it's just my persistence that paying off now! :-)

Here are two other paintings that I've just listed on eBay... wish me luck!

Emerald Hill, Singapore (11" x 15")
SOLD

Chew Jetty, Penang (11" x 15")
SOLD

Sampans on Sarawak River

I decided to take a break from the mural painting and painted this scene based on several photographs I took from the bank of Sarawak River, depicting the sampans,which was the only mode of transport to reach the other side of the river in the olden days. Some locals still use it to cross the river daily, but they are more well-known now for tourists to cruise along the river.

Anyway, here's the painting. I've listed it on eBay to try my luck again. Sales have been pretty good for the past couple of months before Chinese New Year, but I have been too busy with work to paint, so I hope my eBay sales will pick up from here again.... wish me luck! :D

Sampans on Sarawak River (11" x 15")

SOLD

Outdoor Painting - Pahang Street, Singapore

It's a bright sunny Sunday and I went out to paint with my artist friends again. This is another street scene along Pahang Street, off Jalan Sultan in Singapore.

Here's a photo of the location.



So, here's my first painting of Year 2007...
It's a quarter sheet of Fabriano Artistico, painted with W&N, Rembrandt, Schmincke, M.Graham Artist Watercolour Paints.
I think I spent about 2.5 hours on this painting.

Pahang Street, Singapore (11" x 15")
SOLD

Below are some close-up shots of the painting:




The sky was clear and bright when I started and then it turned cloudy and drizzled for about 5 minutes. Luckily, the sun came out again ... it was a challenge to paint under such changing weather.

Although, the painting turned out fine, I think I didn't portray the sunny day well enough and should have left more white areas untouched to represent the pillars and walls that are brightly-lit by the sun... oh well... I must remember this next time.

Oh... and I nearly dated the painting 2006, instead of 2007... fortunately, I corrected it just in time! LOL :D

Critiques and comments are welcome as usual.

Outdoor Painting - Kuching Waterfront

I went back to Kuching during the Christmas-New Year holidays hoping to paint as many plein aires as I can... and guess how many I managed to paint? 10? 5? No, just ONE! :D

Hey, don't blame me! It's the monsoon season and it practically rained every single day when I was there. But fortunately, I managed to paint this one on 28 Dec. So, this is my last piece of painting for the just concluded Year 2006.

The locale is the Kuching Waterfront along the bank of Sarawak River. I arrived slightly after 9.00am and proceeded to find a shaded spot to paint this scene.

Here's the location pic. Some of you may remember this place as it has been featured in my past paintings but at different spot and angle.



...and this is the finished painting.

Kuching Waterfront (11" x 15")
SOLD

It's a quarter sheet painted in 2.5 hours with Winsor & Newton, M.Graham, Rembrandt, Schmincke and Old Holland Artists Watercolour paints.

Hope you like it. Critiques and comments are welcome as usual.

Clarke Quay, Singapore

I haven't been painting much for the past two months as I has been terribly busy at work, involving in some projects that required working over the weekends. So, it was with great pleasure that I was able to get back to painting last Sunday when a few artist friends of mine gathered on the highest level of Liang Court Hotel car park, near Clarke Quay to provide us a beautiful bird's eye view of the scene.



It was difficult to decide on one composition. Most people would naturally compose a landscape/horizontal view given that the main building (Riverside Point) stretches along the river as shown by the picture above. But I tried to be different and by making use of the sharp pointy roof and the tall modern buildings as the backdrop, I decided to use a portrait/vertical composition.

I've also recently bought Schmincke's Translucent Orange and decided to put this glowing colour into good use. You can definitely see its effect on the roof and a more diluted wash on the walls of the building. This gave the main subject a warm treatment, contrasting against the cool blue on the sky and the water.

Here's the painting...

Clarke Quay, Singapore (15" x 11")
SOLD

and here are some close-up shots...




Surprisingly, I've shrinked from full sheet in my home studio, to half sheet during my past plein air sessions... and now I'm painting only small 1/4 sheet... mainly because it's easier to carry around and I find myself having more time to think what would I do next. I still spend the same 2-3 hours for this 1/4 sheet but I don't need to rush myself to finish off the painting, like I do half-sheets, although I love the freedom and brush-movement that I get in painting bigger size.

I always use Fabriano Artistico Rough watercolour paper, painted with W&N, Rembrandt, Schmincke, M.Graham Artist Watercolour Paints.

Comments and Critiques are welcome as usual.

Outdoor Painting - Plumer Road, Singapore

Javier is 4.5 months old now and he likes to put his hands into his mouth... a natural habit of babies but with the saliva and heat, rashes have developed around his cheeks and mouth since Sunday :(

I haven't done any outdoor/plein air painting for about 3 weeks as I have been busy with work where our whole department was required to work over 2 weekends for our company's annual reorganisation project.

Now that it's over, I went out for plein air painting last Sunday with a group of watercolourist friends. We chose this old shophouse at the corner of Plumer Road in Singapore, just a stone throw away from Little India.

I painted this building about a year ago but at a different angle. So, I thought I'd choose another angle to paint this time.... and I think the composition is much more interesting.

This is where I'm seated.

I chose to paint a tig