do pop by clifford square (between one fullerton and clifford pier) this coming weekend
(30 oct to 1 nov, 10am-7pm) if you'd like to see some art in action by the bay:

it's organised by fill-your-walls with the aim of de-mystifying art-y terms like impressionism, cubism, surrealism, abstract expressionism, etc, and should be fun for both kids AND adults ;p admission is free.

in any case, do come visit me.. i'm helping out at the booths on 31 Oct & 1 Nov afternoons.. plus ya, i do have one (or perhaps more) art work selected for the exhibition :)

okay, i get excited. but this is a BIG milestone for me. i finally have an opportunity to exhibit a handful of my paintings together with 5 great ladies artists:

i was very worried when i was told that i needed to come up with 20 invitees' names for the opening night. going by past experience, i'd be lucky if i can even get 5 people i know to attend. imagine my surprise when friends and acquaintances rallied to my support, some of whom i haven't seen for years, i was so touched to say the least, sob!

thanks again, everyone, and for all the well wishes! sure hope everything will turn out well.. tis gonna be a memorable august 2009 for me :)

art is a natural extension to my love for travels. as with photography that helps me to remember and put in permanence my personal interpretation of a scene, painting is to me an even more individualistic experience of expressing my feelings for the beauty, and even ugliness, that is our world.

i revel in using colours even as i learn that it is not the most important thing in developing a painting. i love the the freedom of creating a scene, a mood, a feeling, moving things as i wish, experimenting with the elements, toying with the paint and seeing how it all turns out. such is the joy of painting! or the not-so-joyful times when oops.. things don't quite work ;p

most important of all, i have discovered that painting allows me to marvel at the world through the eyes of a child again – that the skies need not be blue, clouds are definitely not white, trees can be purple if i wish, the sun need not be orange, or round for that matter... these are after all only the local colour and shapes of objects that we are taught and ingrained to believe when we grow up until we gradually forget how to see and how to let our imagination run loose. it's ironic isn't it? i am unlearning in order to learn

to truly see and feel again. but oh, this is so much fun...  

so it is hoped that my works, however amateur they may be, will evoke feelings in the viewer, whether positive or not. it is my grand wish that my home country singapore will develop a genuine culture for appreciating the arts. and that more people here will discover the joys of drawing and creating. and lastly, may i not die a poor artist, amen.

my art teacher keeps telling me that i need to develop a body of work, something distintive that says it's my art. yes, a series.. it sounds so difficult to me, even though technically that just means 2 or more. i have been thinking long and hard, tried different mediums, lost direction sometimes, did a hiatus to no-man's land, you get the picture. i am so greedy that i cannot commit to 1 subject, even though that seems to be the tried and tested route to being a successful painter. sigh, how to specialise and work hard to be really good at 1 thing when i am a natural jack of all trades.. maybe that is the problem.

anyway, i decided to stop thinking and have a truce of sorts with myself. instead of stressing myself out and feeling perpetually out of time since i only paint once a week, i shall let it be and just enjoy myself with whatever time i've got.

strangely enough, i think the series idea came to me by itself.  

i started out on a small piece on the canadian rockies as a filler between paintings that i think to do. i didn't take much care and initially thought it was going to be another one of those pieces that will go straight into storage under my bed. then things got better and hey, i think the atmosphere's not bad. especially the clouds. so maybe that's what i should do, or something built around the theme.

i've always had a tendency to under-expose my shots in order to catch the sky details. the billowy blobs, the blissful streaks, the gravity-defying shapes ambling across the serene skies; clouds have always fascinated me because there is a surreal, romantic, and almost whimsical, quality about this most accessible part of nature. certainly there is plenty of material. if not, i can just look out the window ;p

so dare i say that this will be my 1st series? watch this webpage..

my 1st art show !!!  

okay, exaggerating.. this is my 1st exhibited piece in a showcase of student works entitled "Colours of Life" at My Art Space on 4 ~ 5 Nov 2006.

the 2nd time round at the My Art Space 2nd Juried Show on 25 ~ 27 Mar 2008:

and one day, perhaps, maybe, i'd have my own solo, no?

incidentally, this is where i go to paint: My Art Space.

my listings:   fill your walls,   ArtistPortfolio,   ArtistSites.

and finally, if you miss the links at the top of this page, my works:
  oil & acrylics,   mini-paintings & drawings,   watercolour,   pastels,   art sale.

i have had some queries if my paintings are on sale and how i price them.

the 1st one's easy: of course, all of them! unless sold already or not with me. for those works that i have not indicated prices, it just means i haven't had the time to agonize over it (so check with me) which brings me to the 2nd question.

let's just say pricing is an incredible headache and heartwrenching dilemma for me. okay, i'm exaggerating. my rule of thumb is to go by medium type and size, then adjust according to quality and if it's a personal favourite.

i know this may sound a bit arbitrary but there is logic behind it. oil pieces cost more in terms of materials than say watercolour and uses up a lot more blood, sweat and tears ;p and generally, the bigger the canvas, the greater the input.

quality is harder to explain. it is a part of my learning curve as i progress and learn to critique artwork in general and hopefully being able to achieve a measure of objectivity about my own. the last factor is rather subjective, but then again, this is probably the single most popular reason to why people buy paintings. simply put, personal liking is a barometer of my own reluctance to part with a piece that i like ;p

so there you go, my warped rationale. and of course, some sceptics say i need to join the dearly departed in order for the prices to reach an appreciable level, ironically, for me to make a decent living ;p

going back to the nitty-gritty of sales, i accept cash on pickup with prior appointment (preferably at Paya Lebar MRT or vicinity), bank deposit, or payment via PayPal (for international sales) in which case i may need postage reimbursement (est'd S$5/S$25 for local/overseas) for using singpost to deliver. do visit my art blog or contact me at onghy3@yahoo.com.sg with subject heading "Yen's Art".

speaking of sales, to address, erm, a slight storage problem, i am organizing what i call my
under-the-bed art sale! so please support:

or bid for a painting at bargain prices on ebay where i am starting to list selected work
from time to time.

and finally, to do my part to promote owning art in Singapore, do vote for your favourite artworks and email it to onghy3@yahoo.com.sg with subject heading "Yen's Free Art" to get a free artwork.

does framing make a painting more beautiful?

for practical reasons, my paintings are mostly unframed as it makes it easier to store and also to deliver for sales. moreover, those done on canvasses are ready-to-hang as all i have to do is insert 2 screws behind and tie a rope across.

that said, i think framing does have an impact, sometimes spectacular i dare say.

i have a lot of "mini-paintings" so-to-speak, which are really sketches i do for learning or before I embark on the full-size version on canvas. recently, i came across rather delightful colourful cardboard mounts in an art shop, those with holes in the middle for putting photographs. so i tried "framing" some of my sketches with these. the effect is fabulous, at least i think so ;p check it out:

           

           

they'd make pretty gifts :) i like them so much now i am at 2 minds whether to sell or keep ;p

! art blog ! oil & acrylics ! mini-paintings & drawings ! ! watercolour ! pastels ! art sale ! © Ong Hwee Yen 2001~2009   ! travels ! photography ! art journey ! guestbook !

Comments Serena this is so cool. thanks for sharing your artistic journey and ambitions. keep painting! Caryn Great work, friend! Wendy Dear Hwee Yen, thanks for sharing your great works! Wow.. I have a friend who is a real artist.. Wow!! Keep it up and live your passion :D Karel Hi Hwee Yen, Lovely pieces of artwork especially those in oil & acrylics. Thanks for sharing. Shaggy It\'s all good! But I think you shine especially in oil. \"The Log\" is captivating! Lilian Hi there! always loved ur journals and paintings. Great! Keep it up! (: Trudy You've a really awesome website, Hwee Yen, and I think I must get one painting of yours - they are all so beautiful.Continue to inspire us with the joie de vivre with your musings and artwork please! artbyden Hi I got your details from a web ring I am a member of and thought I would take a look at your site. You some fantastic artwork and I love your colour spectrums. Keep up the good work. Winnie From your travel blog I came across your art blog, just to let you know it's really inspirational cos i really love art... Other artwork comments.