Thursday, April 19, 2007

Philosophy Behind This Site

I abandoned my love for watercolour painting and art in general when I was asked to choose between my love for art and the practicality of pursuing art as a career more than two and a half decade ago.

At that time, professional artists were unheard of and the few who survived thrived on various jobs to keep their passion sufficiently ignited for them to pursue the uncertain career as an artist.

It was a tough life then, and as a youth fresh out of school, I had to decide between passion and practicality. I chose the latter and landed a job in the mainstream career. The day I decided to part ways with art, I folded my entire watercolour set and floated them downriver. I remembered having said that should our paths cross again, I will take it up once more.

Three years ago, the destined happened when I met Tang Tuck Kan who taught art at the Petronas Art Gallery during one of its class-art sessions. Here I got to know watercolour again, this time from a professional artist who had a wealth of experience as a teacher of artists and a prominent artist himself. He was my first art master.

Thereon, as my pursuit of this wonderful medium progressed, I met quite a number of prominent watercolourists as well. As I got to know some of them, I also realised that their life had not been as different as those who came before them. I would have been one of them had I chose the harder career path as they did.

It then dawned on me that having chosen the current profession, I am now in a better position to assist them. What little computer knowledge that I have, I have decided to put to good use to help also promote the aqua medium.

This site started as a blog many years ago. Today, it has assumed its position as a website. I decided to use a blogging software as a web content management system for its archiving and posting engine would come handy for a site like this. And with these, I hope to lend a helping hand where I can to Malaysian watercolourists.

I hope you will enjoy reaidng through this site. It will be an online magazine of sorts - if I may be ambitious enough to call it such.

Primarily, it is set up to document my progress as a watercolourist, promote works of other watercolourists, and maybe, serve to document the progress of Malaysian watercolour works.

If you like the things that have been written here, let me know. If not, also let me know so that this site can be improved.

If you are a watercolour artist, welcome, too. Let me know if I can write about you.

If you are a watercolour lover, let me know, too. We can certainly exchange notes on this wonderful medium.

If you are a gallery owner, let me know as well if I can be of any assistance so that you can in return assist our local watercolourists.

If you are just a blogger, and watercolour is one of your interests, share it with us.

Thank you.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

First for me here and i was impressed with your contributions to issues on the arts,as an artist i believe more people like you should will do arts and artists alike a whole lot of good,especially in the appreciation on this subject,makes artists feel appreciated and existing always,thank you.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for postings on issues relating to arts that should be encouraged throughout our communities where most lacked support in,letting art be known widely will encourage more awareness and support to all fellow artists and art-lovers alike,thank you.

-whatsart- said...

Great effort... thanks for keeping the local art dialogue open...