Sai Kung Cantonese Opera 西貢做大戲

Characters in a Cantonese Opera playing at Sai Kung Street Theatre fronting the Sai Kung Tin Hau Temple.   What the lady carrying should be the head of a fallen hero.  it's certainly a revenge and she is in her passage in presenting this trophy to someone greater than her,  not  an unusual scenario in ancient literature I suppose.

一年一度西貢天后廟前做大戲。武旦所拿的喺某人的頭顱，我諗都係復仇的證據! 可說是不小古典文學裡的橋段。

The street market beside the street theatre, with local traditional food and products on sale.  All real stalls run by locals.  Hong Kong should have more of such street market, in every district, all year round.

大戲市集有各種地道小食，買街坊即做的棉花糖同龍鬚糖重有燒魷魚實在比係冷氣商場連鎖店買開心好多！ 一來平，二來係即做，成件事又有街頭味道！其實由大眾市民經營嘅市集應該一年到晚區區都有。

Climber Plant at University of Hong Kong 香港大學黃金葛

A huge climber, Scindapsus aureum, is firmly attached on this palm tree in the courtyard of the university Main Building.  I thought it was two separate climbers at first as there were two distinct leaf shapes but after consulting a tree expert friend, he says it's actually the same plant as this species has the ability to change its leaf shape.

畫時以為喺兩種攀緣植物，後來問一位熟識植物的朋友才知都喺同一棵植物。據那位朋友所講，黃金葛攀上高處後喺可以「變葉」的。

Old Sai Kung 老西貢

An old sketch that I forgot!  Done in 2007, it was sketched at the top of a small hill called Sai Kung Park now.  The houses and huts below are all part of the Sai Kung Old Town, built around the hill I was sketching from. The old town is full of narrow alleys and the whole town was once surrounded by sea on three sides before reclamation that changed the landscape totally in the 70s.  

2007年的老圖！西貢舊墟原本是一個半島，中間喺一座小山丘，即現在的西貢公園，一個冇乜人知嘅神秘公園。

Another old sketch. Sat on a concrete bench, I sketched one of the many alleys of Sai Kung Old Town.  

西貢舊墟小巷縱橫，喺畫sketch寫生的好地方！

Sketching in the Dark at the Waterfront Promenade 速畫夜西貢

Tired from work, strolled down the waterfront promenade in Sai Kung Town with a sketchbook and started sketching in the dark.  It's been long time since I last did a live sketch and it was relaxing.  The night breeze, the people resting, chatting under the Banyan trees and the bright lights from the seafood restaurants, all so soothing!  The only problem was the visits of mosquitoes which made me work faster:)
做累了，拾起久遺的畫冊走到西貢海傍就畫起來。晚風、閒人、榕樹、多寫意！可惜飛來一隻蚊，非速畫不可。

The harbour was quiet and the water was so dark in the night. When sketching the boat on the right, a small speed boat came in, creating ripples in the water.
快艇經過，劃破西貢海傍黑夜的海水。

Victoria Harbour Gone Dry 乾燥維港

A photoshop fantasy collage/painting done using Wacom drawing tablet.

What would it be like if there is a major shift of weather pattern.  What would happen if global temperature falls dramatically after rising to an all time high in human history?  Will cities be abandoned altogether as once fertile land fed by large rivers gradually dries up, leaving only cracked and barren landscape?  Or what would happen if major cities are contaminated with invisible nuclear radiation?

假若全球氣侯變冷、各大江河乾骷、核災禍及各城...

Patrick Blanc inspired Mural 牆畫製作中

Another new mural at Central Market.  Six of us together, Sindy, Steve, Joe, Jamaika, Rita and me, we are going to create a false corridor on the end wall of the long corridor on the second floor.  My part of the mural, patterns and plants are inspired by Patrick Blanc's vertical garden.    Also showing on the far right is Sindy's under layer of her part, an aquarium.
六位畫友一齊jam中環街市二樓長廊盡頭的一幅牆。我畫的部份喺參照好出名的Botanist, Patrick Blanc嘅vertical garden概念而畫的。

Studying Trees at Kowloon Park 九龍公園樹木遊

A trip to Kowloon Park, studying the trees and shrubs by names and how they are laid out.  My two favourites are the very mature Camphor trees (樟樹) lining the park embankment along Haiphong Road and the  Ficus with the sculptural aerial roots wrapping around their trunks.  The line of trees above, large and small, creates a nice-looking buffer zone at the park boundary and frames the buildings nicely beyond.

九龍公園眾樹中，最喜歡的是樟樹同榕樹。面向海防道的一排樟樹，為行人同商戶提供樹蔭。試想夏天沒有了樟樹嘅樹蔭會點！  而九龍公園內的榕樹，有不小是老樹，根系大，氣根密，當中有不小的氣根已落地發展成根座。

The Ficus virens (黃葛樹) is impressive as its roots are spreading downslope, covering the whole area, as large as its own tree crown. 

這棵黃葛樹的根系覆蓋了整個小斜坡，面積有它樹冠的大小。

Blue House Now and Then 藍屋古與今

The illustration is done based on a photograph I took of a rusty photo metal plate displayed on site at Stone Nullah Street, Wan Chai.  The rusty photo shows what the street was like at least fifty years ago. The passing bikes, the people and the children walking in the street really brightened up the whole scene.

這張畫喺根據石水渠街頭的一幅老照來畫的。我諗張老照都應該喺四五十年前拍的。當時的石水渠街睇起來比現在熱鬧得多。

Decades passed and this is what is like at Stone Nullah Street, Wan Chai today.  Only the "Blue House" remains and Stone Nullah Street is a much quiter street today.  

時移世易，現在只有藍屋仍然存在！石水渠街亦比舊時靜得多。

The "Blue House" is currently declared a grade I historic building in Hong Kong which means it is of great importance and every effort should be made to preserve it.   However, only buildings or sites declared "monument" will be given legal protection which prevents them from demolition or alteration.

More about "Blue House" at Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_House_(Hong_Kong)

Catering Men in Central Back in the Fifties 五十年代中環包伙食

Based on two old Hong Kong photo postcards that amazed me,  I did the following two drawings.  Catering services in the fifties!  The sight is simply amazing, people carrying large wooden boxes full of meals on plates, passing through busy streets in Central during lunch hours.

早前買咗一套香港老照片明信片，參照其中兩張照片畫咗兩張sketch, 係五六十年代中環午飯時送包伙食嘅景像，頭頂托飯盤真係歎為觀止！

It's like they didn't take much effort to carry them, though I'm sure it wasn't true, especially during the hot damp summer months of Hong Kong.

These catering people serving the many office workers and professionals have long gone, only the trams are still running, passing through Central.

Finally Finished! Central Market Mural 中環街市牆畫 完成篇

The whole mural project involves six artists this time, each painting an area which includes an arch and the adjacent planters.  My part here is to paint a safari in sunset.  Will update with images of other murals at Central Market when everyone finishes, all six together.

今次中環街市牆畫有六位畫友參加。每人負責畫一個時空，而我負責畫係日落的大草原。六個時空加起來，構成地球由古至今生命演化的不同階段。

The Power of Love Mural 愛の力璧畫

A group of Hong Kong artists got together at Sik On Street, Wan Chai this afternoon and worked on a mural, painting their feelings, thoughts and prayers on the wall.  We did this as a response to those who suffer in the great disaster in Japan and also for those who are in need from around the world. It was really special to see everyone put their responses in circles, not in words but in art.
一群喜愛繪畫表達內心感受的創作人, 以壁畫來支持和鼓勵日本海嘯和世界上遇到困難和逆景的朋友。

Location: Sik On Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Kowloon in Silence 無人的九龍

Kowloon 2086 

The construction of a new controversial nuclear plant near Hong Kong reminds me of this old painting. In case an accident similar to the Japanese plant happens, Hong Kong will be doomed. And after decades of full evacuation, Kowloon would actually look like this, similar to the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine!

Text edited on 1-9-2013

九龍2086

香港以西新的台山核電廠下年啟用。若果發生類次日本福島的大型意外，恐怕香港所有人都要撤走。意外數十年後，香港就會變成像烏克蘭切爾諾貝爾核電廠城鎮一樣！

文字寫於 1-9-2013

A Very Quick Sketch at Gage Street Wet Market and Gage Street Redevelopment 速畫結志街與結志街重建

After working on two sketches and feeling a bit tired,  I decided to make the third sketch a very quick one and so this one was done within 10 minutes at Gage Street, Central.  The wet market here which covers Gage Street, Peel Street and Graham Street is pretty interesting. A living functional street market  sandwiched between old tenement buildings, it serves the residents of the Mid-Levels and at the same time attracts quite a number of tourists, coming here to feel the authentic street culture of Hong Kong.  However, the tenement buildings in this area are soon going to be torn down for redevelopment by the Urban Renewal Authority.  If I were the authority, I would choose not to pull down everything, as the tenement buildings together with the street market have already become an asset to Hong Kong. If you have noticed how many foreign visitors like to come to Gage Street to take photos and feel the local ambience!  Instead, I would help the residents to maintain the buildings.  In case if the structure is already too dated to be kept in good condition, the authority could work with the residents to formulate redevelopment plan, enabling them to return to the same district after redevelopment, therefore allowing the very group of people who forms this "asset" to reconstruct the local ambience.  

畫完兩張sketch時已很累！第三張於是畫得好快，不用十分鐘就畫完。結志街街市係中環區難得街上濕貨市場，整個街市同結志街唐樓融為一體，甚具特色。靜坐作畫時，不難見到外國遊人到來拍照，親身感受此處地道風味，可說結志街的現狀絕對係香港嘅asset!   

市建局快將重建此區，究竟此區地道人文風境可會保留，原區居民可會安排遷回發展後的新樓呢?  如果我係市建局，我就唔會拆咗呢個寶！反幫原區業主修復物業，保住呢個城市生態。又或因樓太舊，要拆，就同業主一同研究怎樣聯手重建，等原區的人與事可以原區重生！

Central Market Mural, Giraffe, Jaguar and Earthquake in Japan 中環街市的大貓, 長頸鹿與日本地震

It was only last week, when I was painting the giraffe,  a Japanese student, who was studying Chinese in Beijing and was on vacation in HK, passed by and we talked about art and his study and exchanged contact emails.  He flew back to Japan the other day and then came the powerful earthquake.  Relieved to learn that he was safe but he wrote he and his family was in deep shock and greatly saddened by this disaster.  

It is indeed a big tragedy.  Let's pray for those in grief and pain will get speedy help.

上周畫牆畫時，認識了一位來港渡假北京讀中文的日本學生。大家談天說地，他說翌日回日本。怎料日本翌日發生大地震。後來得知他平安無事才安心下來。

希望係苦痛中的迅速得到幫助！

Finishing painting the animals!  A big cat residing next to the plants

 The whole mural done in general, time to touch up!

Sketching Along the Central Escalators 遊繪中環

Through the Balustrade

We walked along the Central Escalators and decided to sit down where the balustrade was right in front of us.  I sketched the Central Police Station Compound together with the balustrade and the interesting sign hanging, stating there is a CCTV around recording everything.  So we are recorded sketching!

Making Picture Frames at Peel Street

This is a picture framing stall at the junction of Hollywood Road and Peel Street.  Hollywood Road is famous for its many art galleries. A large portrait of  Marilyn Monroe is on display across the road at the Sundaram Tagore Gallery and interestingly, by the time I finished sketching the stall in the forefront, looked back at the gallery, Marilyn Monroe was gone already.  My sketcher friend asked did I made it up since she didn't notice there was a portrait.  

Marilyn Monroe gone!

Central Market Murals Updated 11 March 2011

Progress so far.  More tonal changes painted on he body of the giraffe.  reflected lights are also added to the eyes to make them look more real and transparent.  

Outlines of other animals are added as well, including a cheetah, and three birds. Will go back on Saturday evening and keep on painting, hope to make more progress! 

Central Market Mural Project Day Two and Day Three 中環街市牆畫 第二及第三天

 The sunset and the clouds were done on day two.  Then came the under layer of the giraffe and trees, after laying the layer, I started working on the cold reflected lights and some skin patterns, as well as fine-tuning along the way.

Noticed that the left eye was "swollen", like an ulcer, I had to rework to balance both eyes.

Central Market Mural Project Part II 中環街市牆畫 Part II

Glad to come back to Central Market again for another round of mural paintings.  This time, five pillars and the planters are to be painted with different natural habitats including ocean, safari, jungle and land from ancient times.  As you can see, we are just laying the under layers.  Will work on them again tomorrow and hopefully, the murals can be done within a month.

Sindy's Ocean, undertone 

My Safari , establishing the evening tone under layer

Jamaika's Jungle Day One, Laying the lines

Rita's Dinosaur's outline

Steve's Rocky faces

Conceptual Drawings for Hong Kong Western District Harbourfront Planning Competition 西區海濱長廊規劃比賽概念圖

Two friends of mine and me, we formed a team and took part in the Hong Kong Western District Harbourfront Planning Competition. Luckily we were selected as one of the finalists and were awarded an outstanding design award.  Here is three from a series of conceptual perspective drawings I did for the competition.   The first perspective drawing, barges are converted into cafes and floating observation decks, second one, the main elements of the cargo pier are preserved and turned into recreational uses, the third perspective drawing depicts a street in the evening, made up of stacked-up and refurbished containers, housing various shops.

Cargo Pier Bay      

All three perspective drawings are created using watercolor, ink, marker and photoshop

Promenade with cargo pier elements preserved      

Container Street in the evening      

Here are a few photos taken during our first site visit.  It's currently a working cargo pier and interestingly, locals are already using this vast open space as their "front" garden in the otherwise very crowded Sheung Wan area.

Mah Jong Battle and Food@CNY 攻打四方城 and 新年美食

Food@CNY 新年美食  祝大家兔年豐衣足食！

Some of the food on the dining table.  The two chickens awaiting to be consumed later today.  The Turkish Delights are a gift from one of my aunts.  Delicious candies they are!

Mah Jong Battle 攻打四方城

Every year on the third day of the Chinese New Year, my aunts, uncles will gather together and play Mah Jong for the whole day!  What a Mah Jong Battle!

Chinese New Year Fireworks Display and Its Aftermath 煙花盛放 及 煙花後 虛幻維港

A huge crowd of people gathered at the top of the Ocean Terminal at Tsim Sha Tsui during the annual Chinese New Year firework display.  This year's display lasted for a good 25 minutes! Spectacular indeed!

After the display, people started leaving, Victoria Harbour suddenly became surreal as thick smoke refused to disperse and was hanging in mid-air, partly blocking the skyscrapers.  The harbour was unusually quiet and smooth as boats were not yet allowed to re-enter the harbour.