Buddha Tooth Relic Temple (佛牙寺) Candid

Passing by Chinatown and taken these series photos using my Nokia E61i. A senior photographer told me that to take a good photograph, is depend how good of your art level and how good you and take the photo, not how good of the camera, of course good camera do help on it.The temple had held a lantern making competition during this mid autumn festival; there were hanging many competitors’ work outside the temple. When I see this photo, I felt like that’s is not Singapore, that’s Japan! Haahaa! It is taken in Singapore, Chinatown, Buddha Tooth Relic Temple.

Honey Pomelo

Honey Pomelo is the seasonal fruit came with mid autumn festival, just like Durian and Mangosteen, if you eat durian, you need to eat Mangosteen as well because Mangosteen can release the heat from the Durian fruit.So do Honey Pomelo, it can release the fullnest feeling after you ate moon cake. Basically, you can drink Chinese tea, that was another solution.

The Branded Moon Cake Legend in Singapore: 大中国月饼

Passing by Chinatown during this ‘Mid-autumn Festival’ period, you can see a long queue of people buying the moon cake made by ”大中国饼家” (I translate it as “Big-China Bakery”) I think they are the oldest shop which made moon cake in Singapore, in elder people’s mind, once you mentioned ‘Mid Autumn Festival’ in their mind immediately pop-up the scene of this shop! Hence, elder people mostly insist to buy moon cake from this shop!Not because of many other branded moon cake not good, but ”大中国月饼” is the longest and most well-known.There was a booth rented nearby Chinatown selling the same branded moon cake, but lack of customer, because most people worried they are the ‘pirated’ fake branded! Seems people only preferable to buy the moon cake at the shop no matter how long they need to wait!

More and more Color Caricature Drawing Request

I seldom do color caricature drawing, because I am not an aggressive people, also do not like to crash or so call undercut other people’s business. I seldom draw caricature in marker although I had learned marker drawing in Nanyang Academy of Fine Art long time ago. I don’t think just do one or two pieces of color drawing per month can became ‘undercut’ other artist who running a shop doing caricature and portrait drawing closing down due to poor business.
I still think Chong Jit Loeng of www.portraitworkshop.com and Kamal Dollah of www.cartoon.sg are the best.

I belonging to lazy type, means to draw one caricature, I will usually in such sequence: sketch - go for lunch or dinner- have a short sleep - continuing draw or coloring – eat something then continue to complete the drawing; haahaa!

Hopefully working such ‘lazy style’ should not caused somebody’s shop closing down.

Super cute Mascot!

I found this mascot was super cute when I passing by A.M.K Hub (Ang Mo Kio Hub).
This mascot made as a tomato because this district area, Ang Mo Kio Town, the name ‘Ang Mo Kio’ is mean ‘tomato’ in hokien dialect.There were some promotion with events and activities in A.M.K Hub. Cute mascot always attracting children!There are lots more stage performance during the promotions.

Event booking during Mid Autumn Celebration

Due to Mid Autumn Festival Celebration is Chinese Event, the event activities for fringe art booking during this period usually are Chinese lantern making demo, dough figurine demo, fortune telling, Chinese calligraphy and related Chinese culture related items.

Talking about great calligraphy, I prefer Dorby Yip and Angela (his wife), Mr Yong Cheong Thye (www.yong_gallery.com)

Talking about rainbow calligraphy, I think the only best one is Dorby Yip and Angela, you can found them at DFS Orchard Singapore, or Chinatown. I know them many years, they were from Hong Kong, many china artists was tried to copy their calligraphy art style, but none of them was successful so far.There were lots more calligrapher around of course, but they are the most popular that with high standard.

I like Mr Lee Kim Kuan’s calligraphy as well, his calligraphy usually in big size and written in a very creative way.The rest of the popular local calligrapher hired by event companies including Mdm Tang, Margaret, Edwin’s father (From Pho Leng Liondance), Mr Lee Boon Chye and etc.

There were few hot day I known was 12th sep, 13th sep and 14th sep, which is the main event date for Chinese’s ‘Mid Autumn Festival’. I had been hired as fortune teller, caricaturist and also doing silhouette cutting in these three different days for different events.

That’s lots more Chinese item for event activities’ fringe arts, will be post it in future.

Mid Autumn Festival Celebration

After the Chinese’s ‘Hungry Ghost Festival’ in Chinese lunar 7th month, the ‘Mid Autumn Festival’ “中秋节”, also known as the Moon Festival is on the way…..It fall on 8th month of Chinese lunar calendar, the actual day for the celebration in this year was 14 Sep 2008 Sunday, which is 15th day 8th month of Chinese lunar calendar.

I would say the ‘Hungry Ghost Festival’ is more on religion related event, and ‘Mid Autumn Festival’ is more on the Chinese ancient legend related event. Both events having great entertainment elements: I mean during ‘Hungry Ghost Festival’ other then praying and burning the ‘hell-money’ to the pasted away relatives and related ghost and related ‘officers from hell’, the main entertainment for everyone was the ‘Getai’ show, whether you are religious or free thinker, you can watch the show. In ‘Mid Autumn Festival Celebration’, it was involved children’s entertainment: which it touring around in the dark night with carrying a lantern! That was one of my favorite activities! I remember 20-30 years ago during my young age, the place I stay was not so developed, hence many place surround my house was quiet dark at night; with groups of friends who carrying the lanterns, we had brighten where the places we passing by! That was great fun of that!

With the highly developed city today, if you live in the city, you hardly find such dark place to see the power of the light from the little candles from your lantern, unless you stay near the forest or the place which far from the city.

That was the entertainment for adult, which is the tasting of the moon cake during this event. You can see so many advertisements about moon cake made from various famous restaurant, cake shops, and hotels. It was really competitive in selling moon cakes since 1st Sep, because the actual day for celebration was at 14th Sept, means after 14 Sept or even earlier, not much people will like to buy it due to the season had past. More and more tasted moon cake had been created: durian tasted, chocolate tasted….it even having moon cake feed with ice-creams! I prefer the traditional tasted which filled with lotus seeds.