Little House

A little house. I'd like to work on something totally different from what I have been working on recently. It is a fresh feeling for me to work on this pretty piece. I love the cute feeling of the painting.

Size: 5" x 7" /13 x 18 cm, $30

Serene Stone Pond

After a week spending intensely on painting the sunflower still-life, I want to do something relaxing. I choose this small size paper for fun.

I have a reference photo of this painting that taken long time ago when I traveled to Hongkong. It was a stone pond filled with some autumn leaves. It was on a rainy day, the rain was till dropping. The place was in a temple and it was very quiet. You can still feel the wetness and the sound of rain drops.

I put it on a frame that perfectly fits the small painting. It looks much beautiful than the picture below.
Size: 5" x 7"/12 x 18 cm, $30

Sunflower

I have a spare frame that can be used to display 4.5" x 4.5" painting. So I painted this sunflower since I am very familiar with the topic. It can be a good gift together with the frame I think.
Size: 5" x 6" / 13 x 15 cm, $30 (without frame), $40 (with frame, excluding s & h)

Sunflower and Pears

This is the final piece of this topic. I made it larger.

Size: 12"x16"/31 x 41cm, $85

Sunflower and Pears

This is the final work. I achieved what I'd like to see with passionate sunflower and mature pears together. The tonal contrast is good and the colors are nice. I like the mood it conveys. It almost fits into what I had in mind except one or two small places. If I can modify a bit of their color, it will be nice.

I love the pear in the bottom. It shines so beautifully with the vase.

The original painting has more in the top. I crop it so that sunflowers are pushed up and the whole composition is more powerful.

Size: 9" x 12"/24 x 32cm, $65

Sunflower and Pears

I am working on another version of the same topic. I concentrate the flowers in the middle this time. I feel satisfied with the current development and stop here to think about what to do next.

It is a very demanding process during the painting. There are so many decisions to make as to what color suits the best of a particular section and what form to use. I have to stop constantly to take a break or play with my 5 month old daughter for a while to come back to the work.

People say that painting is a relax activity, but not for me, at least now.

Sunflower and Pears - Sketch

I am doing more experiment with the color and lines of the same topic. I got some interesting results of the color, but not quite sure about the whole painting structure. But I feel it definitely getting more and more interesting.

This is something with certain effect I want to achieve. I want to convey certain mood and spirit.

Sunflower and Pears - Sketch

I am doing some more experiments on lines with the same topic. It's getting very exciting.

Size: 9" x 12"/24 x 32cm

Sunflower and Pears 2 - Sketch

I was down with a very bad flue and didn't paint for 2 days. Although I am lying on bad, my mind is full of things that I want to paint.

Here is a sketch of another sunflower and pears. I love the combination. It is a messy sketch. I don't have the mood to do a nice painting today. But I do like the stoke of watercolor pencils.

Sunflower and Pears

Size: 14"x 16"/36 x 42 cm, $56

Sunflower and Pears - Work In Progress

Another still-life. Last Sunday I went to the beach near my house and found some lovely sunflower in one of the house near the beach. I have this still-life setup before but with different flower. It was named Summer Time. But with sunflower, it should be autumn time, although in Singapore, there is no season. Sunflowers blossom all the time.

It is very difficult to put your first stroke in the white paper. The start of the painting is always exciting with sharp contrast with the white paper. I love what on the paper right now.

But with the development of the painting, you get more and more difficult to manage the contrast and colors. Sometime, I have to through away the whole painting after it's done because it does not turn out right.

Size: 14"x 19.5"/36 x 50 cm

Flower in a Basket

I always have some problem to paint the right lower corner. It is not successful this time and I have to crop the whole painting to get rid of it. The painting has to be cropped to a small sized one. It is 40 x 50 cm and now is 28 x 38cm.

Size: 11" x 15" /28 x 38 cm, $80

Flower in a Basket - Work In Progress

I managed to paint the part of the still-life Flower in a Basket.

Still-life Painting Planning

I am thinking of doing a still-life flower painting today. It takes much more preparation and planning to paint a still-life.

A House with Frangipani

Here is the final finished work. It is in a much bigger size than normally I paint.

Size: 20 x 30/52 x 76 cm, USD$150, SGD$220

A House with Frangipani - Work In Progress

Work in progress of the house with frangipani.

A House with Frangipani - Sketch

Frangipani tree is seen in many houses in Singapore. I planted two in my house as well. I love the flower. This is a sketch of a such a house. I am still thinking on the size of paper I should use to depict this topic.

This is my four month old baby. She doesn't like to do push up normally. But today she is very happy to do so. This is the first time I capture her happy moment in doing push up.

Bougainvillea at a Gate

Here is the finished one. Bougainvillea and palm are two most popular plants in Singapore. They thrive in the tropical weather.

Size: 16 x 20"/40 x 50 cm, USD$300, SGD$450

Bougainvillea at a Gate - Work in Progress

I am working on this bougainvillea flower from a photo that I took from a house that I passed by yesterday. It's half done only.

Size: 16 x 20"/40 x 50 cm

House Hunting on Sunday

I didn't paint today instead I went around Singapore to shop for a new apartment. I cannot believe that the price has gone up so much that I don't think I'll buy one right now.

The one particular house that I looked at last March costs one million more now. I hope I had bought it at that time. A tiny apartment with 800 sqft costs 1.7 million, not even in a best location. I cannot even set my studio at such an expensive apartment.

Just a record of what I did today.

Courtyard

I have some guests coming today for a dinner. The courtyard is finished in the late night after the guests left. I have to agree with what some other artists feel that it is difficult to make green appropriate. This painting is full of greens. It is challenge to make them look right.

Size: 16" x 20"/40 x 50 cm, USD$70, SGD100

Courtyard Sketch

No finished piece today, just a sketch for tomorrow's painting. It is a small courtyard with blue doors and windows in the hill top.