Little Black Book

I keep a small sketch book (4x6 inches) for quick sketches during stolen moments of the day; usually during traveling to and from meetings out of town. I tried to keep it updated like a visual journal but it is not always successful; recently I took stock of the entries and posted them here.

The Lasalle College of the Arts - near the Bugis MRT

I have always liked this building; how it addresses the corner with its curve form; did a quick 5 minute sketch when waiting for my lunch to be cooked in a cafe across the street.

Another quick one done in ball point pen near the Floating Stadium at the Marina; after viewing the Dali exhibition at the new Arts and Science Museum.

The 'wings' hovering over the Marina Sands

Inside - we watched the Lion King and ate pizza at the Mozza - culinary and cultural (?) highlights

A familiar place during our stay at Micheal's apartment; sketched from the McDonald's across the street.

Events of the day - some days are just packed with activity and ideas.

Last run at the gym before heading off to Penang for the Run (Nov 2011)

My life at the confluence of books and food at DNA's office.

Drawing From Memory

Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok

Steward Lane, Penang

More from the stolen afternoon of sketching in Penang, my attention was caught by the many textures of this elevation. I drew in ink 'on-site' and colored in after I returned to Kuching.

Wan Hai Hotel on Steward Lane

 

I didn't have my camera with me and forgot to write down the street name but fortunately I was able to find a photo taken by Calvin Kwok to accompany this post.

 

S(catch) of the Day

I have been busy catching up with work leftover due to my trips away from the office; so I have not had much time to sketch on-site or to finish the sketches from Penang. The only sketching that I have been doing for the past few weeks have been the money making type; sketches to show clients initial ideas, to explain design ideas to students in the office and show a trace of the hand in my drawings These sketches are for a small house in Kuching - and they perform each of the roles listed above.

Pencil floor plan rendered with coloured pencil; total area 168 sq. metres.

 

 

A couple of quick sketches drawn up in an A5 cartridge sketchbook - with water colours quickly added in.

Album covers

Sara must have enjoyed the bonding session with me in Penang; as she is still in the office everyday - seated next to me, humoring her old man by typing out my documents, scanning magazines and making coffee. Recently, she took up my suggestion to do one sketch every day in one of my old journals - the result of which startled and impressed me. With the encouraging comments from her peers and myself, she is continuing this habit of 'doing a sketch a day' - coincidentally I was listening to some per-recorded CDs from years ago which I painted some 'album covers'. So, here's a father and daughter exhibition...

book cover "roseanna' by Maj Sjowall & Per Wahloo

sarah brightman by sara

Work, Run and Family

Sara and I went to Penang for the Bridge Half Marathon; I decided to work in a bit of work and met with a client about a house and gave a talk at the local Architecture school (USM). I also brought my parents along since my Mom has not been since I was in Secondary school. 
At 3 a.m. Sunday, I ran my third half marathon (3:39) - didn't make my target of 2:27. It was a busy few days but I managed to steal away for some sketching on the last afternoon when Sara went shopping with Pris, and Eng Hooi played tour guide for my parents.
 

Campbell Street Market

You can have the afternoon off!

Song Kheng Hai Hawker Centre

A Fire Look-out tower used to mark one end of Jalan Padungan; now a garish Chinese arch mars the  spot

Today is my birthday and I am traveling to Penang with Sara and a bunch of friends to participate in the Penang Bridge Half-Marathon. After we landed in Penang at 11:30 a.m. - birthday messages started coming in from one or two office friends. To which I replied by telling them that for wishing me 'happy birthday' they can have the afternoon off! And what do you know...more birthday messages came in and I continued telling each of them to have the afternoon off; I guess I ll find out if they did take the afternoon off when I return on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, I recently gave myself the afternoon off and sketched in Padungan; enjoyed the guilty pleasure of a stolen afternoon and re-discovery of the 0.4 Artline pen.