I have not been to the Botanical Gardens in a while. It was my favourite haunt many moons ago and what I always recommend to travellers to Singapore, but the MRT and other construction put a dampener of sorts. After gasp! umpteen years of wait, the dust finally settled.
The gardens have been extensively revamped, no doubt due to the bid to be listed on UNESCO. But thankfully, still recognisable, familiar and as beautiful as ever. And oh the black swans are still there, in the lake, which I sat by for the longest time, moved into painting a sketch of the lone tree across. Then it started to shower with the nearby pavilion providing a wonderful refuge for both people and pigeons ;p The drops became almost a downpour before the water drama ended, yielding sunshine again. I looked at the tree again. The feeling was simply marvellous. And this was what I seek to capture in the painting created from the sketch.
I also saw the most lovely bamboo corner with the leaves rustling softly with the winds, a poetic sight to behold. And again another sketch which I later turned into an abstract painting.
I have to go back again another time. So much more that moved me that day that I have yet to capture. And in a manner different from my earlier busy works. A quieter rendition, an indescribable feeling. This is after all, my favourite place in Singapore.
Title: Bamboo Abstract (O119)
Description: Abstract painting of bamboo trees rustling in the winds invoking imagery of colourful floral and singing birds, in Chinese ink painting style. Singapore Botanical Gardens, SG50 Series.
Medium: Oil on Ready-to-Hang Canvas.
Title: A Day at the Botanical Gardens (O118)
Description: Poetic abstract painting of a lone whimsical tree of green, in the winds above the waters, inspired by a lake at the Singapore Botanical Gardens. SG50 Series.
Medium: Oil on Ready-to-Hang Canvas.
Been a while since I painted my homeland. This orange monochrome piece is inspired by an abstract picture of light and smoke I had created from a chance photograph I took from a bus window while it briefly stopped outside the Singapore Lasalle College of the Arts. The morning sunlight reflecting brightly on the roof caught my eye, as well as the atmospheric effect of fumes being sprayed at the time creating a Chinese landscape atmosphere out of the overhanging trees, and that was how I developed the image.
The composition of triangular and other shapes was perfect in the original picture and the only difference I made was the figure of the old man which became a Chinese long haired woman in my painting. Not sure why but I painted most of this work outdoors at a myartspace market event on Dhoby Ghaut Green and somehow amidst all the murmurings of the bystander public in the background, the figure change became just right for this poignant piece ;p
Title: Rooftop (O116)
Description: Orange monochrome impressionist painting inspired by morning sunlight reflecting off the rood top of a building at Singapore Lasalle College of the Arts grounds.
Medium: Oil on Ready-to-Hang Canvas.
Back to painting my favourite Suzhou classical garden, Cang Lang Ting (沧浪亭), which many say has a japanese zen feeling to the piece.
I simply love this place. Its meditative atmosphere emits an untouched hypnotic calm as the privileged few visiting its grounds find their own solitary interpretation and poetic encounters as they wander about exploring the many nooks and corners.
The combination of architecture with nature was perfect, from the lyrical to the whimsical. As with this corner that caught my eye. Interpret how you will the vertical lines as the beauty of this Suzhou classical garden is in the imagination and pondering that it invokes in the mind of the beholder.
Title: Suzhou Gardens 苏州园林 (O88)
Description: A painting of the poetic grounds of Cang Lang Ting (Surging Waves Pavilion), the artist's favourite Suzhou gardens and one of the famous China UNESCO classical gardens. China 2013.
Medium: Oil on Ready-to-Hang Canvas.
Dimensions: 61 x 61cm.
Purchase at: yen.artfire.com
I first visited China as a kid and loved Hangzhou then. Pleasant place, an amazing acrobatic performance, and a beautiful lake.
So it was that on this trip to Shanghai, I had to go Hangzhou again, even for a few hours. Gilded childhood memories aside, must say I was taken aback by the mad circus at the train station, the crazy cab ride to the nearest part of the lake in order to maximise my visit, and oh lord, I think the whole of China is here!!
Thankfully, the lake is incredibly big, more than I ever remember. Incredibly, there is space for everyone. And incredibly lucky was I to find a quiet garden section which was so beautiful I was reminded of Giverny. And oh the time flew by as I explored the little surprises at every nook and corner. Rarely has the harmony of man and nature been more intricate than in this heavenly place, which is the very essence of zen. And thus the tribute of this painting.
Title: West Lake 西湖 (O87)
Description: A quiet corner at the beautiful West Lake captures my heart, as Hangzhou once did many years ago. China 2013.
Medium: Oil on Ready-to-Hang Canvas.
Dimensions: 61 x 61cm.
SOLD.
2 comments:
doreen said...Your painting exudes the energy that is not found in the photo. Well done! Love your painting!
timi said... This painting is beautiful and unique in its execution. I LOVE It.
There is nothing more lyrical than the Suzhou houses, period. They blend poetically with the landscape like a Chinese painting, whether by the river ways and intertwining bridges, or along the ancient streets, sometimes whitewash, sometimes dated yet emanating an understated beauty beyond the crumbly walls.
This was especially so along Pingjiang Street, running parallel along the river of the same namesake. There are new shops and teahouses a-plenty with an endless bustle of yuppies, locals young and old, tourists of course, but somehow the charm of ancient Suzhou is retained with architectural delights surprising at every turn. A little boat rows by on the canal, an old boatman with silver hair singing a familiar Chinese tune, yet so fitting to the atmosphere together with the photography shoots of young beautiful models in traditional costumes every 50 feet it seems. A happening place this is, as it must have been all those years ago in ancient Song Dynasty. But the houses attract me the most, with many varied exquisite designs laid out in a haphazard yet harmonious manner along the narrow stone pathway, especially the silent ones on the opposite river bank with the quintessential black triangular roof lines elegantly sketching the skyline. And that is what struck a chord in me most that resulted in this painting..
Title: Suzhou Houses 苏州屋 (O86)
Description: Houses by the Pingjiang River in Suzhou struck an emotional chord with the artist. China 2013.
Medium: Oil on Ready-to-Hang Canvas.
Dimensions: 61 x 61cm.
Purchase at: yen.artfire.com
A lyrical place makes an inspiring one. Simply love the old streets in Suzhou, with beautiful whitewash houses in the ancient style and the interweaving poetic arching roofs, all coming together like a Chinese painting scene, much like ancient China coming alive before one's very eyes.
What mysterious abodes lie behind those carved doors? What stories go on behind those pretty windows? What inspired those stunningly beautiful classical gardens that Suzhou is famous for? What about the beautiful women that Suzhou is known for? What about the aspirations of modern day China? The tug between the historical and the new must have created much upheavals in the lives of the Suzhou people, even as these ancient buildings quietly watch by..
With these thoughts swirling, the painting was created. A tad muted in colour compared to my previous works, but that was the feeling that these streets gave to me.
Title: The Way Home 回 (O85)
Description: A poignant piece inspired by the poetic streets of Suzhou. China 2013.
Medium: Oil on Ready-to-Hang Canvas.
Dimensions: 61 x 61cm.
SOLD.
