Concert in Protest Against Redevelopment 衙前圍村音樂會

The oldest village in our urban area, Ngai Chin Wai Village will soon be demolished! Residents and a conservation group were holding a concert today in protest against the URA's move to redevelop the village.

市區古村衙前圍村快將重建！村民同保育團體今在村旁舉行音樂會。

Sai Kung Cows Near Tai Long Bay 大浪灣山上群牛

A watercolor and drawing pen work based on a photo I took on a hike earlier near Tai Long Bay, Sai Kung.

群牛大浪灣山上曬太陽！

An Upcoming Exhibition by three Saikungers! 三位西貢人的畫展！

Two fellow Sai Kung artists and I are now busy preparing for our upcoming exhibition!

3 ARTISTS, 3 PERSPECTIVES OF HONG KONG
An exhibition of paintings by
Gary Yeung 
Francis Walker
&
Sascha Camille Howard

March 9 - 23, 2013
Private View: Sat 9th 7-9pm

Venue: Sai Kung Gallery
Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 11am - 7pm or by appointment
Address: 2/F, 14A1, Po Tung Road, Sai Kung
(Above the Swiss Art Studio and next to 7_Eleven)
www.saikunggallery.com
www.saschahoward.com
www.studiogario.com

Vacant Building Waiting to be Demolished in Yue Man Square, Kwun Tong 裕民坊待拆唐樓

Yue Man Square and the surrounding streets have always been the town centre of Kwun Tong until now.  Several streets and many rows of old buildings are now vacant as they are waiting to be demolished to give way to one of the largest urban renewal projects planned by the Hong Kong Urban Renewal Authority.

裕民坊一帶多座唐樓快將清拆重建。舊區快將消失。

wiki 有關 裕民坊 的中文介紹:

在1950年代末及1960年代初，位於當時的觀塘新市鎮心臟地帶的裕民坊已開始發展。而到了現時，林立的商舖更擴展至鄰近的各個街道，包括銀行、金舖、時裝店、超級市場、戲院等，每一條街都有其獨特的色彩。例如物華街過去就以金舖及銀行的集中而著名。此外該處更設有多間食肆，提供各類的中式美食，例如粵菜、潮菜等

Aberdeen Boats and Harbour 香港仔老漁港

I have recently finished a long drawing measuring at 4.2 m for a project.  The drawing depicts what Aberdeen, a small harbour on the southern part of Hong Kong Island was like a hundred years ago.  最近完成的一幅4.2米長的畫。畫的是香港仔老漁港。




Close up of the segment on the far left.  局部放大圖一



Close up of the segment near the middle.  局部放大圖二

Singing "Bring Him Home" from Les Miserable 孤星淚

The movie was so good.  I know I was not as good at any rate but would still like to share with you my singing:)  My rendition of "Bring Him Home" from Les Miserable.

Sketching the Blue House 畫藍屋

I went to Stone Nullah Street today to sketch this charming old building again.  The four-storey building was built in 1922 and is one of the few remaining pre-war tenement buildings with large balconies.  One of the shop spaces on the ground level is now converted into a small museum named "Hong Kong House of Stories"  dedicated to preserving old local culture.

The website of "Hong Kong House of Stories":  houseofstories.sjs.org.hk

寒流下與畫友走到灣仔石水渠街再畫藍屋。四層高的藍屋建於1922年，是香港餘下小數有大騎樓的戰前唐樓。地下其中一個舖位現為「香港故事館」，展覽香港街坊老文化等等。

「香港故事館」網頁： houseofstories.sjs.org.hk

Wall Tree at Pound Lane 磅巷石牆樹

This wall tree (Ficus microcarpa) thrives on this old masonry wall in Pound Lane.  However, its future is uncertain as the government is proposing to build the second escalator along Pound Lane linking Queen's Road and the Midlevels.

此石牆樹 （細葉榕）緊緊地抓住磅巷的一石牆。闊大的樹蔭為路人遮陰。可是政府如建造第二條行人電梯，石牆樹恐怕劫數難逃。

Rehearsing L'elisir d'amore 愛情靈藥彩排中

A group of dedicated singers are busy rehearsing the chorus numbers for the upcoming opera "L'elisir d'amore" to be staged at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre next March.

Mister Softee 富豪雪糕車

Mister Softee, the red and blue ice cream truck and its Blue Danube jingle have already become the collective memory of many Hongkongers.  Started operation in the seventies, Mister Softee currently owns 14 ice cream vans, running around Hong Kong.

富豪雪糕車、 藍色的多瑙河、香脆甜筒軟雪糕、果仁甜筒、蓮花杯、還有珍寶橙冰，陪伴多少香港人一起成長!

Walking in the Rain 西貢下雨天

The cool weather and constant rain deter tourists from coming to Sai Kung.  What a quiet Sunday!

清涼下雨的星期日，西貢市格外寧靜。

Sun-Dried Tangerine Skins and Wall Tree 果皮與石牆樹

Two workers taking care of the sun-dried tangerine skins.  A small banyan tree is quietly sitting on the roof of one of the wholesaler stores with its aerial roots tightly grasping the front wall of the building.

長興欄舖頂的小榕樹景點與果欄員工正在處理地上的果皮。

Yau Ma Tei Wholesale Fruit Market 油麻地果欄一角

The complex of Yau Ma Tei Wholesale Fruit Market was built in the 1920s and it wasn't solely a market for distributing fruits.  Poultry and vegetables wholesalers also shared the complex here until well after the 60s, fruit wholesalers gradually took up all the slots in the complex.

In the sketch, a fellow sketcher standing in front of me sketching the opposite direction.

果欄建於1913年，以前是九龍水果批發市場，「果欄」是珠三角一帶對水果批發市場的俗稱。經營的商鋪初期只以草棚搭成，直到1920年代至1930年代，香港政府才開始批地讓欄商興建固定樓房，多幢一、二層高的磚石建築逐漸組成今貌，至今尚可見到不少具戰前特色的裝潢。最初渡船街、窩打老道一帶賣雞、鴨等家禽，東莞街賣菜，而後面是九龍魚市場，果欄的面積比現在小得多，只佔新填地街一帶，而果欄並非只賣生果，主要是賣蔬菜，只有如「福和果菜欄」、「秀和欄」和「大益欄」等幾個大型的果菜欄，在六七暴動前兩三年，雞欄和菜欄搬遷至長沙灣後，才全部變成果欄。戰後建成的石龍街一帶果欄，由於當時檔主共同聘用同一間建築公司，所以於1952年建成的16個果欄外觀十分相似，地面前端是上落貨物區，欄內存放較遲交收的生果，而樓上多數是用作焗蕉的蕉房或雪房，近年才加裝升降機方便存放生果。果欄被古物諮詢委員會於2009年12月18日評定為香港二級歷史建築。
油麻地果欄長期以來都是香港和九龍市區的水果批發集散地，果欄中設有約200個水果攤檔，每天凌晨一時至五時都會進行水果批發、競投、交易、轉運等工作，每天約合共銷售50,000 箱水果，約60%的水果進口自中國大陸，其餘的則主要來自美國和東南亞。

資料來原：維基百科
zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/油麻地果欄

37th International SketchCrawl Hong Kong: Sketching Tramway at Chun Yeung Street 春秧街電車軌

We spent a fine warm afternoon in Chun Yeung Street sketching the tramway and the surrounding cityscape!   Chun Yeung Street is a fine street that retains the flavour of old Hong Kong in which you can see crowded street stalls lining up on both sides of the single lane tramway.

北角春秧街人來人往，單線電車路穿過擠擁的露天街市，兩旁的舊樓，充滿舊日香港蓬渤的氣息。

37th International SketchCrawl Hong Kong: Meeting by the Tram Lane in Chun Yeung Street 春秧街電車路邊小聚

A group of urban sketchers gathered today at Chun Yeung Street this afternoon for a long-awaited sketch session.  Two of us chit-chatted under a tree next to the tramway.

今日一班畫友會聚春秧街畫過痛快！其中兩位小休時於樹下閒談。

At the Foot of Lion Rock (Defending Hong Kong against National Education) 獅子山下 （反國民教育 保衛香江）

Oil on Canvas

The Joint Declaration signed by Britain and China is ignored by China literally and the "One Country Two Systems" which guarantees Hong Kong's Autonomy is under serious threat! Every day we see the increasing influence from the Communist Party of China, interfering with Hong Kong's affairs. We also see how the Hong Kong Government and the chief executive (governor), which is not elected by Hongkongese, forcefully implements "national education" which focuses on praising the Communist Party in China, against the will of most Hongkongese. More than 90000 Hongkongese took to the street to protest a month ago and just now, a group of secondary school (high school) students are staging a hunger strike outside the Hong Kong Government Offices, to protest against the implementation of national education.

I hope such painting will give empowerment to the people who love Hong Kong!

1 September 2012

Woman represents mothers and parents
Child represents Hong Kong's next generation
Pearl, the Pearl of Orient, Hong Kong
Sword, protection, justice
Dragon, authentic traditional Chinese culture vs Communist culture in China
Banyan Tree (Ficus microcarpa), Local traditions, home and vitality
Lion Rock, prominent mountain in Hong Kong symbolises Hong Kong values
Red Beast, You Know Who from the north

油彩畫布
畫了一日！有感而發!

女士 : 家長/母親
小孩 : 我們的下一代
名珠 : 香港
寶劍 : 保護/公義
龍 : 中華正統
細葉榕 : 植根本土/生命力
獅子山 : 香港價值
赤獸 : 自己估!

Sketching at Tai Hang Sai Housing Estate 斜陽下的大坑西新邨

I went sketching at Tai Hang Sai late in the afternoon.  In the shade of the building on my left, I started sketching the security post, the old residential buildings and the trees around me.  Tai Hang Sai Housing Estate was built in 1965 by a private developer, with the support of the British-Hong Kong Government to provide the local residents who resided in wooden huts with better housing.

下午走到大坑西新村寫生。大坑西新邨建於1965年。計劃由港英政府以特惠地價資助私人發展商「香港平民屋宇有限公司」興建以幫助原區徙置區受清拆影嚮的居民。

School Mural 音樂牆畫

A mural project that I finished a few days ago.  幾日前完成的牆畫。

Crossing Victoria Harbour on Star Ferry 天星小輪渡維港

Founded in 1888, the Star Ferry has been in operation for more than a century, carrying over 70000 passengers each day across Victoria Harbour.

天星小輪服務香港市民超過一個世紀!  創立於1888, 天星小輪每天接載超過70000乘客橫渡維多利亞港!

Sketching at St John's Cathedral 中環聖約翰座堂

St John's Cathedral is almost as old as Hong Kong.  It is the oldest Anglican church in the Far East and the  oldest ecclesiastical building in Hong Kong.  The first Sunday service was held on Sunday, 11 March 1849, seven years after the establishment of Victoria City (the foundation of modern Hong Kong) by the British. Today, St John's has become an urban sanctuary in the very heart of Central.

中環聖約翰座堂是遠東歷史最悠久的聖公會教堂。教堂首次主日崇拜始於1849三月十一日。聖約翰座堂見證香港由漁港發展成今日的模樣。座落中環心臟，聖約翰座堂已成為中環鬧市的心靈綠州。

Sketching an Old Street in Sai Kung Old Town 西貢舊墟畫舊街

I sat outside Colour Brown yesterday, bought a a cup of coffee and started sketching See Cheung Street, a long winding street in Sai Kung Old Town. By the time I finished, the sky was already pretty dark.

昨日下午走到Colour Brown飲咖啡和畫西貢舊墟市場街，畫完時已經入黑。

Live Sketch of Lotus in Sai Kung 西貢荷花池

Under the very hot weather warning, this is a live sketch of sweat and watercolor !  While I started putting watercolour on the draft, drops of sweat splashed onto the paper and mixed with the color!

皓熱天氣警告下，汗水與水彩混和畫成的荷花！

Sketching near Cheung Chau Beach 長洲東灣村屋

Another extremely hot day!  I sat in front of a village house next to Cheung Chau Beach.  While sketching, I decided not to include the beach changing room behind it which blocks the sea.

畫這長洲村屋時，我在畫紙上拆去村屋後面遮擋東灣海景的更衣室，令藍色的海景穿過牌坊。

Sketching at Kubrick Bookshop Cafe 睇新宇宙威龍前畫油麻地 Kubrick

Before watching Total Recall at Yau Ma Tei Broadway Cinema, I sat down in Kubrick next to the cinema for dinner. By the time I finished, there's still more than an hour to go so I decided to sketch.

今晚與友人到油麻地百老匯睇新宇宙威龍。開場前到隔鄰的 Kubrick 食晚飯。食完時間尚早於是就畫了此sketch!

Sketching Rooftops in Sham Shui Po 北河街畫天台

Under the very hot weather warning, I went up to the air-conditioned top floor of the Pei Ho Street Municipal Services Building in Sham Shui Po to sketch.  The municipal services building is surrounded by old tenement buildings on all sides.  Their rooftops form a strange world which is totally different from the buzzing life on the street level.  Under the scorching sun, the old rooftops are all quiet and yet captivating in their own special way.

酷熱天氣警告下，我同畫友登上冷氣十足的北河街街市市政大廈頂樓寫生。市政大廈四面皆唐樓。酷熱天氣下，高低起伏的唐樓屋頂異常寧靜，構成一個奇異的城市空間。