“My only ambition was to create an honest picture that would interpret nature as she really is, as she ought to be seen.” Joaquin Sorolla 20th Spanish painter and winner of 1900 Knight of the Legion of Honour award.
Please view his beautiful artworks at:
http://www.joaquin-sorolla-y-bastida.org/
As the critic Henri Rochefort recognized on viewing Sorolla's Paris show in 1906, “This is not impressionism, but it is incredibly impressive.”
It gives me great pleasure to have stumbled across Joaquin Sorolla’s paintings from an artist friend’s recommendation. Truly, Sorolla had joined the ranks of great Masters alike before him. With a whole lifetime dedicated to painting and meting out his interpretation of the Spanish coastal area around him, he achieved excellence in his chosen field. With his immaculate colour harmony/juxtaposition, expressive brushstrokes, emotions evoking subjects/story etc. It was only natural he eventually won the admiration of many, including the Spanish King Alfonso XIII.
My admiration for his artworks as well as other great Masters has influenced me in a way that I attempt tirelessly to achieve poetic and ethereal artworks. In other words, this means my artworks encompass ‘representative approach with a slight twist of abstraction’. I find great fulfillment when I achieve this manner in my artworks. Many times, I push my artworks to the realm of poetic landscape paintings, dramatic photographs or highly enhanced digital pieces. At times, my works were pre envisioned. At times, the outcome differs drastically from my pre-envisions. At times still, I let the ‘Beauty’ that lies beneath nature, people & things in life, comes forth. One way or another, the ‘Beauty’ beneath surfaces closer for the audience to admire and appreciate. I’m always honoured and thrilled when ‘Beauty’ employs me as her ‘medium’ to speak.
“A man is related to all nature.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, 19th century philosopher and poet.
Besides being inspired by the great artworks of the Masters. I have the luck of acquiring an experience that is quite rare among local younger artists. My family’s humble background allowed me to be raised in a Malay Kampong back in the 70’s (Upper Jalan Eunos). Rural living fundamentally means nature and people co-existed alongside each other with great interaction. Such simple and rustic life also means full exposure to all of nature’s wrath and beauty alike. Night coldness, misty mornings, dangerous animals, biting insects, picking of wild fresh fruits and river swimming or fishing are part of the lifestyle. Translated to Art terms means, one should opt for maximum stimulation of senses where possible, while studying subjects. Audio and visual references (photos, monitor screen, TV etc.) by themselves have limitations and should best be avoided where possible (please see Thoughts on Arts post). For me, quality artworks start with studying subjects directly and getting to know them as intimately as one possible can. Direct visual, touch, smell, hear or even taste of the subjects, are crucial to producing artworks with emotional content. Just as the Masters had encouraged before, studying of real-life subjects can infused any artworks with a pleasing ‘feel’ quite indescribable. Elizabeth Mowry (Master Pastelist of Pastel Society of America) described such ‘feel’ as poetic and ethereal. I prefer to let the audience decide the words.
Please view his beautiful artworks at:
http://www.joaquin-sorolla-y-bastida.org/
As the critic Henri Rochefort recognized on viewing Sorolla's Paris show in 1906, “This is not impressionism, but it is incredibly impressive.”
It gives me great pleasure to have stumbled across Joaquin Sorolla’s paintings from an artist friend’s recommendation. Truly, Sorolla had joined the ranks of great Masters alike before him. With a whole lifetime dedicated to painting and meting out his interpretation of the Spanish coastal area around him, he achieved excellence in his chosen field. With his immaculate colour harmony/juxtaposition, expressive brushstrokes, emotions evoking subjects/story etc. It was only natural he eventually won the admiration of many, including the Spanish King Alfonso XIII.
My admiration for his artworks as well as other great Masters has influenced me in a way that I attempt tirelessly to achieve poetic and ethereal artworks. In other words, this means my artworks encompass ‘representative approach with a slight twist of abstraction’. I find great fulfillment when I achieve this manner in my artworks. Many times, I push my artworks to the realm of poetic landscape paintings, dramatic photographs or highly enhanced digital pieces. At times, my works were pre envisioned. At times, the outcome differs drastically from my pre-envisions. At times still, I let the ‘Beauty’ that lies beneath nature, people & things in life, comes forth. One way or another, the ‘Beauty’ beneath surfaces closer for the audience to admire and appreciate. I’m always honoured and thrilled when ‘Beauty’ employs me as her ‘medium’ to speak.
“A man is related to all nature.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, 19th century philosopher and poet.
Besides being inspired by the great artworks of the Masters. I have the luck of acquiring an experience that is quite rare among local younger artists. My family’s humble background allowed me to be raised in a Malay Kampong back in the 70’s (Upper Jalan Eunos). Rural living fundamentally means nature and people co-existed alongside each other with great interaction. Such simple and rustic life also means full exposure to all of nature’s wrath and beauty alike. Night coldness, misty mornings, dangerous animals, biting insects, picking of wild fresh fruits and river swimming or fishing are part of the lifestyle. Translated to Art terms means, one should opt for maximum stimulation of senses where possible, while studying subjects. Audio and visual references (photos, monitor screen, TV etc.) by themselves have limitations and should best be avoided where possible (please see Thoughts on Arts post). For me, quality artworks start with studying subjects directly and getting to know them as intimately as one possible can. Direct visual, touch, smell, hear or even taste of the subjects, are crucial to producing artworks with emotional content. Just as the Masters had encouraged before, studying of real-life subjects can infused any artworks with a pleasing ‘feel’ quite indescribable. Elizabeth Mowry (Master Pastelist of Pastel Society of America) described such ‘feel’ as poetic and ethereal. I prefer to let the audience decide the words.
Over the years and during my education in Lasalle Arts College, I’ve tried various dry mediums, wet mediums and digital mediums etc. My chosen mainstay mediums are traditional Oils, Watercolours, Photography and Art/Graphic Softwares like Photoshop and Corel Painter.
“Photography is more than a medium for factual communication of ideas. It is a creative art.” Ansel Adams, 20th century celebrated photographer.
Photography is such a flexible and great teaching medium for the creative. And just how does photography teaches? Simply by the fact that photography pre-requisite photographers to come into direct contact with subject(s) and their environment. Mastering photography creatively may take a while, maybe even decades. However, the rewards are immense. Photography is not only great on it’s own, this medium works well in sync with drawing and traditional painting. Besides photography, digital painting & traditional oil painting are my next favorite mediums. For me, these three mainstay mediums are integrated and dependent on each other. In realization, they compliment and complete each other many times, allowing me to create my ideal poetic and dreamy artworks.
Please feel free to comment on any of my works. Your comments are invaluable for my progress, and will be most appreciated. Unfortunately, I will not post all the photographs from the bonsai series and animal series, as it is my hope to compile them in the near future into photo booklets, just for the sake of Art. :)
Currently, I’m in the midst of creating a progression of artworks on the varied, interesting and sensuous architectures (old & new) in Singapore. I am fascinated by the sheer quantity and variety of internationally renowned architects designed buildings in Singapore. Some may not have noticed but our skyline is still undergoing rapid transformation. From modern to postmodern and now the latest trend of “neo-electric” façade (Orchard Ion, Orchard Central, Downtown East etc.) are emerging everywhere rapidly. As such, I wish to photograph older structures quickly before they are soon replaced. Singapore’s urbanization rate is breath taking! Hopefully, my photographic interpretation of the architectures will ready before the year-end.
Photography is such a flexible and great teaching medium for the creative. And just how does photography teaches? Simply by the fact that photography pre-requisite photographers to come into direct contact with subject(s) and their environment. Mastering photography creatively may take a while, maybe even decades. However, the rewards are immense. Photography is not only great on it’s own, this medium works well in sync with drawing and traditional painting. Besides photography, digital painting & traditional oil painting are my next favorite mediums. For me, these three mainstay mediums are integrated and dependent on each other. In realization, they compliment and complete each other many times, allowing me to create my ideal poetic and dreamy artworks.
Please feel free to comment on any of my works. Your comments are invaluable for my progress, and will be most appreciated. Unfortunately, I will not post all the photographs from the bonsai series and animal series, as it is my hope to compile them in the near future into photo booklets, just for the sake of Art. :)
Currently, I’m in the midst of creating a progression of artworks on the varied, interesting and sensuous architectures (old & new) in Singapore. I am fascinated by the sheer quantity and variety of internationally renowned architects designed buildings in Singapore. Some may not have noticed but our skyline is still undergoing rapid transformation. From modern to postmodern and now the latest trend of “neo-electric” façade (Orchard Ion, Orchard Central, Downtown East etc.) are emerging everywhere rapidly. As such, I wish to photograph older structures quickly before they are soon replaced. Singapore’s urbanization rate is breath taking! Hopefully, my photographic interpretation of the architectures will ready before the year-end.
Secondly, I like to see more poetic and dramatic tonal range with expressive and bold painterly strokes in my paintings. Working with reference(s) from direct exposure or personal photographs of subjects chosen, I wish to exhibit artworks with abundance of emotional content. Strictly speaking, I look for traditional techniques of painting like extreme chiaroscuro, glazing, scumbling, impasto and bold brushstrokes. Unique to painting and difficult to master, these techniques are the capable of conveying allure and beauty unlike any other medium. The great artists before like Rembrandt, Frans Hals, Joaquin Sorolla and more recently David A Leffel; are just some of the artists who had investigated and perfected such techniques.
Lastly, if time permits, I would fashion a photojournalistic style (mostly Black & White) of photographs depicting the forgotten but surviving poor folks living on the streets. I hope I can be their voice with my photographs. The photographs will lean more towards documentary style as I plan to preserve the authenticity of them. Restricting to use only the minimum enhancements/adjustment of sharpness, contrast, brightness and dodging/burning only.
Creative art making is a continuing process. May God permits that I’ll be able to continue expressing myself artistically for days to come... =)
Last updated on August 2009
Creative art making is a continuing process. May God permits that I’ll be able to continue expressing myself artistically for days to come... =)
Last updated on August 2009
