People on the MRT Taipei, Dec 3-7, 2018

The girl with bright red lipstick caught my attention as soon as I got on the train. She wasn't good looking, to be honest, but she has the attitude to tell the world that she dares to put the color on her no matter what. 

The man in the last picture was so drunk that he struggled to stay awake. 

 

People on the MRT

 I started a new job a couple of weeks ago here in Taipei. It's been a long while since I commuted to work. Last time I took a train to work was back in 2014- the year I found Urban sketchers. I remember taking a pocket-sized Moleskine watercolour sketchbook and a fine felt pen with me (I hadn't started using fountain pens then). Now I use a cheap notepad made with recycled paper and a black crayon to sketch people on my way to work.

I learnt about this Korean black crayon from a fellow USK Taipei sketcher. He breaks the crayon into smaller pieces so he could use the tip as well as the side to create various texture.

 With cheap materials, I don't worry about making errors or people getting off before I finish a sketch. I just turn the page over and draw another person. People watching and sketching definitely makes my way to work and back much more enjoyable.

A young tea farmer

James and I took a day trip to Maokong, Taipei this Saturday. Maokong is a small town on one of the hills surrounding Taipei. It is famous for tea farms and tea factories. Or it was. More recently it is a touristy destination at the end of a MAT gondola line. Nowadays you walk out of the gondola station you still see some tea farms on the slope. Unfortunately you will see more fancy modern tea houses that sells coffee, bread and cakes with blasting western music.

I was a bit disappointed while walking around Maokong. It wasn't as quiet as I pictured it. James and I decided to take a trail downhills to get to another MRT station. That's when we saw this young tea farmer. The walking trail is the old path which farmers used to deliver tea to the city and its harbour. Now only old people walk on it for exercise and a few tourists take it to escape the noise in the town. The tea farmer was planting some young tea trees quietly in the afternoon sun and I stopped to sketch him. After a few moments, he invited us in for some tea. I thought he is running a tea house like all the other business people in the town but he isn't. His house is right next to the farm and there is where he studies and makes tea.

The tea farmer told us that the house and the tea making factory in the basement belonged to his grandfather. After his grandfather passed away 4 years ago, he quit his job at a biotech company and took over the family business. He is a certified tea tasting expert and runs occasional workshops to teach people how tea is made and how to taste tea. We ended up staying at his charming house for the whole afternoon and visited his tea making factory. Of course we tasted some nice tea there, too. It was such an unexpected experience. If I weren't an Urban Sketcher and didn't stop for a quick sketch, I wouldn't have had the chance to meet such an incredible young person. Don't you agree?

Taiwan Plein Air Festival 2018

  

It was the National Plein Air Festival here in Taiwan.  The more formal outings were held in bigger cities but from the official Facebook page I could see there were also some small get-togethers in various towns. 

I joined the huge group of sketchers in Ximen Ding in Taipei. It's a district famous for old buildings as well as modern shopping streets. A place for the old and the new, just like the sketchers I saw that day. There were many professional artists doing plein-air painting demonstration as well as young children sitting on the ground drawing with crayons. 

I definitely enjoyed sketching and chatting with passersby, but I probably spent more energy examining all the interesting gear made by other sketchers. Here is a sketcher who uses a metal stand from a steaming pot to support her easel.  Below is a plein air painting box made by a couple who were just not happy with what they could find on the market. The plastic board is light-weight, affordable and easy to manipulate. They attached a rod (dissembled from a camera tripod) to the bottom of the box and just pull it up when they need to use it.  The custom-made box can store everything they need for painting outdoors in it, including a stool. 

So who wouldn't like going on a painting/sketching festival? You get to sketch, chat and see all the creative ideas in action. Just fun, fun, fun!

Tuesday Sketching- 大稻埕

The 'Tuesday Sketching' group met at Da Dao Cheng, Taipei, today. Most people sketched the buildings. I decided to walk down the street a bit to sketch the famous temple: Xia Hai Chenghuang Temple. It's a praying site visited often by young people, especially young single women. In the temple there is a match-making god, whose job is like Cupid. According to the temple's record, every year more than 3000 people found their Mr. or Mrs. Right after they visited the temple.

I omitted quite a lot of buildings and structures in this sketch. I found sketching street scenes in Taipei is quite overwhelming. There are always cars and scooters in the scene; the colours of the buildings are usually a bit dull due to humidity; and there are so many buildings and structures to make the scene complicated. While sharing my reflection with another urban sketcher, who is also an art teacher, he said if I can make a good urban sketch in Taiwan, I will be able to make any street in the world pretty.

I didn't get to participate in the 2018 AsiaWalk but quite a few foreign urban sketchers joined us today after they finished the event in Taichung. Some of them are from Australia! It was nice to chat with them and see their sketches. I also learnt that art supplies such as Handbook sketchbooks are pricey in Australia. Hmm, I have to remember to pack as many art supplies as possible before heading Downunder.

A bit too funky

I was running late for the life drawing session. By the time I arrived at the studio, the session already started. I was quite taken back when seeing the model. She was wearing puffy white mittens and a dog-shaped shoulder bag. I think she was trying to be a cute kitten or something like that- a fairly common imitation seen among young girls in Taiwan and Japan.

I have to say the bag and the pose threw me off a bit. Although I didn't feel so while painting the model, I think the end result looks like a porn poster.

Again I was trying to apply what I learnt from watching Charles Reid's DVD. I put down some colours next to the model's head to show the white mitten. It's a trick I saw in the DVD but James doesn't like the arrangement. He finds the line too distracting. I personally quite like it, although I could have made the value lighter.  Guess this painting isn't gonna see too much day light from now on.

Life drawing is fun

 

Last time I attended a life drawing session at an art supply shop. I wouldn't say the other participants are all amateurs but I was sure there wasn't an art teacher in charge. Today's drawing session was held at a proper art school/studio, where an art teacher teaches, draws and paints, and many students study and draw and paint with him. To be honest, I was a bit nervous before I picked up the pencil. I walked in and saw all these people looking experienced but I didn't even know how to set up the easel! Once I started observing the model, I soon relaxed and forgot about the people around me. I did, however, try to remember what Charles Reid does in the DVD I watched. I couldn't get everything right just like Mr. Reid but I certainly had fun like what he described about life drawing.

Bonus? The host teacher, who happened to set up his easel behind me, gave me some nice feedback. He was surprised to hear that this was only my second life drawing session and I have never had formal training in drawing and painting. Ha, I hope the teacher wasn't just saying it because he would like me to keep going back to his studio :) 

The Little White House- a community shed

I set myself on a mission of investigating what is in the neighbourhood after we moved to Taipei. Every time when I am out running errands, I take a lane or alley that I haven't explored as long as it takes me to my destination. A couple of weeks ago I came across a small workshop-looking place full of woodworking tools. The people there on the day told me that the place is called The Little White House. It's a community shed, where local residents go and hang out while working on projects such as soap making with recycled oil, glass cutting and woodworking.

Sep 30, 2018 James doing woodwork at the community shed

All the tools and materials at the shed are donated by locals and everything is accessible to the public. A volunteer or teacher will be there for the project/workshop of the session and he or she will assess if the user is demonstrating knowledge of care and safety. 

I thought the idea is great and very similar to the Men's Shed in Melbourne, except the Men's Shed is really just for men. Living in an apartment means James can't set up a proper woodworking bench or using big cutting machines. At the Little White House he can have access to many tools and a space to work on his project. He definitely had a ball at the Little White House today while making a wooden tablet stand. 

San Diao Ling, Taiwan

I found the group of 'Tuesday Sketching' on the group facebook page of USK Taipei. The introvert me would never have had the courage to ask a group of strangers if I could tag along with them for a sketch outing. But urban sketching has changed me (or I am willing to change when it comes to sketching?!) and USK Seattle sketchers taught me that following a group of local sketchers is the best way to know a city. So, I asked on the facebook page and someone replied.

'Tuesday Sketching' is a group of sketchers who met on USK Taipei's outings in the past. They wanted to have more opportunities to sketch and meet with each other so took initiatives to form a subgroup and members meet every Tuesday. They don't have a facebook page. The only social media they use is a Messenger group. Once you participate in their sketch outings for three times, you can ask to join their Messenger group and find out where and when they are meeting.

I thought it was a bit secretive and exclusive because there was no way for me to find out where the group was meeting. I only found out about this group by reading the posts on USK Taipei and stumbled on someone's post with hashtag 週二畫畫. Most of the members are friends or classmates of the existing members. I had no connections with any of the members and that fact sort of surprised them when I turned up :)

This Tuesday I went with the group to sketch at San Diao Ling, a tiny town located in Geelong. San Diao Ling used to be a mining town so many trains would stop here to collect and deliver mining related goods. Since the mines closed, the town is dying. I was told that the only local primary school got closed a while ago and the youngest person in the town is in her 40s. Now the town sits quietly next to the train line, waiting for tourists to pay her some attention.

I sketched the structure of an abandoned suspension bridge, which was used for wheelbarrows carrying coal. It's now surrounded by some houses used as airbnb. I wonder what the structure looks like inside the houses.

On the way back I sketched the couple sitting across from me. I thought about putting on some colours after getting home but decided to leave it as the way it is.

NTU Sports Centre

On Sunday James decided to try out the indoor swimming pool at National Taiwan University, which is pretty close to our apartment. I don't like swimming much but decided to tag along.

The sports centre at NTU was surely busy. There were various classes in session, including flamenco dance, ballroom dance, table tennis, Squash...and so on. I heard loud yelling as soon as I went into the building, so I followed the sound to find out what was happening after James went into the pool. It was Kendo in action! I have only seen Kendo in Japanese comic books and didn't know players have to yell throughout a game. Kendo looked fun but I prefer to watch on the side instead of being hit with a bamboo stick.

Gong Guan Riverside Park

Have you ever felt that some days you just have to get out of the house? Today was one of those days for me. It has been raining since we moved to Taipei. At first it was just afternoon thunderstorms and then it turned into heavy rain for a few days. Finally, today the sun came out and stayed, with nice breezes.

I spent my day sketching at Chang Kai Shek Memorial Hall before heading back home to finish some chores. After James came home from his Mandarin class, I dragged him out to have a walk along the riverside park nearby. Reluctantly, James gathered his fishing gear and came with me. While he was looking for a fishing spot down by the river, I sketched the people who probably also wanted to enjoy the dry evening out here.

Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall

Last time when I visited the Memorial Hall I was a primary school student, I think. After getting my renewed Taiwanese passport at the Bureau of Consular Affairs, I took a short walk over to see if the Memorial Hall has changed. If anything, the Hall feels much smaller. Even the main plaza seems smaller than I remembered.


While waiting for my passport, I tried out Carol Hsiung's technique of drawing. I stumped upon Carol's flickr page a few weeks ago and really like the way she leaves blank for views to fill in. It was a bit like doodling when I tried it today but nonetheless a fun way to draw.

My new neighbourhood

This is my new neighbourhood in Taipei. No, I didn't get the hair color wrong, and yes, the woman at the back is wearing a hijab.

When I moved to Australia in 2007, it wasn't common to see foreigners in Taiwan. Perhaps some in Taipei but definitely not that many in the rest of Taiwan. Now foreign faces are everywhere in Taipei and even in my hometown Tainan I see many western faces hanging out like locals.

On my way home I saw this scene and had to stop to sketch it. The little boy is wearing a uniform vest from a local kinder. It seems a great snapshot which captures the diversity of people in Taipei.

On a familiar land

Aug 20,2018@ 光華電子商場， Taipei.

After our 11-week-long road trip, James and I finally bid our goodbye to the US and flew to Taiwan. We spent a week in Tainan with my family and are now settling in the capital, Taipei. 

I grew up in Tainan and very rarely visited Taipei even though I do have some relatives in this big city. It is now a even bigger, more modern city than I remembered. 

We went to Guang Hua electronic plaza the other day and there I saw something familiar. Although a fancy tall skyscraper is nearby, the electronic shops stay in the narrow lane where they have stood for decades. It was about 33 degrees (Celsius) when I sketched this scene. It wasn't the most comfortable weather but I do appreciate the familiar heat. I am on a familiar land for a new adventure.

Tagging along- USK Tainan sketch outing

The USK Tainan sketch outing usually last for 4 hours. I'm not sure why but that's just the way it is. It's a bit too long for me. Last time I arrived on time but nobody turned up till later. By the time I finished sketching it was way before the throw-down. Therefore I didn't meet anyone. This time I arrived later but I missed out the introduction so I still didn't get to meet anyone.
It doesn't bother me though. Although I miss how I mingled with my fellow sketchers from USK Seattle, I'm usually content to just sketch on my own. That was what I did today. After walking around the location, I chose a spot where I could see the icon building where USK Tainan chose to meet as well as some sketchers in action.

This house is 80 years old and was turned into a small cafe/ cultural hub from an old hardware store. The couple who leased the house from the original owners kept all the interior so the house has become a popular Instagram spot.

It took me about 90 minutes to complete the sketch but it was still more than an hour till the final throw-down. Instead of waiting for the throw-down, I walked around to look over the other sketchers' shoulders. A silent tag-along sketch outing I had today.

Childhood memories of the big modern city

My godfather and godmother, who are also my uncle and aunt, live in Taipei. As a child, they were the 'modern' relatives from the far far away big city. In fact, Taipei is only 4 hours drive from my home town, Tainan. It only takes 1.5 hours on the High Speed Rail nowadays.

When James came to visit me last week, we decided to spend some time in Taipei like backpackers. He had only been there once more than 10 years ago and I hadn't visited it for more than 20 years! It was also a good chance for James to meet my godparents and cousins.

On the evening of our visit, my godfather told James about the mountains and rivers in and around Taipei. He took us to Shin Shan Moon Lake near his house. It was a spot where my cousins took me to see fireflies in summer. The lake, which is more like a pond in comparison to real lakes, hasn't changed much. It was fun showing James my childhood memories on location.

Home away from home

I'm home, but not at home. I'm staying with my family in my hometown while James is finishing up his work in the US. My sister needed me to look after my nephew till he can get a spot in the day care so my holiday extended without James. A tricky situation.

It's the first time in 10 years since I spent such a long time in Taiwan. Things are familiar yet strange at the same time. I visited the elementary school where I taught 11 years ago. The campus looks almost identical but the names on posters and display mean nothing to me. I did this sketch in a lovely corner on the campus. Even though many things at this school have changed, the sculpture and the beautiful spring flowers remain the same.

I also tried to go to a sketch outing hosted by USK Tainan. The way they organize outings is a bit different from what I'm familiar with. I guess that was why I missed them. In the end I made it my own sketch outing and walked around the location with my sketch kit. Looking at the city where I grew up as an urban sketcher is something I don't know how to describe, especially it's been so long since I left. While I was sketching, I started to remember the warmth, the spring breeze and the noise in this old southern city. Without urban sketching, I don't think I'd be able to have this profound feeling.

Tree trimming workers in Tainan, Taiwan

The Book of Mormon

One of the great things about urban sketching is I get to hear various experiences from the people around me. May they be fellow sketchers or your models, they always tell me (intentionally or unintentionally) something I didn't know.

The musicians in my neighbourhood shared a bit about what they did last weekend while setting up their musical instruments. One of them mentioned that he went to see 'The Book of Mormon'. I didn't know it has been on in San Francisco. I heard about this play long time ago but never got a chance to see it. It was on while James and I were travelling in London and in New York but the tickets were either too expensive or sold out on the day we had time. 

I looked up the show time after the music session and there, only 4 tickets left with reasonable price - in the prime orchestra area! So we went to see the play last night and it was indeed well worth its reputation. Photos and recording is prohibited but hey, no one said sketching is not allowed. Therefore I did a quick sketch during the interval.

By the way, the sketch was done in a handmade sketchbook. James bought some Strathmore drawing pads when they were on sale. As they are made of heavy drawing paper (130g), I figured they would be able to take some light wash. I used Prima watersoluble oil pastel for the black stage. I think the paper responded well to it as well.

Musicians In The Neighbourhood 5

Hilary getting her bassoon ready

It's been a while since I went to my neighbour's place to sketch her music session with her friends. I finally wrapped up my temporary nanny job and I was so glad to be able to attend their session before I leave for Taiwan.

It's always good to sketch people playing music as they move but not fast. They also go back to the same position quite often for me to finish a sketch. The problem with Karen's group is they are not strangers and I get more caught up with capturing their resemblance. Oh well, still good practice though.

 Usually I just sketch quietly on the side. Today Hilary (the bassoonist) suggested that they should stand up for me so I could capture them playing flutes. It was new for us but pretty fun.

This might be my last sketch of the musicians in the neighbourhood, at least for a while. I'm heading back to Taiwan with James this Sunday for Chinese New Year with my family. While James will return in 2 weeks, I'm gonna spend a long holiday there to be with my nephew.