Stroke of Art

A Group Art Exhibition - featuring Wendy and 3 other female artists

2009-11-18T00:56:00.000-08:00

It all began from our unexpected encounter with Juliana Mok-Hayn. Since we are still new in the art scene, it is not easy to find a gallery who is willing to exhibit our works. We were touched by Juliana’s passion in supporting new and emerging artists. When we got to know each other better and shared our works of art together, we all agreed that nothing in life is more significant than love. It is love that makes our life beautiful. Thus, Love Is Beautiful is born.

‘Love Is Beautiful’ group art exhibition
28 November – 31 December 2009

Main Venue :
Art Lives @ Planegg Studio
37-2 Jalan 23/70A, Wisma CKL, Desa Sri Hartamas,
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Exhibition hours :11am – 7pm Mondays - Saturdays
Tel : +03 6203 5223, Mobile : +6012 224 7209

Supporting Venue :
Hayn’s Pizzeria
64, Jalan 27/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Opens: 9am - 10pm daily
Sundays 11am - 10pm
Tel : 1-300-82-3000, Mobile : +6012 224 7209

Welcome to my online exhibition

2009-05-30T04:07:00.000-07:00

I am hosting my entire collection at Fine Art America. It is a great online gallery with some of the most amazing features, such as zoom function that gives you a full resolution review of my brushstrokes. Hope you like it !

Happy viewing !

My Studio

2008-12-20T05:46:00.001-08:00

Hidden away at my back balcony, I painted, splashed and played with colours.

Flower Market at Petaling Street

2008-06-15T17:21:00.000-07:00

Oil 91 x 61cm

You either hate it or love it !

The road ahead

2008-04-13T05:04:00.000-07:00

Oil, 91 x 61cm

Deviating from my usual monotonous red, I ventured now into multicolour hue. Many commented that it exudes romanticsm. May be for this is the street where my grandma lived. Right at the end of this street is the historical Guang Ying temple. My ever romantic good friend Afflatus thought the road ahead spells mystery to him. May be he is right. Did the motorcyclist and the woman in umbrella know each other, or they just happen to be on same path at this moment in their life? Where were they heading to ? It is a question with many possible answers.

Chinatown Junction

2008-01-12T03:58:00.000-08:00

Oil 61 x 76 cm, private collection of ABeam Consulting

Looking out from a coffee shop, this is a junction between Jalan Tun H.S. Lee and the way to Pudu Bus Station. The shop with huge umbrella sells abalone. It was very early in the morning with no buses and cars yet.

A deserted carpark at Chinatown

2007-11-10T02:49:00.000-08:00

Oil 61 x 76 cm

This painting has several first. The first time I completed it in two coats. The first time I used a painting knife. The first time for me to feel like I have a better control over my colour palette and a freer way of expression.

Mix and Match

2007-09-30T04:44:00.000-07:00

This drawing is done with pencil, magic colour and a photograph I took outside the Quan Yin temple in Malacca. I like the interesting effect.

Chinatown Alley

2007-09-30T04:37:00.000-07:00

Oil 61 x 76 cm

This is the alley from the main flower street. Hawkers stored their wares like pots and pans outside the house. Not very hygenic you may think, but it is this extra ingredients that make the food taste like heaven.

Jln Hang Tuah

2007-04-29T06:15:00.000-07:00

Oil, 61 x 76 cm

The first painting from my China Town Series and many more to come, completed on my 40th birthday. Me beaming beside my painting.

It is also today my teacher Apollo was diagnosed with Glaucoma, a sight threatening eye disease in which the internal pressure in his right eye bulds up. If the treatment is not successful, the pressure will increase enough to damage the nerve fibers in his optic nerve and cause vision loss. He tried to sound optimistic as it is only the 2nd second stage. I really wish he will recover soon as he is treated by KL famous eye specialist Dr.Pratam Singh. Here is my teacher showing off his acquisition.

In Anticipation

2007-02-26T08:30:00.000-08:00

Final version - dramatized with stronger contrast

The safe and nice version - shades follow that of photograph

This painting is based loosely on a picture I took about 10 years in New York. It was the wee hours in NYC. The morning sun was tiptoeing from behind, awakening the trees along its way. The girl holding the orange suitcase was waiting anxiously for a cab while the old lady on the side looked on lazily.

A lazy Sunday afternoon in Egypt

2006-10-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

Oil, 91 x 61 cm, Oct 2006

My mom and I went to Egypt last year November. This was a stall selling coffee and Cornetto ice cream for the tourists and locals. The morning rain has brought a light chill to Cairo. But the warm afternoon sun and the intoxicating Eqyptian spiced coffee made me want to snuggle up in bed badly.
The small picture is the stage just before the final touch. I was very unhappy about the lady in the centre. She was too thin and looked a bit like Chinese. When I saw her in Egypt, she was plumber and desperatately need a new hair style. But I was facinated by the blue outfit she wore. It reminded me of the sky of Egypt.

Traveller's Lodge

2006-08-18T06:19:00.000-07:00

1st coat
2nd coat
3rd and the 4th coat - the completed piece

Oil, 76 x 61 cm, Aug 2006, Private Collection of ABeam Consulting

Beijing, the grand dame of China, where village youth travelled thousand miles, from the remote inland of China, to seek their dream of fortune. The old suitcase tucked under the shed at the right bottom corner of the painting was his only momento from home. Abundant blocks of coal stacked neatly at the doorway has helped him through the cold winter nights. It is one late morning in the early spring. The old rickety bicycle leaned lazily outside the door awaiting its master. The sun rose late that day but nobody complained as the warmth and glow helped lift the mood of homesick youth.

Whispering

2006-06-14T07:59:00.000-07:00

Oil, 91 x 61cm, June 2006

In a gardening shop in Amsterdam, a couple was trying to come to a joint decision on which flower seeds to pick for their summer garden, oblivious to adjacent tulip bulbs and plants closing in to eavesdrop on their conversation. Just when they thought decisions are best made in private.

Is privacy a pre-requsite to intimacy ? Does intimacy create privacy ? Intimacy vs privacy, which one comes first ?

This is the 2nd painting of my Intimacy series. This time it took me only 4 coats and 1 final touch up , a big improvement from before which took me at least 5 coats. However there was a lot of preparatory work done on paper. It took me 4 years to think out of the box that I can use pencils on canvas for draft sketch. Silly me.

Breakdown

2006-06-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

Oil, 76 x 51 cm, May 2006

5005 was the number for Dad's lucky strike. I used it conveniently in my painting

Did a breakdown lead to a new intimacy between the three parties ( the observer, the pusher and the being pushed ) ? Or is intimacy the trigger of a breakdown ? In relationship, intimacy vs breakdown - which one comes first ?

Push ( temporary title )

2006-05-17T02:41:00.000-07:00

In Benin of Africa, a car ran out of fuel and was pushed by a man sitting in the car behind - with his leg. A friend of mine took this picture. He said anything goes in Africa. This piece is still a work in progress. Just to share with you the tedious process of coaxing the painting into its place. A painting, some how possesses a mind of its own, wilfully making attempts to go against its creator. More updates wil follow while the battle between the painter and the painting continues.

Night Cafe

2006-05-09T21:59:00.000-07:00

Oil, 110 x 85 cm, Sept 2003, collection of Colin Lim
There were two paintings that I fell in love with instantly when I was a kid receiving my first art book as present. First was van Gogh's Night Cafe and second one was the Garden of Giverny from Monnet. This replica of Night Cafe is nowhere near the master's standard. However working on it gave me the excitement that van Gogh experienced when he first arrived in Paris. He stayed in a small apartment round the corner of this cafe.

Kedai Runcit

2006-05-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

Oil, 91 x 61 cm, April 2006

Kedai runcit, Malay word for sundry shop, holds our sweetest chilhood memory. This is a provision shop located at mid hill on the way up to Fraser's Hill. Check out more at http://life-trek.blogspot.com/2006/05/kedai-runcit.html

Malacca River

2006-05-05T07:16:00.000-07:00

Oil, 91 x 61 cm, Feb 2006

My mother told me that the small lane on the side which cut through the blocks, was where our forefathers first set foot when they arrived from China. I am not sure about that but all I know is opposite this river bank is a Mangosteen hut; that sells delicious chendul ( a Malaysian dessert ). I still remain apprehensive of the move to Hong Kong.

Walk up to Karin

2006-05-05T06:34:00.000-07:00

Oil, 46 x 61cm March 2006

The staircase walked up to where Karin's apartment was in Bern, Switzerland. I visited them when I worked in the Netherlands during early spring 10 years ago. While the two of us bitched and moaned about our corporate life, Alfred would just watched the migrating birds returning to their nest at the opposite clock tower. I painted this from an old photograph I took then.

Morning Walk

2006-05-05T06:32:00.000-07:00

Oil, 78 x 61 cm, Nov 2005

This is a trek in FRIM on a Sunday morning. Brisk walking in FRIM every Sunday morning is what Jeff and I do every week to ground ourselves before facing the hectic week ahead. Jeff calls the forest his church. I am excited about the move to Hong Kong.

Walking up the aisle

2006-05-05T06:31:00.000-07:00

Oil, 91 x 61cm, October 2005

This is one of the many footpaths in the Botanic Garden at Bukit Tinggi. The morning mist drew a light veil over the surroundings, but that only added to its mystic, teasing the padestrians with the unknowns of what lie ahead.

The Shelter

2006-05-05T06:30:00.000-07:00

Oil, 91 x 61 cm, September 2005, private collection of Dad

I am in awe with the magnifience of the forest at Bkt Tinggi. This painting is a birthday present to my father and is now hung at the hall in my parent's house.

Subuh

2006-05-05T06:28:00.000-07:00

Oil, 91 x 61 cm, Aug 2005

Subuh, Malay word for dawn. To me it means awakening. This is a special location in FRIM ( Forest Reserve in Kepong, Malaysia ) where the first sunray emerges from the East , gently stroking the jungle who is still sound asleep.

Midnight gardener

2006-05-05T06:22:00.000-07:00

Oil, 55 x 55 cm, June 2005

This painting is best viewed in the dark. It was originally intended for a friend who commissioned the work but I have grown too fond of it to give it away. This is my interpretation of a garden in a moonlit night in Summer.

Old tree at Port Dickson

2006-05-05T06:19:00.000-07:00

Oil, 76 x 51 cm, Spring 2004

We saw this magnificient tree trunk at a very remote beachhead of Port Dickson. Though fallen, it did not lose its grandieur.

Desert Symphony I

2006-05-05T06:14:00.000-07:00

Oil, 76 x 51 cm, Summer 2004

The desert exploded into a sea of flora after a heavy downpour in Africa near Mount Kilimanjaro. Flowers bloomed and weeds stood straight, celebrating their survival, despite the long drought.

Children of the Sea

2006-05-05T06:11:00.000-07:00

Oil, 76 x 51 cm, Winter 2004

This is painted from a photograph Ling took during her stint as a volunteer in a camp in East Coast. When Tsunami disaster struck, this particular photograph inspired me to pay tribute to the resilence of young children that was hit hard by the disaster.

Deserted farmyard

2006-05-05T06:09:00.000-07:00

Oil, 61 x 55 cm, 2003 as a beginner in oil

This is my 2nd ever oil painiting, one of my earlier work. ( Will keep you in suspense on my 1st ever oil painting ) I was fascinated by the farmyard because it looks like a safe refuge for a child. It reminded me of the Little House on the Prairies, a TV progam that we grew up with. I remembered Lora, the 2nd daughter of the family and the mean rich girl named Nelie.

Van Gogh's Farm at spring

2006-05-05T06:08:00.000-07:00

Oil, 61 x 55 cm, Autumn 2005, collection of Lee Jeng Shi

This was the work of van Gogh ( 1853 - 1890 ) during his healthier days. I copied it because I love its glow which spreads a joyful contendment for yet another year of good harvest.

Mother Earth

2006-05-05T06:06:00.000-07:00

Oil, 61 x 51 cm, 2003

This is a scene in Autumn when the crop was only harvested partially. The farmers have retired for the day. The bottom part of the stalk were left deliberately so that it will decay and further fertilize the soil. I celebrate the generosity of mother earth, that seasons after seasons, provides human with nutritious grains that become an integral part of our survival.

Grandma's kitchen

2006-05-05T06:05:00.000-07:00

Oil, 60 x 50 cm, 2003

I was inspired by the work of a Taiwanese artist and painted my grandma's kitchen. My grandma lived in the kampung house. They did not have gas stove and meals were cooked over wood fire. The most extravagant dish then was meat cut into strips and fried with soy sauce and diabetic-unfriendly dose of sugar. But it was very tasty. We ate it with cold white rice and hot milo , like any kampung kids would do.

Van Gogh's Lily

2006-05-05T05:59:00.000-07:00

Oil, 61 x 51 cm, July 2003, private collection of Chow Yi Lin

Needless to say this is the hardest piece of work I have ever attempted. Each individual petal is unique with its own contour, shades and character.

Apple Harvesting

2006-05-05T05:56:00.000-07:00

Oil, 61 x 51 cm, April 2005

Camille Pissaro's ( 1830 - 1903 ) earlier works intrigue me , especially those done during his earlier days when he was still associating himself with the Impressionist. I like his style and the dabs of colour. In this patining, while the man seeked out the rippen fruits in the tree, the women gathered the fallen ones in baskets. It examines my view on codependency between man and woman, and in a wider context; that both sexes are born equal. While women are venturing into arena where it was once prohibited, men should also be allowed to play maternal roles without fallen into the trap of gender stereotyping.

Coming home

2006-05-05T05:52:00.000-07:00

Oil, 61 x 51 cm, Summer 2004

This was my first attempt at realism and I copied the work of the English master John Constable ( 1776 - 1837 ) titled The Haywain. It was a struggle for me to switch from less distinct Impressionist to the clarity of Realism but it was necessary for my training, so said my teacher. This painting marked my coming to terms with the person I am and the talent I have. I hence titlted it Coming Home.

Monet's Giverny

2006-05-05T05:48:00.000-07:00

Oil, 61 x 51 cm, Autumn 2004, private collection of Astrid Vogelaars

Astrid and I had a pact that one day we will be sitting together sipping tea in our pokka dot dress with large sun hats, chatting about the stories of our life in the shade in the garden of Giverny . She hangs this painting in her living room in Belgium and her 10 year old daughter Helen brought it to school one day for her show-and-tell project on Claude Monet ( 1840 - 1926 )

Boat Quay

2006-05-05T05:43:00.000-07:00

Oil, 71 x 61 cm, July 2003, private collection of Sandra Bijl

This is a wedding present to Sandra. It is a Monnet. I copied it but I turned up the red on the boat to commemorate the union of the two lovely souls.

Jamie's smile

2006-05-05T05:42:00.000-07:00

Oil, 61 x 51 cm, Aug 2003, private collection of Jamie Tan

Jamie's Smile was the center piece of my first art exhibition titled Beauty and Passion. She was the person who challenged me to showcase my work. I in turn coaxed Vai to join me with his brilliant photography work on scenic National Park and the portraits of courougeous New Yorker living their life after the 911.