Angkor in Arizona??

The title is a bit mixed-up, isn't it? Angkor Wat in Arizona?
Reason is that I loved the red, orange and yellow sunset hues of the Arizona desert, but to paint sad-looking measely cactus seems a bit pathetic. So I "imported" some Angkor temples into my Arizona sunset. Heheheh. This was just recently completed in August 2010.
What should I call this piece?

Red Sunset
OIL on CANVAS
Size = 2 pieces of ___ cm x ___ cm

My camera skills need a whole lot of improvement.... donno why the colours of the two paintings differ... must be the LIGHTING as one is hung in the East of the wall, and the other - the West! Nope. They are not together as seen here.

The Chinese T-Shirt!

Earlier this year, I had bought a Christie's Auction book on Chinese Imperial Costumes at a bazaar. I had found the colourful and intricate embroderies beautiful, and decided that I should paint one. When my boys saw my painting, they exclaimed "Hey! Mom's painted a Chinese T-Shirt", so this is what I have decided to call this piece. If I am not mistaken, painting was completed sometime in June 2010.

The Chinese T-Shirt
OIL on CANVAS
Size = TBA

I should have used a bigger piece of canvas, but was too lazy to go all the way to the Art Supply shop... GOSH! The traffic jam is enough to put me off from painting!

"Ang Ang Tai Kiat"

This piece of painting started off with being ALL RED. As in I painted the background first.....which is NOT the norm. Usually, the background is the LAST to go on. I wanted something RED. Thus the title of the painting. Hokkiens will understand what it means. Basically, the English translation loosely means "Red Red Prosperous" (I think).The Chinese lady was an after-thought. :-)

"Ang Ang Tai Kiat"
OIL on CANVAS

Size = 80 cm x 120 cm

I managed to complete this last Monday, despite of my aching arm... Actually, I totally forgot that my arm was aching whilst painting. I was totally immersed in the task!

H's Assyrian Lion

You've heard me mention about my H being a history buff... and what did he request when I told him that I'll paint him something for his birthday???

The Assyrian Lion

To see the original in photo, go here.
Wikipedia describes it as "Passing lion, glazed terracotta, reign of Nebuchadrezzar II (605 BC–562 BC), Babylon, Iraq. This panel decorated the Procession Way which ran from the Marduk temple to the Ishtar Gate and the Akitu Temple. "

To see the REAL actual thing, you will have to visit the Vorderasiatisches Museum in Berlin.

This painting really really took a long time to finish. Think I started in early April 2009. But I didn't finish in time for H's Birthday. The details required to make the cracks look 3D was really really a lot of work. This piece is indeed the most difficult of all my paintings. I only 'finished' it in September. Even now, when I look at it, I think there are spots that I could paint over. My Art teacher said that is the commom problem... you just have to tell yourself "This painting is complete. Otherwise, we will always want to go back to the old painting to improve...as art is dynamic".

Assyrian Lion

Mixed Media on CANVAS

Size = 110 cm x 70 cm

And you know what my H said? "Are you sure it is finished? It doesn't look 2500 years old!"

Of course I was upset!!

Yes. I do admit that the colour on the real thing is more subdued and dreary.... I just didn't have the energy to follow exactly....plus I was getting bored painting the same thing for months!

Water Lilies

This painting took awhile to finish.... Started around the 3rd quarter of 2008 and only finishing it in 2nd quarter of 2009.

Why????
Errr...because I tried to be a SMART ALEC and tried to paint with NO reference. I did have a few photographs of water lilies, but they did NOT really correlate. So when the time came to paint the lighting direction, the different shades, shadows; it was ALL a MESS!! So each time I tried to finish the painting, I was at a loss....... and each time I just GIVE-UP.

A Lesson Learnt.
DO NOT TRY TO BE SMART!

Water Lilies
OIL on CANVAS
Size = 40 cm x 50 cm

I think Water Lilies are too pretty to be real. Their colours are so brilliant. So striking. The hues so so very bright. They are too perfect to be real. And yet...they are. I always marvel at these beauties.... and believe me, the colours in REAL Water Lilies are even brighter than in my painting.

Balinese Procession

Always wanted to paint one of those scenes depicting the terraced rice-fields. So what do you think of this?

Balinese Procession

OIL on CANVAS

Size = 60 cm x 50 cm

I've promised my good friend here that I will give her this.... So that she will ALWAYS REMEMBER ME!!!!

Updated - This painting gifted to friend in mid-November 2009

Angkor

Remember my Work-in-Progress?
Again, I've used marble powder mixed with glue for the base to create a 3-D effect.
I then painted over with oils.
Here are the completed Paintings...

East Entrance
Mixed Media on CANVAS
Size = 60 cm x 80 cm

Thommanon
Mixed Media on CANVAS
Size = 60 cm x 80 cm

Buddha Statue

Always wanted to paint a Buddha... This was actually sorta completed at the end of 2008...but as my H commented about the 'artificialness' of the shadow, I had to re-paint the shadows in January 2009.

Buddha Statue

OIL on CANVAS

Size = 70 cm x 80 cm

Mom really likes this painting..... So, it will be hers. Just have to find a way to cart it back to KL. Should I frame it here or back in KL???

Balinese Dancers

These pretty gals were painted from a newspaper clipping....

Balinese Dancers

Mixed Media on CANVAS

Size = 50 cm x 60 cm

These ladies were completed in November 2008.... I used coarse marble powder mixed with glue to form a paste, applied to the dancer's costume and headgear. Then painted with oils.

Very Old Paintings - Woman and Child

These paintings were done waaaaaaay in 2003. Actually, I didn't remember the year. I had to look at the date on the painting. These paintings were painted from postcards depicting the minority ethnic groups in Northern Thailand. Not sure if I did these while living in Bangkok or when we moved back to PJ.

Don't think I did many paintings in Bangkok... the others that I remember are

- A Lotus Flower ( ...which I had given to a friend as a gift when she launched her own law firm. Wonder if she still has it hung in her office??), and

- a Bird in Flight (which is still hung in my parents' bedroom).

Reason?

Because my S2 was still rather young (around 2 years old or maybe younger) , and I remember dragging him together with the maid all the way from our home in ChaengWattana to the Montien Hotel on Surawongse Road, where the painting classes were held. The maid will chase my little monster around the hotel until he got fed-up/tired. I usually had to leave when the little one starts his tantrums.

When we moved back to Malaysia, I joined the oil painting class over at BSC. I've been trying hard to recall what the artist name was but to no avail.. Memory is failing with idle minds!!! He was attached to Kidsports then, and he was still there (although now no longer Kidsports but some roller blading place) when we went back to KL last summer.

Anyway, these are my paintings down in the earlier years...

Woman and Child - 1

OIL on CANVAS

Size = 30 cm x 40 cm

Woman and Child - 2

OIL on CANVAS

Size = 30 cm x 40 cm

Think I did three other paintings (no photos here though) while living in Malaysia:

- a Snow Scene (which now hangs in my former 1119 English teacher's dining room, that is if she did not bring it down...have to go ask her :-P)

- Beach Scene depicting Malaysian fishing boats (this was given to my dear 'ole Si-Fu. My 'gifting' did not come out quite right... I said "This one. I don't quite like. I give this to you!" Hahahahah...but I promised him that I will paint him something he likes...and I'm working on it now.... my current WIP)

- Heliconias (which is now hung in my 4th Sis' house....When I was working on it, I tried to be smart and started with using KNIFE. The result??? Well, let's just say that the comment from my teacher was "Litt titt mm hai wahh!" (This is NOT art!). I guess he must be really appalled by my knife-painting abilities. Hahahhahaha)

Angkor Black & Whites

Thought that I should start a NEW blog to showcase my art....and since lazy 'ole me have yet to take photographs of my recent works, I will post older pieces. These pen drawings were done more than two years ago. Think they were completed around April 2007.

I actually had them framed, and they now adorn the walls in my terrace.