Putting lines on paper

A few months ago, I was pleasantly surprised when the Architecture Malaysia magazine asked me to write an article about sketching as it gave me an opportunity (and reason) to look through my sketches and compile a cross section of my 'work'. After putting together a short-list of favourites, the final pieces were selected carefully to represent a phase of my hobby.

The editor of the magazine accidentally left out the captions which I provided, so I explain my choices. I like the sleeping man for its spare lines that were captured quickly as he slept after his in-flight meal. The Kim Joo piece is a culmination of my running with sketching and my favourite ritual of breakfast with Sam in my favourite part of town. Brunelleschi's Dome records a memory of our first trip to Italy flavoured with an expresso wash while the sketch of downtown Pratunam recalls  our office trip and colouring-in on the floor of the Bangkok Airport.

The last one was done on board a flight back from Penang, I chose it to demonstrate the frugality of sketching - putting lines down with a hotel pen on the back of the air-sick bag. No need for posh pens and fancy paper.

Sketch 30/30 - Looking back

Sketch 29/30 - Carmen

One warm Florentine evening a long time ago, Robyn took us to watch "Carmen" at St. Martin's Church. The church pews were moved aside and chairs arranged in a semi-circle in the central nave.

Sketch 28/30 - Jelly Bean Roof (2012)

Sean putting the final touches on his 'roof'

Sara presented the scheme to the judges

The roof is made up of empty jelly cups, hydroponic gel and mung bean-sprouts

Sketch 27/30 - Monterigiorni

Sketch 26/30 - Tua Pek Kong

Sketch 25/30 - Waiting in Yangon

When we traveled to Yangon, we were very pampered by Shein and his relatives who drove us everywhere in air-conditioned comfort. Nice as that was, I would liked to have taken a ride in one of these, wearing my longi and Burmese slippers.

Sketch 24/30 - Piazza Santissima Anunziata, Florence

I remember the name of this piazza from architecture history lessons with Nick Beattie at Deakin University - photos of Brunelleschi's Ospedale degli Innocenti flanking it with its famous loggia.
On a sunny September afternoon, I sat on the steps of that very loggia and sketched this view with pigeons and sunshine to keep me company.

Sketch 23/30 - Duck rabbit on the roof

While 'cruising' the Main river, I spotted a picture of what I thought was a duck on the roof of a building. Sam thought that it looked more like a rabbit. As it turned out, we were both right as this is a cartoon version of Ludwig Wittgenstein's duck-rabbit which illustrates the ambiguity of seeing.

In searching for related articles for this post, I stumbled across this website for Duckrabbit Digital Production and Training Company ( http://duckrabbit.info/) - have a look, they are good.