Old Mansion in Sai Kung Old Town 西貢舊墟舊屋

Large historical mansion in Sai Kung Old Town. Marked by a private property no entry sign, it seems the mansion has been abandoned and is left to crumble. Anyone knows more about this place?

Hong Kong Bird Series: Common Kingfisher 香港雀鳥：普通翠鳥

Hong Kong Bird Series: Common Kingfisher 
香港雀鳥：普通翠鳥 
A lovely bird with bright blue and orange feathers! What a joy to paint it! 
#commonkingfisher #kingfisher #hongkongbirds #香港雀鳥 #普通翠鳥

Bright Sunny Day at Queens Arcade, Cardiff 卡迪夫陽光下的廣場

Another sketch from this summer!  A bright and warm  sunny day at Queens Arcade, Cardiff

US Destroyer in Victoria Harbour 美艦泊維港

USS Curtis Wilbur guided missile destroyer docking at Ocean Terminal, Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong 

My Upcoming USkHK 10 x 10 Workshop : Wide Vistas

I'm looking forward to meeting the participants of my upcoming USkHK 10 x 10 workshop in which the participants will explore the topic of sketching panorama. 

For workshop details and tickets please follow this link:  

https://widevistas.peatix.com

Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff, Wales 威爾斯卡迪夫聖公會座堂

Slowly I am scanning my Welsh sketches. Here's another one. I liked the glorious sunlight in the evening which made the leaves glow.

Sketching at Wine and Dine Festival 2018 美食節速寫

A late post of my sketch of the Wine and Dine Festival 2018 Thanks to Lousia for organizing, we spent a nice afternoon sketching till dusk.

Vertical cityscape in Sai Ying Pun 垂直都市西營盤

Vertical cityscape at Second Street, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong 
垂直都市西營盤

Sai Kung Yim Tin Tsai Cafe 西貢鹽田梓村露天茶座

今天在西貢鹽田梓村露天茶座，邊食茶粿，邊飲洛神花茶，邊速寫。 

It was a great afternoon spent on Yim Tin Tsai Island with Magi, another Sai Kung sketcher. Yim Tin Tsai is a tiny rural island off Sai Kung Town which is famous for its well-preserved Catholic chapel, the salt farm, the largely abandoned Catholic village and its rural environment. I spent two hours sketching the visitors at the outdoor cafe near the pier while having traditional 'tea cakes' and 'cupcakes'. The lights and shadows were wonderful on this dry sunny day and it's a joy to capture them on location. As we were about to finish our sketches, we met two sketchers from Urban Sketchers Belgium who were sightseeing on the island. It's sad that we could not sketch with them as we had to catch the returning boat soon.

Asian Koel 噪鵑

A painting of a bird species found in Hong Kong. 
Asian Koel 噪鵑

Notre-Dame de Paris in the Evening 黃昏的巴黎聖母院

The five days that I stayed in Paris in August was exceptionally hot. As the sun went down, the heat was not so intense and so I walked from where I stayed to Notre-Dame de Paris. I started the sketch.  The setting sun cast a huge shadow on the facade of the cathedral. While sketching, it's interesting to see how the shadow grew and how the sky gradually turned dark. 

Haw Par Mansion 虎豹別墅

I visited Haw Par Mansion with a group of sketch friends yesterday. The mansion is an architectural gem in Hong Kong. It was built in 1935 and is one of the very few historical mansions left in Hong Kong. The buidling is a unique mix of eastern and western style architecture. I was completely blown away by the very beautiful and well-kept stained glass and wooden door. The lights that passed through the coloured glass made the picture on the door glowed.

Lights and Shadows in Sai Kung Old Town 西貢舊墟光與影

The weather is becoming cooler and it's pleasant to sketch the busy weekend street scene in Sai Kung Old Town. The lights and the long shadows cast by the later aftenoon sun gave much interest to the scene.

A Summer Day in Bath, England 巴夫市的下午

Another sketch from 2018 summer.  Instead of using drawing pens or a fountain pen, I used a lumograph pencil with watercolour on this sketch.  A great sketch meetup with Ed and Jim from Bath too!  Great day and great conversation on art and culture topics!

Grounded Sai Kung Yacht After Typhoon Mangkhut 山竹後擱淺遊艇

速寫不尋常事物，山竹颱風過後，遊艇擱淺。海邊旁人好奇觀看，他們身邊橫臥着連根拔起的樹頭。

An unusal sketch opportunity after typhoon Mangkhut. This yacht blown to the waterfront here on 16 September is still left unattended at the Sai Kung Town waterfront. Close to the two onlookers, an uprooted tree buttress with the main trunk chopped off is left lying on the promenade.

Travel Sketch : Entrance to Cathays Cemetery in Cardiff 英國威爾斯卡迪夫市一墳場入口

The third sketch from 2018 summer sketch trip in Wales is the entrance to Cathays Cemetery in Cardiff. The weather was gloomy which fit the subject matter well and by the time I was about to finish the sketch, it started to rain.

A Date in the Golden Afternoon 約會在黃昏

A date in the golden afternoon.
Sai Kung Town

Travel Sketch : Lovely Cafe Scene in Cardiff, Wales 英國威爾斯卡迪夫一咖啡室

Another sketch scanned from my travel sketches in Wales is the lovely cafe scene in Cardiff, Whitchurch Road.  

Sai Kung Mid-Autumn Festival Lantern 西貢市中秋花燈

I have passed by this Mid-Autumn Festival lantern and observed it quite a bit for a few evenings and finally I decided to sketch it together with the Sai Kung Tin Hau Temple (Goddess of the Sea Temple) behind it.

The Angel Hotel in Cardiff 威爾斯卡迪夫天使酒店

I finally started to scan the 2018 summer travel sketches I did in Wales and England.  The first one to post is the beautiful Angel Hotel in Cardiff.  I sat on the pavement facing the entrance of the hotel and in the background is the tower of Cardiff Castle.

A Scene at the Goldfish Market 金魚街一景

The location is the Goldfish Market in Prince Edward. It’s a haven for those who are into keeping tropical or coral fish as a hobby.

Tai Hang Night Sketch 夜畫大坑

A quick sketch of the Tai Hang night scene! The festive orangy flags contrast well with the cool dark bluish cityscape in the night time! Mid-Autum festival is just around the corner!

Sai Kung Town after Powerful Typhoon Mangkhut 颱風山竹過後的西貢市

Sai Kung Town after Powerful Typhoon Mangkhut. The monster typhoon caused widespread damages all around Hong Kong. There's no buses or minibuses connecting Sai Kung Town with the urban areas. Many boats and yachts are damaged, capsized or sunken, fallen trees and debris are everywhere. 

Vertical Urban Landscape, Central 中環垂直都市

After a long holiday in Wales, I'm back in the vertical urban landscape in Hong Kong.

Roath Park in the Evening

On the first day in Cardiff, I went to Roath Park to sketch.  The sun was setting already and it's perfect moment to sketch in the lights and shadows.  

Cornerstone Art Gallery Cafe Art Series: Sketching Hong Kong Sharing Session by Gary Yeung

If you are in Cardiff on 26, 27 July, do come to the very cozy Cornerstone Art Gallery Cafe! I'll be there sharing with you some of my Hong Kong urban sketches!

Cornerstone Art Gallery Cafe Art Series:  Sketching Hong Kong Sharing Session by Gary Yeung  

About this event:  Gary is a co-founder of Urban Sketchers Hong Kong, an art teacher and also a studio artist. As a Hongkonger, he loves to document parts of the territory which are either at risk of, or have been protected from the city’s redevelopment projects. In this sharing session, Gary is going to share with you interesting stories about a number of his on-location Hong Kong sketches. 

Do come to Cornerstone to grab a drink and appreciate the art of urban sketching by veteran sketcher, Gary Yeung.  

Entrance Fee is £10 which includes a free coffee, a ‘Pineapple’ bun, Hong Kong-style and two Gary’s postcards! 

Available in the session will also be a limited signed copies of Gary’s Hong Kong sketchbooks.  Session 1 26 July Thursday 2:00pm - 4:00pm  Session 2 27 July Friday 2:00pm - 4:00pm  

Go to the Facebook Event here: Facebook Event Link

or Reserve your seat by email: cornerstoneartevent@gmail.com 

Hong Kong Fishing Boats 香港漁船

A nice day sketching at the Hong Kong Museum of History!  A quick collage sketch of the early Hong Kong fishing boats there.  

Chuen Lung Village Restaurant 川龍端記茶樓

Sketching and having Seven-Up with Mint leaves in the countryside of Chuen Lung Village in Tsuen Wan. I decided to use a blue palette to depict summer rain clouds and the blue sky in between as well as the strong shadows cast on the ground.

Sai Kung Tin Hau Birthday 2018 西貢天后誕 2018

Lots of Lion dances and Cantonese Opera performances to celebrate Tin Hau’s (the goddess of the sea) Birthday in Sai Kung! Rarely did I have this chance to sketch the temple from the elevated location inside the temporary Cantonese Opera Tent in front of the temple. As it's Tin Hau Birthday celebration, large red alters decorated with flowers, lanterns and ornaments were placed on two sides of the temple entrance. By the time I finished the sketch, the two alters were carried away from the temple in a ritual. It's really a special day for Sai Kung Tin Hau Temple.

Former Central Police Station, Magistracy and Victoria Prison 前中環警署、法院及維多利亞監獄

A quick sketch of a part of Tai Kwun. A group of historical buildings which was the former central police station , magistracy and prison in the early days of British Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Bird Series: Scarlet minivet Pericrocotus speciosus 赤紅山椒鳥

Hong Kong Bird Series: Scarlet minivet  Pericrocotus speciosus  赤紅山椒鳥

watercolour on paper

Armenian Street, George Town 檳城壁畫街

A very quick 30-minute sketch of Armenian Street, George Town. 

Old tenement buildings along Canton Road 廣東道舊唐樓

Old tenement buildings along Canton Road.  The type building in the foreground on the right is becoming increasingly rare in urban Hong Kong as one by one, they are being replaced by super slim high-rises just like the one which stands in the background in the sketch.

Hong Kong Bird Series: Red-billed Blue Magpie 香港雀鳥：紅嘴藍鵲

Hong Kong Bird Series: Red-billed Blue Magpie. I have seen quite a few of these medium-sized birds recently in Lam Tin and decided to paint one. 

Congteakafe 茶咖里

Cafe by a Ficus wall tree hidden in a very quiet alley in an old district on Hong Kong Island. #urbansketchers #urbansketch #livesketch #livedrawing #watercoloursketch 

Abandoned Tenement Building along Des Voeux Road West 德輔道西棄置塘樓

Abandoned Tenement Building along Des Voeux Road West, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong Island

Hong Kong Birds: Red-whiskered Bulbul 香港雀鳥：紅耳鵯

Hong Kong Birds: Red-whiskered Bulbul Watercolour and gouache on paper A common resident bird and a wonderful song bird too!

Hong Kong Birds: Fork-tailed Sunbird 香港雀鳥：叉尾太陽鳥

Drawing something new! As the weather was wet and foggy, I stayed home and drew something new! The topic is Hong Kong birds.

Hong Kong Birds: Fork-tailed Sunbird

今日出面大霧濕納納，留喺屋企畫香港雀鳥
香港雀鳥：叉尾太陽鳥

Spring is Back 春回大地

Spring is back! A nice afternoon sketching the spring colours and listening to the songs of birds at Lions Nature Education Centre in Sai Kung

春回大地，鳥語花香，下晝去咗西貢獅子會畫畫，見到不少龍友四處影桃花。

Tin Hau Temple Sketch 天后廟速寫

A challenging sketch! I set out to sketch the Tin Hau Temple (Goddess of the Sea) in Sai Kung this afternoon but after applying the watercolours, the sky started drizzling! I first kept on drawing with my umbrella open but soon, the drizzling rain started to dissolve the watercolour and I had to find shelter to finish the sketch!

下午係西貢天后廟速寫，惜天公不造美，雨粉飛飛，初時擔䉀繼續畫，不過雨越落越溶，水彩都溶埋，為有搵地方避雨同畫埋張畫。

Lunar New Year Flower Market and Queen Victoria 維多利亞女王與維園花市

This is Hong Kong. The Statue of Queen Victoria sits quietly while everyone is busy buying flowers at the Lunar New Year Flower Market.

維多利亞女王與維園花市

Guy Arab Mark 5 British Bus in Hong Kong 英國製六十年代三十座位舊巴士

A 30-seat old British bus (Guy Arab Mark 5) which used to serve residents on Hong Kong Island back in the sixties. It's now fully refurbished to working order and was one of the stars at Motoring Clubs' Festival in Central yesterday. 

此輛英國製 Guy Arab Mark 5 三十座位舊巴士曾於六十年代服務香港市民。昨日此舊巴士乃於中環香港車會嘉年華中觸目登場。