Banana Study

Banana Study ( Crayon on Paper ) 30"x20"
This is a rare work among all other paintings because it is done in crayon. It is worthwhile to note that my first ever award in art was in crayon when I was still in secondary school. However over the years I did not continue to experiment more in this medium. In around 1981 when I moved house in Kuching to a wooden rented dwelling, there was this banana tree outside our dining window. I painted it to remember of our stay at that house along Jalan Hj. Taha , Kuching and the pure delight to see the banana fruiting in front of our window.

Three Batik Pieces from The Mature Years

Kelabit Girl Dancing . circa 1986 ( Sold)




Bintulu Plaza Hotel - circa 1990. (Sold to Plaza Hotel)
Those who frequent Plaza Hotel can see this painting at the music stage today.




Venezuelan Hacienda - a study . June '02.

Tanjong Lobang Creative Encounters

wooOOWWW! It's an alien planet landscape... with an alien figure showing the way ahead to the Time Machine... This watercolour painting I did as an abstract art piece on 22.4.68 ( date shown)...therefore Form Five work!!



EPISODE ONE - THE TANJONG LOBANG CREATIVE ENCOUNTERS
( By Way of Photographs)






Han Hipnee signing in my autograph. Comments: Never know a Police Inspector with a softness to his heart.



Othman Borhan next to his prize winning batik painting , circa 1968. In 1969,Othman was awarded " The Best Art Student " for the year while in Upper Six.



Doing finishing touches to my homework piece. Here I am next to my bed ( lower bunker), in the infamous Dearnly Dormitory. Comment: Oh MY! Don't you have any other favourite batik shirt?



"Plein air" technique is a must experience under Mr. Voong. With Adi Tuah doing watercolour painting at the Brighton Beach,Miri. circa 1967. Comments: OK Datuk, this is for all times sake!!



This time I'm going to blog about the most interesting and significant early art education I had. To do justice to this period ( The Very EaryYears and Influences) and the persons responsible for the influences, I give myself this rare honour to put on record the learning experiences I enjoyed under the artistic direction of Mr. Voong

So bear with me as I try to recall with aids of my dairy, photographs( and autographs) and comments I gathered from others who have great admiration of Mr. Voong, the Art teacher.

First, I would like to throw at you the sense or mood of the times relating to the art activities we experienced. The photographs are characteristic of the times. Black and white and very nostalgic to me.

Then, in later episodes ( well its gonna be a long story) I'll write to the best of my ability , detailed description of Mr. Voong's style that impacted on me most and also other art students I know.

For its impact on others , I will write a special mention on my dormitory mate and friend, Othman Borhan. Later in his life, Othman became a respected artist in Kuching, Sarawak.

My creative encounters at Tanjong Lobang school( later'College') were also in the area of drama( stage performance) and poetry writing. These will be blogged about after finishing blogging on my Tanjong Lobang art training.

For sure it was the highest level of Art education you can get in Sarawak during those times.

" Form Six, Man!!!" and "Hey! Tanjong Lobang ,lah!!Bukan sebarangan dong!!!"

The Very Early Years and Influences

Bintulu Government Secondary School Art Competition

The 6th of August 1966 was penned in my diary as the day I won second place in the BGSS's Creative Art Festival Competition for a 'beautiful painting'. This painting was submitted under the " Crayon, Still and Plant Life" category. The picture I did was of an iris plat.

This was a major happening in my art career because it was the first time I won in an open competition. The award meant so much to me that even to this day ( 41 years later!) I still keep my first ever award certificate and you got to see it too.

Even though the certificate was of a blue manila paper, it meant so much for the budding artist in me.

Art Education

Thus my art education started early in the 1960's. However, even at the primary schooling level, of all the subjects we had to study like English, Arithmetic, Religious doctrine, Geography, History , General Knowledge, Science and Hygiene, Art was still my best subject. I was awarded V.G. ( Very Good) in the Primary Six December 1963 report card for Art.

I will never forget a poster I did at that time of the "Bintulu Regatta" done to advertise the river regatta held at Bintulu as part of the first Malaysia Day Celebration. It was a most meaningful occasion for Bintuluians at that critical juncture of their political history.

Sketches and Portraits- 1974

The Young Man As Artist Period

Using black felt pen and 'rough pad' sketch books ( 175 mm x125 mm) I used to express the exceedingly intense feelings of anxiety and anger of a young man in the early 1970's.






Self Portrait

During this period I was taking up a professional teaching course at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, soon after I completed my first degree course atUniversiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang.



Study

The 'rough pad' series was a critical period in my life. Indeed the main figure or motifs were self-portraiture. It was as if me, the artist, wanted to explore the deeper callings of a young man's searching soul.... and thinking of what the future will hold.

Back View
In the young contemplative moods of that period, my thoughts were bombarded with questions of Beauty, Love, Life's contradiction, History, among many.

Sketches of a Young Man

The drawing style at that period was spontaneous , on the spot, sketching of human figures and buildings.

Dewan Tunku Chancelor, University Malaya 1974.

Forward - naturally

In my mature years period , one of the areas of creativity I dwelt upon extensively was landscaping. The extremely intense experience I gathered in my mature years( 1983-1993) while working in BDA provided a rich exposure on many aspects of the landscaping activities. Landscaping became a constant theme in my present period which I term as 'forward - naturally'.

Caladium bicolour (Angel's Wings)

Caladiums are a showy plant and most tender tropical foliage plants, prized for the gorgeous colours and rich patterning of the large thin eaves. Notice the large contrasting veins .

This period in my life I will dedicate to nature but of a different paradigm, which I prefer to
designate as "forward with nature". This thematic treatment shall be explored in greater details in my other sites, viz 'my landscaping story','my eco-farm'(under-construction) and ' a Malaysian sidewalk'.

Well, today it has been raining since 5.00 am till about 9.30 am. Having nothing to do outside, I decided to take a pix of the landscaping detail I did a couple of weeks ago, just outside my cottage bedroom wall. This piece I did in about an one hour time.



Clerondendrum thomsoniae
(Bleeding Heart)

Watch the clusters of deep crimson flowers emerging from the pure white bell-shaped calyces contrasted by the large, oval deep green leaves. This plant grows well in a sunny position. Because it is a climber, it needs to be pruned regularly. It grows well in Bintulu due to the humid environment here.
Earlier on , I grabbed my Nokia phone n93i and took a pix of the landscaping detail of the wall outside my bedroom. The wall is made of rattan ( a natural vine available in the wild ) here. My idea in this simple landscaping piece is to make the plants hug on to the walls, naturally.



Clerondendrum thomsonaie
( Pink variety)

More on First Solo Exhibition - 1981.

Friends and Admirers to the Show



A leaf from Visitors Book




Self-Portrait -1973 ( Water colour)