Old Tree By The Lake

This was done of a particular spot at the National Zoo. I saw this old tree by the main lake in the heart of the zoo. There were herons, couple of flamingoes and painted storks around but I have chosen to exclude them to focus on the tree. The style in this piece was adapted from John Lovett's techniques which I find incredibly fun and easy. I think watercolour should not be laborious simply because if it were, then it would have lost its mysticism. Best way is to let the colours do their work.

Stormy Skies

I use a limited palette of burnt sienna, vermillion and ultramarine deep to create this atmospheric piece of stormy skies just after the rain. The dark clouds are just about to disperse - or are they? Caught in the eye of the storm is a little red dinghy.

Back Alley

This is a picture of a back alley in Malacca. My 12 year old student Zhen painted this scene, based on a photograph we took on a hot Sunday afternoon.

Pantai Remis Late Morning

This is a painting of a coastal village on the west coast of the Peninsula Malaysia. It is a fishing enclave which has lost its prominence due to diminishing resources in the 80s. Today, it is more of a tourist district. The huts you see are actually pergolas of traders selling a variety of souvenirs and knick knacks. This was painted on a weekday where the crowd is sparse.

Red Mountain

This is an imaginary piece painted by a 12-year-old pupil of mine, Zhen. It is a scene of a mountain, painted very loosely with varying strokes and a good mix of warm and cool colours. The paper is a 300gm Chinese paper with heavy tooth. The paper has a slightly yellow tint because I have not used them for quite some time. As it turns out, the texture of the paper and the paint pigments complement each other really well. Done by a 12-year-old, this is a good piece. What do you think?

Lone angler

Did you see the chap in the blue covered boat? Spotted him at one of my favourite fishing grounds near an estuary. Scenery like this are quite rare as development eats up the countryside. Still, moments like this captured either on film or on paper, bring back fond memories.

Sunday in Malacca

This is a painting of a shop in Malacca on a Sunday. Like most businesses, this one is also closed on Sunday. The lanterns you see have been there since the Chinese Lunar New Year early this year and have not been taken down yet. Gives this place a Chinatown-like feel.

My Work In Oil - Home Coming

Done! This is my first work in oil as guided by local oil painter Sabri Salleh. I had a bad time trying my hand on this piece 16"x20" of a water taxi crossing the river in Kuching. Most of my problems came from trying to understand the various methods of using oil and trying out the mixes of solvents (linseed and turpentine). The colours used are W&N paints - I bought the basic set because I really don't know if I want to paint in oil again or just stick to watercolours, which, although is a tough medium to master, is at least less cumbersome to work with and faster. ps: No, this piece is not for sale.

UnderThe Palm Trees

Just completed this piece. Titled it "Under The Palm Trees". I have always enjoyed afternoons under the palm trees. It's cooling and on windy days, the rustle of the palm leaves and swaying fronds are a delight to watch.

Bamboo Grove

This is a painting of an unusual structure at the local park. The blue hut is actually a stable. the bamboo was planted in the centre of the stable whose roof apex has been cut to allow the bamboo to grow through. Now, when this bamboo is fully grown, it provides shade for horses tied there. Whoever's idea it was, it definitely is something ingenious. I hope I have done it equal justice with this painting.

Balinese Roofs II

This is my second painting. I think this is not as good as the earlier piece. What do you think?

Balinese Roofs I - Artists Colony at Conlay Craft Complex

This is a scene painted in-situ (on site). It was painted sometime between 11am to 2pm and the weather was quite hot. The scene was at the Artists Colony at the Crafts Complex in Kuala Lumpur and the compound was quite empty. The tiny huts you see are where artisans and artists create their work. It is the only surviving craft centre where tourists to Malaysia (and Kuala Lumpur) could watch artists at work. There is no other place you can view such a group of them, ranging from watercolourists to acrylic and oil painters. Located within the compound is also a showroom featuring Malaysian craft. I like this place because you can really enjoy the quiet surrounding and paint to your heart's content in busy Kuala Lumpur where you won't be disturbed by curious eyes.

Morning's Glory - Golden Arch

This was painted from a photo as an exercise to better understand light and shade. I was also experimenting with a new paint, the Schminke. As you can see, the colours are very bright. Comments welcome.

Fishing Village - Latest Work

This piece was painted several days ago, in between coding the new site. I was somewhat surprised by the outcome. The colours used were exceptionally thin, and layered carefully. This one was done using W&N watercolours and I am pleased by the subdued result. The picture is typical of a fishing village. The tiny structure between the two bigger houses is the chicken coop. The houses are built on stilts just in case the tide runs over. Comments welcome.

First Paint, 'Destroy' It, Then Perfect it

This is an experiment. the painting above was created earlier. I felt it was quite empty. Then I decided to 'destroy' it by adding in various surrounding elements - first the trees, then the rocks, and other ground textures. (See below for the outcome.)I hope I have done justice to it ... or have I completely destroyed the earlier creation?

Glad to be back!

This is my first painting after such a long lay-off due to work commitment and personal struggles. Since October last year, I have not been able to finish a painting. If I was not interrupted by work, it would be something else. Finally, after visiting my mentor and friend Maamor Jantan last week, I was able to summon enough spirit to start and finish this piece. It was a street scene. If it looks familiar, it is. I won't tell you where but you will know if you come across it. This work started out to test a new paper in the market, a 300-gm paper produced by a Malaysian company. The texture looked good so I decided if it will hold the colours well. From my amateur experience, I think it is quite good. I really hope Malaysian paper manufacturers (we are one of the best in the world, I am told) would come up with proper acid-free papers for artists. Yes, we have good art product distributors. Yes, we can import good papers like Waterford and Langton and Saunders. But for the struggling artist, this is sometimes quite out of reach. Local papers, I am sure we have the technology to make them, will ease the financial burden for the artists. And killing two birds with one stone, for lack of better analogy, we will be promoting ourselves as good art paper manufacturers. One brushmaker has already made headway into Europe with synthetic sable. So?

Floating Mosque of Terengganu

This structure is one of the most beautiful religious edifices I have ever seen. It was built a number of years ago in Terengganu by the sea. This view is taken from the sea, as we were trying to reach land before the storm unleashes its full force. I painted this scene last year. Most of the work was done in the studio. A photo captured the intensity and mood of the moment which I hope I have successfully rendered in this scene. The water was made especially calm - depicting the calm before the storm. Hope you like it.

Stadthuys Clock Tower in the Sun

This is the Stadthuys Clock Tower in the heart of Malacca historical city. I have just painted this after a long hiatus. The sun is coming from the right and the time is mid-morning. I am just experimenting with easy, relaxed strokes. Painted 16 Sept 2006

Yacht in the Harbour

This is a painting of a yacht resting in the harbour. It is done is very loose style after I was inspired by one of John Singer Sargeant's works. I was experimenting with something totally new and attention was paid to strokes of vibrant colours, especially lemon yellow and vermillion. I think one of the best ways a painter, a watercolour painter, can do for himself is to forget to be too mechanical in his/her painting. Don't allow pure logic to rule the brush and just paint what is before them. This will result in a loose and relaxed style.

Still River Runs Deep

How's that for inspiration? Can art be inspiring? Can watercolour art be inspiring? Well, I think it can. Take a look at this piece. See how calm the surroundings are. The undisturbed reflection of the river flowing through secondary jungle. Did you hear the birds sing? There is no wind. Just cool surroundings. Makes you wish you were here, right? So peaceful and quiet. Nature at its best! I was inspired by the water flowing in that river. Only watercolour can give this kind of effect. Only watercolour can capture of water because of its transparency. Hope you like this one.

Young Coconuts by the Seaside

I painted this sometime ago at the famed Tanjung Bidara. I was trying to capture the bright sunlight streaming through from top and the young coconuts on a very hot day. The beach is simplified, with some greenery jutting into the sea.

Red boat by the river

Have not been painting the past few weeks. Work got to me - arrrgh! Anyway, here is the latest. A very quick sketch of a red boat set against a tributary of a river. This watercolour piece took me less than 30 minutes in total. Special attention was given to the skies and the solitary coconut tree. I was trying to capture its form in the wind. One of the most difficult things a watercolourist faces when painting Malaysian seaside scenery is to get the coconut tree leaves/fronds right. This one is affected by the strong breeze, and the form is rather loose. The trees at the distance are painted in light grey-blue, providing a stark contrast with the blue skies which was painted wet on wet. The red boat is to provide contrast and centre of focus. This was a scene at the riverside in Kemaman, Terengganu

Still Life in Watercolours

This is a painting (left) which I did many years ago, a still life subject of a bunch of banana and some chillies for contrast. The green fruit is a 'jambu air'. Below, at right, is the photograph of the scene taken from another angle. This piece was done in 2003 at a painting class conducted by art master Tang Tuck Kan at the Petronas Art Gallery at KLCC. I almost forgot about this painting until I stumbled upon it again during spring cleaning. Sometimes it is interesting to see one's progress in painting when one stumbles upon an old work. I think many artists share the same view - and many more, after they have become successful, try to locate their paintings of old. Some of them successful in reacquiring their old paintings, sometimes disappointed in the process. But all that cannot be helped - artists need to eat and live too. Many sold their early works, albeit cheap, and then lived to regret it. But that is part of their life. A good artist needs to fill his stomach too, at whatever cost.

Batu Caves on Thaipusam Day in Watercolour

If you have been to Batu Caves (the largest limestone cave complex in the region) during Thaipusam, a Hindu religious festival, and have gone up to the Cave Temple after climbing the 272 steps, you will recognise this scenery. This is the second level stairway to the Cave Temple. I painted this out of a photo, and lots of darks were used (mixed from blues, reds, and greens). The smoky atmosphere is not so well captured, I'm afraid. But I will paint one more, this time even bigger than this 30cm by 45cm piece. Painted June 23, 2006.

Palm Trees in Watercolour

This is a painting of three palm trees completed just moments ago. The paint has dried and I think I have it photographed and uploaded. As you can see, I am trying out the palm fronds and the skies, to see if the colours work out realistically at a distance. This is a miniature painting, about 4.5 inches width by 12 inches (or so) in height. It is a typical scene of a fisherman's house by a cove. The painter is on elevated ground, looking down at an angle. Painted June 21, 2006

Night at Village

This is done in a very relaxed style. It is a scene at night, of a traditional village house made of timber. The yellow lighting is from a hurricane lamp as such houses are sometimes not linked by electricity supply. The roofing is made of attap (a kind of palm) and the entire house, of timber. Herein lies the danger. Sometimes the kerosene lamp is run over by the house cat or if it falls from the hanger during strong winds, the house will be ablaze in minutes. And many lives have been lost thus. Thankfully, nowadays such houses are powered by electricity. This painting is a record of my experience living in such a house once.

Putrajaya Bridge in Watercolour

This piece was done from a photograph. What I merely created was capture the colours and tonal values. It is a painting of a bridge over the Putrajaya Lake. the arches are beautiful and so are the red and green flowering plants planted on both sides of the bridge which you can see overhanging from the sides. The man in the canoe is paddling into the archway. Painted June 16, 2006

Lighthouse in Watercolour

This is a picture of Cape Hatteras lighthouse which was inspired by a photograph in a book. It was an one of the exercises I do daily after I get off from work so that I get the feel. In other words, to keep my fingers nimble and the brushes pliable. It was painted in half an hour. Painted June 13, 2006

Chinatown by Night

This is my second attempt to paint night. This one however, is in the city. This is a familiar Chinatown scene, with yellow and red lanterns and buntings. I think everywhere around the world, the familiar scene evokes memories of a stroll down Chinatown, especially near the Lunar New Year celebration period. It was such a joy to see the colours come alive. The white-green patch you see at top right is a small alleyway which is lit by fluorescent lamp - colour of the light reflected off the lime plaster cement wall. Painted June 05, 2006.

Venetian Waterway II

No, this is not the second painting I did. I saw this in one of JS Sargeant's works and decided to paint the scene. The aim was to do it as relaxed and as carefree as possible and capture the colours to the best of my ability. The rendition of this scenery is of a totally different style which I am used to. Painted June 04, 2006

Clock Tower - Townscape in Watercolour

This is one painting which was painted in less than 2 hours, A3 size. It is a townscape of the Malacca clock tower, near to the Stadhuys Complex in the heart of the historic city. It was drawn out of a postcard. I have always dreaded drawing buildings and painting them. This is no exception. But I am getting the hang of it. It is not tough after all. Painted May 26, 2006.

Old Boat By Fishing Village

This scene is self-explanatory. Done in watercolours in a very different style. Attention was paid to the linear strokes on the ground, depicting the unlevelled beach. Painted in April 2006.

Night Scene in Watercolour