Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 59 - SOLD

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 59
6x6 Oil on Panel
SOLD

This more detailed view of a shophouse is a great example of how ornate the moulding gets around some of these houses. They not only paint them in different, fun colors, but the moulding will show phoenix, vines, flowers, and more. As a painter, it can be a bit overwhelming, but I did have a lot of fun with this one showing that bit of detail.

Emerald Hill Series #2 - SOLD

"Emerald Hill #2"
24x36
Oil on Canvas
SOLD

This painting is one of five that I am doing for a private commission. Emerald Hill is this great little conservation area in the middle of the HUGE shopping district, Orchard Road. Luckily, I was able to finish this early in the week before other life things took over...

I've spent the better part of this week with a friend in the hospital here in Singapore. I'm totally not a natural care-taker - in fact, I'm a lot like a bull in a china shop when it comes to stuff like that. Nevertheless, none of us have family over here, and a lot of my friends aren't married, so they don't have a spouse to come and help them out, which is no fun. It wasn't anything sudden, she just had to go in for a fairly routine surgery, but it required staying overnight for two nights after.

If I have learned anything from this experience, it is that I definitely want someone with me if I ever have to go into the hospital abroad, especially Asia. Firstly, they are incredibly tight-fisted with pain medication over here. My friend came out of her surgery and they wanted to just give her Panadol (Tylenol) and Naproxen (Aleve). Seriously? She just came out of surgery, and you want to only give her Aleve?!?! I think the nurses are also less educated and empowered than the ones in the US. Quite often I've met nurses in the US that are way more on top of things than the doctors themselves. Not so much here. Every medicinal decision required direct negotiation with the doctor, and not just my friends regular surgeon, but the anesthesiologist. Is it like that in the US? In any case, luckily, her anesthesiologist was awesome, and made sure that she got the appropriate pain meds. It just took several hours of bullying the nurses before they were convinced to get her involved. Oh well, you live and learn!

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 58

Singapore Heritage Shophouse No. 58
6x6 Oil on Panel
Click Here to Purchase

I'm FINALLY back in the studio again, working on a four painting commission for someone here in Singapore. Oh how I have missed it! I have literally not picked up a paintbrush since Karin Jurick's workshop in late May. How awful is that? Unfortunately, sometimes we have to take care of things with life in order to be able to continue painting. Plus, I don't know about you all, but sometimes a forced break from painting makes me want to come back to it even more!

One of those things I have had focus my energy on was finding a new apartment. If I were in the US, this would kind of be a fun adventure. There are a lot of resources, realtors must be licensed, etc. Not so much here in Singapore. It has been pretty difficult to find a two bedroom over 800 sq.ft. On top of that, they manage to chop up all the usable room into something totally unusable. For example, one of the "two bedrooms" we viewed had a second bedroom that was literally 4'x5'. I looked the agent straight in the eye, and I said "Where is the 2nd bedroom?" "Right there lah!" He said. I just looked at him like he had lost his marbles. On the plus side, that unit did have a fantastic balcony. Ha. So, needless to say, it has been a bit difficult to find a place closer in to town that can also have a second bedroom big enough for me to lie down in - much less have as a studio!