Nature Art On Trash Bins July 31, 2009

Volunteers Work of Art

Trash Bin Art: The next time you visit Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve be sure to enjoy the beautiful artwork done by our conservation volunteers and the Buloh Dabblers. A special activity for the Volunteer Appreciation Day on the 18 OCt, 2008, was the trash bin painting contest. Volunteers were given 2 hour to paint these bins, on all 5 sides if they had the time. And most met the challenge headon and managed to complete. The finished panels were simply beautiful and brightens up the images of the otherwise taken for granted bins. Thanks to all who participated.
Tham Pui San, 20 Oct 2008

A Charcoal Sketch to record my walk September 23, 2008

Sungei Buloh vs Johor Bahru skyline

One of my favourite walks I take at Buloh is at this mangrove boardwalk. I could see Malaysia across the straits. The contrasting  shapes of mangrove trees silhouetted against  the city skyline of Johor Bahru caught my  attention, making it a telling image of nature vs man, complementing perhaps in terms of aesthetics or silently declaring our co-existence is in imminent disruption. Neither aspect was the reason for my sketch. I scanned the horizon, everything there look tranquil and still. No human presence, no traffic noise and no trash washed ashore this morning. The silence is only broken by occasional bird calls.  Its another perfect morning to start my new day. 

Tham Pui San

23Sep 08

Coming soon: oil series for Sg Buloh June 2, 2008

Watch out  for my next exhibition at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve in Dec 08.

 Here are two thumbnail references for plein air painting at the Main Hide on 2 June, 08.

 Tham Pui San, updated 2 June 08.

Photobooks November 14, 2009

recent works

The thought of keeping memories alive is always on my mind. But what should I do with the large amounts of sketches and paintings, accumulated through 8 years,which captured many of my encounters in this wetlands? Through the encouragement and suggestion from a dear friend I got started to retrieve and compile some recent works done at this reserve. There were lots to cull from my journals, sketches and paintings. So finally I made 3 books using an online photoprinting vendor. It was a very satisfying experience, from discovering lost images to the final editing.
One is on ginger inspirations, one on the wetlands and the third on my travels in Thailand.

Another fun medium for landscape sketching August 4, 2009

Mudflat at Main Bird Hide

If you are feeling bored with your usual sketching medium, try something new. Charcoal, pencils and pastel are the usual ones I use. For want of a fresh approach and experimentation I picked up some marker pens to try.
In this sketch I did at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, using Letraset markers. You will note that a variety of gradation and texture quality can be achieved. The pigment ink from a marker pen is somewhat difficult to modulate and one has to be careful about the duration and pressure of contact between pen and paper. I managed to produce enough variety of strokes and intensity of pigment by deliberately controlling the contact time and pressure. Try these two aspects out separately before working on your painting.
Happy sketching.
Tham Pui San 4 August 2009

Wetlands Alive October 31, 2008

 

Wetlands Alive: this  art exhibition to celebrate  the 15 th anniversary of Sungei Buloh will be held  from 6 Dec 08 to 15 Feb 2009.

exhibition poster

 

It will showcase 40 oil paintings of  this mangrove environment, depicting  glorious perspectives of this habitat and presents a message of hope and encouragement for nature and us. Two paintings will be auctioned to raise  funds for the Garden City Fund and  Rainbow Centre, a charity with a mission to enhance the lives of children and youths with special needs by providing early intervention programme and special education schools to help them develop to their fullest potential.

   Tham Pui San 24Nov.08

The Fallen shall Thrive May 3, 2008

  About four years ago  I did a  sketch of this fallen Sonneratia Alba, apparently struck by lightning on Christmas Eve 2003.

The old sketch was executed  with a 2 B graphite pencil, showing  details of the fresh breaks on some roots and masses of  earth still clinging stubbornly to the tips of the roots. Clumps of foliage on the higher branches laid so helplessly on the  ground still attached, waiting perhaps to continue its wondrous food making  process of photosynthesis. It attracted my attention then simply because of its unusual state brought about by an act of  nature and I wondered if the tree could overcome this seemingly cruel strike.

Four years on it has found a new way to survive and thriving well. My faith in Nature held strong.

Two large clusters of lively green foliage now grow on its prone trunk, like a fish with 2 large dorsal fins in tandem.  How it will continue to grow would be an interesting phenomenum to know and  I  wonder if it  can still bear  fruits  like the others do.

This present charcoal sketch is dedicated to those who need to make do with  changes caused by the  inevitable. 

Take heart, Nature and Time do wonders when we have faith.

Pui San 3 May 2008 

MayDay Outreach 2008 May 2, 2008

On MayDay we celebrated Nature with some homeschoolers.

 A 2 x 4 metre  mural depicting marine life was painted at the refurbished “english cottage” at Chek Jawa, Pulau Ubin. This was also a part of the IYOR 2008 celebrations ( International Year of the Reefs)

Being our first  art project outside our home ground  at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, and to ensure the  theme was aesthetically pleasing,  a training session was conducted for the kids to prepare them.

The  Dabblers painted the  upper portion while the  kids so patiently painted the  lower portion below the waves, despite  the somewhat awkward level to work at. The mural turned out  well, receiving much attention and  praise from visitors.

 

 PuiSan 2May08

 

Creative Christmas Art Workshop December 21, 2007

Pui San conducted another highly successful Christmas art workshop at Sungei Buloh on 20 Dec 2007. Over 30 participants created interesting Christmas gifts under his patient guidance and inspiration. Check out some of their works here.

More bin-painting sessions October 17, 2007

Pui San led another bin-painting session at Sg Buloh Wetland Reserve. And all they took was half a day to complete these 6 colourful bins!