I saw the first issue of newsletter by the Dhamma Gavesi Youth Group of Sri Lankaramaya Buddhist Temple. I find that the newsletter is informative and it is well designed. It includes pictures, story about the Youth Group, reports on celebrations like Vesak, Chinese New Year, Sinhala New Year, Kathina, enrichment program for the youth, participation in world harmony run, blood donation, overseas trip to Malacca and Dhamma Camp. There is a record of talk given my the Ven Rathanasana, and many more others. I am happy to see the newsletter when my son shown it to me, he received a copy via email. Congratulations!
Here is my new painting. I am happy to sign off this painting this morning. I took two weeks to complete it. The monk on the left is Ven Piyananada, you could see his photo at my earlier post. I painted this painting to commenorate him. We used to see him in the last 7 years while he was in Singapore. He has returned to Sri Lanka, however I heard that he will be coming to Singapore for Vesak day celebration this year. May all be well and happy.
Going for Kathina Celebration. 2008. Acrylic on canvas. 32 x 24 inches. Collection: Siew Hooi. All Rights Reserved.
The 8 days Vipassana Meditation Retreat organized by Vipassana Meditation Centre (Singapore) has been started from 26 April 2008. The retreat is conducted by chief religious advisor of VMC Sayadawgyi U Pandita and assisted by Sayadaw U Pannathami and Sayadaw U Pannananda. Here is a photo of one of the building at the retreat. The place is very peaceful. 50 yogis participated in this retreat. Dhamma talk to be conducted at the evening.
I found this book in a pile of books. This book is titled "Contemporary Singapore Art". It is an art catalogue of an art exhibition held in HongKong in 1992. The artists were all from Singapore. They were Chia Hearn Chek, Ching Hing Kang, Choo Ai Loon Angeline, Choo Keng Kwang, Chua Mia Tee, Fern Min Eng, Goh Beng Kwan, Goh Siew Guan, Ho Ho Ying, Koh Sia Yong, Lee Boon Ngan, Lee Boon Wang, Leo Hee Tong, Lim Leong Seng, Alan Long, Low Puay Hua, Loy Chye Chuan, Ong Kim Seng Peh Eng Seng, Prabhakara Jimmy Quek, Tan Chee Teck, Tan Choo Kai, Tan Leong Kheng, Tan Seng Heng, Thang Kiang How and Wong Soon Kam. I discovered the painting that I exhibited in this exhibition was "Metamorphosing Phenomena". Last year I came to know that this painting was collected by an art lover in Hong Kong. I remembered the painting was sold in Singapore, but I did not know how it was finally landed in Hong Kong. I hope it is still in Hong Kong.
This is another book. The Singapore Society Artists' Directory, 1949-2004. You could see two of my paintings featured in the book (right page). The Singapore Art Society was registered in October 1949 with the objectives to foster the practice and appreciation of art and to raise the quality of art in Singapore to promote the exchange of art between Singapore and other countries and to create learning and exhibition opportunities for artists. Membership was oper to any art lover, regardless of race or creed. In this artists's directory, it featured 330 artworks in full colour by 165 members including a directory listing of 511 members. I enjoyed looking at all the artworks featured in the directory, though I didn't meet many of the artists so far.
I have made a video (1 minute 7 second) about Sunday School celebrating Sinhala New Year at the Sri Lankaramaya Buddhist Temple. The event took place on 13 April 2008.
Ven. P Piyananda Thero will be returning to Sri Lanka tomorrow. Many of our friends felt sad when they heard the news. We will not be able to see him at the temple any more in future. We will miss him a lot. May Bhante Ven Piyananda Thero be blessed with good health and long life.
I'll be showcasing my Exclusive Artist Pendants and Art Greeting Cards at the Singapore Arts Street 2008 @ North East. There will be artists exhibiting their paintings at the Art Wall, Graffiti & Street Painting, Art demonstrations, Workshop as well as artists performances. Event Venue : Hougang Central Hub (Outside Hougang Mall), on 21, 22, 28 & 29 June 2008, 11:00am to 6:00pm.
I have composed this painting with pictorial elements of Singapore Skyline (Singapore Cityscape), Singapore Flyer (Chinese: 新加坡摩天观景轮), Esplanade theatres on the Bay, iconic control tower of Singapore Changi Airport, Orchid and the use of celebration colours, rhythm and moods.
Celebrations 2008. Acrylic on canvas. 40 x 30 inches. By Jimmy Quek Prabhakara. All Rights Reserved.
Exclusive Personal Fine Art Greeting Cards with the image of the above modern art painting. (Card size: 149 x 105 mm. 4 for $10 or 10 for $25, complete with envelopes. Sold by PABHA CREATION, Tel: 67823579, email: pabha@singnet.com.sg).
Today is the first day of my second year with My Opera. I likt to post 2 paintings of wave to mark this special day. These are new paintings that I painted early this year. I am happy with the effect of the paintings. I hope you will enjoy them.
Last year this day (31 March 2007), I posted three paintings of wave at my first post.
Wave 2008. Acrylic on canvas. 40 x 30 inches. By Jimmy Quek Prabhakara.
Wave 2008. Acrylic on canvas. 18 x 12 inches. By Jimmy Quek Prabhakara.
I have made some 3D prosperity cakes. They are of various sizes. I enjoyed doing the smaller ones too. 3D art - Prosperity Cakes,小发糕. Medium: Clay and acrylic paints. By Jimmy Quek.
This painting has been with me for sometimes. I took it out from my store as there was an inquiry about this painting. I placed an existing old frame over the painting so to see how it will look like with a frame. The inspiration of this painting came from my visiting to the Cradle Mountain, Tasmania. It was very cold at that time. Do you like this painting?
Cradle Mountain, Tasmania. Acrylic on canvas. 102 x 76 cm. By Jimmy Quek Prabhakara.
During my first one-man art exhibition in 1987, computuer and internet were not as popular as today in Singapore. Potential buyer viewed paintings at art gallery or at art exhibition and they bought paintings there.
At the beginning of 90's, more people began selling and buying art with the aids of computers and internet. Friends suggested to me using digital medium to record painting images in CD, but I did not do so, I still recorded my painting images on films and slides at that time.
In 1998 when I was preparing art exhibition catalogue for my one-man exhibition at the Alliance Francaise de Singapour. I witnessed the importance of using computer when I was checking the texts and design of my art book which was to be launched at the exhibition. Luckily, I had a friend Kok Siong helped me for the design of the catalogue with his coomputer at that time. Soon after the art exhibition I bought my first compouter and I started learning how to send and receive email. I also had my first Sony floopy disk digital camera at that time.
I remember the first time I sold my painting by just emailing digital image to buyer and then the buyer confirmed the acquisition via email without even a need to view at the actual art work personally before acquisition was full of joy. I really enjoyed the positive results of using digital images, computer and email. Since then, I have my website at http://prabhakara.com and later, Pabha Creation website at: http://pabha.com
Now a day, in addition to the traditional ways of buying and selling art via galleries and exhibitions, more people buy and sell art works online, they view images of original art works online at their own convinence. They buy art and pay their purchases online via PayPal or by funds transfer online.
The patterns of buying and selling paintings and artworks have already changed for a long time with the progress and popularity of internet, digital medium and computer worldwide.
(The photos above were taken at my first one-man art exhibition in year 1987.)
I painted this painting. Acrylic on canvas. A Buddhist monk of Theravada tradition walking on a quiet path meditatively with his sitting cloth folded and placed on his shoulder.
Color print of this painting is produced with careful control of colours. Printed image size is 8 x 8 inches on A4 size special surface treatment paper of 200 to 250 g/m2. Selling at S$12 with free postage in Singapore and with a flat charge of S$5 for handling and shipping internationally.
We went to Sri Lankaramaya Buddhist Temple on Sunday. My son for the Sunday Dhamma School, Siew Hooi and our friends for cooking at the kitchen. I made this video for memories and for our friends. Share it with you here.
The Vipassana Meditation Centre (Singapore) is going to organize a meditation retreat to be conducted by Sayadaw U Pandita in Singapore from 26 April to 3 May 2008 at the Changi Fairy Point Chalet 4. Sayadaw U Pandita is also Chief Religious Advisor to the Vipassana Meditation Centre (Singapore). Application is now open and closed on 31 March 2008 or earlier if vacacies are taken up. More information could be obtained and Application form could be downloaded at http://vmc128.8m.com
Photo: Sayadaw U Pandita gave Dhamma talk at the Meditation Retreat organized by VMC in Singapore last year.
This is a small painting I painted recently. I felt that it is simple and natural. It's size is 8 x 10 inches. Tamania Landscape. 2008. Acrylic on canvas. 8 x 10 inches.
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