Sketching at a Classic Car Show in Central 香港老爺車展2013

Another sketch done at the Hong Kong Classic Car Show 2013!  A visitor was very interested in the engine of one of the cars.

另一張在香港老爺車展2013畫的sketch. 一位訪客正研究其中一架老爺車的引擎。

Sketching at a Classic Car Show 中環畫老爺車

A great day out with a group of sketcher friends at the Hong Kong Classic Car Show.  At top right, a sketcher friend is working hard in the sun sketching an Austin Morris Mini.

今日同班sketch友去畫老爺車！其中一位sketch友在烈日下努力畫部 Austin Morris Mini。

Sketching at Maryknoll Convent School 瑪利諾修院學校寫生

Today I went to Maryknoll Convent School as the school campus was open to public as a participant of Heritage Fiesta, a programme that aims at celebrating the various historic architecture in Hong Kong as well as educating the public about the importance of preserving them.  It was a hot dry day and fortunately I was able to settle in the shade of a large tree and sketched the entrance to the school.  

今年發展局文物保育專員辦事處邀請了 瑪利諾修院學校 參與「古蹟周遊樂2013」並開放小學部校園給公眾參觀。今天天晴趕燥，好在大門有大樹遮陰，作畫時不至曬到滿頭大汗。

wiki資料：

香港日治時期，受二戰戰事影響，瑪利諾修院學校一度停課。雖然學校於1943年局部復課，但校舍大部份位置於1942年至1945年期間曾改作日軍醫院

St John's Cathedral 中環聖約翰座堂

An old sketch done last year.

St John's Cathedral is the first Anglican church built in Hong Kong.  The site of St. John's Cathedral is the only freehold land in Hong Kong which was given to the Anglican church permanently.

舊年的作品。

聖約翰座堂於1847年奠基，1849年落成及祝聖，為香港最古老的西式教會建築物，是本港唯一一片以永久業權形式持有的土地（Freehold）。

Sketching at a Wedding Banquet 婚宴寫生

I attended a wedding banquet this afternoon on an outdoor terrace located on the 16th floor of a high rise mall, high above the busy street in the city centre.  As the jolly banquet came to an end, I stayed behind and quickly sketched the cityscape behind the glass balustrade.

今日前往 the One 十六樓 Garden Terrace 赴會好友婚宴，婚宴後走到 Garden Terrace 北面玻璃圍欄向下望。景色不錯，便坐下速畫。

Sketching at Hong Kong Cemetery 香港墳場寫生

I spent a quiet afternoon sketching at the Hong Kong Cemetery!  It is a nice solemn place to visit on autumn days and a nice place to look at the history of Hong Kong.

The protestant cemetery is one of the earliest cemetery in Hong Kong which was founded in 1845, almost as old as Hong Kong.

今日下午去了香港墳場寫生。香港墳場建於1845年，是一個莊嚴又滿載香港歷史的地方。

City Scenes of To Kwa Wan 印象土瓜灣

I spent an afternoon walking around the old district of To Kwa Wan earlier, took a few photos and came up with this collage painting.

早前拍了一些土瓜灣的照片，今日用厘畫一張拼合畫。

Sketching a Bus Terminus in Kwun Tong 巨變將臨裕民坊

The old town centre of Kwun Tong is about to undergo a big change as the buildings surrounding this bus terminus are soon going to be pulled down for a mega development. Many old small shops are already closed for good and apartments are all vacant here except the bus terminus which is still in operation.  Will this area become yet another huge air-conditioned mall?

Personally, I would prefer keeping some old buildings, have them refurbished, adding some new ones, keeping and improving the street life, instead of turning everything into a huge single indoor air-conditioned mall!

觀塘裕民坊重建在即！老店舊舖通通關門！今日特別來畫低還未變成一座巨型冷氣商場的裕民坊。

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。