Gek Art

Start of NZ Travelogue

2012-03-09T01:12:00.009-08:00

February 14 2012. Arrived in Christchurch.

After an overnight stay at the Christchurch, we traveled to Lake Tekapo.

On arrival, we were greeted with the beautiful turquoise blue lake.

The colour of the lake is created by ‘rock flour’. The glaciers in the headwaters of Tekapo grind rocks into fine dust on their journey down towards the lake. The ‘rock flour’ is suspended in the water and when combined with sunlight creates the unique water colour.

February 16 morning

The three musketeers - Jo, David and Gek

Morning tea/coffee at the ASTRO CAFÉ on Mount John summit. Local operator runs a tour to view the night skies at Mount John Observatory but it was too cloudy the 2 nights when we were there. From the summit of Mt John, one has a bird eye’s view of Lake Tekapo.

Lake Pukaki

We drove along the side of this lake on way to Mt Cook, the highest mountain in NZ which is about 90km away from Lake Tekapo.

WALL to WALL art

2012-02-10T06:56:00.000-08:00

A week after passing by an art installation on a wall in George Town, Penang,

I was at the Singapore EXPO centre,viewiing another wall art installation - a 12th Century Chinese Scroll, QingMing Shanghe Tu - from the Song Dynasty. It captures the daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng. With modern technology, the people and animals come alive.

From Abstract to Face

2012-02-08T06:48:00.000-08:00

More faces have appeared in my studio since October 2011.

FRIENDS, FOREVER FRIENDS

Taman - Bunga - Burung

2011-12-07T06:04:00.000-08:00

Mr Koay introducing the artist Roland Nancarrow from Cairns at the opening of Painting and Wall Sculpture Exhibition at the Galeri Seni Mutiara, Penang on 4th December 2011

The paintings are acrylic on canvas, the wall sculpture were created using PVC,wood and acrylic paint. Very vibrant colours.

The making of a face.

2011-11-13T04:52:00.000-08:00

Yes, I have turned my brush to faces. Oil on canvas, of course. This is the first brush.

After letting the paint settle for a day, I added another layer, bearing in mind the light and darkness.

Another 2 more layers of oil paint to finish the face.

I have begun to enjoy painting faces.

And now starting on the journey of painting 100 faces in the same style.

Mongolian artists

2011-10-30T18:21:00.000-07:00

During my 20-month stay in Mongolia, visiting art galleries was one of my leisure activities. I like Adiyabaazar's works.

Very vibrant. Isn' it?

His son, Chadraabal is also an accomplished artist. We were invited to the opening of his solo exhibition.

Favourite subjects: horse and landscape.

His wife, Chuka and I are good friends.

Crafts

2011-09-29T17:24:00.000-07:00

Book Binding

Copper works

Pottery

All these - part and parcel of the curriculum in the first 2 years of the sculpture course.

Clay modelling

2011-09-26T06:05:00.000-07:00

First lesson in the Sculpture Course at Emerson College was clay modelling. I like to shape the clay into various forms - with no pre-conceived ideas of the end results.

Spherical forms often appear in my works. It must be something in me.

Four elements

2011-09-20T19:41:00.000-07:00

The sculpture course included a module on the study of the FOUR ELEMENTS. I discovered that I am better in creating the flowing and airy types of work.

After the module, I created this with wire and wood chips with a painting as the background.

Title of this work: Joyous Dancers.

Wood and Stone

2011-09-13T19:54:00.000-07:00

Apart from clay, wood and stone were the commonly used materials in the sculpture course. My first sculpture in wood - mobius form.

Then in the second year - a torso out of a tree trunk.

Products from the first year's stone carving.

The course brought us to Norway for 5 weeks to do granite stone carving. That was tough - physically for me. Around 6 hours a day chiselling a block of granite stone.

Drawing and Painting

2011-09-10T19:38:00.000-07:00

Although I was in the sculpture course, I enjoyed drawing and painting more. This was my drawing done in Ursula's class in the first year.

And this is the last oil painting done in the course with Johanna.

Land Art

2011-09-08T19:36:00.000-07:00

My most challenging creation was for the module 'Land Art' whereby a sculpture was to be designed for a site of my choice in the compound of Emerson College. The sculpture was made using iron rod, chicken wire and plaster in the studio before being transported to the site.

Installation of the sculpture. More plaster and rasp. I had to use a ladder to do that as you see I am rather short.

Work completed!!

The view of the sculpture from the main carpark of Emerson College. Wonder how long my 'Angel Wings' will survive in the English climate.

Emerson College

2011-09-07T06:05:00.000-07:00

September 2003 - 8 years ago I took the path less travelled and arrived at Emerson College in Sussex,UK. It was paradise to me after living in a concrete jungle and working with computers for years.

The natural setting has provided the excellent environment for my artistic journey, and let me experienced the wonders of the four seasons.

I like spring as the whole place came alive with flowers of all sorts.

Daffodils, magnolias, cherry blossoms, bluebells and many more.......

The meadow behind the college was my favourite sanctuary - a quiet expansive place to walk in the evening and to meditate. In early summer it was covered with daisies.

Summer is always cheery and warm with bright coloured flowers and smiling faces everywhere.

Emerson College, my home and studio for three years - thank you for making a signifcant change in me.

Sunset at home - Singapore

2011-08-27T06:46:00.000-07:00

Surprise, surprise! We discovered that we need not go to the coast for beautiful sunsets. We could watch fantastic sunsets from the window of our apartment on the 23rd floor in Singapore.

Good to have a window facing the west.

And a zoom lens helps!

Wonder how many Singapore residents have seen such sunsets in Singapore itself.

A less fiery moment.

Sunset at 2nd home - Penang

2011-08-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

We found that we could also enjoy sunsets lying on the sofa in our flat looking out of the balcony in our 2nd home in Penang.

What a blessed life!!

With a little help of a software, the sky was transformed.

Even without the software, the golden sunsets are still brilliant.

So look for an apartment with a west view. Even it's hot in the afternoon, it still worth it!!

Sunset in Kota Kinabalu, SABAH

2011-08-22T06:39:00.000-07:00

We experienced a fiery sunset at Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu

After the sun has gone down the horizon, a beautiful pink presided the sky.

Sunsets over three islands

2011-08-17T06:29:00.000-07:00

Bali, 2009

Langkawi, 2009

West coast, Penang, 2010

Malaysian sunsets

2011-08-15T06:08:00.000-07:00

Kuala Trengganu - a peaceful and serene place to watch the sun setting.

Lake Kenyir, Trengganu - magical

Pahang, at a Felda Plantation Resort - just amazing

Mongolian sunsets

2011-08-12T05:04:00.000-07:00

As it was so cold, we could only view sunset through the windows of our apartment in Ulaanbaatar.

Not many nights we could capture beautiful sunsets.

Sunsets in Australia

2011-08-10T04:46:00.000-07:00

David and I love watching sunsets. Whereever we go, we'll not miss the opportunity to take photographs. This month I decide to do a few blogs on sunset, starting with sunsets in Australia, the country we visited recently.

After the sun has gone to bed, Glenelg, Adelaide May 2011

This was about an hour before the sun went to bed, Glenelg, Adelaide May 2011

Dunsborough, Western Australia October 2010

Same evening, same place, October 2010

Fremantle, Western Australia, September 2010

About half an hour later, Fremantle, September 2010

The latest sunset view was at Yamba, New South Wales, July 2011. We had 3 consecutive evenings of sunset walk - at Port Stephens, Port Macquarie and Yamba on the way from Sydney to Brisbane.

Fascinating sky

2011-07-23T06:12:00.000-07:00

A fascinating formation created in nature that never fails to interest me.

Watching the infinite number of changing forms is such a relaxing experience.

I simply love sunset. No two sunsets are the same.

Wave energy

2011-07-21T06:09:00.000-07:00

Waves travel through space and time.

I like to watch the wave forms created by the interaction of air, earth and water.

And I feel energised by the force of waves.

Liza McCosh - artist

2011-06-06T19:31:00.000-07:00

On our Great Ocean Road tour, I met the artist Liza Mccosh (http://www.lizamccosh.com/) who runs a gallery in Warrnambool. I love her paintings -both the volcanic and aqueous series.

Heide Museum of Modern Art, Melbourne.

2011-06-06T19:14:00.000-07:00

This 16 acre of sculpture park and garden reminds me of Emerson College, UK where I did my sculpture course.

For more information, go to http://www.heide.com.au/

Autumn colours

2011-05-27T21:48:00.000-07:00

A beautiful autumn day at Mount Lofty Botanic Garden, Adelaide

I have been always fascinated by autumn colours.

What a range of colours!!

Very happy to catch the last autumn leaves in Adelaide Hills in the third week of May.

Van Gogh Alive

2011-05-14T23:52:00.000-07:00

One can easily immersed in the Van Gogh Alive Exhibition in the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

Surrounded by larger-than-life high-definition projections, i can simply sit in the gallery space for hours enjoying this feast which is a fusion of art and audio-visual technology.

Van Gogh's paint strokes - so full of energy and power coming alive on the giant multi screens.

Art Installation at OldKallang Airport

2011-05-14T23:46:00.000-07:00

A barn in an old hangar.

Look like a square peg in a round hole!

I prefer this natural installation - Windows of the hangar

Singapore Biennale 2011

2011-05-11T20:24:00.000-07:00

I was most impressed by Michael Lee's installation, Office Orchitect, at the Old Kallang Airport as part of the Singapore Biennale 2011 Open House.

Models made from cut card, layered to creat the structures. They were quite innovative.

This model was my personal favourite. It does resemble a real building in Singapore. Know the one I mean?

Penang Artists - Christopher Dally

2011-04-28T19:45:00.000-07:00

Chris is a fellow MM2H Penang resident. He held his first solo exhibition here in June 2010.

On Baron Beach. Oil on canvas 61 x 76 cm (2001)

"Baron beach is an enclosed bay on the south coast of Java where the sea is extremely rough and dangerous."

Evening Intimacy. Oil on canvas 61 x 76 cm (2005)

"...........illustrates the affection that I constantly saw in women in Indonesia."

Waking in the Blue Room. Oil on canvas 61 x 76 cm (1993)

Another painting illustrating Chris's observation of Indonesian women in company. The exhibition was a huge success with 18 out of his 30 paintings on display sold.

New Start - Relau Studio

2011-04-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

My new art studio in Relau Penang. We moved to Penang in November last year and rent an apartment, two door away from where we are living. This rented apartment had been empty for a number of years but after a little TLC, it scrubbed up real nice. Ideal for a studio, with lots of blank wall to fill.

A new start on the Internet too. This blog is now part of my Internet presence with a new Gek Art web site at http://www.gekart.net/ . The web site is an on line gallery with this blog to support the more static nature of a web site with news: work in progress, exhibitions visited, sources of my inspiration. That sort of thing, Lah.....