Artist Prabhakara Jimmy Quek. Singapore.

Gardens by the Bay is now official open to public. I plan to paint some paintings of the theme of Gardens by the Bay. I have completed this painting, an artist's impression of Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore.

Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay. Acrylic painting by Prabhakara Jimmy Quek. 2012.

A new painting:

Seeking Inner Peace in the Chaotic World. Acrylic on canvvas panel.

Below painting I painted in 1999: Mindfulness that Counts. 1999. Acrylic on canvas.

New Painting.

Bodhi Tree. 2012. Acrylic on canvas panel. By Prabhakara Jimmy Quek.

Drawing is the foundation of all art.

However, sometime people still ask me: Do I need to learn how to sketch and draw before I learn to do painting? My answer is yes and no. It depends on what you wish to paint and how you wish to paint it. Hope my following paintings could explain my answer.

Resting.
Pencil and acrylic on canvas.
By Prabhakara Jimmy Quek.

Acrylic paints is suitable for canvas, it could be painted on paper or board as well. Here is a small painting that I painted on paper. Hope you enjoy this work...please feel free to tell me how do you feel about this simple painting.

Here are 3 paintings that I have completed recently. I have wanted to paint simple object like paper folded crane and others for sometime. Two simple paintings:
Origami peace crane 1. Acrylic on canvas. By Prabhakara Jimmy Quek.
Origami peace crane 2. Acrylic on canvas. By Prabhakara Jimmy Quek.

The idea of below painting come from seeing two small flowers that my student used it for her painting. The intention of making this painting is to show how I could use common subjects to start a painting and then depart from there using art elements and abstract principles for the painting with personal approaches and feelings for that. Here is the painting:
Abstract 1. Acrylic on canvas. By Prabhakara Jimmy Quek.

Please let me know how you like them. Have a nice day!

I have completed a new painting. I love it. Tell me how you feel about it.
New Journey. 2011. 102 x 76 cm. Prabhakara Jimmy Quek.

I started aerial view paintings series since my first participation in "The discovery Art Exhibition" sponsored by Shell Companies in Singapore in 1987. My inspirations of these aerial view paintings come from pictures of aerial perspective and aerial landscape photos and from travel. My painting design is of expressionistic and abstract approaches. I explained and demonstrated how I do this aerial view painting to a student yesterday, I continued to complete the unfinished painting this morning.

Aerial View Painting by Prabhakara Jimmy Quek. Lessons available at: http://pabha.com/ArtClass

I have posted few aerial view paintings here before.

This painting was done by Pannajiva when he was 6 years old.
2 Pears 1 Orange. Pencil and watercolour on paper. By Pannajiva H Y Quek.

I am happy to receive a photo of my painting that is nicely displayed at an art lover's home. Thank you for sending me the photo. I love it. The title of the painting is Joyous Memory. The inspiration of this painting come from the wonderful experience and memory that I had at retreat in Malaysia.


Joyous Memory. 2010. Acrylic on canvas. Framed. Private collection.
By Prabhakare Jimmy Quek.

Chinese New Year Lion Dance Puppet. 2011. Acrylic on canvas panel.
By Prabhakara Jimmmy Quek.

Le Monde est beau. La toile est d'un format inhabituellement allonge. Des plages de couleur contrastees semblent flotter: petales en suspension ou precipite de lumiere. Cela evoque un improbable champ de fleurs, definitivement rebelle aux investigations botaniques. Mais de la juxtaposition de ces tons vifs resulte une vibration, une sorte de "mecanique jubilatoire", qui degage un sentiment de serenite et de joie.

L'oeuvre de Prabhakara Jimmy Quek est ainsi. Insoucieux de tout systeme descriptif, il n'a cure d'enumerer les caracteristiques de tel morceau de campagne. La plupart des pes peintres de la nature cherchent a en dresser le signalement, a en etablir L'exhaustif intentaire. Jimmy Quek est peut-etre peintre paysagiste, si l'on retient cette appellation pour qui voudrait reproduire les "paysages choisis de l'ame."

L'artiste ne vise pas l"imitation, l'illusion des sens, mais s'attache a transmettre l'emotion toute pure. Impossible defi de l'art de vouloir transcender le rapport des formes et des couleurs pour exprimer l'essence des etres et des choses!
Ce n'est possible qu'au prix d'une ascese, d'une lente epuration visant a eliminer toutes les scories, tous les bruits qui des l'enfance polluent notre vision.

Sitot qu'il apprend a dessiner, l'enfant cherche a expliquer ce qu'il voit. Sa representation du monde prend la forme d'une accumulation plus ou moins complexe, plus ou moins habilement agencee, de concepts. Ll expose un systeme.

Comment recouvrer la purete de notre vision originelle, celle du noveau-ne posant son premier regard sur le monde, avant que l'experience ne lui permette d'en interpreter les formes.

Certes, l'art abstrait, en s'eloignant de toute intention descriptive, rejoint la musique dans cette faculte de susciter d'emblee un etar affectif.

Aussi la peinture de Prabhakara est de nature abstraite meme s'il lui arrive d'utiliser des elements identifiables: la courbe d'une vaque, l'inflexion d'une branche, invoquees, plutot qu'evoquees. Cette vague, cette branche, rencontrees au cours de ses perigrinations, l'habitent parfois depuis des annees. Progressivement assimilees, elles font corps avec les emotions, les convictions de l'artiste.

Elles acquierent nature de symbole.

Profondement ancre dans sa foi bouddhiste, nourri d'une pratique de la meditation. l'oeuvre de Prabhakara Jimmy Quek communique une durable impression de paix. Peut=etre la contempler nous rend-elle meilleurs.

By Claude d'Anthenaise.
(English translation for the above at: http://pabha.com/PrabhakaraJimmyQuek/page15.html )

Mr Claude was Director of Alliance Francaise de Singapour in 1998. He wrote the above introduction for Jimmy's art catalogue when he had one-man exhibition at Alliance Francaise de Singapour.

If you wish to see more works, please visit www.pabha.com If you wish to read more writings about Jimmy and his art, please visit http://www.pabha.com/Page9.htm

I started this painting yesterday. I did a quick demonstration on how I would mix the colours for painting a pear, just to show a participant who took the improver painting session with me. She brought in 3 pears for her still life painting session yesterday. After the quick demonstration, she started to work on her painting. Later, I added another pear on the canvas so to complete the composition. I finally decided to complete the painting. Here is this unexpected arrival of a new painting - 2 pears.


2 Pears. 2010. Acrylic on canvas panel. By Prabhakara Jimmy Quek.

I rented a studio space at the Federation of Art Societies, Singapore soon after it was relocated at 10 Kampong Eunos. I think it was in year 1996. Inspired by what I saw from the corridor lobby outside my studio on the second floor of the building, I painted this painting.


Painting. 1996. Acrylic on canvas. By Prabhakara Jimmy Quek.

Waterfall 2010. Acrylic on canvas. 92 x 92 cm.
By Prabhakara Jimmy Quek. All Rights Reserved.

I have just painted this painting. Full Moon Night at Tampines St 22. You could see the feature structure of Griffiths Primary school at Tampines St 22 Signapore is depicted in the painting.


Full moon night at Tampines St 22. 2010. Acrylic on canvas. 6 x 6 inches.
By Jimmy Quek. All rights reserved.

Here is the painting Golden Showers, 100 x 120 cm, acrylic on canvas, on my easel.

Golden Showers. 2009. Acrylic on canvas. By Prabhakara Jimmy Quek.

I have finally completed this painting. I made changes on the lower areas a few times. Inspired by Kalamalka Lake, I painted this painting. Hope you enjoy this work.

Tranquil Lake. 2010. Acrylic on canvas. 92 x 92 cm.
By Prabhakara Jimmy Quek.

I have many paintings that were recorded in art publications. The latest publication that has two of my paintings printed in it is the Singapore Art Society Artists' Directory 1949-2009. Singapore Art Society was inaugurated in 1949 and it has 60 years of living and history in Singapore.

The President of Singapore Art Society Mr Khor Ean Ghee mentioned in his message that the works in the directory represent the spectrum of artwork in Singapore Art Society (SAS) including Chinese Calligraphy, Chinese Ink Painting, Oil, Acrylic, Watercolour, Mix Media, Sculptures and Ceramic. He is hoping that these featured works will encourage the younger generation of artists to exhibit and publish their works, and also help to promote the culture and appreciation of art in the country.

In the photo, the open page of the Singapore Art Society Artists' Directory 1949-2009, two of my paintings are printed on page 123. I am happy that the printing quality of the directory is quite well done. There are 234 selected works in full colour by 117 of the SAS members are featured in this directory.

Other art publications shown in the above photo are: Singapore Artists Speak, Change - 20 Singapore artists - A decade of their works, Singapore Art Society Artists' Directory and Nanyang 70 Years After - A Reunion of Artists in the Academy. I believe that one could find these books at reference section of Singapore National Library.

I started this painting sometimes ago but I felt that I was not able to resolve the lower portion of painting, so I put it one side. I took it out to solve the visual problems that I had earlier and I had resolved it this morning. I am pleased to share it with the world. You are welcome to tell me how you feel about this painting, I hope to hear from you.



Abstract Landscape. 2010.
Acrylic on canvas.
92 x 92 cm.
By Prabhakara Jimmy Quek.

Yellow Roses. 2010. Acrylic on canvas. 9 x 7 inches. By Prabhakara Jimmy Quek. All Rights Reserved.

I started to paint roses and other smaller painting last year to show my students how one could approach the subject. I painted a few roses paintings, that had been acquired by one of my student who had private lesson with me. Here is a rose painting that I painted this year.


Rose. 2010. Acrylic on canvas. 6 x 6 inches. By Jimmy Quek.
Coll: Private collection.

I came to know about Snakes and Ladders board game when I was in primary school. One can easily buy this game set from a bookshop or toyshop. I enjoyed playing this game when I was a child. but latter, when I grown older, I felt that this game lacks challenging and needs no playing skill, but still I liked the design of the game board, because it was colourful and it had pictures of snakes and ladders printed on the game board. Still it was nice and fun to play with younger children.

I painted these paintings with the idea of Snakes and Ladders game board in mind. I created my own game board in the painting. I enjoyed the concept of Snakes and Ladders of moving upward and falling downward. I felt it symbolizes good and bad situations or favorable and unfavorable conditions in life.

Recently, I came to know that Snakes and Ladders was originated in India as a game based on morality and that it has some degrees of similarity with what I have in mind when I painted the paintings.


Snakes and Ladders (Endless Game) 1999. Acrylic on canvas. 61 x 46 cm. By Prabhakara Jimmy Quek.
Game Board. 1998.
Acrylic on canvas. 76 x 76 cm.
By Prabhakara Jimmy Quek.






Snakes and Ladders. 1994.
97 x 97 cm. Acrylic on canvas.
By Prabhakara Jimmy Quek.

Here is another painting painted by me. The sea is a little busy. Hope you enjoy this one too.

Coastal Romance. Acrylic on canvas panel. 7 x 9 inches. By Prabhakara Jimmy Quek. All Rights Reserved.