Illustration Friday and other ramblings

'Caged' - watercolour copyright Caroline Soer 2010

This week's Illustration Friday word is Caged. Here are a couple of caged, but hopefully, contented chickens from my sketchbook. Just a swift little illustration this week as I've been thinking about a few new projects (and yes, that includes the elusive website, but no, there's nothing to show yet!). Scroll down to see something else I'm adding to my list of must do's!


I've just received my little blue book for the Sketchbook Project! Are you taking part? If you're not familiar with this fun project click on the image below to find out all about it. There's still time to sign up, but be quick as themes are filling up fast!



My chosen theme is 'In Flight' and I'm thinking of filling the book with lots of birds and insects and other flighty things! I'm looking forward to sharing my sketches with you as I progress through the book.




I hovered over my desk to give you a bird's eye view of what's on there today! The usual painting paraphernalia, the new sketchbook of course and two new little chinese calligraphy items I bought yesterday. See the handy little paintbrush rest?

Every artist should have one!

and this is a tiny little water dispenser in the shape of a teapot. You fill the small hole in the top, cover with your finger and then tip to pour out water drop by drop! Meant for mixing chinese ink but couldn't resist this - so cute!




So many beautiful little examples in this youtube video - I feel a collection coming on!


Oh and if you're still with me after all this rambling, well done, you deserve a bit of light entertainment! I'd just like to return briefly to the subject of 'in flight' to share a link to the NewYork Times and Christoph Niemann's hilarious 'Red Eye - A visual diary documenting a flight from New York to Berlin (with a layover in London)'' which will no doubt be familiar to many of you who travel long haul! Enjoy!

Chinese Lion Dance

Here are some photos from the Chinese Lion Dance we saw this weekend at our local Chinese supermarket. We've seen numerous lion dances during our years in Hong Kong and Singapore, but this was the first acrobatic display we've come across. It was a riot of colour and sound, a lot of fun and well worth watching.

Traditionally, the lion dance, which is believed to usher good fortune, as well as ward off evil spirits is performed at Chinese New Year as well as for business launches and the welcoming of dignatories. Legend has it that in the early Ming Dynasty, an evil beast would appear every year at the Foshan area of Guangdong Province. The tormented citizens retaliated by making lions shaped with the bamboo and painting them in brilliant colours. They danced with the lions to the beat of gongs and drums, to scare off the beast.










The lion dance calls for the perfect co-ordination, agility and nerves of steel of two dancers. The first controls the head and determines the movements, while the second dancer, who acts as the body, must work in tandem with him.














The lion's head, which is usually constructed of papier mache and bamboo, complete with eyes that blink and a mouth that snaps, is brilliantly adorned with colourful patterns,fur and glitter and can weigh up to 15kg. A considerably heavy burden to hold aloft while moving vigorously, leaping from pole to pole many feet off the ground! Quite scary to watch too!















Enticed with gifts - usually ang pow (money in red packets) attached to a vegetable - the dancers try to get these gifts, making it look as though the lion devours them. The lions toss oranges from the basket for onlookers to catch. The children love it! The dance is commonly performed to the beat of the tagu (Chinese drum) and gong, accompanied by the clanging of cymbals.

Mandarins

A page from my sketchbook for Chinese New Year - sweet, juicy Mandarin oranges (click to enlarge) .

Chinese New Year

It's almost Chinese New Year! Say goodbye to the Year of the Rat - this one will be the Year of the Ox.

I thought I'd share a few photos of the decorations, goodies to buy and amazing craftsmanship I've spotted around KL recently.

Boxes of yummy things!

Thought the boxes were really pretty, so just had to take a couple of close-ups too!

Festive Chinese lanterns.

Amazing pictures painted on the inside of glass!

Bamboo plants fashioned into pineapples! If you look closely you'll see a smaller one inside the large plant!


This lady makes beautiful cloisonne zodiac pictures.

I bought a little book containing 12 traditional papercuts representing the Chinese zodiac signs - pictured here are the Rat, Ox, Rooster and Snake. So intricate - wish I had such patience!



My zodiac sign is Goat! Want to find out what yours is? Click here


If you are interested you can find out more about Chinese New Year, its origins and traditions here and here.

'Kung Hei Fat Choy'/'Gong Xi Fa Cai'! Happy New Year!