Art Adventures in Asia by Shelby Dillon

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 17

2012-02-26T16:33:00.000-08:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 17"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

Happy Monday! This is another re-work. It's been brightened and tightened. Kind of sounds like a bad advertisement for plastic surgery, doesn't it? Ha. In any case, this was the original version...

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 24

2012-02-24T01:31:00.001-08:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 24"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

Well, it has been one hell of a week. TGIF, right? Have you ever had one of those weeks where everything just seems to not go right? Well, rather than act like Eeyore (I really have felt like I keep losing my dang tail this week), I'm going to count 5 good things that I can think of that happened this week:

1. It is Friday

2. It is 5 o'clock ~~somwhere~~ HERE! (I have a margarite in front of me as I type....)

3. I met a new artist this week! He's another DPW artist - Tilen Tin

4. I found out that I've been mailing things wrong. There is a MUCH cheaper way to do it. That means exciting news I'll announce in another couple of weeks.

5. I sold my first print this week! Go check out my Etsy store!

6. I got two days in the studio this week.

Okay, so I found 6 good things. Normally, I'd be frustrated I only got two days in the studio. But, I get to paint full time. How lucky am I? And being in the studio for a full day today really put me in a much better place. So, I'm not going to dwell on the time I didn't get t spend in the studio, I'm just going to be thankful for the time I did get.

Life. Is. Good. HAPPY FRIDAY!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 26

2012-02-22T16:35:00.000-08:00

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"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 26"
6x6 Oil on Panel
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This was another re-work of one of my older pieces from the spring show. I think the colors are much brighter now. I had a lot of fun with these blues. Happy ceruleans and cobalts mixed with lovely warm tones. Happy Shelby.

Safari Dawn

2012-02-21T02:18:00.001-08:00

"Safari Dawn"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

This was from one of our mornings on our safari in Sri Lanka. It was such a beautiful country, with the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets. I've never really seen a place that had so much red in their dusk and dawn. We loved doing the safari, but getting up at 5:30 every morning was not easy! Luckily, we were rewarded with some really neat animals, like monitor lizards, foxes, mongeese, and peacocks. Lots and lots of peacocks.

In other news, I have a BIG announcement! I've started selling prints of my shophouses in my Etsy store. My lovely sister-in-law is helping me with shipping in the US, so the shipping rates are reasonable. The reason why I hadn't done something like this earlier was because 1) I didn't have the resources to print archival prints and 2) shipping one print to the US with a tracking number (very necessary with international mail) cost like $50!!!! It was more than the painting or print itself almost! (Click the photo to visit my Etsy store)

All that Glitters - SOLD

2012-02-15T17:56:00.001-08:00

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"All that Glitters"
SOLD
Click Here to see other Available artwork

This was a wonderful little break from the norm. One of my good collectors in the states wanted a fun painting, so this is for her!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 100

2012-02-13T16:43:00.000-08:00

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"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 100"
6x16 Oil on Panel
SOLD
Click Here to see other available artwork

Ahhh... the end feels so sweet. This, my friends, is the last of my 100 shophouses. Like I mentioned earlier, one of my favorite collectors has already purchased this guy. She got the first one and the last one, which makes me super happy. I've had so much fun with this series, and I will continue, but not quite the same way. Firstly, I'm still re-working some of my favorites from earlier in the series. Not all of them could be saved, but some of them are coming out really awesome, which makes me very excited. As for completely new shophouses - I still want to keep pushing the cropping and perspective angles that I've been working with. But as for the title - well, it's a little cumbersome. Can I just mention how tired I am of typing "Singapore Heritage Shophouse?" :)

Plus, one of my other collector's had a fantastic request. He wanted to know where the shophouses were, so from now on, the title will more or less be the address of the house. Maybe if I really know the right address I can even tag it in PaintMap or Blogger Location settings. It'll be a nice little chronicle of Singapore and how things change over time.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 33

2012-02-12T18:20:00.000-08:00

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"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 33"
6x6 Oil on Panel
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This is honestly one of my favorite shophouses that I've done, and it's a re-work of an older one. The first version I thought was "subtle" but after letting it sit for a while, I thought that subtle was closer to "dirty" as far as the color went. Now I just love the purples and greens together. The white trim was tough to do, but I think it turned out pretty well. For some reason, doing shadows on purple objects is really tough. I don't know why. And I always have hard times with the whites. But this came out quite nicely, I think!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 8

2012-02-06T23:48:00.000-08:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 8"
6x6 Oil on Panel
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This is another re-work, from the Little India area. Really a night and day difference. I can't believe how much I've learned over the past year.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 4

2012-02-05T17:27:00.000-08:00

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"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 4"
6x6 Oil on Panel
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Whew. It has been a wonderful two weeks having my parents in town. So much for getting any painting done, though! I'm warming back up with some of my former shophouses that I've refreshed and re-painted. I realized that many of them were drawn perfectly fine, the shadow and composition was fine, the color was not fine. They needed some cleanup.

For example, here is what this one used to look like:

Much, much better. See, you too can save some old paintings!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 99

2012-01-19T02:39:00.001-08:00

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"Singapore Shophouse No. 99"
6x6 Oil on Panel
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Whew, busy busy week. I got to do some "research" on Tuesday at the Raffles Billiards room. I'm working on a commission for a client of the Billiards Room, which is where they have these fantastic (and super expensive) weekend brunches. Raffles Hotel is the one of the oldest hotels in Singapore, and is really where you can find the strongest traces of old British Colonial style. It has as much history as you can get in Singapore, and is home of the Singapore Sling. It has some fantastic food, which I very much enoyed while taking some photos for this painting.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 98

2012-01-16T14:50:00.000-08:00

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"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 98"
6x12 Oil on Panel
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This is another night scene from Emerald Hill, this time I was playing around with a slightly different cropping. I just love this house. One painting I really want to do (when I have time!) is of several of these Emerald Hill houses as one long painting. I think it would be really cool. Someday!

Today I am heading out to do some research - at Raffles Hotel. One of my commissions is of the Billiards room, which serves a fantastic weekend brunch and weekday lunch. I will be participating in the lunch today - all in the name of research, of course!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 97

2012-01-15T19:48:00.000-08:00

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"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 97"
6x6 Oil on Panel
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Happy Monday! It has been a hell of a roller coaster so far this year. Tank, our pup back home, got out of surgery and is going to be fine, thank goodness. I finally pulled off all the bandages from my various falls over the past couple weeks and they are healing pretty well - minus one nasty scar on my shin. But the story behind that one will only get better with time, right? In 5 years it will be from exploring some hidden ruins and involve crazy ambulance chases through the Sri Lankan countryside. My parents come into town this weekend, so I'm trying to get a ton of painting done and the house pulled together in time for their arrival. Once they get here we are going to play Tomb Raider in Vietnam and Cambodia. So exciting!

I figured I would lead the week with this sunny little shophouse from Little India. I've painted this house before, but I wanted another crack at it - and I must say that I am super happy with the results.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 96 - SOLD

2012-01-10T20:03:00.000-08:00

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"Singapore Heritage Shophouse Series No. 96"
6x6 Oil on Panel
SOLD
Click Here for other available paintings

This painting is of the top corner of a popular wine bar in the Club St. area of Chinatown. The wine bar is called Beaujolais. They have a fantastic happy hour, and my girlfriends and I have frequented it a few times, much to my the chagrin of my head the next morning...

And speaking of needing a glass of wine (or two or three!) Carol Carmichael's comment the other day really hit a nail on the head. When it rains, it pours, right? But my husband and I had a good talk this morning. There is no point in being stressed, especially when you have no control of the events swirling around you. Namaste, right? So, better to focus on the things you can control and just keep your head forward. So, I'm chugging along in the studio and really liking the work I'm doing right now. Chug, chug, chug, here I go!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 95

2012-01-09T23:51:00.000-08:00

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"Singapore Heritage Shophouse Series No. 95"
6x6 Oil on Panel
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Wow. When it rains, it pours, huh? Last week we got back on New Year's Day, and my husband was flying back to the US because of a death in his family. On my way to pick him up, my mother called to tell me that my dog, Tank (whom she and my father have been taking care of while we are overseas) was going to need back surgery. We are pretty sure he will be okay, but it is a major surgery. Just kind of emotionally exhausted right now. If you have someone you care about, be they furry or human, give them a nice big hug and tell them how you really feel. Life is too short.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 94 - SOLD

2012-01-08T23:47:00.000-08:00

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"Singapore Heritage Shophouse Series No. 94"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to see other available art

This is a lovely shophouse in Chinatown, near the Temple St. Area.

Well, it wouldn't have been Christmas in a 3rd world country without a hospital visit, now would it? Yup, because of my stellar walking abilities, I landed myself in a Sri Lankan ER on Christmas Day. My husband and I were walking around the little town of Galle - which is the site of an old Dutch fort. I was standing on some steps (it was only a flight of 3), and I turned to step off of them without looking. In doing so, I cracked my shin on a ledge I didn't see pretty good. Luckily, I had some band-aids in my carry-all, so I patched myself up long enough to ask a local where the closest health center is. Also luckily, some shops were open - including the ER. The total cost of getting patched up and on antibiotics? $15 USD. All in all I was very thankful it wasn't a super serious cut, and that my tetanus shot was up to date. I'm going to have an impressive scar, but that's my own fault!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 93 - SOLD

2012-01-06T00:30:00.000-08:00

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"Singapore Heritage Shophouse Series No. 93"
6x6 Oil on Panel
SOLD
Click Here for other available paintings

We got back from our Christmas vacation to Sri Lanka on New Year's Day, and since then, I've been busy painting and catching up with laundry. Whew! These next couple of months are stacked, which is a good thing, but there is a lot going on!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 92 - SOLD

2012-01-05T23:34:00.000-08:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse Series No. 92"
6x6 Oil on Panel
SOLD
Click Here for other available paintings

I know it is a little bit late in the week - but Happy New Year!

Citylights 2

2011-12-14T16:54:00.000-08:00

"Citylights 2"
6x12 Oil on Panel
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This is another scene from wonderful Koh Samui. Oh, how we loved it!

One of the luxuries of living over here is that you meet some fascinating people that have truly traveled. They know the nooks and crannies and some have lived in crazy places I can only imagine. Yesterday the AWA (American Women's Association) held a coffee at a collector's house. She is from the US, but has been living in SE Asia since the mid 80's. Her house was absolutely amazing - it looked like a museum. I think my favorite thing that she and her husband had collected was the Indonesian Kris. Their collection was absolutely spectacular. This isn't one of the hilts from her home (Wikipedia, yay!), but she had some of similar quality and beauty:

This particular style was Balinese. The Java and Sumatran Kris styles are much simpler and the more valuable scabbards (to the locals) in those areas are the ones made with beautiful wood. They have a wicked looking blade, and each blade has an intricate design on it, with very exacting standards depending on the region where it comes from.

Men carry them on their backs usually. Even though they can be used as a weapon, they're more objects of power, or a talisman. We were told that people will sleep with these under their pillow for protection. Supposedly the spirits will take the Kris from under your pillow and slay your enemies while you sleep. You know it has worked if you wake up the next morning with blood on your pillow. Fascinating, and such beautiful objects.

Morning Commute

2011-12-12T04:01:00.000-08:00

"Morning Commute"
6x6 Oil on Panel
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This was from my visit to Cambodia last fall. We had a fantastic guide, and instead of taking the main roads to get to the temples, he took the back roads, which were little more than dirt paths, not even wide enough for a car. At one point we passed this gentleman coming back from the fields after a hard days work.

It is very strange living on the equator at Christmas time. There is no snow, not even a brisk chill to the air. At least it got below 70 degrees in Texas in December! But you know what? That is okay. Singapore has figured a way around its tropical weather. One of the malls is sponsoring a real, live, snow globe! So for every $200 you spend (because, 'tis the season, go spend, spend, spend!) you get the chance to experience real, cold, snow and weather. It is quite the amusing advertisements. The big deal is that it is -3 degrees Celcius (about 27F). They even have winter clothes you can try on to take inside the globe with you to pose in photos. It just totally cracks me up. Sometimes I feel like this is a strange alternate universe that I live in!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 91

2011-12-11T03:57:00.000-08:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 91"
6x6 Oil on Panel
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This is a wonderful little house in Boat Quay, an area that has a ton of restaurants and bars surrounding one of the Quays. A quay is the British terms for a wharf, so it is this really cool little waterfont area. As late as the early 1990s, boats were still pulled directly into Boat Quay just like below:

Clearly, things have changed in the last few years, and the area has been restored, although it is a bit Disney-esque rather than truly historical. But that is kind of Singapore for you. I'm just happy that they kept the shophouses on this waterfront rather than razing them and building condos!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 90 - SOLD

2011-12-05T18:43:00.000-08:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 90"
6x12 Oil on Panel - SOLD
Click Here to see other available artwork

I loved, loved, loved doing this night scene in Chinatown. There was something so wonderful about the dramatic lighting and the shadows that they cast on the windows and doors. Plus, it looked pretty sweet in its gold frame. There is just something about these night scenes and a gold frame. They seem to just glow once they are in a frame. Yummy.

I know the past two posts I've had have been kind of down because of my camera. So I thought that I would mention something that made me super happy recently. One of my collectors has become a wonderful personal friend. She happened to buy Shophouse #1 at my show this spring. Then, at the Fair last week, she unknowingly bought #100 (which I haven't posted yet!). I'm just so happy that she got both of those paintings, as she has been such a fantastic supporter. Kind of neat that both the first and the last (supposedly last...) went to the same person, isn't it?

Citylights 1

2011-12-05T18:38:00.001-08:00

"Citylights 1"
8x10 Oil on Panel
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This is a scene from Koh Samui, Thailand in the fisherman's village of Bophut. I just loved Koh Samui, and this little village was really cool. It faced west, so the sunsets were just spectacular. It was also not the main town on the island, so we were spared from all the Cancun-like antics of Chaweng beach (which is beautiful, to be honest, I just didn't miss all the drunk tourists crashing their mopeds). After dark a market of sorts was set up along the main road (really the only road) and you could just walk along and enjoy the wares for sale. This was a painting of the main drag, just at sunset.

Well, after a full week of looking, I bit the bullet and bought a new camera. Totally hurt my soul, but I have to be able to take photos to work on paintings. Kind of part of the job description, no? I'm not going to be painting much the rest of the month, unfortunately. The holidays take precedence! Lots of administrative, end of the year stuff to take care of. But, as a gift to myself, I purchased a 12x24'' frame and I am going to do a painting for ME. I can't wait. If somebody is interested in buying it, that would be fantastic, but I haven't painted something to go on my walls in forever, so that is what I'm doing. That'll be my project for the next week or two. I might even have it done and ready to hang by the Christmas party next week!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 89"

2011-12-04T00:30:00.000-08:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 89"
6x12 Oil on Panel
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Whew, this has been a whirlwind week. I'm just flat out exhausted, to tell you the truth. Last week was another week for The Fair at Goodwood Park Hotel. It went well, made some great sales, met some new friends and collectors again. It just turns into long, long days.

I'm a little dispirited because somehow in setting up all the Christmas decorations and getting ready for guests on Monday, my camera has gone missing. My best guess is that it somehow wound up in a bag of trash from decorations and was accidentally thrown out. Because I have literally torn this house apart looking for it. But every time I think it is lost, I remember the family legend about my grandmother "losing" a family ring that was so well hidden (in case of thieves) she didn't find it for years! Unfortunately, I don't have years to wait to find this camera. The worst part (besides having to buy a new camera) is that all of the pictures I've taken in the past month are lost along with the camera, including a commission I was working on and all the photos I took while I was in Vietnam for a week. Luckily, I've been backing up my memory card every month, but unluckily, it had been a month since I backed it up. Sigh.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 88

2011-11-27T02:53:00.001-08:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 88"
6"x12"
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This is a painting of some lanterns suspended from the second story of a shophouse. They really create a wonderful mood, don't they?

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 87 - SOLD

2011-11-26T12:00:00.000-08:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 87"
SOLD
Click Here to see other available artwork

Happy Holidays to all! I hope that you all stuffed yourselves with appropriately ridiculous amounts of food :) We went over to a friend's house with several other couples. There were enough dogs and kids running around that it felt like a good, regular, American Thanksgiving. When you are living overseas (or just not in your hometown) it can get lonely unless you have good friends to celebrate the holidays with. The first year my husband and I were here we decided to just leave Singapore and go on a trip rather than just have the two of us to sit at home alone. The past two years we have been lucky enough to have wonderful friends to act as stand-in family and help fill the house with cheer and commotion. But being on the phone the next morning as my whole family was sitting around a bonfire acting like the sick, twisted, sarcastic people we all are very much made me miss them. Maybe in a year or two we can get back for the holidays!

Speaking of holidays, if you are a reader of this blog, and in the Singapore area, (or heck, if you want to fly in, go for it!) my husband and I are having a holiday party especially for close friends and patrons. If you would like to attend, just click the link here for more information. The party is on Friday, December 16th, and we would love to have you!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 86

2011-11-23T00:57:00.000-08:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 86"
6x6 Oil on Canvas
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Mmmmm, as I'm in the kitchen today getting ready for Thanksgiving tomorrow, I want to let you all know how thankful I am... for everything. Without the wonderful support of my collectors, family and friends, I could not be doing what I love to do right now. I love my husband, I love my life, and I am greatly thankful for all that I have.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, and make sure to tell someone you care about them how much they mean to you. And don't eat too much pumpkin pie!

Bill

2011-11-21T02:53:00.000-08:00

"Bill"
6x6 Oil on Panel
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Meet Bill, the water buffalo. He was our neighbor down the street from our villa in Koh Samui this summer. He wasn't too happy with me taking his picture; my husband kept the car door open and the car running just in case he decided to charge!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 85

2011-11-15T22:17:00.000-08:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 85"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

I love it when I get a really good cabbie. When you get a good cabbie in Singapore, they are really excellent. They'll not only know exactly where your bank's ATM is, but they'll be able to wax poetically on the answers to life. Last night I had an especially awesome one. He was jovial, happy, and couldn't say enough about the Orchid Show at Marina Bay Sands. He got to see the new Gardens by the Bay, which has been partially opened for the event. He just loved it, said there were so many different beautiful plants in there. It really inspired me. Maybe I can get by before the show closes on Sunday!

The cabbie went on to talk about his life, and how he is also a sculptor. He had this incredible life story, and has studied under almost every famous artist here in Singapore. Unfortunately, economic reality means that he is a cabbie - not doing what he loves the most. But he had this incredible outlook on life. He said that by being an artist, and by developing an artist's eye, you grow to have a different outlook on life. You see the world in brighter colored glasses than the rest of the world, and that is how he is okay with driving a cab to support his family even though he would rather be in the studio. His advise really hit home - if I didn't have such a wonderful patron (my husband) supporting the beginning of my career, life would be very different. But maybe, even with the curveballs life can throw you, now that I see the world through an artist's eyes, it would still be brighter and more beautiful to me.

Singapore Heritage Shophouses No. 84

2011-11-14T21:04:00.000-08:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 84"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

Whew, this past week just left me absolutely worn out! I discovered another area of really beautiful shophouses this morning when I was delivering a painting. It is in Joo Chiat, which I knew was a fantastic place for shophouses. This was just two blocks away from the area I had been exploring earlier, but I think I had given up and gone home after exploring for several hours. It is amazing what you can find when you have a car at you disposal!

I think that is one of the biggest things that I miss living here iAsia. Not having my own car. Having a car gives you so much more independence. We live on the MRT line, which is really fantastic. But it is not quite the same as having a car at your disposal- and a Jerry\'s Artarama around the corner!

Emerald Hill #3

2011-11-11T01:06:00.000-08:00

"Emerald Hill #3"
24x36 Oil on Canvas
SOLD
Click Here to see other available Art

They've turned this little road full of shophouses into some fantastic bars and restaurants. It's very strange because they're literally right next to these 50 story high-rises. But go a block into this little area, and you can barely hear the noise from Orchard and it feels like a totally secluded area. It's also one of the most expensive - rent for a shophouse starts at $15,000/mo!

This week has been crazy busy, exhausting and fantastic all at one time. We got back from Vietnam late, late, late on Monday night. Then I rolled right into doing The Fair for two days and the AAS Charity Art Auction. (My piece sold for above retail value, yay!)

I've talked to several artists here in Singapore, and they are really re-affirming my sense that self-promoting my art is the way to go. I would love to have a gallery here that really helped nurture and build my career; in the meantime, I would also love to have a unicorn. I am meeting so many wonderful people that are nurturing me that much more! I learned a ton this week, and I am looking forward to getting back into the studio tomorrow. Lots to paint!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 83

2011-11-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 83"
8x10 Oil on Panel
Available at the AAS Auction, Thursday, November 10th, 7-9:30pm

This is a painting of the architectural detail of a house on Emerald Hill. It is going up for auction next week for the American Association, and benefitting the Children's Cancer Foundation here in Singapore. It looks like the night should be an amazing night of art and auctioning. If you are here, you should head over there and help a good cause!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 82

2011-10-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 82"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

This is a painting from Geylang (I'm pretty sure), the red-light district in Singapore. Doing all these night scenes has really forced me to pay attention to detail. There are so many light sources bouncing around, of so many different colors, you really have to pay attention to which light is affecting which area, and what color it is casting on it. But I love the effects! I'm off to Vietnam today to do some recon work, I'm hoping to get some good reference photos to continue expanding my painting to the rest of SE Asia. Plus, I might stop in one of the tailors and get a dress or two made ;)

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 81

2011-10-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 81"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

I definitely had some wipe-offs in the past month or so, but things have been progressing well. This is the second successful shophouse that I have done. The hubby and I have also been busy, because we acquired a new studio assistant last week. Meet Jax:

He's a tough one to get a picture of, but when he isn't trying to tell me that my paint brushes need cleaning (no, Jax, no!) he is a wonderfully tempered puppy. Only 6 months old, so there is still a LOT of work to be done, but he seems to have a good base. Nevertheless, he's totally kept me on my toes this past week. I forgot how much responsibility and time a dog takes!

Singaproe Heritage Shophouse No. 80

2011-10-28T00:03:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 80"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

This is the first painting I did after I got back from home leave and Karin's workshop. Having over 50 colors on my palette has opened an entirely new world up to me that I did not even realize existed. I've really been focusing on transitioning color; not having any one part of a plane be static. I'm trying to find the colors within the shadows, within the light. It is an entirely new purpose, and very exciting!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 79

2011-10-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 79"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

This was the last painting I did before heading out to NYC this spring (wow, it took a looong time to post all of these!). This is a lovely corner in Little India, at night.

We just got back from a wonderful weekend in Malaysia for my birthday. We found a place that is completely cut off from civilization. There is no cell phone reception, no TV, no internet. Just some beach bungalows, the beach, a bar, and your tasty beverage - and of course a few friends! In this crazy, hectic place we live, I appreciate being unplugged for a couple of days. It is wonderful to not be bombarded by all of the distractions modern day life can have. When you take away all the distractions, you're forced to interact with people face to face, and find things to do that don't involve computers and phones. We usually re-discover our passion for boardgames. Plus - once we're not all on our phones all the time, that is when we start solving the problems of the world via deep, profound discussions. Because, you know, all the worlds problems are best solved between 12-2am over an ice cold drink. ;)

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 78

2011-10-19T20:39:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 78"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

Happy Wednesday! Here is another nighttime scene from one of the shophouses.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 77

2011-10-13T00:28:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 77"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

This shophouse was such fun to paint. This one was totally all about the mood. It was kind of funny, because I originally was worried that this was a sign for a house of ill-repute. To be fair, the sign was in Geylang (the red-light district) and it is RED. But upon asking one of the local artists, who knows Mandarin, he said it was a sign for Korean BBQ. Not exactly what I thought it was. Interestingly enough, the first character, with the kind of T as its backbone, symbolizes horns, like beef, for BBQ (or might have been mutton, I can't remember).

In an everyday life in Singapore note, locals are totally fascinated by how westerners cook with an oven. Ours was broken when we moved in, which the landlord didn't think was a big deal. Ahem, but no. In any case, the owner's handyman, Kelvin, was in here today, uninstalling the broken oven.

Kelvin: "Ah, soon you have new oven, very very good!"

Me: "Yup."

Kelvin: "This oven big! Very big! Very good for you!"

Me: "Yes! Now I can cook whole chicken in the oven!"

Kelvin: "No! This one you can cook TURKEY! Big Turkey! Christmas time coming, Turkey for Christmas!"

Me: "Sure..."

I just find it hysterical that the locals all think we eat turkey for Christmas dinner, and that is apparently why we need these crazy oven contraptions. They really think that the only thing we cook in there is turkey, lots and lots of turkey.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 75 - SOLD

2011-10-12T03:30:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 75"
SOLD
Click Here for other available Artwork

Singapore has a very interesting relationship with the environment. For example, the island is on the equator, and it does turn into a jungle if left for any amount of time. Nevertheless, the government has cultivated a "garden city" image of endless orchids, palm trees and carefully landscaped shrubbery, giving the false impression of a good relationship with nature. But everything is so controlled that people never go camping, never go hiking (unless it is a guided path with lots of "Don't feed the monkeys!!!" signs on it), they never really experience the outdoors. Which, don't get me wrong, when compared to the woods we trekked through in New Hampshire as a child, the jungle here is pretty intimidating. Bugs are WAY bigger, and snakes are WAY scarier (think verticulating python).

Nevertheless, the government just amuses me. There is a flock of birds that have roosted in some trees on the most expensive shopping district in Singapore, Orchard Road. The birds moved their roost to Orchard after trees were torn down to build a parking garage (and thus more malls). Well, this situation has been deemed totally unacceptable, as they birds, heaven forbid, might be a bit loud. Or even worse, shoppers might wind up a casualty of a bird dropping! So, the government (in conjunction with the Wildlife Authority) is bringing in trained hawks to scare away the smaller birds to a new roost. The only concern? The hawks might turn wild and attack people! Sigh.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 74

2011-10-10T17:01:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 74"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

My bad on not posting last week. It has been a crazy week of unpacking and intermittent internet availability. My husband and his friend have been trying to set up something with our internet that will be "incredibly awesome and amazing," at least in nerd terms (my husband is an engineer and loves this kind of thing, although it is lost on me completely). Unfortunately, until it is set up completely, a good portion of the time the adjustments to the system result in cutting off the internet to my computer. The guys are having fun with it, though, so I am behind them.

This night scene was from one of the more colorful districts here in Singapore. I just loved how all of the neon bounced crazy colors off of its surroundings.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 71 - SOLD

2011-10-02T22:10:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 71"
12x6 Oil on Panel
SOLD

We are finally sleeping in our new apartment. I made sure to get my studio unpacked before everything else, so I am at least getting 1/2 days to paint. The rest of the time I'm trying to finish the unpacking for the rest of the house, meeting with the handyman to get things fixed, going grocery shopping, etc. Hopefully we will be fully settled in by the end of the week. Other than that, I am trying to get lots of painting done between now and the end of November. I signed up for the Goodwood Park Fair in both November and December, so I have my fingers crossed that I will be able to sell some paintings!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 70 - SOLD

2011-09-25T17:00:00.000-07:00


"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 70"

This weekend has been relaxing and hectic all in the same go. We move apartments next weekend, which normally in the US would be no big deal. You might hire a mover, or to save money just rent a truck for the weekend and pack it yourself. Or, if you have a lot of friends with trucks (and we have been one of those friends) you enlist the help of your benevolent friends' help with promise of payment in beer and pizza. Ah, the good old days.

Now, for better or for worse, any movement we make in Singapore is tied to an HR department. (Besides the face few people own cars, much less a nice, big, pickup truck!) You don't really realize how much freedom you are giving away by getting their "help" and support. So rather than having the ability to find a mover, or even make a decision, it takes a three day game of telephone between six people (usually three of which speak about three to five words of english) to figure out anything. It gets a little disconcerting when I've spoken to the owner of the moving company, Peter, and he says he'll come over for the estimate. Later that day, another gentleman, who is not Peter, shows up. Here is how our moving estimation progressed:

Him: "You move?"

Me: "Yes, when do you come to pack?"

Him: (points to washer/dryer) "Take, take?"

Me: "No, No. What day to pack?"

Him: (points to bed, fridge, other various items) "Take, take?"

Me: "No, yes, no, no, no, all this, look! Lots of items in closet. What day can we schedule?"

Him: (complete and total look of confusion, then a look of understanding and clarity) "Ah! 40 cartons, can, can-lah?"

Me: "Can, but what day?"

Him: "I call boss."

That, almost literally, was the entire extent of our conversation. Needless to say, it gets a little strange when everything has to go through HR, and I'm actually happier that I am packing our things. The boxes were delivered on Saturday (we get to pack ourselves, but we have people to carry the heavy stuff, yay!) and we are about 80% packed. This week is pretty busy, so I won't get much of a chance to paint, but I'll hopefully get some chance...

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 68

2011-09-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 68"
6x16 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

This was the painting and post that Blogger devoured. It is of a row of houses in the Chinatown area, on the main drag. I think my favorite part about these houses is that I didn't make up any of the colors that they had on them. All five of them have a really wonderful red/green color scheme going on.

Beachin'

2011-09-19T22:25:00.000-07:00

"Beachin'"
6x12 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

I've taken a little break this week from the shophouses, and expanded into the rest of Southeast Asia. It is definitely a challenge, and the paintings are taking much longer than the little shophouse ones, but I also think that the quality is coming out very nicely. This is a fond memory from Koh Samui, an little tiny island in the middle of the South China Sea, off the east coast of Thailand.

Also, Blogger seems to have eaten one of my posts, about which I apologize. I posted number 68, but then it never appeared on the blog or on my list of entries. It has disappeared somewhere, probably the same place that socks go when only one of a pair comes out of the dryer. Those gremlins are awful!

Test Post

2011-09-19T15:49:00.001-07:00

Did Blogger just eat a post? Sorry if this winds up being emailed to you! Here is a photo of a lovely beach at sunset just in case it winds up in your inbox:

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 67 - SOLD

2011-09-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 65"
6x16 Oil on Panel
SOLD

This longer panel is of a bright orange building down in the heart of Chinatown. In so many other cities and towns, this would be a vulgar, garish thing. It is literally Clemson orange with Chinese red trim and some aqua accents on the shutters. One of the most interesting combinations of colors I've ever seen, but it strangely works for the building. To be fair, it is next to a school but yellow with cobalt blue trim building, so it is in great company!

I thought you all would enjoy a "welcome to Asia" moment I had last night. Pictogram - FAIL. To make the context even more amusing, it was seen at a port-o-potty at the Swiss Club Oktoberfest event. So that meant a bunch of locals and Germans and Swiss in full Lederhosen. Locals in Lederhosen is definitely a sight to see. But back to the sign, even the Asia hardened people I know here were left unsure at the meaning! I think the best explanation we had was that you are not allowed to throw away carrots or spareribs, but you are allowed to throw away annual reports. However, you can only throw away annual reports when barefoot and when you are not smoking. Silly, I know, but so is the sign!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 66 - SOLD

2011-09-14T00:21:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 65"
6x6 Oil on Panel
SOLD

This was a really cool scene in Chinatown after dark. I believe it was close to Temple St. The more I am working on these shophouses, the more I am having a lot of fun using the camera parallax to really warp, twist and accentuate the perspective in a way that enhances the mood.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 65

2011-09-12T17:29:00.000-07:00


"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 65" 6x6 Oil on Panel Click Here to purchase

This is one of my personal favorites in this whole series. There is a hawker/restaurant on a corner in Geylang (an area of Singapore that has an, um, colorful, reputation). None of the signs on this building have any English on them, and the upstairs is completely dark. But just in case you have any doubt about what they serve, they have this giant banner hanging up. Duck rice is actually a really tasty dish. Now, it of course won't compare to the braised duck I had when my uncle treated me to a dinner at Louis XVI in New Orleans, but for $5 you can get a very appetizing meal. One of the things I am always tickled about is how universal certain things are, like pantomime. Or giant banners with a duck on them.

In other news, I've been working hard on this blog and the website. I worked on a new layout and banner across the top of the blog, and the website is now being updated with all the current artwork for sale. Not as fun as painting, but definitely necessary!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 63

2011-09-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

This shophouse is in an area right next to Chinatown known as Duxton Hill. After dark there are all kinds of wonderful neon lights that cast lots of fun, crazy light and shadows on the shophouses.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 68

2011-09-11T00:54:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 68"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to purchase

This is a little scene of several shophouses together in Chinatown. The is one of the main drags going through the area. I just love how different the architecture and facades are on all of them, but they still seem to coordinate color wise!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 62

2011-09-07T18:11:00.000-07:00

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 62
6"x6" Oil on Canvas
Click Here to Purchase

Life in the tropics... I've now had three good painting days this week (today is going to be included), and I have gotten so much done. I love it! I spent a good portion of this summer really looking at my artwork, and the business end of it, and what direction will be best for my artwork and myself. Do I want to go play in the "big leagues?" Do I want to just paint for myself and have my husband be the breadwinner? Do I want to just be a hobbyist and go to lunches and volunteer here and paint when I feel like it?

This has been quite an evolution in both my art and myself. We live here in Asia, and we could wind up having to move somewhere else on very short notice. Luckily, these circumstances have made it so that we do not depend on my income from art, and I am more or less allowed to pursue it at my leisure. But at the same time, if we lived back in the US, our situation would most likely be more rooted and stable, allowing me to better establish myself as an artist. I could sell online (right now shipping costs basically negate any profit I could have). Galleries are much easier to approach if you are local, etc.

Pursuing your passion at your leisure may seem wonderful as well, but then you are treated as a hobbyist. I don't want to be treated as a hobbyist. I want this to be my job, my livelihood. Getting into major galleries in the US and breaking into the NYC or San Francisco art scenes doesn't really concern me, but I do want people whom I meet and see my work to take me seriously. So, long story short, I've decided to step up my game and focus on the local market here in Singapore. I think that as I get better as an artist here, and continue to grow and define myself, things will eventually happen in the US as well. I've been too scattered as of late.

The local art market in Singapore (and the rest of Asia) is completely different from America. The biggest difference is that most Asians don't buy art because they like it. They buy it like they would buy a piece of real estate - for potential investment growth. Disturbing. So, because of this, the gallery system is a little strange, and I think I'll be avoiding it. So the next step will be self-promotion here in Singapore. Art fairs, art (like tupperware) parties, all kinds of fun things. I know that expats respond best to my art, so I'm going to go where they are and find them.

I also am stepping up my game with the quality of my art. I learned so much this summer from Karin Jurick, and I don't think it is best to post a blog post just to post. If I produce a wipe-off one day, then there just won't be a post that day. I think it is much better to have a consistent body of excellent work than some mediocre work in there. So, I apologize to my mother if now through Shophouse #79 I skip a couple. Those were some that now I would have gone back and wiped off.

It will definitely be a new adventure, but one I think is worth pursuing. We could move anywhere, at any time, and I think by focusing on my experience abroad that I can be the truest to both myself and my art. One of the most terrifying realizations I had after I graduated from college was that the only thing that was getting in between myself and my happiness and dreams was... myself. Time to check that ego at the door and roll up the sleeves and get to work.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 61

2011-09-05T16:15:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse Series No. 61"
6x6 Oil on Canvas
Click Here to Purchase

Wow, I have a lot going through my mind right now. I just heard about Carol Marine losing her house to the wildfires in Texas. My heart goes out to them. They literally got out just before the fire hit their subdivision. I've seen a lot of loss with hurricanes, but with those you have some time to prepare, time to make a choice. You can decide what to bring with you, you can decide to stay or go. With something as fast as a forest fire, you just have enough time to get out. My heart goes out to her and her family. They have done so much for the daily painting movement, given back an incredible amount.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 59 - SOLD

2011-08-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 59
6x6 Oil on Panel
SOLD

This more detailed view of a shophouse is a great example of how ornate the moulding gets around some of these houses. They not only paint them in different, fun colors, but the moulding will show phoenix, vines, flowers, and more. As a painter, it can be a bit overwhelming, but I did have a lot of fun with this one showing that bit of detail.

Emerald Hill Series #2 - SOLD

2011-08-29T01:24:00.000-07:00

"Emerald Hill #2"
24x36
Oil on Canvas
SOLD

This painting is one of five that I am doing for a private commission. Emerald Hill is this great little conservation area in the middle of the HUGE shopping district, Orchard Road. Luckily, I was able to finish this early in the week before other life things took over...

I've spent the better part of this week with a friend in the hospital here in Singapore. I'm totally not a natural care-taker - in fact, I'm a lot like a bull in a china shop when it comes to stuff like that. Nevertheless, none of us have family over here, and a lot of my friends aren't married, so they don't have a spouse to come and help them out, which is no fun. It wasn't anything sudden, she just had to go in for a fairly routine surgery, but it required staying overnight for two nights after.

If I have learned anything from this experience, it is that I definitely want someone with me if I ever have to go into the hospital abroad, especially Asia. Firstly, they are incredibly tight-fisted with pain medication over here. My friend came out of her surgery and they wanted to just give her Panadol (Tylenol) and Naproxen (Aleve). Seriously? She just came out of surgery, and you want to only give her Aleve?!?! I think the nurses are also less educated and empowered than the ones in the US. Quite often I've met nurses in the US that are way more on top of things than the doctors themselves. Not so much here. Every medicinal decision required direct negotiation with the doctor, and not just my friends regular surgeon, but the anesthesiologist. Is it like that in the US? In any case, luckily, her anesthesiologist was awesome, and made sure that she got the appropriate pain meds. It just took several hours of bullying the nurses before they were convinced to get her involved. Oh well, you live and learn!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 58

2011-08-22T16:46:00.000-07:00

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 58
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

I'm FINALLY back in the studio again, working on a four painting commission for someone here in Singapore. Oh how I have missed it! I have literally not picked up a paintbrush since Karin Jurick's workshop in late May. How awful is that? Unfortunately, sometimes we have to take care of things with life in order to be able to continue painting. Plus, I don't know about you all, but sometimes a forced break from painting makes me want to come back to it even more!

One of those things I have had focus my energy on was finding a new apartment. If I were in the US, this would kind of be a fun adventure. There are a lot of resources, realtors must be licensed, etc. Not so much here in Singapore. It has been pretty difficult to find a two bedroom over 800 sq.ft. On top of that, they manage to chop up all the usable room into something totally unusable. For example, one of the "two bedrooms" we viewed had a second bedroom that was literally 4'x5'. I looked the agent straight in the eye, and I said "Where is the 2nd bedroom?" "Right there lah!" He said. I just looked at him like he had lost his marbles. On the plus side, that unit did have a fantastic balcony. Ha. So, needless to say, it has been a bit difficult to find a place closer in to town that can also have a second bedroom big enough for me to lie down in - much less have as a studio!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 57 - SOLD

2011-06-28T08:09:00.000-07:00

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 57
6x6 Oil on Panel
SOLD

This was one of my favorites - a scene from Chinatown at night. I was super happy that it sold at the show, and went to such great homes.

On a painting note, I'm not going to lie - I'm in a bit of a rut. Life is getting in the way. Last week was fantastic, don't get me wrong. At one point we found a private beach that had a pony, and a three dog welcoming party that included the most beautiful yellow lab that wanted to play fetch. It was amazing. A beach with a pony. A beach with no people, and stray (well, communal is a better term I guess) dogs.

Paradise. Beautiful, but not helping me paint. We're having a huge 4th of July get together this weekend, so I'm trying to get things together for that, and then it takes a solid 2-3 days to get packed to be out of town for 3+ weeks. So, painting has been pushed to the side for the moment, unfortunately. Duty calls. I'll still keep posting the work from the show, and hopefully I'll get to squeeze a day or two in here and there. I hope everyone's summer is going well!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 56

2011-06-16T21:55:00.000-07:00

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 56
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to purchase

Another shot of how everyone air dries their clothing here. Plus, this one is also appropriate because I'm doing a mad laundry dash before leaving for Koh Samui. A week of fun and sun with the hubby and another couple in Thailand. I'm really looking forward to it, to be honest. Hopefully we can get some diving in as well! This happens to coincide with our third wedding anniversary, so I think it will be just awesome. Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there, and I'll continue blogging from the beach!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 55

2011-06-15T03:27:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 55"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

I'm finally getting back into the swing of things, and it's just about time to check out again for a week. Sigh. The summers are always super hectic here. People are gone a lot visiting family, new people are moving in, others are getting transferred out, and usually we are traveling ourselves; things just seem to be busy. Speaking of which, I had a lovely lunch and foray to the art store with someone who is new to Singapore. I love getting new people into the city; it is such a breath of fresh air. New friendships new experiences, new stories. Plus I would be lying if I didn't say I wasn't kind of worried with most of our friends repatriating (moving back to the US) at the end of December. The future was starting to look a bit lonely.

In any case, I was also waxing about how efficient yet completely inefficient Singapore can be. Library, car tolls and parking violations are the most scarily efficient process I have ever seen. There are no people involved and it is totally automated. Notifications of fines and fees are sent via mail. Other things, not so much. Like any kind of internet payment. With a lot of the payment vendors online, you have to enter your debit card info on the website, then it sends you a text message to verify that the transaction was authorized (even on small transactions - like $20 for movie tickets), then you have to type in the verification code from your text message back onto a special website within three minutes or your transaction resets. It's a total nightmare.

So today I was trying to register my business with Singapore (online, super efficient, right?). It's about a three step process, once you go through the eight step process of getting a special PIN that requires you to sign over your first born child while getting a text message and hopping on your left foot (and I digress... I really don't get these extra special PINs and passwords that can only be obtained through superhuman means). In any case, after this short, three step process, I accidentally clicked on the wrong form of payment. Any other website in the west, it would be no big deal, just click back, or exit out, or whatever. Nope, instead, I get this crazy screen of doom:

"Please try again after 27 minutes" SERIOUSLY? 27? I'll rate you!

So now its an hour later and I still can't get the website to acknowledge the fact that I exist. Le sigh. I was just ONE STEP AWAY from a perfect efficient easy experience. Welcome to Asia.

Arab Street View

2011-06-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

Arab Street View
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

This is my first attempt post-workshop in NYC. Of course it was a doozy! Why in the world would I ever attempt something easy. Pshaw. It would be a complete lie to say that it has been easy to get back on the wagon since returning from the US. I've been going through all of my pictures and I just can't seem to get inspired. Luckily, this one is a photo that I have been dying to paint for almost two years now. I just didn't feel like my skill set was up to snuff enough to tackle it. Now, thanks to the boost I got from Karin Jurick's workshop, I really feel like I was able to do this scene justice.

Karin's workshop was great, it really reminded me about why I started this journey in the first place. Being in school and working on my MFA has been phenomenal, and I really think I have leapfrogged in my learning much more so that if I was trying to teach myself or taking workshops. Nevertheless, I've been starting to feel a bit pigeonholed at school, and Karin was a breath of fresh air to remember to be myself. For example, when I was in college (and we were all dirt poor) - two of my guy friends (one was my future husband, actually!) gave me a fan deck from Sherwin Williams because they knew how much color made me happy. I'm not going to digress about how this should have been a resounding alarm bell about pursuing a finance degree... oh wait I just digressed. In any case, I've been feeling like just the 10 or so colors we are "allowed" on class haven't been enough. Karin forced me to buy 50 or 60 (I currently have 64 on my palette) colors. All of a sudden, I feel like my work is much more vibrant, and I love it.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 54

2011-06-13T16:45:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 54"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

This is another one in Chinatown, just down the street from where I have my studio. I spent the weekend literally taking inventory of all of my new supplies. Since moving my studio back into the house for the summer, it has been a little cluttered. And by cluttered, I mean, "hurricane hit" is an apt descriptor. By the time I got back from the US with at least 100 new tubes of paint, I had no clue what I had, much less what it looks like or how it works. So I eased back into the painting mindset by exploring one of my favorite things in the world - color.

Look at all the pretty colors! My palette will probably never be that pretty again :)

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 53

2011-06-10T18:13:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 53"
6x6 Oil on Panel
$110 Available Here

I really loved this little shophouse. It was on an overcast day, so all of the local color was close to the actual colors you saw, such a rare occurrence in life. This made such an interesting abstracted little composition.

Pardon my not posting for almost three weeks. I was in NYC for Karin Jurick's workshop (which was awesome, and I'll go into later). I had full intentions to continue posting through the workshop and the week after when I was home with family, but it was just crazy. I'm finally back in Singapore and unpacked, and trying to wrap my head around everything I learned and experienced. Just trying to (literally) take inventory of everything and get organized enough to continue on. This is going to be a super-hectic summer. Phew!

One Price - SOLD

2011-05-19T03:22:00.000-07:00

"One Price"
24x36 Oil on Canvas
SOLD

Whew! I finished this just in time for my trip. This was a commission that for someone here in Singapore. Kind of my first commission, really, and a total dream, if I do say so myself. The patron just said he wanted a painting of "something having to do with Emerald Hill, but no pressure. Please paint however or whatever you want within XX budget." Seriously. Who could ask for anything better? In any case, I actually had a really tough time getting to this place. Initially I tried a couple other compositions, and they just fell totally flat. Then I saw this building. At night time it is closed while all around it local bars are hopping. But because of the lights hitting the bright colors at night, it kind of steals the show. I had a ton of fun with this one.

Final-ly Done!

2011-05-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

I am finally finished with my semester. Time to start packing for the US! This was a scene from Florence, right after the sun was setting. The sky was a phenomenal electric blue, against the orange of the tower. Just spectacular.

This project was a doozy. I think I've learned a lot about myself in the past couple of months, especially when doing this project. This is 24x36 inches, the largest I have worked so far. I think I much prefer smaller paintings. I really love being able to knock out one, if not more, paintings in one sitting. Doing a larger one, maybe 18x24 every now and then is a nice change up, but I don't think I'm going to make any kind of habit out of it. Plus, it is much more difficult to ship larger paintings from Asia. :)

Tuscan Hillside and Dumpster Diving

2011-05-16T02:51:00.000-07:00

"Tuscan Hillside"
9x12 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

This was a nice little side painting to do for class. I've been getting a bit weary of the shophouses. Sometimes you need a break when doing the same subject over and over again. In any case, this was the view from the villa we visited in Tuscany on our wine and cooking class tour. My husband learned how to "swirl" wine properly and make a mean ravioli from scratch. Mmmmm. Yum.

This weekend I had another twilight zone experience. As I was walking up the back road to the studio, I saw this dumpster:

Only in Singapore is everything so perfectly manicured that even the dumpsters are overflowing with flowers, right? Ha! Well what happened is that when a new business opens, moves locations, etc, (especially if it is run by important people or is influential), lots of clients and vendors and other business owners will send a professionally arranged bouquet as congratulations. These bouquets are usually HUGE. They're usually on these big stands that make the bouquet as tall as a person, and two to three feet wide. Well, this wedding coordinator had its grand opening, and what you see in the picture is just what they couldn't fit on the sidewalk in front of their front door.

Being my mother's daughter and loving flowers, I decided to go dumpster diving. Yes, yes I did. If I do say so myself, the results were pretty fantastic. It hurt my soul to see such beautiful fresh flowers just thrown away so callously.

Best. Dumpster dive. Ever. :) I think my mother would be proud.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 52

2011-05-13T16:11:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 52"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

Like I've said before, I really enjoy these night scenes. This is one of the signs in Geylang, the "red light" district here in Singapore. I dragged my husband up there one night to take pictures and somehow lost my memory card. Somewhere in between taking out the old one and putting in a new one, I managed to drop the old one, in the dark. We even busted out our handy dandy iPhones with the flashlight apps and walked the 10 ft where it must have dropped out over and over again. And let me tell you, a little ang mo (white) girl basically crawling up and down on her knees on a side street in the red light district is not something the Bangladesh and Malay day laborers are used to seeing. It was pretty amusing. One gentleman was kind enough to ask if we needed help, but I think he was just totally perplexed by the situation and was curious. In any case, the memory card was lost forever, but luckily I had backed it up. I bribed the hubby with a big bottle of Tiger (the local beer) and all was forgiven.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 51

2011-05-11T16:01:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 51"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to purchase

I'm having another welcome to Asia day today. I leave for Karin Jurick's workshop in NYC next friday. So, in preparation for this workshop (which requires like 50 different colors of paint), I ordered my supplies nice and far in advance - from the US. I can't find most of the brands here or colors here, and even if I can, they're much more expensive than in the US, so like I've done several times before, I was going to have them sent via vPost. vPost is great, it is a branch of the Singapore postal system, and they have an office in Portland, OR. You buy something online, have it shipped to this office, then vPost ships it to Singapore at a MUCH discounted rate. It can just take a while for the invoices to get processed, etc. Which is why I ordered my paints well in advance. A month is enough time, right? Wrong.

For the past week I've been back and forth with them about the invoices for my two packages. I don't know what in the world is going on, but I keep getting notifications that say I haven't submitted my invoice (I have, three times for each box now). The even better email that I keep getting is that they got the invoice, saw "artist oil colors," freaked out, and think I'm trying to send semi-combustible house paint in a plane. ARGH. By the way, I've also sent the MSDS info several times to them. So far I've not received any information back from them, and I can't seem to get in touch with anyone on the phone (surprised?), and I leave for the workshop in a week. I have no clue what I'm going to do, I guess maybe I can re-order the supplies and have them delivered to one of the people in NYC. Welcome to Asia.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 50

2011-05-08T19:41:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 50"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

I've really enjoyed spending a lot of time seeing houses during different times of the day and being able to capture the the different moods. This is the the same house as in No. 37 (click here to see) only at night. It goes from being such a bright, happy house to something really interesting and moody. I love the colors here at night.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day! Both my husband and I had the entire weekend off, which was absolutely glorious. Literally, neither of us have had two consecutive days off on the weekend since January 1. So we spent most of the weekend at BBQs and lounging in the sun by the pool. Love it!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 49

2011-05-05T17:16:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 49"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Available at Chan Hampe Gallery

I thought this house was really interesting. Also nestled right outside of Little India, this is about three houses down from the incredibly ornate Rococo houses. I really loved this one because against the bright blue sky, it almost looked a bit like something out of the southwest. Sort of like a mesa rising out of the jungle - ha! The really interesting part is that the bottom 2/3 of the house (which aren't in the painting) are just as elaborate as the rest of the street. This guys is having a bit of an identity crisis!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 48

2011-05-04T17:47:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 48"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Available at Chan Hampe Gallery

I'm still just totally drained and having a hard time painting. Thank goodness I have already completed some of these for the show. Every time I step in front of the canvas and try to touch paint to it, I seem to just mess it up. Running a brilliant streak of wipe-offs, if I do say so myself. Part of that is that I've been trying to give myself a break from the shophouses recently. I'm a bit burnt out on them, to tell you the truth. I've finished 79, another 21 to go in my 100 series, but since my daily painting journal is only on No. 48, I have a bit of backlog left. :) Here's to hoping that I can get in a good rhythm soon.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 47

2011-05-03T18:35:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 47"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Available at Chan Hampe Gallery

This is another really neat Rococo shophouse just outside of Little India. It is actually probably 5-6 shophouses, but they all have the exact same design motif and coloring. This is one of the more unique ones that I have found here. I think the round windows are really cool and different. The color scheme on the house is also a very interesting one. It is a combination of a light sea green and a raw sienna kind of color. Very Art Nouveau in coloring.

As an aside, I had something totally weird and random happen to me this morning. I was out on my morning run, just drenched in sweat, in workout clothes and clearly huffing and puffing (I was on my walking interval), when a local guy runs up and sort of walks slightly ahead but next to me. He stops all of a sudden, kind of turns around and asks me something. I have my headphones on, so I can't hear.

Now, the first weird thing about this is that locals just don't randomly talk to expats on the street. It's very much like NYC that way. Not so aggressive, but if you try to say hi or talk to them, you get very strange looks most of the time. It's very much a self-contained society where you keep to yourself and don't talk to strangers. Once you have a common ground of some kind, (like in my art studio) people are super friendly and talkative, but on the street - not so much.

In any case, I can't really hear him, I figure he's asking for directions. He's kind of nervous and mumbling and holding his cell phone like a security blanket. So I take out the other earphone and ask him to repeat what he just said. "Oh um, can we exchange contact info, like phone numbers, so that we can be friends?"

"What?"

"Exchange phone numbers for friends."

At this point, I'm so weirded out by the fact that someone actually stopped me on the street to talk to me, much less ask for my number in a very 6th grade kind of way, that I think I just mumbled no and ran (it was time for my running interval) off. It was just very strange. Best my husband and I could figure is he was maybe dared by some friends or something. Guys just don't go up and approach women here, much less foreigners. In any case, I thought you might enjoy one of the strange daily occurrences that happen when you live abroad.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 46

2011-05-02T02:04:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 46"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Available at Chan Hampe Gallery

This is a lovely little "wedding cake" house in Joo Chiat. Lots of white on white moulding, creating a very sublime, mellow palette.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 45

2011-04-29T16:03:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 45"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Available at Chan Hampe Gallery

Another wonderful scene from Chinatown. The light hitting the green and cream colored house was a really interesting combination with a warm/cool pattern of light. Plus, it was fun to see the lanterns stretching across the house. That is always a fun little touch.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 44

2011-04-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 44"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Available at Chan Hampe Gallery

This is a shophouse from the outskirts of Little India. Just on the outskirts, kind of in little hidden areas, you can find some really neat houses on the side streets. There are a couple that are just incredible examples of the Rococo style of shophouse. They are incredibly ornate and have tons of molding on them, columns, paint, etc. They are dressed to the nines and ready for a night out on the town.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 43

2011-04-26T17:22:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 43"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Available at Chan Hampe Gallery

Phew! Thank you so much to everyone that came to the show last night. I really appreciated all the kind words and support. We had a lot of fun - several glasses of wine, good conversations, great friends. All in all, a spectacular night. Now if the laundry I have fallen behind in doing would just fold itself.... And as soon as I can grab the memory card from Tony's camera (one of the other artists at the studio who was awesome about taking pictures for me) I will post some pictures! Thank you again, for everything.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 41

2011-04-25T05:42:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 41"
6x8 Oil on Panel
Available at Chan Hampe Gallery

'Twas the night before opening, and all through the gallery, not a creature was stirring, not even a... Um yeah. So, forgive me for not being a poet. All of my paintings are hung, over 70 of them! It has taken so much work to get this finished and ready for a show. I painted about 79 shophouses, framed 72 of them, have scanned, emailed, hung, etc, etc, etc... Keep your fingers crossed for a good turnout tomorrow night!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 40

2011-04-24T16:22:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 40"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Available at Chan Hampe Gallery

Happy Easter! I am definitely feeling homesick this morning. Easter is still a big holiday in my family. We usually gather at my grandmother's house, and as all of us cousins have grown up, the tradition has evolved. Even though there is one in the new generation, my grandmother still has all of her grandchildren (the great grand is only 1.5 now) hunt for eggs. Now that some of us are 30, it has turned into more of a full-contact flag football game than egg hunting. In any case, my brother said that he hip-checked one of my particularly competitive cousins to get to the winning egg, and dedicated it to me. Awwww. I hope everyone had a wonderful day with family and friends.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 39

2011-04-21T05:47:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 39"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Available at Chan Hampe Gallery

I just loved this blue house. Couldn't resist it. It is this bright, sky blue with crisp white trim. Plus, there were all kinds of fun shadows happening with the shutters.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 38

2011-04-20T05:44:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 38"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Available through Chan Hampe Gallery

I really enjoyed the afternoon light hitting the sign and the pattern of light and shadow that it created. The light was so warm, and the shadows were just so cool. I was especially struck by how although the yellow edge on the windows was in the shade, it kind of seemed to glow with reflected light. I really tried to capture that in this one.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 37

2011-04-18T18:31:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 37"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Available through Chan Hampe Gallery

This is a totally fascinating house in Chinatown. It is a super modern bright red and white house smooshed in between all the super traditional shophouses in Chinatown. Its lines are just so clean and neat. It kind of reminded me of something nautical.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 36 - SOLD

2011-04-17T16:53:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse Series No. 36"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Available through Chan Hampe Gallery

I'm really starting to enjoy these night scenes. A fair portion of the shophouses are white or cream colored. So often during the day, the sun is strong (or its super hazy), the houses are white, and there is very little shadow. In other words, it's a pretty uninteresting scene, except for the fact that the shophouses have really interesting architecture. But then, once the signs light up at night, new colors and shapes show up, and an otherwise drab scene becomes quite beautiful.

This weekend two of the other artists in the studio made me try Stinky Tofu. I'm a pretty adventurous eater, but usually for my general meals, I do tend to eat western food. It's easier to pack a sandwich than to try and make something local. And eating from the hawker's isn't the healthiest option (a lot of it is fried rice and noodle varieties - not good for a girlish figure). So they seem to think I don't eat enough local fare, even though I do eat a fair share. In any case, they made me try stinky tofu. It smelled like a combination of dirty socks and body odor, but the first bite I tried wasn't so bad. Kind of just tasted like tofu. So then I made my mistake. I tried the second bite. As I was eating that second bite, it was much more pungent and somehow the taste very much tasted like the first bite smelled. It tasted like I was eating dirty socks. And then after I finished, the taste/smell seemed to get stuck in my mouth and nose. I couldn't get rid of it. Ungh. Not my thing, I can tell you that. But the tea boiled eggs weren't too bad, and there was another dessert kind of thing that tasted a bit like apple crumble. So if anyone offers you stinky tofu, it is, in fact, stinky.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 35 - SOLD

2011-04-15T15:41:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 35"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Available at Chan Hamp Gallery

After the debacle yesterday, I talked to my husband. He reminded me that I had been in the studio for 10 days straight and hadn't taken a day off. I'd been feeling creatively drained and like I couldn't paint myself out of a box for the last couple days, so I did what he suggested. And it was glorious. I do kind of wish today would be my last day of painting for this show, but now I'm much more refreshed and focused. I think if I had gone into the studio yesterday, I would have been fighting a nasty uphill battle.

Sometimes you just need a day off. Happy Friday!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 34

2011-04-14T18:53:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 34"
6x6 Oil on Canvas
Available at Chan Hampe Gallery

This is a cozy little hostel in Little India. I don't really think of Singapore as having hostels, but there are a few available and they are quite nice from what I hear.

I am completely chagrinned. The contact form for my website was somehow winding up in my spam folder of my email (fixed that issue). A very lovely lady over here had contacted me about purchasing three paintings. Unfortunately, because the email wound up in my spam folder, I didn't see it for two weeks. I go to call her back. Cell phone is dead. Great. Put phone in charger, write an email apologizing profusely for gmail and my website not playing well together. Hit send. Since this is clearly an important email, I want to move it from the spam folder into my inbox. Well, right next to "move to inbox" is the "DELETE FOREVER" button. Guess which one I accidentally clicked? And since it is the spam folder, there aren't any little pop-up boxes asking if you are sure you want to delete it. Thank goodness I had at least written down her email address, so I was able to write another email explaining again what an idiot I felt like and that I had lost her phone number with the email. Hopefully she will forgive such silliness and get back to me. I am just mortified about it, but I thought you all might appreciate a laugh on your Thursday afternoon/evening (or Friday am if you are here in the Sling).

I think this is a sign that I need a day off.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 33

2011-04-13T06:25:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 33"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

Here was a nice calm shophouse in Little India. I really liked the muted palette and the gentle light as it filtered down onto the house. Muted, neutral palettes are kind of difficult for me, but I really liked this one. It definitely has a gentle, calm feeling to it.

68 down 10 more to go for the show!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 32

2011-04-12T05:03:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 32"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

This was my first night scene. I loved the neon sign and the colors that it reflected onto the shophouse. So vivid. How is everyone's spring going? It is HOT. Not just a bit hot, but super hot. I think last year the hot season wound up being rainy, so it wasn't as hot as it was supposed to be. Now I'm finding out what that is really like.

I started to get my frames in for the show, and I just LOVE the way things look in them. I'm starting to get super nervous/excited. Here's a quick preview:

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 31

2011-04-11T05:47:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 31"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

Phew, back in the studio again. Only 15 more to paint for my show! My frames are starting to come in, and I am really super excited about the way that a lot of these look framed. Just absolutely spectacular. Knowing your work looks even better once it has a frame is just a nice little pat on the back, to say the least.

This shophouse is in Little India. Our apartment is actually pretty unique in Singapore. It has a washer, a dryer AND an oven. Clearly geared towards us spoiled expats. Most locals just have a washer and hang dry their clothes. If you drive by the HDBs you can see laundry out on the line outside of windows. Kind of neat, really.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 29 - SOLD

2011-04-07T21:13:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 29"
6in x 6in Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

Here was a shophouse above a lantern shop in Chinatown. Loved all the reds and the differences they had in the light and shadow.

Taking the hubby in for LASIK today. Counting down the days until I have to have everything completed for my show. Trying to catch up on schoolwork. Too much to do!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 28

2011-04-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 28"
6in x 6in Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

Whoops. I accidentally posted a couple of these in the wrong order. Look at me go! The hubby and I just got back last night, so now comes the post-vacation hangover. Unpacking, settling back into reality, schoolwork... and my first show, ever. I am super excited, but being checked out for two weeks was just soooo nice. Only 25 more pieces to paint in the next week!

I'm sorry I didn't post sooner, but we had much less internet access than anticipated. We had a blast, and it really was the trip of a lifetime. Part of me wishes that I got more painting in, but a very nasty case of beautiful spring weather fever (you mean I can sit in the sun without sweating like a stuck pig?!?! Yes please!) coupled with many lunches that had an accompanying glass of wine... well, yeah. You know what they say - don't drink and draw!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 30

2011-03-28T03:47:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 30
6in x6in Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

This is another really fun shophouse in Chinatown. It has been kind of funny, because as I paint them, my favorites are usually the ones that are the blues. The reds are a bit tough for me. But other people in the studio who are local, just love the reds. There is such a huge cultural difference with colors, which I had heard about, but until I talk to people, you don't understand how significant it is. One of the artists did piece with the Singapore river in red. To me, it looks violent and upsetting. To him and the other locals, it means that it is the lifeblood. It is a auspicious color of luck and success. I just think of horrific violence or something.

We arrived in Florence on Friday, and have just been having a ball. My husband met his new soul mate in a gentleman that makes leather jackets here, named Janni. We were invited to his home Friday night for dinner, and I think after that wonderful experience, my husband will never eat my cooking again. It was out of this world. His wife made an Italian pasta, and the main course was a greek lamb and potato dish. Just to die for. It is such a beautiful experience to travel to new places and make new friends. As Janni was telling us, friends are the lifeblood and energy that make life worthwhile. So true!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 27

2011-03-24T23:04:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 27"
6in x 6in Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

This is my first night scene that I attempted. It was actually really hard. So many light sources bouncing around, and the different types of light! In the end, I was really happy with the results, and I learned a lot from attempting this one.

In other news, I had two pieces accepted into the 6" Squared Show at the Randy Higbee Gallery in Costa Mesa, CA. And I know that it was actually juried, since two of my entered pieces were also rejected... I'm so excited!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 26

2011-03-23T23:43:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 26"
6in x 6in Oil On Panel
Click Here to Purchase

Here is another Little India shophouse. I really liked the morning light and the pretty shadows it created.

Here in Italy I've been getting tons and tons of reference photos. Rome is amazing people watching territory. My husband has started calling me a creeper though. Because there are so many tourists, people don't pay attention to cameras, which is great. I just kind of walk around, and take photos of everyone lounging and hanging out in the piazzas and cafes. Totally fun. I'm starting to get excited for the workshop this May.

PS - The popemobile is pretttty cool.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 25

2011-03-22T09:07:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 25"
6in x 6in Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

So we have arrived in Rome. The food, amazing, the wine so inexpensive! We have worked our way across the city and for the life of me I cannot find an apostrophe or an at symbol on the keyboard to save my life. Ciao, time for more pasta!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 24

2011-03-17T16:29:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 24"
6in x 6in Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

Happy St. Patty's Day everyone! This shophouse is not green, and it certainly isn't Irish, but I had a lot of fun doing it. I spent my St. Patty's Day packing for our trip, and realized that after living in the tropics for 1.5 years that we own no cold weather clothes. Whoops. Well, we both own a jacket and 1 sweater, but that won't get us through 2.5 weeks. And for a kid that's been living in the tropics for this long, highs in the 60s will be a bit chilly for me (looks like lows are in the 40s). We're resourceful, and I'm sure we'll figure it out!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 23 - DP No. 45

2011-03-16T17:21:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 23"
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

I've done a painting of part of this house before (No. 10), but it was cropped differently, and actually the top part of the house. On this one I just loved the shadow that the sign created, and I really like the totally different colors together.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 22 - SOLD

2011-03-15T16:54:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 22"
6in x 6in Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

This shophouse is a wonderful bright red one found in Chinatown. Wow. Having my midterm finished has gotten a huge monkey off my back. Between that and my husband's reminders that we have "four more sleeps" until we leave for Italy, my concentration on getting ready for my show has been a bit lagging. I now have 42 paintings completed, and need another 25 (plus some slightly larger ones to flush it out).

Funny thing, is that I'm kind of starting to run out of shophouses. Or not run out of them perse, but run out of them having good lighting and shadows. This prospect has me a bit terrified, I'm not going to lie. There are just all these cool nooks and corners that have shophouses in them, but a lot of the time the houses are shaded by trees or tall buildings. Or, when I need to get pictures it is just a cloudy day, so the diffused lighting leaves almost no shadows. Or, all the shutters are closed. But I can artistically fix that one. The bottom line is that I need some interesting shadows. Otherwise it makes for a boring painting of some architecture. I really think this two week break is going to help give me a fresh perspective for when I return.

But have no fear, I've been painting ahead, so I'll continue to post daily!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 21 - DP No. 44

2011-03-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 21"
6in x 6in Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

This was a really beautifully colored shophouse on a cloudy day. It had the ceiling rafters painted a white, kind of similar to some of the homes in Charleston. I'm just continually amazed at the different color combinations that have been used on these houses. They use a lot of very interesting complimentary colors. Take those windows above for example. They used a muted green and a muted red for the shutters, and the house itself is a light aqua. Sometimes the colors come out garish, but often it somehow works. I try to stay pretty true to the color schemes of the homes, as I feel like that is an important part of what makes them what they are. And sometimes I do edit the details a bit - the Rococo style homes are an absolute bear to try and render all of the detail correctly. So some artistic license is used, but not too much. I like to think that if you ran across the home on your own, you would definitely recognize it.

Oh, and in other news, I finished my midterm for my Cityscape class. The one that I mentioned was a doozy? Well, here it is completed. I really love the way it turned out, but the funny thing that I've noticed with my work - I don't do industrial and gritty. Part of why I was attracted to this scene was how industrial it was - the heavy machinery, the movement, the containers. But by the time I was finished with it, it had lost all grit. I also liked the way the light hit the yard, which is what I wound up subconsciously emphasizing and making the focal point.

Well, this is how I think art tells a lot about an artist, even without them knowing it. Every time I have a gritty, dirty scene, it winds up having a lot of light and hope. I'm an optimistic person (mostly), so maybe this says a lot, and maybe I should just focus on the type of scenes that play well to my personality, like the shophouses and other cityscapes. I think they wind up reading more true. I've always been a believer in trying to strengthen your weaknesses, but I think this is more about playing to your strengths. I was definitely surprised at the result. Sometimes things have a way of painting themselves, pretty funny, isn't it?

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 20 - DP No. 43

2011-03-13T16:28:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 20"
6in x 6in Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Mine was spent in the studio, painting away. I'm almost finished with my midterm for class, it has been a doozy. One thing is pretty certain, I think I'll be cured of my fascination of the container yards. It is pretty much a perspective nightmare. I'm literally counting down the days until we leave for Italy. I have to be in the studio every day before then, even the day we fly out, but I think it will be totally worth it. Only one more week!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 19 - DP No. 42

2011-03-10T14:45:00.000-08:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 19"
6"x6" Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

My husband really loves this shophouse. I personally, had a really difficult time at first with all the detail. For the life of me, I couldn't get the moulding on the top to "pop" enough so that you could tell how defined it was. But then I resolved the issue and moved on.

Last night Norman (our small and un-mighty car) died. At the gas pump. We pulled into the gas station, where they always have attendants to pump. You don't pump the gas, they do. And they'll clean your windshield and such, which is nice. So anyways, we turn off the car to pump the gas, then the hubby gets back in the car and tries to turn it on. Nothing. We call the rental company (company lease), wait about 20-30 minutes for the guy to come help us. Not once in that 20-30 minutes did anyone come over and ask why we were loitering in the parking lot, why we hadn't moved, if we needed help with the car. It was kind of the twilight zone. In the US there would be at least a person or two that would offer to stick their head under the hood and have a look, or give you a jump or something. But here, nobody even knows how to change a tire (or to be honest, most don't know how to fill a tire), much less jump a battery or check the oil. Even I know those things. Thank goodness my parents made me drive a car that was slowly dying when I was a teenager. I can't imagine knowing absolutely nothing about cars. But I'm not going to even start in on what terrible drivers are over here. :) It all turned out okay in the end, apparently Norman goes through batteries on a regular basis. Nice.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 18 - SOLD

2011-03-09T13:59:00.000-08:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No 18"
6x16 Oil on Panel Diptych
Click Here to Purchase

This is one of my favorites so far. I took it on a gray, hazy day, so there wasn't a good strong light and shadow situation like with most of my paintings. At first I struggled a lot with it - between little strong light and it being white. But like with a lot of paintings, I just held on and kept going. Eventually it came together, and I really like the results.

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 17 - DP No. 40

2011-03-08T00:35:00.000-08:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 17"
6x6 Oil on Panel
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Happy Mardi Gras! Since we missed our favorite holiday of the year, we are going to be heading instead to our favorite Indian place - Curry GardenN, where they have been so kind as to have a drink special just for us - Margaritas. What does any of this have to do with Mardi Gras? As you will notice, there are absolutely no similarities between our little celebration and what you find in New Orleans - even the TGI Fridays here has their Mardi Gras celebration on Thursday, March 11th (yeah, after the date and on a Thursday). But, as they say, when in Rome...

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 16 - DP No. 39

2011-03-07T05:22:00.000-08:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 16"
6x6 Oil on Panel
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To be completely honest, this one was incredibly tough, but I loved how it turned out. This was a shophouse that had the trim painted in various shades of gray, that had nothing to do with where the shadows fell, or the form it created. I thought the trim was just beautiful, and I loved the shadows, but translating all the different painted colors of gray - whew! Such a toughie.

And here is the on location painting I did last week - Dunlop Street in Little India. I just love this little corner, and I really like how this plein air piece turned out. Due to the 95 degree weather, I did finish the last bit in the studio, but I think that is allowed. So hot!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 15 - SOLD

2011-03-06T05:20:00.000-08:00

"Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 15"
6x6 Oil on Panel
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I remember when I first read Taking the Leap, which is a must-read book if you eventually want to become a full time artist. Since then I have read multiple blogs, books, etc, all about taking that first step and becoming a full-time artist. One thing I always remember reading is how they talk about working long hours - longer than you would ever work at a normal office job. Even when I was doing quite well with my abstract work in Houston, and almost full-time, I kind of scoffed at those people. I figured I could do it better, more efficiently, paint faster, whatever. Well, now I know what they meant. Literally, I cannot find enough hours in the day. Nevertheless, like the bumper sticker says, "A bad day painting is better than a good day in the office." Or wait, is it usually talking about fishing? Oh well. Works for me!