Drawing Plum Blossom 梅花

学习如何畫梅花，首先要了解植物的结构，基本上樹幹强大和坚固像'龙'，分叉，树枝或树干是僵硬和尖峰的雄姿，而每朵花有五个花瓣，以正面，側面，向上，向下，完全隐藏或部分隐藏的姿態。和通过每个花托來突出每一朵花的嬌媚，雄蕊能清楚地反映了花的方向。

当一个人能够正确掌握笔画時，一幅美麗的梅花就能完整表達在畫里了。

当我回顾以上说明如何绘制，我能肯定的是，说比劃起来容易多了......尽管如此，我在实践中的完成以下一些作品。在序列的第一个為早期版本。我很高兴，在前进的道路上有點進步。謹請雅賞！

Learning how to draw Plum Blossoms is firstly to understand the structure of the plant, which essentially entails that the trunks are strong and sturdy like 'dragon', the branches or twigs are stiff and spike like metal rods, while the each flower has 5 petals, in grouping of front-facing, profile-facing, fully hidden or partially hidden. By highlighting each flower receptacle will enhance dimension of every flower, and the drawing of the stamen will clearly reflect the facing of the flower when one can properly master the strokes.

As I recap to illustrate how to draw, it is definitely easier said than doing it...Nonetheless, I managed to practise some in the following sequences with the first one being the earlier version. I am happy that I managed to squeezed in some improvement along the way. Enjoy!

水仙花淡雅如仙子飘逸 梅花霜前傲然玉之立  

 This was a very nice comment left on my facebook posting when I posted the painting of mine as above sometime back. Illustrating that Narcissus sway freely like a fairy, with the Plum blossom stoically standing strong.

Narcissus is a seasonal flower that bloom only in Spring. together with Plum Blossom (梅花），they are known to be the flowers ushering in the Spring season (迎春）。It usually symbolising the start of Chinese New Year.

To draw the details of Narcissus flowers,  patience and focus are needed to outline every single petal of the flower, buds, heart and the leaves outline, mainly stoically straight and upright reflecting the strength of the flower. 

I managed to complete these few paintings as above and among them, ended with a piece of 'masterpiece' that I like best, which I will call "Narcissus garden'

Narcissus Garden

水仙园

我很快就爱上了水仙花和欣赏他的能量由内平缓洋溢。纯白色的花，想象著它盛开時所发出的芬芳。

畫水仙時，一直讓我很開心，興奮，期望，有一种可以感到滿足的感覺，我以积极和期待的情绪完成了以上的画图。

Immediately I fell in love with these flowers and appreciate the gentle flow of the energies exuberating from within. The purity of the white flower, and to imagine the fragrant that it emits at full bloom. 

Drawing the Narcissus have been a great pleasure for me, hopefully, one can sense the focused, positive mood spent in the drawings of the above paintings.

Morning glory flower, commonly found burst of morning energies

记的在我年轻住在甘榜的时候，在广阔的鄉村里開滿了色彩丰富的牵牛花，在清晨盛开的花，多为紫和粉红色，花瓣和叶子上的露珠水滴，反射阳光時产生的光彩，在阳光下绽放著生命的活力。到了黃昏，花瓣明显的卷曲，褪色，但太阳升起的时候，牵牛花再次在新的一天绽放。展顯了生命的力量！

在林祿在老師的教導和牵牛花靈感，我完成了以下的畵。

Remembering the morning glory, in my younger days living in the kampong where there are abundant of these flowers growing in the vast openness. The flowers are in full bloom in the early morning to take in the sunlight, mostly purple and pink. Alongside one will get to enjoy the dew droplets on the flower petals and leaves, at time reflecting the sunlight to produce sparkles. The flower will fade with the petals visibly curling and to bloom again when the sun rises again in the new day.

With this as inspiration when the teacher taught us how to draw these flowers, I managed to come up with the following few paintings:

我的一个朋友喜欢並且问我要上則的画.由於我目前正在籌備重建老挝的一所小学，协助重建学校设施,于是向他募捐善款。我希望这些孩子們有一天也可以得到充分绽放。

One of my friends loved the painting above, and ask me for it! In return I asked that he donates towards my Laos school project (a project that I started to embark on to assist in the rebuilding of a school facilities to allow the children Meung Feung Village in Laos, to have a new facility for their schooling needs). hoping that these children can also get into full blooms someday.

This is one of my favourite painting of morning glory using black ink to draw the leaves. bringing the flowers into full contrast in the painting.

牵牛花确实带回旧甘榜日子的回忆。高兴的是，我現在能以寫意中國画來表達他的美。

Morning glory indeed brings back memories of the old kampong days. Happy that I am able to paint them.

An artistic journey

I had always think that I can draw or sketch when I was younger, but never had the opportunity to pursue it. Have been like most male adult  having to do what needs to be done as a head of family, to provide for the family, we have along the way missed these doing what we want to do.

Someone invited me to join in a Chinese Painting lesson at Poh Min Tse, http://www.pmt.org.sg/ and curiously joined in the fun. The teacher is Mr Lin Luzai who is a renowned artist based in Singapore.

In my earlier posting, I had mentioned that I was enchanted by his strokes whenever he demonstrated for us, he would use the same brush and mixture of colours, able to imprint onto the rice paper, the flowers, birds, dragonfly, chicks, butterfly, fishes and so on. It amazing to see the colour ink will subsequently produce shades and layers. 

Unlike pencil sketching, which I thought I am good at, there is no recovery if any strokes is wrongly placed!

After learning peony, we were taught how to draw grapes, a type of fruits that grows in clusters, colours varies from purple, black, dark blue, yellow, green and some are orange and pink, the challenges in drawing grapes using Chinese Ink will be every fruit is drawn with a single stroke to produce the continual flow of the ink thus producing the natural depth in the picture, what my teacher was able to do, was completing the painting of all  grapes with a single feed of water and ink.

Here are some of my 'catching up' of grapes paintings:

Peony - when in full bloom, it symbolises peace and prosperity

The peony is among the longest-used flowers in Eastern culture and is one of the smallest living creature national emblems in China. Along with the plum blossom, it is a traditional floral symbol of China, where the Peony is called 牡丹 (mǔdān). It is also known as 富贵花 (fùguìhuā) "flower of riches and honour" or 花王 (huawang) "king of the flowers", and is used symbolically in Chinese art.

-Wikipedia

牡丹 (mǔdān), also known as 富贵花 (fùguìhuā), blooms in the spring, producing large, colourful and often scented flowers, which can be pink, red,white, yellow, blue, black, purple and coral.

Interestingly, the rice paper (宣紙）and the Chinese colour ink is able to produce very nice shades and depths of colour with every stroke. I was very enchanted by the way my teacher's drawing strokes, the colour and perspective of his painting came alive instantly.

I tried with my very first attempt, my painting seems dull in contrast with what the desired results.

As I fall in love with the richness of Peony, I set my mind to see if I can improve my painting of 富贵花 (fùguìhuā), here are some paintings after a few more practises.

Then my teacher pointed out the leaves look identical for all my paintings, with that note, I tried to correct them, and with more practises, I became more confidence with my own strokes and able to handle the brushes better, I think my painting becomes nicer and more radiant. I do hope that the difference is significant. 

I am now able to paint Peony confidently after many weeks of practising. The following are the my 2 favourites paintings:

More of my Peony will be posted as this is a flower that I will like to muster my skills to draw better.

Lotus - The beautiful flower that blooms under adversity

“The lotus is the most beautiful flower, whose petals open one by one. But it will only grow in the mud. In order to grow and gain wisdom, first you must have the mud — the obstacles of life and its suffering. … The mud speaks of the common ground that humans share, no matter what our stations in life. … Whether we have it all or we have nothing, we are all faced with the same obstacles: sadness, loss, illness, dying and death. If we are to strive as human beings to gain more wisdom, more kindness and more compassion, we must have the intention to grow as a lotus and open each petal one by one. ” 
― Goldie Hawn

If one is open and ready to understand what life is, we can all imagine that our life starts just as a bud of a lotus, all eager to sprout out of the water and to receive the sunshine. Learning to understand that living in the mud is like the real world around us, it can be murky and allowing no one to see clearly and to set directions, to know what is right and what is wrong. 

In nature, everyone has the strength like that of a lotus stem, one can push aside all the dirts and obstacles to rise above the water to feel the sunshine. Then the flower bud will start to bloom and take in clean air, freeing oneself from the harsh conditions beneath the murky water.

Looking at the lotus ecological cycle, one can learn that one may be born into dark, unguided and dubious conditions, for as long as there are strengths to  resist adversity, living positively, knowing that the same murky water actually cleanse the flowers as it emerge from the water, it signifies that one can actually become as radiant as the lotus someday.

Knowing that lotus open each petal one by one, you will not  find any stains or mud within the inner flower heart,  just like anyone of us, who, if we are able to peel every layer of our greeds, angst,  anger, and anguish, we will permeates our real inner self.

Now about the learning how to draw Lotus Flowers, here are some of my paintings:

My first attempt

我们都可以想像，我们的人生只是作为一个芽的莲花，都渴望萌芽出来的水，并接受阳光。学习明白，生活在泥就像是我们周围的现实世界中，它可以是黑暗的，没有人清楚地看到，设置方向，知道什么是对，什么是错的。

在自然界中，每个人都有这样的实力，如莲花茎，推开所有的污垢在往水面上升，感受阳光。花蕾开始绽放，在清洁空气中，从阴暗和恶劣条件下的解脱。

向莲花生态循环借鉴，人也能在可疑的情况下，只要有优势，抵御逆境，积极生活，也能如同阴暗的水中绽放出真正洁净的花朵，因为它出现从水面上，它标志着一个实际上可以成为光荣的莲花哪天

知道莲花逐一打开每个花瓣，你不会找到任何污渍或泥内内花的心，我们只是像其他人，谁，如果我们能够剥离每一层人们的贪欲，焦虑，愤怒和痛苦，我们将渗透到我们真正的内心的自我。

Relax, take time off to enjoy the colours around us!

My Chinese painting teacher says that as you progress into painting, one will tend to appreciate nature better. I realised (and my wife too) that we do look more into the details of the surroundings, such as type of leaves of plants, the flowers, colours and almost appreciating everything. It is wonderful that our city state is indeed a garden city.

The four gentlemen in Chinese Painting include:

• (梅）Plum Blossom 
• (蘭）Orchids
• (竹）Bamboo
• (菊) Chrysanthemum

Although most of the time, I do have to imagine by browsing websites and books, for inspiration to draw flowers, such as Plum Blossom (梅花），Peony (牡丹），fortunately, we are able to see some flowers locally such as Orchids(蘭花）, Lotus荷花）, Bamboo竹）, Chrysanthemum( 菊花) , hence I am able to look at some of their elegance and try to draw them.

Now I can really attest that taking up painting lessons and now able to paint, it does enrich oneself and indeed appreciating the nature and the surrounding more. You can now enjoy, the otherwise, long and monotonous drive along the express way, little did we really get to enjoy the blossoming of flowers, on treee tops and along the road dividers...

Maybe the next time you drive and there are heavy traffic or even congestions, instead of 'swearing' you may want to enjoy the colourful road side, the different colours and shades of green, will take your frustration off you! 

Relax, take time off to enjoy the colours around us!

Started to embark on raising some funds to assist to rebuild a primary school facilities in Muang Fuang District, Laos. Here are some photos of their existing facilities:

Managed to invite a few other Lions Clubs to come together and raised the much needed funds to give these kids a decent facilities to continue with their schooling. Glad that Clubs such as Lions of Singapore (LCS) Shangri-la and LCS Island together with my own club LCS Fort Canning had managed to raise the seeding funds, we do have another club already committed to fork out part of the funds to be raised.

For me, I pledge the proceeds of my 'better' painting will be put up for sales as part of the fund raising efforts. Do watch out for this page and feel free to contact me if you are keen to sponsor this project!

It has been a very interesting past few weeks, I started to learn Chinese Painting from a local artist Mr Lin Luzai at Poh Min Tse.
Taking it up out of curiosity, and eventually liking it very much as I practise as much as my time permits, Here are some samples of my first few paintings:

I used to post these on my Facebook account and feeling good when friends started clicking likes and commented constructively, I felt very very encourages. In order that I do not cluttered up my FB with painting, I therefore revisit my blog to have all my subsequent paintings posted here.