Creation of DREAMembrance art series

A post shared by Yen (@yenpaintings) on Jul 14, 2018 at 11:10am PDT

"Lau Pa Sat", 30" x 24", oil on canvas 2018.  

The place that my eyes are drawn to whenever I am in town, the Telok Ayer Market, its chinese moniker the Old Market, an archtiectural landmark haven that has always been, never mind the endless modernity sprouting around it.  

A post shared by Yen (@yenpaintings) on Jul 28, 2018 at 8:01am PDT

"The Lost Station", 30" x 24", oil on canvas 2018 

Lost in time, literally, our beloved Tanjong Pagar Railway Station saw its last train depart from Singapore to Malaysia in 2011 and then closed in 2016 to be re-made into a new mrt station, due far away in 2025.

A post shared by Yen (@yenpaintings) on Jul 31, 2018 at 6:16am PDT

"The Silent Dome", 30" x 24", oil on canvas 2018 
From the Supreme Court to the National Gallery, the quintessential Dome stayed intact, thankfully, a comforting presence anchoring the padang field and a silent witness to many a historic event in the ever-changing city.

A post shared by Yen (@yenpaintings) on Jul 21, 2018 at 8:39pm PDT

"Chinatown Blues", 30" x 24", oil on canvas 2018 

The black white balconies at this classy row of peranakan shophouses on a nonchalent back lane called Teck Lim Road seem to jazz and have a life of their own, nudging me to paint them. And so I did.

Visit DREAMembrance art exhibition 3-5 Aug: https://www.facebook.com/events/624970771220288/

DREAMembrance art exhibition, 3-5 Aug @ That Spare Room

An upcoming exhibition with 2 other artists whose works I love very much. It's been a wonderful meandering journey from the coming together more than a year ago, the initial ideas, the enjoyable discourses, the brainstorming, the theme, the planning, the venue, the slow but surely coming to fruition of the exhibition, and of course the painting, the exhilaration, the sharing, the learning, and yes, now finally the last lap to d-day on 3 August. Do join us :)

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DREAMembrance

journey into the wistful and wishful world between dreams and memories…

DREAMembrance presents the collective works of three artists as they explore the interplay between dreams and memories, creating a rich and colorful realm that bridges the past with the present, realities with aspirations. The artworks depict the artists’ emotive connections to places, people, objects, and experiences that transport the viewer to a deeply intimate space. 

Ong Hwee Yen offers a fresh take on local landmark scenes through a series of forget-me-not art vignettes of the place she grew up and dreamt in. Chris Lim’s paintings are a mix of reminiscences of landscapes, cityscapes, animals, and still life objects, conjuring a dream-like effect that evokes mystery, disorientation, and nostalgia. Using a semi-abstract approach, Arlyn de Jesus creates a series of social commentaries through whimsical mindscapes about living in a hyper-connected world.

EXHIBIT DETAILS:

WHERE:       That Spare Room @ The Fabulous Baker Boy, 70 River Valley Road #01-15, S 179037

MRT:            Fort Canning

WHEN:        August 3, 11am-5pm (Fri);

                    August 4, 11am-9pm (Sat);

                    August 5, 11am-5pm (Sun)

WEBSITE:    https://www.facebook.com/events/624970771220288/

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Artscape Exhibition, 1-3 Dec @ SOTA

Participating in Artscape 1st edition with my fellow artists at the studio, it's gonna be fun with some over 50 artists at SOTA and over 300 artworks.   

The common thread of my paintings this round is travel. Travel in time, travel in whimsical dreams, travel to foreign lands.. wherever my brushstrokes take me.. 

"Yesteryear", a juxtaposition of the present Capitol Theatre morphing into the charming Capitol Cinema of old,

"Paper Planes", a little girl's whimsical flight of fancy at Changi airport, 

"Lanterns" and "Marina Lights", abstract depictions of the red lanterns and night lights that thread the magic at Chinatown and Marina Bay,

"Cape of Hope", "Icelandic Houses" and "Brilliance", faraway dreams of fond places remembered.. Capetown (South Africa) at dusk, Reykjavik (Iceland) in winter, and Mont Tremblant (Canada) woods in autumn.  

Sneak peek of the first painting here, visit the exhibition to see the rest :)

Date: 1 ~ 3 Dec 2017, 12pm-10pm
Venue: SOTA Art Gallery
1 Zubir Said Drive, Level 2, Singapore 227968
Tel: 8192 4122 
Website: www.artscapesg.com
MRT: Dhoby Ghaut, Exit B

Those Were The Days ( 小时候 )

小时候，我喜欢看电影的感觉。不，应该说我喜欢去那种旧式戏院看电影的感觉。当我们走近电影院，就会看到那超大型、把宣传片画得栩栩如生、十分动人、人物好象随时会从画面里跳出来的手绘海报！旧时的海报，就是那么精彩万分、富有充满想象力空间的立体感觉，让人不期然地对那继将上映的片子充满期待，太美妙了！

而小小的我，一直奇怪为什么那海报可以在某一天突然象魔术般地换画，这么高、这么大，他们是怎么办到的？再来，旧的海报又如何处理，好东西都给谁拿去了？好多的好奇，又没有人可问，或好意思问… 当时的我，甚至立志长大后，要做那画海报的伟大画师，那我就可以天天挥一挥大彩笔，制造一出出美丽的神奇，让世人惊叹，还可以寻找出我那许许多多问题的答案… 当然小时候的我，志愿天天变，比电影院换画还要快，哈哈！

唉，如今新加坡已极少或没有这种电影院了。所以，这次台湾行在台南的街道拐个弯突然看到这间超好玩的“全美戏院”，欢喜的不得了，好象找回失而复得的儿时记忆。真想把整座电影院搬回家！想一想，除了过关卡有点小问题外，在新加坡它恐怕难逃被拆的命运吧… 只好拍张照留念，回到家再把那小时对旧戏院的情忆结，构成一幅画。

Title: Those Were The Days (O46)
Description: A surprise encounter with an old cinema during a visit to Tainan, Taiwan, evokes many a happy childhood memory of the cinemas of old in Singapore. I love the old cinemas for their handpainted cinema billboards and wanted to be a billboard artist when I was young. 2010.
Medium: Oil on Ready-to-Hang Canvas.
Dimensions: 76 x 60cm.
SOLD.

5 comments:
beibei said...
Wow.. i love that billboard.
jeffrey said...
This is THE cinema that Lee Ang used to frequent when he was still in High school in Tainan! And the painting rocks btw..
sookliang said...
在脑海里的回忆，一触不可收拾。那俊男美女的布画让我遐想到画师是如何画得栩栩如生。。。。 那被丢弃的彩画是如怨妇般的可怜。。。 忘了一时多少人的如此的欣赏。。
wilson said...
very artistic feel...
jiajia said...
love this new piece!

The Way ( 道 )

An expressionist piece that I had to paint twice to get the feeling that I wanted to achieve right, which I will leave to the viewer to interpret.

The scene was inspired by a picture that I took at the beautiful Confucian Temple in Tainan, south Taiwan. Red is a colour that I have found to be very beautiful and expressive since I started this Taiwan series and never more evident than in this work which I thoroughly enjoyed its richness in my execution.

Title: The Way (O45, SA30)
Description: An expressionist piece inspired by the Tainan Confucian Temple in Taiwan. 2010.
台湾行台南孔庙之“道”。
Medium: Oil on Ready-To-Hang Canvas.
Dimensions: 76x60cm
Purchase at: yen.artfire.com

Enlightenment ( 悟 )

The Longshan Temple in Lugang, central Taiwan, dedicated to Guanyin (Goddess of Mercy), is one of my fave temples on this trip to Taiwan. The structures are ancient yet elegantly beautiful and well-preserved, maintaining the feel befitting of its history and age. Like a grand old dame. Indeed it is known as the "Forbidden City in Taiwan", dating from the Ching Dynasty.

http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=2766855 I especially love the exquisite wood carvings and colourful paintings. This corridor was filled with streaming light even though it was not a particularly sunny day, epitomizing a sense of tranquility and enlightenment. Hence the inspiration for this piece.

Title: Enlightenment (O44, SA33)
Description: The light-filled corridor at the Longshan Temple dating from the 1786 Ching Dynasty in Lugang, central Taiwan. 2010.
台湾行鹿港龙山寺之“悟”。
Medium: Oil on Ready-To-Hang Canvas.
Dimensions: 76x51cm

Blooming Happiness ( 满满的幸福 )

Flowers, flowers, flowers everywhere! Gleeful were my friends and I when we discovered this field while taking a walk in the countryside at Jiji in Nantou, central Taiwan.

And the warmth and joy of that afternoon was what I seek to capture in this piece, with a touch of enigmatism added to the final oil work, as I wondered what was the source of our happiness that day. Was it the flowers? Was it the setting? Was it the company? Was it the strange shaped building yonder? Or was it simply the surprise bouquet combination of it all?

Title: Blooming Happiness (O43, SA37)
Description: Taiwan series. From a visit to Jiji, Nantou, in Central Taiwan, where we literally stumbled on this blooming field with beautiful flowers to our utter delight. 2010.
台湾行集集之“满满的幸福”。
Medium: Oil on Ready-to-Hang Canvas.
Dimensions: 76x60cm
SOLD.

Contentment ( 简单的快乐 )

Happiness can be so simple. I was moved by the serene scene of sunrays falling warmly on some houses at the Yangmingshan National Park where a gigantic overhanging white cloud seemed to be sheltering and protecting the humble abode. Hence I took a picture and created a longitudinal bookmark shot of this sunset scene, from which my painting was born.

I had thought it would be a simple painting to do. In the end it took longer than expected as I experimented to re-capture the wondrous feeling of that evening. It seems the path to happiness is not easy, but it is good when I get there :)

Title: Contentment (O42, SA38)
Description: Taiwan series. Simple living, simple happiness. Inspired by a dusk scene at theYangmingshan National Park in Taipei. 2010.
台湾行阳明山之“简单的快乐”。
Medium: Oil on Ready-to-Hang Canvas.
Dimensions: 76x51cm

An Old Port Town ( 鹿港老街 )

We almost didn't make it to Lugang. There was a hiccup finding transport to get us there from Central Taiwan. Lucky we did get there eventually because it was a nice laidback charming old town with historic archictecture and many nooks and corners to explore.

I especially like the old street and this sign that leads to it, the bustling yet serene old port town atmosphere, which I seek to capture in this semi-abstract piece.

Title: An Old Port Town (SA31)
Description: Taiwan series. An abstract piece epitomizing the activities of the Old Lugang Township on the west coast of Taiwan. 2010.
台湾行之“鹿港老街”。
Medium: Oil on Ready-to-Hang Canvas.
Dimensions: 76 x 51cm.

Messages From The Past ( 古老的信息 )

The old township of Lugang in central Taiwan is a charming place to visit, not too touristy and most of all, the character of the old shops in all kinds of odd shapes and sizes are retained and selling a fascinating array of colourful knick-knacks and stuff.

I was thoroughly enjoying myself browsing the shops with my friends when I spotted a Japanese photographer taking a picture of a beautiful door of a closed foresaken-looking storefront. With the whistling winds, the fluttering red pieces of paper gave the place a mysterious feel that seem to transport me to the days of old. I decided to shoot the storefront from the side in order to capture the effect of the wind, with the swinging red lantern adding to the atmosphere.

It was this romantic windswept feel of ancient Chinese times that I seek to capture with my strokes when I painted the piece, with the postbox adding the touch and link to modernity, as if the past is whispering its mysterious messages to the present.

Title: Messages From The Past (O40,SA29)
Description: Taiwan series. Inspired by the Lugang Old Town in Central Taiwan, this atmospheric piece uses strong contrast, bold colours and swift movement to juxtapose the romantic past with the present. 2010.
台湾行鹿港之“古老的信息”。
Medium: Oil on Ready-to-Hang Canvas.
Dimensions: 76x60cm

1 comment:
zemphira said...
i like your messages from the past.

Secret Bliss ( 美丽的秘密 )

It was the first day of a brand new year, after particularly bad weather and a freezing night on New Year's Eve at Jing Gua Shi near Juifen in north Taiwan. The weather has calmed somewhat and the air fresh and crisp, so I decided to take a walk in this mountainous region and chanced to come across this window ruins.

I was simply intrigued by its beauty - the beckoning layers of windows and doorways within left standing and the intricate pattern of planks and wild plants lit by the filtered light. One wonders what this residence used to be like, who used to live here - was it a family? were there young children? how did they make a living? did they have a garden? what was their life like? And above all, why it lay in this mysterious ruinous state today.

Title: Secret Bliss (O39,SA34)
Description: Taiwan series. Depiction of beautiful window ruins in Jing Gua Shi, North Taiwan, with an intriguing sense of mystery emanated by the layers of interiors and intricate patterns within, and of what it might have been. 2010.
台湾行金瓜石之“美丽的秘密”。
Medium: Oil on Ready-to-Hang Canvas.
Dimensions: 60 x 45cm.

101 Exuberance ( 101之喧哗 )

My friends and I had arrived in Taipei on a trip on Christmas Day and had a wonderful evening enjoying the lovely mood and festivity even though it was not an official public holiday there. The energy and exuberance of that night was best epitomized by a picture I took that had Christmas lights and decorations streaking and fusing with the city lights and the omnipresent Taipei 101 skyscraper, once the tallest building in the world, in the backdrop.

Hence, I aimed to capture the wondrous mood of the beautiful Taipei city on that evening with my strokes and colours on this abstract piece - colourful yet not gaudy, boisterous yet not rowdy, spectacular yet not bling - an exuberant city of clean good fun and bright youthful hope.
Title: 101 Exuberance (O31,SA32)
Description: Taiwan Series. An abstract piece of the Taipei cityscape at night, with the ubiquitous Taipei 101. 2010.
台湾行台北“101之喧哗”。
Medium: Oil on Ready-to-Hang Canvas.
Dimensions: 76x60cm
SOLD. 

2 comments:
ruping said...Beautiful artwork from a talented friend.
john williams said...
Bold and Vivid and I can feel the movement-well done-John

Serenity ( 緑息 )

This abstract piece is inspired by one of the pictures I took while on a leisurely trip in Taiwan with a group of good friends and meeting other good friends there as well. As chance would have it, I got to visit Yangminshan National Park even though it was at the end of the day when we got there. We got a bit lost on a trail and were cold and hungry by the time we reached the Visitor's Centre, but all was forgotten when we got to witness beautiful dusk colours, like this forest scene, and a glorious sunset.

It is exactly this feeling that I want to capture with my colours and strokes on this green-themed piece - the feeling of beauty, the feeling of serenity, the feeling of unhurried leisure, the feeling of one at peace with nature, swaying with the soft winds and rays of gentle sunshine.

Title: Serenity (O30,SA35)
Description: Taiwan Series. An abstract piece of trees at the Yangmingshan National Park in Taipei, Taiwan. 2010. 台湾行阳明山之“緑息”。
Medium: Oil on Ready-to-Hang Canvas.
Dimensions: 60x45cm.

3 comments:
piety dsilva said...Nice composition.
ayan ghoshal said...Wonderful...!
maria rova said...This is beautiful, love the peaceful, inviting colours!

Approaching Storm II

The 2nd piece is based on a pic taken whilst I was in Bhutan doing the Druk Path Trek which is a 5-day trek from Paro to the capital Thimphu. Let's just say it was a very himalayan adventure ;p

I had a great time in Bhutan despite being ill initially and the nice feelings were to stay with me for a long time after. So when I did this piece, the pleasant feelings just translated into the peaceful pastels for the Paro Valley setting. I can't think of Bhutan without a smile on my face so even though this is an approaching storm scene, it emanates a message of peace and serenity.

This painting is also available at the 6 perspectEVEs exhibition on 4 ~ 28 August 2009 at The Art Loft @ Volvo.

Title: Approaching Storm II (O18,SA10)
Description: Peace and beauty prevails at Bhutan's Paro Valley even with creeping storm. 2009.
Medium: Oil on Ready-to-Hang Canvas.
Dimensions: 60 x 45cm.
Price: SOLD.
Mini-Acrylic Work (with dark green cardboard frame) 25x21cm: SOLD.

Watercolour Hiatus

My main medium is oil which I use in the studio, or acrylic when I paint outdoors. Occasionally I'm enticed to dabble in other media for the fun of it or when I'm having a block with the canvas. So it was that I was having a particularly long block that I decided to have a go at watercolour which I've been told is the most difficult medium of all. In fact, several of the experienced folks at my art class started with watercolour and are now firmly attached to the canvas ;p Too much heartbreak, they say.

So it was with great trepidation that I started on watercolour.. and learned first-hand all the things that I had been warned.. tremble, tremble, joking.. I'm no watercolourist but it had been a fun experiment. I learned the essentialness of thinking and planning everything ahead, the importance of decisiveness in colour, stroke, and amount of water in the brush, and of course, the criticalness of delivery where a single mistake will cost the whole piece - and somehow it almost always does.. sigh.. that's why I say I'm not a colourist. Too much heartbreak, indeed ;p

But I do find that the watercolour experience helps when I reverted back to oil and found fresh perspectives. When I travel on my own, it has become a habit to bring my little watercolour pad because it's the easiest medium to bring, in case I do find the opportunity to paint. So here are some of my "experiments", for good or for bad.












Title: Sunrise At Halong Bay (W4)
Description: Impressions of Halong Bay, Vietnam. 2007.
Medium: Watercolour Work.
Dimensions: 30 x 23cm.
Price: SOLD.

Title: Trees At Overland Track (W5)
Description: Eucalyptus trees at Overland Track, Tasmania. 2007.
Medium: Watercolour Work.
Dimensions: 30 x 23cm.
Price: SOLD.










Title: Iona Abbey (W6)
Description: Inspired by the beautiful columns of an ancient abbey at Iona Island in the Scottish Hebrides. 2007.
Medium: Ink & Watercolour Work.
Dimensions: 24 x 18cm.
Price: NFS.

Title: Iona Ruins (W7)
Description: Ancient ruins at Iona Island in the Scottish Hebrides. 2007.
Medium: Ink & Watercolour Work.
Dimensions: 24 x 18cm.
Price: SOLD.


1 comment (Halong Bay):
karen said...
... gorgeous... pretty impressive, in my view.

1 comment (Overland Track):
beibei said...
Somehow i like this

Seasons ~ Winter Wonderland

I have a penchant for using moody reference photos with muted colours for my paintings because they give free rein to my imagination and I am not so influenced or constrained by the local colours. I am also a believer that a painting should not copy the original photo or scene slavishly, or I may as well take a photograph instead. In any case, my photos are works in their own right for that medium, at least I think so ;p As a result, I am not a realist painter and have strong leanings towards Impressionists and post-Impressionists styles.

So it was with this particular piece that my feelings of delight and wonder translates into a canvas of fantasy colours for a beautiful winter scene that I woke up to from my tent whilst on a trek in the Himalayas during a memorable adventure to the remote kingdom of Bhutan. Winter Wonderland aptly describes my bursting sense of joy and happiness like a child discovering a treasure then. It is thus the name for my painting as well as my photo, different they may look visually but encompassing the same magical emotions that I had felt and wanted so much to convey and share.

The painting took part in my art space's 2nd Juried Show on 25 ~ 27 Mar 2008 and was displayed at the 6 perspectEVEs exhibition on 4 ~ 28 Aug 2009 at The Art Loft @ Volvo.

Title: Seasons ~ Winter Wonderland (O7)
Description: Inspired by a beautiful winter scene one morning on the Druk Path Trek in Bhutan, this piece delights with its fantasy colours, evoking the feelings of joy and wonder of a child discovering a treasure. 2006.
Medium: Oil on Ready-to-Hang Canvas.
Dimensions: 60 x 50cm.
SOLD. 

5 comments:
jeffrey said...
I like Winter Wonderland
karel said...
Personally like the piece named Winter Wonderland
gavin said...
amazing artwork.....loved the winter stuff
judy said...
Your use of color adds excitement to your work! I love your treatment of the mountain scape in Autumn Crescendo and the lovely Winter Wonderland.
sorin apostolescu said...
Beautiful artwork !!!

Cambodia Angkor Wat Art Trip

Painting plein air, or in the open air. It sounds so cool, especially when this was popularised by the Impressionists who believe in capturing natural light. For me, working outdoors is altogether very exciting and challenging. Most of all, it forces one to make decisions quickly and accelerates the learning process.

Whilst I have had the odd paint-out day trip from time to time, my 1st major painting journey of notable length was a 1-week hiatus to Siem Reap with my art class in Dec 2006, a very memorable and fun trip for reasons other than artistic ones ;p

I discovered that I had to make the hard choice between being a tourist or a painter, because if I give in to my traveller's urge to go about shooting the gorgeous architectural ruins, I have no energy left to paint. Conversely, to get any serious work done, I should just set up shop at a good spot as soon as possible (preferably with ample shade that can last the next couple hours and hopefully no mozzies) whilst repressing my tremendous urge to go around to explore. Being an amateur artist, I pretty much oscillated between the two ;p
Anyway, here are some of my plein air efforts from the trip when not gallivanting around with my camera:














Title: The Unfinished Entrance At Bakong (A3)
Description: Siem Reap's Bakong Temple, Cambodia. 2006.
Medium: Acrylic on Panel (flat).
Dimensions: 40 x 30cm.
Price: SOLD.

Title: Preah Khan (SP1)
Description: Siem Reap's Preah Khan Temple, Cambodia. 2006.
Medium: Pencil Work.
Dimensions: 30 x 25cm (with frame).
Price: SOLD.














Title: Bayon (SI3)
Description: Siem Reap's Bayon Temple, Cambodia. 2006.
Ink Drawing (mounted on display board) 27x24cm: SOLD.

Title: Tree At Preah Khan (SI4)
Description: A beautiful fig tree at Siem Reap's Preah Khan Temple, Cambodia. 2006.
Ink Drawing (mounted on display board) 27x24cm: SOLD.

2 comments (Bayon):
jeffrey said...
Bravo!
alice said...
Indeed!

Dreams ~ Girl At Angkor Wat

I was on an art trip to Siem Reap when I finally found time to climb to the top of the main temple complex where the architecture was really beautiful and the views fantastic. There I found this young Cambodian girl in a sarong sitting nonchalently, oblivious to the going-ons around her, not to mention the hoards of tourists. Unlike other children, she has a quality of enigma, dignity and air wise beyond her years. In another country, another place, in different circumstances, she could have been a blossoming star even..
There she sat twirling her kerchief, as if pondering her dreams and what could have been. Hence the title for this poignant piece.


Title: Dreams ~ Girl At Angkor Wat (O5)
Description: A young Cambodian girl at the Angkor Wat temple ruins, Siem Reap. 2007.
Medium: Oil on Ready-to-Hang Canvas.
Dimensions: 60 x 50cm.
SOLD.