Showing posts with label COLLABORATIONS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label COLLABORATIONS. Show all posts

Friday, 26 August 2011

The Story of Twin Towers


Medium : Acrylic & Marker on canvas
Size : 60 cm x 90 cm
Created : 2011
Status : Private collection



There are many places that we had visited in our lifetime. Some places we went again and again, others we visited just once. But it doesn’t mean the place we went several times is the place that we loved the most (non conducive work place) or perhaps the place we went only once (Makkah) is the place we hope to be in forever.


In reality we rarely counted how many times we visit certain places; we are naturally attracted or forced to go places. Only a few would then think; “why do I like or hate this place so much?” It also differs with one another. Someone would love to spend many hours in a shopping mall but some may not.


The importance of knowing or realising the places we had visited in lifetime is perhaps to realise the reflection of who we are and what we have become.


My boys love going to KLCC especially its park and the art gallery. Whether because they genuinely love it or basically being influenced or drag by me is something they will decide as they grow up. Like many others who’d promote and recommend us to a certain place, only we can then decide if we like the place or not.


This painting of the twin towers was symbolically made by these two brothers to simply draw their favourite place. Both however express their own story differently. Azhan’s is the on the left while Nine’s on the right. They observe the place differently.


Architecturally the KLCC twin towers is a fine building but for a child it is a dull building, period. They only part that they like about it is the tallness of the structure. What they have done here is to add colours and make the façade more cheerful and fun as much as they had in the park. The big tree represents the park that they love so much and Nine’s transformed building next to it act as a giant robot.




Artistically, despite of both using bright colours (happy colours), they made us catch a sense of calmness and chaos. Try and cover each side of the painting at a time and you will see it as nothing but an ordinary colourful naive painting. The feeling of calmness and chaos only becomes so obvious when this two abstracts are painted next to each other on the same canvas.


The effect of changing feeling in the same artwork makes me realised that we can perceive life differently depending on how we relate it to our life. We feel grateful if we compare our live with the less fortunate poor people, but we feel resentment as we compare to people who are more successful and richer than us. Instead, the painting actually tells us to look within ourselves and find what we really feel.


I love the part where they wrote ‘I love Malaysia’ right in the middle. I personally perceive the painting as: “despite the imperfection or differences of people, places or country, we can always find happiness as long as there’s still love in our heart.”
HAPPY MERDEKA MALAYSIAN!





Sunday, 25 January 2009

Treasure Map

Title : Treasure Map
Media : Acrylic on Canvas
Size : 40.6cm x 50.8 cm
Painted by : Azhan & Zulkarnain (nine)
Year made : 12 January 2009
Edition : Original
Status : Private Collection
Description:
This is a map to a treasure hidden in the Dream Island. The treasure is marked with an 'X' and hidden deep in the island. To reach the treasure one needs to follow the red mark. The journey will first take them into a long dark tunnel. Then they need to cross valley of mountains. They also need to cross a lake full of sharks. Next they'd have to pass through a thick forest before eventually reaching the mark where the treasure is buried.

The painting is a an epitome of our journey through life. Everyone needs goals in life, even in preparing oneself for the afterlife. There is no easy way to achieve goal in life. There are a lot of obstacles in the journey but there's also fun along the way.

You may now be in your darkest moment in life (being in the dark cave) but there is still hope of coming out of it. Soon, along the route you will find fortune (pyramids) and must use it wisely to achieve your goal (cars or other material of wealth).
Having a good time (passing through the garden) doesn't mean that the challenge is over. You may someday lose track of your goal and trace back the right path (before you get drown and be eaten by the shark). You may also find other achievement during the journey (climb mountains). You may pass through a lot more ups and downs again several times (different height of trees in forest).
Again you may find another fortune (pyramids) but this time you are not using it to help you to reach your aim (a bigger house). So, this time the fortune turns out to be a distraction and avoid you from continuing the journey to reach for the goal (marked "X"). This shall be a reminder that the distance for achieving the goal is actually close in proximity but is unreachable if we become satisfied with the luxury that we currently possess.

"Whatever we want to be, whatever we want to do, we can do it, because we can. Go ahead, take that first step-just do it. The best of luck to you, and have fun along the way" Richard Branson

Story:
Treasure map is one of the drawing subjects that my boys love to sketch and scribble a lot. Instead of forcing them to do something that they're not used to, it is better to give them the opportunity to transform the rough sketches onto a big canvas.

The above description is philosophical view of a father looking at his sons' drawing. It is rather more amusing to listen to the artists' (Azhan & Nine) plain, simple, straight-forward explanation than complicated view of an adult. All I can say is, "Enjoy and have fun in the journey."




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Stamp-treasure map



Friday, 9 January 2009

DREAM ISLAND

Name : Dream Island
Theme : Dream Home
Media : Acrylic & Tempera on Canvas
Size : 60.0 x 50.0 cm
Painted by : Azhan, Nine,
Year made : 10 October 2008
Edition : Original
Status : Available

Description :
Some friends have already seen this picture on my other blog (link) as the background of the blog's December 2008 issue(link).However I have not introduced the work properly. Actually I've suggested for my sons to draw something about their Dream Home or an island fills with joy and happiness. This perhaps has aspired them to create this painting.

Several ways or techniques had been experimented in the process of creating this painting. In this "Dream Island" I was only the "colour coordinator" as I let my sons to freely express themselves. They got to choose their own colours but I would add a few extra bit of different colour for them to mix directly on the canvas. This perhaps would make the colours more vibrant and playful and at the same time teach them about the colour wheels.

Azhan did a very good job in drafting the outline drawing before they started painting on the canvas. He sketched spontaneously on the canvas using pencil. He has already developed eyes for details and added "tiny" detail which I bet he would have difficulty to paint later on. Just name things you'd see in a city and you'd be amazed to find that playground, school, fun-fair, airport and even a mosque, had all been squeezed in this tiny paradise island. Now, that's an intricate eye for detail for a 7-year old boy.
To my surprise in the centre of the painting he put a big structure like "Eiffel tower". Like any other iconic building (statue, religious structure, bridge) it will remind us of the feeling that we felt when we get to see one in our live or hope to see one. Or maybe in this case my son drew it simply because he likes it.

The Dream Island looks more interesting with the presence of smaller island with a light house built on and another island with house on it. Azhan drew them as he knows that a light house is needed to sending out signal to the ships heading for the island. He had even thought of linking the small islands together but forgotten to link it to the main land.

A lot of the activities in this island are heavily centred on the beaches. Obviously my boys love beach just like many other kids who simply love playing with water. Most of the activities featured such as sailing, surfing, scuba diving were painted as though my boys had actually experienced them before when in reality they had never done any of those. Perhaps, in their imaginative mind they think these were the "cool" things to be endured on a sunny day at the beach.

The other young artist featured here is Nine who added his touch on this painting. In this painting he drew the activities taking place in the skies. The sun, the clouds, aeroplane, air balloon and also the rainbow. Nine loves rainbow very much that he even put the same prism on the air balloon.
Another interesting element drawn by Nine is the clouds. The different size of them accidentally give some perspective and depth into the drawing. The clouds were also drawn in brilliant unique shapes.

In conclusion, Dream Island may be seen as the key to open the door into my children's mind where their hopes and dreams for their future reside. Every time I look at the painting it makes me wonder into my own mind of the dreams and hopes that would bring me happiness. There are dreams that may become a reality in years to come, places that are scattered in great distance on the globe, hopes that will always stay in our prayers, creatures that we'd never seen or touched, holy kingdom of peace and mercy and many more hopeful wishes that take up a whole lifetime to achieve...but somehow all of these could be brought together into one small dream island which in the actual is not only located very close us but also resides firmly in our mind and soul.

Stamp-dream island
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Friday, 2 January 2009

RUMAH DI TENGAH BENDANG

Name : Rumah di Tengah Bendang (A house in the middle of paddy field)
Status : Available
Size : 51.0 x 40.5 cm
Painted by : Azhan, Nine, Fadzlan
Year made : 08 October 2008
Edition : Original
Theme : Dream House
Media : Acrylic & Tempera on Canvas

Description : Living in an oasis Island in the middle of golden and green paddy field.


The above painting is called "Rumah di tengah Bendang" or A house in the middle of paddy field. This is one of our early attempt to create a painting together. My children had inspired me with their scribbled artwork. They helped me to bring back the joy and happiness in making a painting.

I had actually done the first layer of this painting on my own but soon discovered that I was too afraid and constraint myself with rules for perfection. I was not satisfied with the result and so asked my boys to improvise the artwork.

The sky looks more dramatic thanks to Nine's touch. He followed my intention but has a free and spontaneous flow on his stroke.

Azhan had reduced the detail on the trees and made the house just as simple as it is.

I still keep my original smooth brush stroke on the paddy field.

"Yesterday is but today's memory, tomorrow is today's dream." Kahlil Gibran (1883 - 1931)

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stamp-rumah tengah bendang