Here are more sketches from my trip to Singapore, where I was honored to teach a workshop at the Urban Sketchers Symposium, "Light and Dark with a Punch of Color". A few photos and sketches from the workshop are in the previous post below. If you would like to download a PDF of my workshop handout, here it is--and hope you'll let me know if you find it helpful!
Click here:
Light and Dark with a Punch of Color
These sketches begin with the journey there, the last several days I enjoyed sketching with the wonderful Singapore Urban Sketchers, and then coming home...
Aboard Cathay Pacific..."day" and "night" of a long flight from Los Angeles to Hong Kong...
Sketching in the Hong Kong Airport lounge, enjoying my free meal voucher from the airline due to a delayed flight...
...almost ready for take-off from Hong Kong to Singapore...
After the Symposium...
Don and Kat Low treat me to an evening at the fabulous Singapore River Safari and Zoo, with just a bit of quick sketching this pair of white tigers--the fellow in the water got a hold of a turtle...
 |
| Don Low's sketch of me and the tigers at top, mine below |
Later, Don and Kat take me for an unforgettable feast at Long Beach Seafood Restaurant and the famous chilli crab!
I sketch Don with families gathered for a Sunday night dinner and the fish tanks in the background...
Don is a master with ink and watercolor, so I'm inspired to do more ink drawing...
The next day, a fantastic day of sketching with Don, Tony Chua, James Tan and Teoh Yi Chie (aka Parka), starting at Marina Bay...
A sudden rain (normal for Singapore!) means it's time to stop, and move on to the next spot--Gardens by the Bay, and the Supertrees!
 |
Sketches of the Supertrees from left, clockwise--me,
digital sketch by Teoh Yi Chie, Tony Chua, James Tan, and
at center, Don Low |
According to Wikipedia, the Supertrees "are vertical gardens that perform a multitude of functions, which include planting, shading and working as environmental engines for the gardens.
The Supertrees are home to enclaves of unique and exotic ferns, vines, orchids and also a vast collection of bromeliads such as Tillandsia, amongst other plants. They are fitted with environmental technologies that mimic the ecological function of trees – photovoltaic cells that harness solar energy which can be used for some of the functions of the Supertrees, such as lighting, just like how trees photosynthesize; and collection of rainwater for use in irrigation and fountain displays, exactly like how trees absorb rainwater for growth. The Supertrees also serve air intake and exhaust functions as part of the conservatories' cooling systems."
I felt I was seeing the future here...pencil, watercolor and gouache
From there, a subway ride to Chinatown, where I was lucky to find a spot to sketch next to the MRT station exit. A group of tourists stood in front of me, so they became part of the sketch...
Dinner in Chinatown at the Hawker Center...
Next day, we join more Singapore sketchers in Kampong Glam--Somali Dasgupta, Francis Theo, Grace Liau and Dawn Lo. I loved this neighborhood and could have sketched there for days! The Sultan Mosque with storm clouds, and another sketch from Bussorah street--after running for the covered walkways when the rain came in a real Singapore downpour!
These two sketches were made on site in pencil, and colored later with ink wash and watercolor...
The Blue Mosque
That night, I couldn't resist returning to Gardens by the Bay to see the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest...I loved these baobabs lit up as the light faded into evening...
Then, a little late night dinner at
The Better Field, a nice bistro off Waterloo Street...
Finally, time to return home. With a long layover in Hong Kong, the airport terminal felt coldly cavernous in the middle of the night, but fills with light in the early morning...
More leisurely sketching with pencil, watercolor and gouache on tan paper...Blue Bottle Coffee had just opened, but was already attracting a crowd in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Echo Park...
A morning sketch over breakfast at the Highland Cafe in the northeast Los Angeles neighborhood of Highland Park. The lady on the phone stopped briefly in front of me as I sketched...
