University Hall, the University of Hong Kong 香港大學大學堂

It was very cold sketching today in the shade of University Hall this afternoon. I was shaking by the time I finished. 

Info from Wikipedia

University Hall is one of the oldest student residence of the University of Hong Kong.  The building was built in 1861 by a wealthy Scottish trader, Douglas Lapraik and was named Douglas Castle. It was later bought by the French Mission (the Societe Des Missions Etrangere De Paris）.  The castle was renamed Nazareth and was enlarged to include a printing house.  The first South-East Asia Chinese Bible was printed here.  During the Japanese occupation in the Second World War, the castle was once used as a torture and execution venue.  It was bought by the University of Hong Kong in 1954 and converted into a male student residence.  

冬天來了！畫完時身都震！

資料來自维基百科

香港大學大學堂由蘇格蘭商人杜格拉斯·林柏（Douglas Lapraik）於1861年建成並命名為杜格拉斯堡（Douglas Castle）。1894年，巴黎外方傳教會（the Societe Des Missions Etrangere De Paris）購入該建築物，並易名為拿撒勒樓（The Nazareth House）。拿撒勒樓遭到大規模修葺及重建，更加建了一所印刷工場，印刷工場在其後期間內印刷了六萬多本由二十八種文字編成的天主教書目流傳亞洲各地，全東南亞第一本中文聖經亦出於此。香港日佔時期，拿撒勒樓及伯達尼療養院分別成為香港仔船塢工人宿舍及日本憲兵總部。教士被逐，而底層休息室以及對出庭園更是當日拷打、行刑及停屍的地方。1953年，巴黎外方傳教會撤離拿撒勒樓。香港大學於翌年將之購入，並於1956年正式用作男生宿舍及命名為大學堂。

Sketching Huts in Sai Kung 西貢木棉山木屋

Walking into Muk Min Shan in Sai Kung for the first time, I discovered these huts along the way and settled down for a quick sketch.  The irregular shapes, the not-so-vertical walls and slanting roofs all made the huts a great sketching topic.  They also brought back old memories when I, as a kid, once resided in a hut like this.  Shabby yes, but it was all surrounded by trees and wild residents such as mantis and grasshoppers. And our outgoing cat which liked jumping and fighting with neighboring cats from one rooftop to the other in the middle of the night!

西貢木棉山一帶木屋的歪牆斜頂不只是速寫的好題材，還令我憶起兒時居於木屋的一些片段。屋雖然殘舊，但屋前種滿樹，樹上還住了螳螂和草蜢，當然不小得愛出夜街的家貓，晚上總愛在鐵皮屋頂上大叫同跟鄰家的貓大打出手。

Fireboat Alexander Grantham 葛量洪號滅火輪

In a fine breezy afternoon, I went with a group of sketchers to sketch the now retired fireboat, Alexander Grantham.

Info of this fireboat from Wikipedia:

The Alexander Grantham (Chinese: 葛量洪號) was a fireboat of Hong Kong's Fire Services Department. The fireboat was named after former Governor Sir Alexander Grantham. The boat has since retired from service and been replaced by other vessels.

Alexander Grantham, the largest in the fleet of fireboats, was built by the Hong Kong Whampoa Dock Company Limited in 1953 and decommissioned in May 2002, after 49 years of service.

Measuring 38.9 metres long, 8.8 metres wide, 15 metres tall and with a loaded displacement of 511 tonnes, it has taken part in numerous fire-fighting and rescue operations, including the Seawise University fire in 1972, the Eastern Gate fire in the 1980s and the New Orient Princess fire in 1993.

Alexander Grantham is also a great example of the Hong Kong shipbuilding industry's achievements in the early 1950s. It showcases Hong Kong's sea salvage history of the past century and provides a glimpse of the territory's social development.

前兩天與畫友到太古海傍畫葛量洪號滅火輪。

维基百科資料:

葛量洪號曾是消防處的主力滅火輪，1953年6月30日在黃埔船塢出廠，耗資400萬港元製造，以當時的香港總督葛量洪爵士命名。2002年退役前一直為亞洲最大的滅火輪。

葛量洪號船身長38.9米，闊8.8米，高15米，排水量503噸，船速可達每小時12.5海里。船上設有多條用於救火的中攻喉筆、消防泵、水炮和打撈設備，能應付大型遠洋輪船的高層結構火警，並可作為大型海上事故的指揮船。

鑑於葛量洪號具歷史意義，香港歷史博物館把它列為藏品，並且建設葛量洪號滅火輪展覽館，妥善裝置此滅火輪，開放予公眾參觀。此外，展覽館還展出獨特的消防文物，並且輔以多媒體介紹，增進公眾對香港海上救援工作的認識。

主要貢獻

• 1960年代香港制水期間負責運送淡水供市民取用
• 撲救1971年10月30日發生的珍寶海鮮舫大火
• 撲救1972年1月9日發生的伊利莎白皇后號（海上學府）大火
• 撲救1980年代初的東閘號油輪大火
• 撲救1986年的香港仔避風塘大火
• 救援1988年8月31日中國民航301號班機墮海空難
• 撲救1993年8月25日發生的賭船新東方公主號大火

Sketching After Lunch at C.C. Cafe 午餐後速寫

I carried with me my sketchbook, watercolors and pens and finally settled down in this cozy local restaurant in Sai Kung Old Town.  After a delicious all-day breakfast, I decided to make a little sketch of the people in the restaurant first before I ventured out to search for sketch topics.  

隨身一本畫簿、一盒水彩同幾支畫筆，安坐西貢舊墟一餐廳，食完全日早餐後便畫起來。

At the Pier of Sai Kung Fish Wholesale Market 西貢漁市場碼頭

The Sai Kung Fish Wholesale Market was open today for the public to enter.  Display boards were placed on the pier, explaining the operation of the government-run fish market piers all around Hong Kong.  And there I went, sitting close to the docking boats, sketching quickly before the sky darkened further into the night. 

西貢漁類統營處碼頭開放日, 黃昏時入內參觀的只有我同兩位釣魚客。難得入內，天又快黑，便速畫碼頭漁船。