Hold-on

"Hold-on", Year:2007, Oil On Canvas(Private Collection)

Many people like my observation works. I suppose they enjoy looking at the techniques! Some people even encourage me to do more observational painting... In fact, I love to do observational painting, but right now I have a problem, that is - nobody wants or can find time to be my model (even when I am willing to pay them by hour). For example, few months ago, I tried to fix time with my nephew during his school holidays and decided to pay him $10 per hour, but finally he had to go to school almost everyday for CCA… So what could I do? Another example was: a friend whom I had painted before also rejected my offer… Maybe I can look for a full-time model who poses for an art school, but I do not know them at all! (Also, if I do not know a person well, I cannot paint him/her well!) Recently I am thinking: Shall I paint from photo??? Since nobody can find time to let me paint “live” model, I might as well ask my friends/relatives to only pose for me few minutes first, then I take photos of them and paint back home? Any suggestions?

The painting “Hold-on” was completed early last year. This friend model studies at NTU, and I can still remember I spent around 15 hours to do this painting. In the painting, the girl’s hand is holding a TV controller, paying a lot of attention on the television programme… It seems as if her conversation over the phone has been disrupted as the television programme is too attractive- this is how the “Hold-on” title comes about! It can be related to our Christian walk with God - sometimes our communication with God is also “side-tracked” halfway…!

Bali

在机场出口一时之间见不着前来迎接我跟太太的Bali导游，有点急了！便分头去找！找不着！我便重新回到围栏前一一的仔细查看人群里大大小小的手握“名牌”，总算看到了！一名身材粗大，头上包着Batik的布巾当帽戴，上唇留有一束胡子，包着Sarong的深暗色皮肤大汉（怎么看都不像个导游？？？更像个农夫！）手上握着活像用Photocopy机器放大打印出来的印有我太太名字的大纸片-他的名字叫“Jana！”

我跟太太住在Bali的White Rose Hotel。沿路走出去便可看见二〇〇二年的爆炸事件所遗留下来的建筑残骸（见下图）。Jana告知我们当年旅游业蒙受的打击直接影响了他的生活，很多人都过得苦不堪言！即便是到了今天，还是有一些人还没有完全的度过困境-就如我跟太太参观了一间木雕Studio兼展览厅，一名资深的木雕家告诉我们旅客大量的减少促成了木刻作品存货很多，无奈只能打六折便宜卖出。

我们住的那一区是Kuta，洋人很多，沿着店屋一路朝海边的方向走去，可看见不少的洋人三三两两的进出那一带。有些洋妞穿得凉凉少少的，有些男的则不穿上衣在行人道上走动...更帅气的则扛着冲浪板。在餐馆里（特别是夜晚），大都是洋人在里面进餐，抽烟或喝酒（气氛很好！）。更有些洋人看似是在那里定居的，他们跟那里的店家职员似乎混得很熟，有时候会看到他们站在路边一起口操着英语半开玩笑似的大声交谈。总之那里的旅游与商业气息很浓。

出远门逛画廊是我跟太太共有的“特殊爱好！”在Jana的带领下，我俩参观了不少的画廊兼画家的工作室。（见下图）几乎每一间的画廊兼画家工作室里的画作风格大都大同小异，但可贵的是画里的人物与动植物的分配位置却不同，当然也有不少的抽象画作品，我太太还买了两幅呢！

“Dono”是一名年仅十岁的小画家（见下图）。他连同一群大小画家坐在走廊边示范边工作着。他的一幅画勾起了我的兴趣，最终以二十美金成交。临走时他还向我讲了一句：“Thank you!”而我则回了他一句：“Welcome!”

对我个人来说Bali的传统画风最令我喜爱！特点是整幅画画得密密麻麻的，大都有许多人物，稻田，房屋和动植物等，每一片叶子每一处细节都画得很详尽（也不晓得画家总共花了多少时间制作一幅画，也真佩服他们的耐力！），层次感和特殊的透视效果都很好（见上图）！真叫人看了会尽不住想要将画抱进怀里尽情的亲吻它！
最终，我们也买了三幅传统民俗画，好开心呀！

在Kuta的海滩可看见许多到处招揽顾客的流动摊主。有帮人美化指甲的，按摩的，纹身的，卖地毯和卖手饰的。我个人认为那里不是休息的好去处，因为一些流动摊主会一直重复不断的要求你帮他们买东西或接受他（她）们的服务（令你觉得又烦又气！）。除外，那里的海浪也是蛮大的（见下图及下下图的录影片断），可看见许多的冲浪好手在冲浪！坐在滩上观望的我只有感叹自己不懂得（也不敢）应用冲浪板在海上顺海滑行。至于游泳嘛？总觉得浪太大，不太适合。玩水吧！那还不错！

The Clear Sky

"The Clear Sky", Oil On Canvas, Year: 2004(Private Collection)

Recently, I have found a secret to live a worry-free life…

The Bible mentions that in all the problems that we face (no matter how terrible they are), as long as we know that God loves us and believe we are more than conquerors in Christ, we shall overcome!

Four years ago when I painted “The Clear Sky”, in fact deep in my heart, I knew I did not have victory in my Christian life at times... I believe that was the reason why I painted an unhappy woman at the right side, and on the left side painted the same woman carrying weights (the two weights represent Moses’ two tablets of Ten Commandments given by God). She seemed to be struggling with the weights (as if trying to keep God’s laws to make herself righteous), but could not hold them for long as the weights were heavy (representing impossibility for man to keep the Laws). She ended up unhappy instead, worried and could not enjoy her life because she was using her self-effort to please God. Happy, victorious Christian life (the cloud-portrait on top) seemed so far, out of her reach…

一点小技巧-画卡通鱼

(A)首先用2B铅笔在画纸上轻轻的画出鱼的造型。鱼的造型因人而异，有的人喜欢用很多直线来进行创作，而有些人则喜欢用弧线来塑造形体。哈哈！画漫画就是这么一回事，不需要别人教，只要拿起笔来动手画，就会画了！不信吗？不仿自己试试看吧！

(B)用胶彩(Acrylic)开始上色，先涂上浅蓝色背景-胶彩易干，所以涂时动作要快。

(C)开始为身体着色，与背景的交界处留出空白也无所谓，反而可以制造一些特殊效果！

(D)着上亮眼的红色。

(E)开始勾描出黑色的线条。记住线条要有粗细变化。

(F)最后加上少量头发及注明日期和签名。

(G)完成图。

Eyes Down

"Eyes Down", Acrylic & Ink On Canvas, 91.5cm x 91.5cm, 2007(Private Collection)

I admit that, though I am a Christian, I have often set my eyes looking at the environment and things that happen around me rather than on God. The painting above is entitled, “Eyes-Down” to describe the tendency to look at worldly things below instead of looking up to God.

I may seem to encourage people (especially my wife) to seek God always, but sometimes I am not aware that in fact, deep in my heart, I have depended on the worldly pattern of thinking and logic! Recently I tend to be quite concerned of death, because my relative has just passed on. I look at myself and think - I am already 41 years old, so when is my time to go to heaven? Perhaps this concern is also due to my dad passing away at 42 years old… Fortunately God knows the thoughts I have and is willing to show me that death for Christian is like an entrance to the heaven, and only God’s Word has the final authority, not doctors’. Therefore I slowly set my faith on my Lord Jesus Christ again. Praise God!

The painting shows children with down-cast eyes. No doubt manna (food provided by God) is all around them, but they just cannot see or choose not to look at God’s providence...