Category Archives: illustration
Making Books
One of the 20 hand-written letters received after running a book-making workshop for 2nd graders at SJII. The best testimonial ever!
Next week, from Oct 31 to Nov 1st, It’s Book-Binding week… in French (French School Holidays!)
If you are older than 8, you can join! You will get a chance to look through my collection of hand-made artist books, and each day, we’ll experiment with a different book-binding strategy.
Whether it’s wood, leather, cloth, fancy paper, hinges, recycling paper, string, rope, all the material will be there to experiment with.
Could you imagine making making a book with just what you find in the forest? We might just step into the backyard and see what we find…
Check out the poster below (details in English here.)
Even cooks need to know how to draw…
From Elizabeth David, "French Provincial Cooking", (1960)
As part of a new series highlighting the different situations where drawing could save your life, I have found this illustration in a cookbook. If you are trying to explain how to make consommé, it really does help to have sharp drawing skills.
As an adult, you might think you don’t have the time to learn (you’d be wrong). However, if you want to give your child a headstart, sign them up for drawing classes. You never know, your son might want to become a cook.
Drawing Classes
Many of you have been asking, and now the schedule is out!
Please take the time to review the dates and find the most suitable time. Give me a call to discuss (92734991).
And remember: these classes are mostly observation classes with drawing as an outcome. I have just found this wonderful post that encourages scientists to draw to observe better. This is the reason I started drawing realistically. We all need drawing as a tool, whether it is for remembering a lesson, or something important, for clarifying some facts, for explaining something. Once we are not afraid of drawing anymore, we can even use it for art, or as an outlet to creativity, or as a meditation tool.
Let’s get drawing!
Chin Woe's Lamp study
2 and 1/2 D Cinema
Documenting "2 and 1/2 D Cinema" (Click on the image to see the whole picture)
This June, I invite you to come and visit the National Museum of Singapore with the children. As usual, their Children Season is very well orchestrated, with workshops, shows and interactive art exhibitions. (click for details and tickets)
My own work this year is an interactive installation, presented in the Black Box (3rd Floor), PlayDome. Daily except Mondays, from 10am to 6pm. Make sure to let me know if you’re coming – I’ll try to be there. If not, the facilitators are fantastic in guiding the children through the show:
“2 and 1/2 D Cinema is an interactive cinema experience like no other. 5 short films edited from the Ivan Polunin archives are presented, with new sountrack. Children are invited to step into the beam, onto the stage, and interact with the footage representing everyday life in Singapore in the 50s-60s. All the while, they are being filmed, and can see themselves on the TV screen placed outside the cinema, which transmit the new footage with a 30-second delay.”
Hence, no holiday workshops until 27th of June… But a week of Watercolors and a week of Printmaking for the lucky children who are on holiday then!
Drawing Classes
Self-portrait, by 5-year old Nana.
Drawing classes for children have started again!
Classes now run from my studio in Upper Thomson.
To view some drawings from alumni, go to the Children’s Gallery.
Classes are small, ranging from 3 to 6 children maximum. Children are placed in the most appropriate group for them, sometimes of a different age, as long as they are comfortable. Call 92734991 to make an appointment for a trial class or fill the contact form below!
Wednesday 5-6pm: 6 -8 year old. Beginners.
Skills taught: observation, relaxation, concentration, Trying out new things. Mark-making using a variety of tools. Perfection of a favorite tool. We use mostly a thin black marker and coloured markers for colouring. Introduction to working with the lead pencil and colour pencils. Some watercolours.
We work from observation, and study a variety of styles. At this stage, the children are encouraged to explore to find out which style and medium they like best. We balance trying new things with perfecting what we like best.
Fee: $30 per class
Tuesday 5-6pm: 4 – 6 year old. Beginners.
Skills taught: observation, relaxation, concentration. Mark-making using a variety of tools. We use mostly a thin black marker and coloured markers for colouring. Children learn to draw from observation (“copy”), but we delight in variations from the original, creating self-awareness. Explorations is the main theme.
Fee: $30 per class
Children must be at least 4 years old on the first day of class to attend.
Saturday 11.15am-1.15pm: 8-12 year old. Beginners and intermediate.
Skills taught: observation, relaxation, concentration, Trying out new things. Mark-making using a variety of tools.
We work from observation, and study a variety of styles. At this stage, the children are encouraged to explore to find out which style and medium they like best. We balance trying new things with perfecting what we like best.
Fees: $50 per class
