Sketching a Delonix Tree in Sai Kung 輋徑篤速寫鳳凰木

My first sketch of a Delonix regia! It's not bright red all over but the partially red canopy makes it really interesting to sketch and it's standing in a very scenic location in a quiet seafront village in Sai Kung. While sketching, an old lady showed up and told me these two Delonix trees were planted by her husband thirty years ago. So nice! I wish I could plant a tree nearby and watch it grow up too!

輋徑篤速寫鳳凰木。速寫到半路，一位老年村婦見我畫鳳凰木，閒談幾句，佢話此兩株鳳凰木係佢先生三十年前種落。

Bishop's House, Hong Kong Fringe Club and Foreign Correspondents' Club 聖公會主教府、香港藝穗會與香港外國記者會

Two historic buildings in Lower Albert Road, Central.   On the left on the terrace is the Bishop's House, the residence and office of the Anglican Archbishop of Hong Kong.  It was completed in 1848.  On the right is the Old Dairy Farm Building which was built in 1892 and further expanded 1913, 1917 and 1925.  Currently the buidling houses the Hong Kong Fringe Club (South Block) and the Foreign Correspondents' Club (North Block).

畫嘅兩幢歷史建築位於中環下亞厘畢道，分別係左面建於1848年嘅聖公會主教府同右面建於1892年嘅舊牛奶公司寫字樓。牛奶公司寫字樓後來再於1913，1917同1925年擴建至現今嘅規模。此建築物現為香港藝穗會(南座)同香港外國記者會(北座）。

State Theatre in North Point 北角皇都戲院

State Theatre was built in 1957. A building that was built in Soviet style with an iconic "flying buttress" structure. The front facade features a western bas relief which depicts a dancing woman who was one of the four most beautiful women in ancient China. Such unique combination of elements within one building! The theatre should be granted "declared monument" status!

North Point
Hong Kong

皇都戲院。蘇聯建築主義+中式主題西式浮雕古代美女三國時代的貂蟬+罕有「飛拱」flying buttress, 可為世界唯一。見證香港五十年代已華洋交融！絕對應列為法定古蹟！

Tsing Yi Tin Hau Festival 2016 青衣天后誕

My friends and I spent an afternoon sketching the festive scene of this year's Tin Hau birthday celebration on Tsing Yi Island!  Tin Hau is a very popular sea goddess in Hong Kong, worshipped by many people in every district.  The Cantonese opera street theatre on Tsing Yi Island is especially huge and the street food market is just fantastic!   After sketching, we ate our way through the street food market where many street snacks are becoming increasing difficult to find in regular shopping malls.

下午同畫友速寫青衣天后誕戲棚同食市。雖不是粵劇迷，但邊速寫邊聽粵曲，傳來句句古雅粵語，的確別有一番風味！速寫完，大家不忘掃街，串燒、大菜糕、鵪春蛋、澳門豬肉丸同椰青，食飽後滿足離場。

Sketching Shun Kee in Sai Kung 速寫順之城

I went sketching this old homeware store in Sai Kung town and was interviewed by a local newspaper on site.

速寫順之城，西貢老牌家庭用品店，同時接受本地一份報紙採訪。

Full coverage here:
新聞連結:

【專題籽】家品夠晒人情味　司馬文愛蒲西貢Harrods

Quick Sketch at Colour Brown and Details of My Mini Exhibition 速寫Colour Brown及小型畫展詳情

Colour Brown first started its business in Sai Kung Old Town.  As the old town became more and more crowded with tourists, the cafe decided to move to this less touristy location in Jordan, Kowloon where coffee fans can take time to enjoy their coffee.   

Yesterday afternoon, a group of sketcher friends assembled at Colour Brown to sketch and enjoy the coffee there.  The coffee machines, the decorations, the bottles and glasses made excellent sketching materials and in order to capture the elongated cafe, I used fisheye view to capture the scene.  

Meantime, I also have an informal exhibition going on at Colour Brown which features a number of my live urban sketches of Hong Kong and a few studio paintings.  Here's the details:

Hong Kong Colours @ Colour Brown
No. 10 Kwun Chung Street
Jordan
Kowloon
Date: 1 May to 31 May

 Colour Brown 始於西貢舊墟，其咖啡深受歡迎。及後西貢舊墟人流漸多，每逢假日，整條市場街必水洩不通，店主認為嘆咖啡絕不可急更不可逼，於是遷往佐敦一條安靜小街，等咖啡迷可慢慢享用 Colour Brown 各種各樣嘅咖啡。

昨日同畫友到 Colour Brown 速寫。面向長長嘅cafe，一堆咖啡機、玻璃樽、玻璃杯、骷顱、牛牛、河馬等擺設，便用魚眼透視捕捉全景。

同時，得店主邀請，小弟現於 Colour Brown 有一小型畫展，展出作品包括香港城市速寫同畫室作品。畫展詳情如下:

香港本色 @ Colour Brown
九龍佐敦官涌街１０號
展期：
五月一日至五月三十一日

Great afternoon at Steamers 下午在 Steamers

Great afternoon at Steamers!  Good weather, good food and good company!

下午在Steamers！美食、良朋 、好天氣，正！

Mong Kok at Night 旺角晚上

Maryknoll Convent School 瑪利諾修院學校

A wonderful afternoon at the campus of Maryknoll Convent School!   Rarely do we have large school campuses in the urban areas of Hong Kong, Maryknoll Convent School is truly a rare gem in the city.  Located in Kowloon Tong, the campus houses a cluster of brown brick buildings which first started service in 1936. 

瑪利諾修院學校建於1936年，乃香港小數於市區擁有大型校園嘅學校。 四月十六日有幸獲邀走入校園速寫，遊覽校園一圈，塔樓與背後城市相映成趣，於是停低以畫為紀。

Lunch and Sketch at Pan da Cafe 西貢Pan da Cafe午餐速寫

Under the thundery weather, I retreated into a cafe to sketch and have lunch.  The collection of objects from the past few decades was amazing!  Great sketching materials!

雷雨下，cafe內慢用午餐並速寫眼前各種各樣店主的懷舊陳設。

Kowloon Union Church 九龍佑寧堂

After visiting KUC Space at Kowloon Union Church, I went outside and sketched this handsome little church from across the road.

KUC Space 食完美點，行過馬路對面，速寫此鬧市中的古老小教堂。

Sketching in the Woods 林中作畫

The warm sun appeared briefly and hid back into the clouds!  I rested under a row of Sweet Gum. A very quiet afternoon in the woods.  Perfect time for quiet sketching and resting! 

Lions Nature Education Centre

楓香樹下，陽光驟現，光影陰晴，作畫好時光。

獅子會自然教育中心

Hong Kong Park Aviary 香港公園百鳥居

The aviary has always been my favourite attraction inside Hong Kong Park!  The juxtaposition of the commercial high-rises around the park with the dense woodland and the flying tropical birds within is a magical sight to behold!  

香港公園百鳥居四周商廈林立，與園內熱帶雨林同雀鳥拼合成一個城市奇景。

Sketching with Alex and Joyce in Dihua Street 與Alex和Joyce迪化街速寫

I met Alex and Joyce, two veteran urban sketchers and founders of Urban Sketchers Taiwan on the first day of my trip.  We sketched in Dihua street, an old street where much original architecture is preserved!  It was a great day out!  Thanks Alex and Joyce!  

首日到台北，Alex 和 Joyce 與我一同到迪化街寫生。當日下雨，我們躲在有蓋行人路上速寫迪化街的舊建築。再次多謝Alex 和 Joyce 的款待！

Taipei Guandu Nature Park 關渡自然公園

A rainy day in Taipei!   I visited Guandu Nature Park in Taipei, a nature reserve which is haven to many migratory birds.  I sat down inside the park lobby and started sketching the view and the kids who were also sketching at the time.

台北下雨天！安坐關渡自然公園大堂，速寫窗內窗外！

Ice-Cream Man Restaurant 雪糕佬冰室

Ice-Cream Man Restaurant "雪糕佬冰室" has been in Sai Kung Old Town for a long time.  I was told about the delicious milk tea it serves and decided to give it a try.  Settling down with my milk tea and noodles, I couldn't resist to start sketching the interior of the restaurant which was not attractive but very local.  

雪糕佬冰室乃西貢舊墟老牌茶餐廳，風聞其奶茶香滑可口，不得不前來一試。奶茶、出前一丁放在臺前，白光管下，老闆、夥計四圍咁轉，此情此景，非速寫不得。

A Very Quick Sketch at the Victoria Park Flower Show 維園花展速寫

A very quick sketch at the Victoria Park Flower Show! Kids from different schools were participating in a drawing competition that day. 

小朋友維園花展上畫畫，參加繪畫比賽。

Time Lapse Video on Sketching St. John's Cathedral 速寫聖約翰座堂全記錄

Ligustrum Sinense in Blossom 盛放山指甲

Ligustrum sinense is a common native plant in Hong Kong.  The flowering period starts from February and ends in June.  Flowers are very tiny, white and formed in clusters.  They have a strong fragrance too.  This plant here adorns the alley that leads up to a secret quiet park in the heart of Sai Kung Town.  

山指甲乃香港常見植物，花期二月至六月，花芳香，細小，白色，排列成圓錐花序。此山指甲係西貢市中心一癮蔽公園小樓梯邊盛放。

Tsuen Wan Yuen Yuen Institute 圓玄學院

Yuen Yuen Institute is a Taoist institute in Tsuen Wan which also pays tribute to Buddhist and Confucianist figures.  Large number of people flocked to the institute to pray for good fortune after Lunar New Year.

圓玄學院供奉儒家、佛教及道教的思想，係荃灣區有名嘅老牌宗教場所。新年過後，大批市民前來拜太歲，熱鬧非常。

Anchored Ship at Tsuen Wan West Waterfront 荃灣西海岸

Overcast day, anchored ships, moody atmosphere.

陰天荃灣西海岸靜靜畫船！

Sketching an Antique Land Rover 畫古董軍車

Land Rover Series III Lightweight

Made in the UK in 1984.  Landed in Hong Kong in 1985.  Served in Royal Air Force in Shek Kong from 1986 to 1992.  Dismissed from Ministry of Defence and auctioned in Hong Kong in 1992.

1984年英國出廠，1985運抵本港，1986至1992服役皇家空軍石崗機場，1992年退役。

Sketching Guan Yu Temple 年初二畫關帝

Festive Flowers at Mong Kok Flower Market 旺角花墟年花

I returned to the flower market the second time to do a close-up sketch of the Chinese New Year festive flowers.  It was a supper sunny day with strong lights and shadows, a perfect moment to sketch flowers!  

再到旺角花墟，天色晴朗，陽光普照，花卉顏色格外鮮艷！

Mong Kok Flower Market before Chinese New Year 旺角花墟迎新歲

The year of the Monkey will soon be here!  Mong Kok Flower market is filled with festive flowers of all sorts and people are more than eager to buy these flowers before the new year arrives!

猴年將至，旺角花墟人頭湧湧，個個手束年花，熱鬧非常！