Sketching Old Houses in Sai Kung 西貢畫老屋

A sketch in the afternoon.  It's my first attempt to use gouache together with watercolor!
下午畫張畫。第一次不透明水彩同水彩並用。

A Sleeping Old Man 老翁睡著

I sat down in this pocket garden sandwiched between old shabby buildings along Soy Street to sketch this sleeping old man. By the time I finished, the sky was almost dark, and even the old man was gone......leaving me sitting in the park, alone!

黃昏路經油麻地豉油街，見一老翁安坐睡著舊樓間小公園內，便坐下慢畫。畫完時天色昏暗，老翁不見了，只剩我獨坐公園內。

Old Wan Chai Old Post Office 舊灣仔郵局

It was quite a challenge to sketch this building along Queen's Road East.  The sidewalk was narrow and my view was often blocked by double decker buses and lorries stopping right in front of me as the traffic was heavy.   At one point, I dropped my water brush and it fell onto the road. Fortunately, I was able to retrieve it with my umbrella before it was crushed by the passing vehicles.

It was the oldest post office building in Hong Kong which was built bwtween 1912 and 1913.  It  then went on serving the community until 1992.  The building is now converted into an Environmental Resource Centre.  

畫舊灣仔郵政局都不是太容易。皇后大道東多車，視線不時被巴士貨車阻擋，行人路窄，只能企著畫！

舊灣仔郵政局位於香港香港島灣仔區皇后大道東221號，於1912年至1913年間興建，於1915年3月1日啟用，是香港現存歷史最悠久的郵政局建築。這座建築為香港法定古蹟，由環境保護署於1993年開始作為環境資源中心──環保軒，展示關於環境保護的資料及圖片等。

資料來自維基百科

Hot Smoggy Day at Waterfront Pavilion 天昏地暗海心亭

This pavilion extends into the sea from the famous Hoi Sham Rock and Fishtail Rock, which are located in Hoi Sham Park.  The rocks were originally on an island before the sixties but upon reclamation, the island is now part of the urban area of the city.  

The weather was smoggy today as a nearby typhoon brought hot dusty air into the city.  I tried to recreate the dull weather by using muddled colors on the sketch!

今日下午有空走到土瓜灣海心公園海心亭畫畫。由於香港今日正處於颱風潭美環流外圍，天氣悶熱並能見度低，天昏地暗！

以下補充一點關於海心島的資料:

一九六四年，土瓜灣填海，海心島自此同九龍半島相連。海心島行政上歸九龍城區。

海心島上有兩石，一海心石，一魚尾石。兩石係呢度名勝，舊時有座海心廟，又叫龍母廟。一九七一年填地，座廟剷平。家下該處係海心公園，而海心廟，就搬到區內北拱街。

海心島原有「龍母」壇，舊時漁民同水上人，都去參拜。除善信之外，海心廟舊時都係旅遊勝地，「魚尾石」至有名。填海之前，島對岸有艇，載人往返，「龍母」壇後尾移到下鄉道天后廟則邊，受善信祭祀。間廟宇係華人廟宇委員會管理。

資料來自維基百科

Sketching a Gas Storage Facility from a Restaurant 茶餐廳內畫土瓜灣煤氣廠

Time to sketch huge industrial structures and today I went to To Kwa Wan, an old residential area next to the now defunct Kai Tak Airport.  The facility is sitting right in the heart of To Kwa Wan, tightly surrounded by old residential blocks.  I sketched this gas storage facility inside an old but air-conditioned restaurant where I could hide from the scorching summer heat.  

今日走到 Towngas 土瓜灣的煤氣廠畫大型工業建築。煤氣廠位處土瓜灣心藏，緊緊被舊唐樓包圍，都可以話喺香港特色！  今日天氣悶熱，煤氣廠一帶馬路又沙塵滾滾，好在煤氣廠對面有一間開大冷氣又有大玻璃窗的茶餐廳，否則都幾難慢畫。

Detention Class 留堂！

I was looking at my old sketchbooks and found this which I think is quite special!  This old sketch was done in 2006 when I was working in a secondary school. I was on duty looking after a detention class and I sketched many of the students as the students were asked to copy classical literature for hours as punishment!  What do you think?

一張舊畫！當時我在一中學任教，此畫是在課後留堂班中畫的。留堂的同學都要抄寫古典文學作品直至留堂班完結。

Magistrate's Court Turned Into an Art School 法院變藝術學院

The North Kowloon Magistracy was built in 1960 and it had served the Kowloon district of Hong Kong for 44 years before it was closed and later converted into the Hong Kong campus of Savannah College of Art and Design. The building was one of the few surviving examples of neo-classical and stripped classicism architecture in Hong Kong, therefore making it an important historic building in Hong Kong.

北九龍裁判法院建於1960年並服務九龍區四十四年至2005年關閉。2009年，美國薩凡納藝術設計學院投得此建築物的使用權並成立香港分部。北九龍裁判法院屬西方新古典式多層建築，香港現全此風格的建築物已所剩無幾, 是香港重要的歷史建築物。

Sea and Clouds at Sai Kung Waterfront 西貢雲與海

The waterfront was windy today.  Summer clouds were moving fast.  By the time I finished the sketch, the sky was completely overcast.

今日大風，開始畫時陽光穿插雲層，但不到三十分鐘，整個西貢海灣已烏雲密佈。

Costa Bello, Sai Kung Town, Hong Kong

A Quiet Alley in Sai Kung Old Town 西貢舊墟光與影

A lazy weekday afternoon, I sat here and sketched the lights and shadows cast on this small quiet alley in Sai Kung Old Town!

靜坐西貢舊墟橫街，觀察光與影。

The Pawn on Johnston Road 莊士敦道和昌大押

I went with a group of very enthusiastic sketchers today and settled sketching under a banyan tree on Johnston Road,  opposite this old tenement building.  This building is now named "the Pawn".  The old building was nicely refurbished.  The old pawn shop housed here has been relocated and now the building houses several high-end restaurants!  Would it be better if the pawn shop could coexist with the restaurants in the same building?

今日天晴，我哋一班畫友一齊走到灣仔莊士敦道一榕樹下畫畫。所畫的舊唐樓已翻新成為品味餐廳。老檔舖和昌大押招牌在但舖已搬走！如果翻新後檔舖可以同餐廳共全不是更好嗎?

Lights and Shadows Under Lion Rock 獅子山下的光與影

After swimming at the Morse Park Swimming Pool, I went to the spectator stand and sketched the spectacular Lion Rock, the iconic mountain of Hong Kong.  The sky was full of quick-moving summer clouds and the resulting lights and shadows moving across the mountain and the cityscape was a wonderful sight to look at!

摩士公園暢泳後走上看臺速畫獅子山下。當天晴朗、有風兼雲多，做成地上快速移動的光與影，非常好看！

Wall Trees at Forbes Street 科士街石牆樹

The Forbes Street wall trees is the largest group of wall trees in Hong Kong.   These trees are Ficus (Banyan Trees) and have been growing on the masonry wall for over a century.

I sat down in a local pub,  the Limestone Arms and started sketching and I was really happy that Andrew, the owner of the pub treated me to a refreshing fruit punch while I was sketching.  Thanks Andrew!  

科士街石場樹群是香港最大組的石牆樹群。石牆本身已有過百年歷史而牆上樹群是由細葉榕組成。

我坐在酒吧 the Limestone Arms 速畫科士街石牆樹。老細 Andrew 見我用心作畫就請我飲杯 fruit punch。特此多謝 Andrew！

Photo from the Conservancy Association 
相片來自長春社
http://www.conservancy.org.hk/conser/tree/photos/islandw/IW_1673.jpg

Hong Kong Legend: Bruce Lee 香港傳奇：李小龍

Oil on Canvas 
Came back from the Bruce Lee Art Show and couldn't wait to paint one myself!

睇完 Bruce Lee Art Show, 自己又畫番張！
香港傳奇：李小龍
油彩畫布 

Interested party please contact me.
email : contact@studiogario.com

The Changing Cityscape of Kowloon City 重建巨輪又啟動 畫筆留著九龍城

Apple Daily reported our sketch event and the situation Kowloon City is facing!
http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/realtime/news/20130722/51571503


當日同幾位大專生寫生時一同跟蘋果動新聞拍了專訪！幾位記者好用心！
http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/realtime/news/20130722/51571503

Sketching Kowloon City 九龍城的高與低

It's done on a rooftop of an old industrial building in Kowloon City, Hong Kong.  The buildings here are usually low rises as the old Kai Tak Airport was once here in the heart of Hong Kong.  The high rises are all new additions to the cityscape after the moving of the old airport in 1997.

以前飛機在啟德機場升降，九龍城一帶都有樓宇高度限制，形成九龍城矮樓伴獅子山獨特的面貌。機場後來搬了，高度限制解除，一幢幢高高的新樓慢慢進駐九龍城，獅子山與其山脈也不再一氣呵成了。

Practising Kung Fu in the Park 九龍仔公園習武

This is the second sketch I did yesterday in Kowloon Tsai Park, Hong Kong. In the late afternoon, under the shade of this pavilion, I sketched these two very hardworking Kung Fu masters practising along with the framed Kowloon cityscape. 

黃昏將至，九龍仔公園涼亭內，兩位練武人互相切磋！

Old Tenement Buildings in Kowloon City 九龍城舊唐樓

The building on the left was a typical tenement building in Hong Kong.  Normally, there should be two wings on both sides of the central staircase but for this building, the right wing has been torn down and was replaced by another tenement building which was likely built in the seventies.  The marks of the floor plates are still clearly visible on the right wall of the older building on the left.

左邊舊唐樓原本有左右兩翼，共用中間一堂樓梯。右邊一翼亦拆走了一段時間，後來起的唐樓相信都有二三十年歷史。左邊舊唐樓右牆身地臺痕蹟清晰可見。

「新不如舊」新書封面 New Book Cover Illustration

好開心自己的作品做了陳雲先生新書封面:) 

昔日尖沙咀火車總站氣派非凡，維港兩岸山脈延連。今日車站只剩下鐘樓，維港兩岸高樓阻擋山脈。

I'm really happy that my work is now featured as the cover of one of Mr. Wan Chin's books.

The Kowloon Canton Railway Main Station Complex superimposed on the current Hong Kong Cultural Centre.  The remaining clock tower serves as the only connection between the past and the present Victoria Harbour.  The contrast is striking as the skyline was an inseparable feature of the harbour in the past but for today, the skyline is very much obscured by the skyscrapers!  

我哋三位 Sindy, Steve and Gary 現身「親筆香港」開幕典禮及簽名會

各位朋友，我哋三位 Sindy, Steve and Gary 將會把我哋以香港為題的作品融入三本不同的記事本並於今屆書展中推出。我哋將於 7月18日（星期四）下午2時30分現身「親筆香港」開幕典禮並舉行簽名會。請大家多多支持！

Three notebooks featuring Hong Kong scenes by Sindy, Steve and me will be available at the 2013 Hong Kong Book Fair!  We will meet with you on 18 July, 2:30pm at the Wan Chai Hong Kong Convention Centre.  Do come and support us!

《Old Aberdeen Harbour – 港人畫港記事本》：香港畫家Gary Yeung的作品“Old Aberdeen Harbour II”融入記事本，呈現了香港仔避風塘的自然風貌。港味濃郁的港人畫港記事本，給您舒適自在的創作空間。

《記憶載睇 – 港人畫港記事本》：香港畫家袁樹基的作品「記憶載睇」融入記事本，以素描描繪七十年代流行玩意，滿載兒時回憶。港味濃郁的港人畫港記事本，給您舒適自在的創作空間。

《大城小巷 – 港人畫港記事本》：香港畫家Sindy Lau的作品「大城小巷」融入記事本，富本土色彩的上環海味街呈現眼前。港味濃郁的港人畫港記事本，給您舒適自在的創作空間。

https://www.facebook.com/events/551735431553796/?ref=2

Stilt Houses in Tai O, Hong Kong 大澳棚屋

Painting
27.5 cm x 75 cm
Mixed Media: watercolour,  drawing pens, various markers and acrylic.

There used to be a lot more stilt houses around Hong Kong but as Hong Kong's urban areas kept on expanding, many were lost through reclamation and property development. The stilt houses in Tai O have been well preserved thanks to its remote location, which is in the south-western tip of Lantau Island. Today it has become a tourist destination visited by many during holidays.

花了幾星期終於完成的大澳棚屋！

大澳有「東方威尼斯」的美譽。大澳位處離島上，遠離煩囂的市區，較少受到都市化的影響，所以仍舊保留早期香港的漁村風貌。大澳風景秀麗盎然，水道上的高架屋──棚屋，是漁民的居所。河、涌有秩序地穿插於一排排的古老棚屋建築群，烘托出獨特的漁鄉風情。在建築材料方面，棚屋一般由杉木、坤甸木和紅木等木材建成。1950-1960年代的棚屋多為尖頂設計，而1970-1980年代就多採用平頂。

中文資料來自维基百科

Sketching at a Wetland in Yuen Long 南生圍寫生

We went out to sketch today at a wetland area in Yuen Long, Hong Kong.  The weather was humid and rainy.  Thanks to the covered wooden dock built on the water, we could safely sketch the surrounding without getting all wet.

今日一班畫友相約到南生圍寫生。天氣悶熱，時晴時雨。好彩濕地上築有一間木造小亭 ，可供避雨兼寫生。

Sketching at a Noodles Shop in San Po Kong 新蒲崗麵後作畫

After having fish balls noodles, I took out my sketchbook and quickly sketched the scene while waiting for the rain outside to subside.

落大雨走入衍慶街漁蛋麵舖，食完漁蛋麵拿出畫簿速畫舖面和街景。

Three Sketchers at Work 三家村岩岸作畫

It was a windy and rainy day today at the entrance to Victoria Harbour.  Still we braced the wind and rain and spent the whole afternoon sketching the interesting boulders and houses along the shoreline here.

大家留連三家村岩岸作畫，時晴時雨，但大家依然興志勃勃。

Offering Joss Sticks At the Gate of Tin Hau Temple, Lei Yue Mun 三家村天后廟上香

Sitting in front of this Tin Hau Temple (temple of the goddess of the sea), I sketched a friend standing in front of a joss stick tripod.  Behind her was the Saam Ka Village, a village built along the shoreline at the entrance to Victoria Harbour.  On the right was a rocky cliff adorned with two rusty ancient cannons facing the sea.

三家村天后廟位處維多利亞港東面海口。廟旁一石崖前放了兩支古砲。一位畫友則站香鑪前上香。

"Ship Temple", Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong 香海慈航

The temple was built in 1960 and because the site is next to a stream, the temple was designed to look like a ship.  The temple is a Buddhist temple and it is dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy, however, most locals just call it the "ship temple".

香海慈航建於1960年，該處前身名為「觀音岩」。據說由老圍村村民仿照南中國海的漁船造型自行設計興建，部份建材更是三疊潭的石塊。

「香海慈航」寺內主要供奉觀世音菩薩。在佛教的經典中，觀世音菩薩為普渡眾生，倒駕慈航。

此外，香海慈航的西面設有一道「雲連橋」跨過三疊潭連接對岸。東面則有一座小小的寺廟「潮音淨院」，正門位置面對山下上葵涌一帶。寺外地上有一葫蘆形水池，旁邊的土地廟上寫著「公公十分公道 婆婆一片婆心」。

中文資料來自维基百科