What I bring along for a sketching trip

It is amazing how these things could actually fit into a little bag that I usually carry around with me. Sometimes I would bring along 2 sketchbooks – a regular one and one that I paint watercolor – both are small and handy and lightweight; the fountain pens are the essentials – I use “Lamy” and “Pen & Ink” fountain pens loaded with Noodler’s ink which I would bring along in a smaller bottle shown above (it is not clear from the top down view). Besides the fountain pens, the brush pens are very important too – one is loaded with black ink, another with diluted black watercolor and 3 loaded with water for watercolor painting. On the bottom right corner you will see my medicines which include a bottle of AXE oil, a tube of Mopiko for the mosquito bites, panadol for headaches, sunblock with 32 spf, lozenges for discomfort throat, mouth spray for the bad breath, wet towel to wash up and mosquito patches (not shown above) as most of the time Singapore is infested (not too bad) with the bad bugs that bite especially after a rain. I am trying my best to keep everything lightweight so I wouldn’t get too tired carrying these. On an official sketch trip, I would also bring along a mini camping chair, and an additional cloth bag to contain my extra larger watercolor papers too! Whew! Most of the time, I find myself just using 1-2 pens and not everything that I brought. But you never know.

Urban SKetchers Round Table

Happy Bithday Singapore

Well there are a few things we are celebrating about. First of all Singapore’s 45th birthday. My 40th birthday. Tia coming back from Portland. Paul’s coming back from Hong Kong; farewell party for Paul since he is moving to HK for the next one year; farewell party for Yi Ting as she is going to London for her studies too. We all have something to celebrate about. And finally I got to know James’s lovely wife, Joanne! Thanks for coming and for all your gifts!! You guys rock!!

So why am I drawing “cute” versions of me all these while? Well, I am testing out something for a journal book – one that I would illustrate about my life and my experiences as an artist. Not thinking whether it would sell or not, but it is something I have been thinking for some time now. Do it or never!!

Sketching @ Tiong Bahru

I grew up in Kim Tian Place – a very old estate in the near vicinity of Tiong Bahru. In fact, I walk to my primary school – Bukit Ho Swee East Primary School, via Tiong Bahru. I love to eat at the Tiong Bahru food centre, where I would go for my favorite Chueh Kuey all the time. Today I was back here for a meeting at a gallery with Tia and the urban sketchers. After the meeting I saw that the weather was perfect to sit in the open. I chose a nice spot where I was overlooking a typical building with the Tiong Bahru architectural flavor so I could sketch it. During the time in which I was sketching, I realized that the neighborhood was very peaceful and quiet. Maybe it was already late in the evening — but there is something very different in this estate that made me felt like I wasn’t in Singapore. Couldn’t explain why.

Coffee Sketch

The view

Work has been really busy but I am not complaining because I am paid to draw not carry rice sacks up to the storage room. I thank God for giving me and blessing me with the power to get wealth and doing something that I enjoy. However when things get hectic, you are robbed of the joy of doing something you really like. Anyway when things like that happened, I will steal away for a short moment to be with myself and do something that is neither for the client or for some deadline. It is pretty essential for most artists to get away sometimes so they are not always bogged down by time line and the likes. I have seen really talented artists looked really wearied and disillusioned and was too tired to carry on. I have been through that and I know that ain’t fun. There are times I thought to myself, why am I not in engineering. As such if I have the opportunity to, I would spent sometime alone sketching things around me, or maybe just doodle away. And here it is. But I do wish I have more time and chances to do so.

Lunch time crowd

The group of youngsters I am eating with is a people of the future, the young and promising generation, as what our garv’men describes, the movers of what lies ahead of the days of Singapore. They are the ones who would bring this little gem to a brighter and shinier future, while we who has trodden before would stand at the side line….. or in other words, retire.
LOL… anyway, they are my colleague from where I work now, a very young bunch. I enjoyed lunching with them but honestly half the time, I don’t really understand what they are talking about. They speak too fast and usually about things that don’t really matter anymore… So I just sketch away.