Day 17

Workshop: Visualizing Impression
Date: 28 December 2008
Time: 10-11am
Participants: Chin Yi Ton, Hee Li Jie, Lai Shu Wei, Lai Wei Shen, Lim Jun Hong, Saw Khe Xin, Wong Kah Lok, Wong Kai Wei

Details: Observation and analytic skill are important in the process of learning, the ability to see probabilities and possibilities assists in problem solving. This workshop provides exercises that we believe do such so, the participants will be trained to expand their imagination, to foresee and to be analytic. Construction of images based on 'impression' obtained through observation and memory, to this we named Visualizing Impression.

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'Draw what you have seen during the journey from your house to here.' This was the first sentence, and the participants started to trace back their memories.

I expected trees, cars, roads etc. Those were definite, I just hoped I got some cars or trees specifically drawn, can be in simple graphic form but has a characteristic that would also represent the real object observed during the journey, but I got none of those. I got the 'generally accepted'/universal graphic renderings of cars, of trees, of roads, of traffic lights and so on. No detail at all.

I moved on showing pixelated and blurred pictures as below:

Guess it.

George Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (1884), a classic example of pointillism.

So what's this?

Pixel rendition of Evening in Venice by Monet.

...I then asked them to imagine what's the original image without the filters. The response from this exercise sounded better than the former.

The next exercise consumed the most time, as they needed to watch short films/videos where I would interfere (pause) and the participants would have to imagine the next frame, sort of like a comic game, thinking about the following occurrences.

The list of short films/videos shown (click url to watch):

1) Is A Woman (music video)

music by Lambchop, directed by Shynola

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jfaqxcuebs
Pause while the leaves were traveling in group - Question asked: Where do you think the leaves are heading to? Draw it out. Meanwhile consider the previously observed environments, weather and season.

2) Superflat Monogram (commercial)
from Louis Vuitton, directed by Takashi Murakami
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C84FLwm3DA

Pause while the girl is entering another world - Question asked: Imagine and draw the world she and her handphone enter.

3) Bad Eggs (animation)

by Zax Inc.

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG4coPHkTmQ

Pause before the last egg hatches - Question asked: Draw what's inside the egg. Consider the context and think about reasons on why the last 'bad egg' doesn't hatch earlier with the other two.

4) Grrr (commercial)

from Honda, directed by Adam Foulkes & Alan Smith

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puGvk1RgmrE

Watch the entire video without pausing - Questions asked:
- How many chickens did you see?

- How many candles did you see on top of the cup made 'cake'?

- Describe the 10 ways as shown in the video, on how the engine being crushed and destroyed, if possible say it in sequence.

- Draw 3 flowers seen in the video.

Also in the dvd I have Tim Burton's first short and Björk's Wanderlust, but time didn't allow me to show them. I thought the videos are interesting still, show if any of you would like to watch them, just click!

I continued the videos after they drew what's in their mind. Though I skipped this for 'Bad Eggs' which made them a little upset and kept begging me to tell the actual 'thing' inside the egg, this was funny. I told them what's in the egg was what they drew and for those who weren't satisfied with such ludicrous answer, I asked them to dream about it at night.

Still they went back with a lot of noise calling me the bad guy. :D
Well, if any of the participants read this, click the url and watch it here then. Good luck.

*Projek Semai has no affiliation with any of the above directors/image makers/singers who created/produced the short films/videos. The film works were picked simply because we believed it has the value of creating suspense and triggers the children's imagination, where it would be of good use in this workshop.

Day 16 (Cézanne's Play-replacement)

Workshop: Cézanne's Play (replacement)
Date: 27 December 2008
Time: 12.30-1.30pm
Participants: Chong Jun Kiat, Lai Shu Wei, Lai Wei Shen, Lennon Ng, Ng Sin-Ee
Details: The idea of Cézanne's Play derived from the 'form-oriented' approach of Paul Cézanne on the use of geometric shapes while visualizing the natural form. This truly physical activity of perceiving forms assists the participants in drawing/painting. Also from the very basic geometric shapes (cone, cube, cylinder, sphere), how can the participants imagine and rationally add in details to make each shape an object of particular interest in life. Other than the very act of seeing 2-D visuals in planar abstraction, we are also interested in the experimental Sensorimotor stage as suggested in Piaget's 4 Stages Mental Development, in which other than 'sight', touch is also an integral part of the learning process. The participants will also learn how to visualize through touching shapes, and mentally conjure up an object with details manifested by the shapes. Such were the physical ways of learning art.

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Being content with the previous Cézanne's Play session, I'd hope today another obedient batch. But some of the participants were rather ignorant and there was a juvenile fray where three were involved, eventually brought up to this one hour lesson, or somehow culminated here, hence the obedience I was hoping for was left to be indulged.

Immature yet uncompromising throwing and thrusting of words continued throughout the entire session - set a negative lot for themselves.

Same thing again, first I introduced the principle of lever and its application in layouts and conducted a simple drawing exercise where compositional balance was of utmost important. Then I got them into drawing three lines and that three lines had to be implemented in a scenery based on the structure formed. Later, three shapes (triangle, square & circle) - whether shape in a shape, overlap, separate etc - in any way, any size, therein form a still life picture or imaginatively carve a group of random objects.

Showing them the famous The Reverend Robert Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch aka Skating Minister (1784) by Sir Henry Raeburn. A visually direct example for me to explain the idea of lever, at the same time pointing out the focus point on the face as load and the leg on the left as effort that holds the entire balance of the picture and the person itself, and the standing leg as fulcrum.

Participants were asked to compose a visual composition with lines and dots varied in size, blackness and thickness.

The 3-line method can be useful if you are running out of ideas in composition.

Some might find it difficult; clearer explanations with lots of patience should do.

After the all too planar drawings, we arrived to more sensational exercises - aforementioned in the details of the workshop, playing with shadows and the sense of touch.

Not a guessing game, but rather they have to think about a plethora of possibilities signified by the shape(s) silhouetted before the light source, as the pictures below:

What can this shape be?

Marilah kita berwayang-kulit.

What's this? A deer or some horned antagonists of the Hindu epics?

Then it's time to get your fingers wantonly sensible:

They have to draw out what they have touched in the black bag. By touching the shapes, they have to imagine and visualize the details.

Ever wonder what's inside?

A physical exercise - visualizing through touch.

The workshop got better when they have such fun. But the exchange of scorn persisted till end while I nagged tediously, and such a mundane cacophony too - till end.

Something Sweet

We found a sun in our inbox lately and thought of sharing it to all the participants and readers:

' Sun With U All '
(from a very nice person named Chik Ying)

Thanks again.

Stop Motion cancelled

Stop Motion workshop was cancelled due to the poor response in participation. Unfortunately, no video/short film/time-based medium work will be produced in this Projek Semai.

the Puzzle and the Gate

Puzzle Painting:

23 Dec 08 - I went to the nursery getting the Puzzle Painting's participants to refine their own puzzle. Finished touching-up with crayons, getting them signing their names and the last thing to do was to apply a thin layer of clear spray. Some of them insisted this to be on the net, so here it is (click to enlarge):

Many thanks to the very young enthusiastic artists (in alphabetical order): 升 aka Chan Yun Sheng, 俊杰 aka Chong Jun Kiat, 轩 aka Lai Ming Xuan, 宏 aka Lim Jun Hong and Wolise aka Wong Kai Wei for such an amazing job, even till the last day! Drop some comments!

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Designing Life:

23 & 24 Dec 08 - The participants are getting impatient...but hey, the gate is almost done. Here are some shots:

Their concept? Jungle as a labyrinth of knowledge, of cultivation and of nature and life. Drop some comments!

Day 10

Workshop: Cézanne's Play
Date: 21 December 2008
Time: 10-11am & 11.30am-12.30pm
Participants: Chan Sze Qi, Chan Yun Sheng, Hee Li Jie, Lim Jun Hong & Chin Yi Ton, Saw Khe Xin, Wong Kah Lok, Annabelle Yap Li Xing
Details: The idea of Cézanne's Play derived from the 'form-oriented' approach of Paul Cézanne on the use of geometric shapes while visualizing the natural form. This truly physical activity of perceiving forms assists the participants in drawing/painting. Also from the very basic geometric shapes (cone, cube, cylinder, sphere), how can the participants imagine and rationally add in details to make each shape an object of particular interest in life. Other than the very act of seeing 2-D visuals in planar abstraction, we are also interested in the experimental Sensorimotor stage as suggested in Piaget's 4 Stages Mental Development, in which other than 'sight', touch is also an integral part of the learning process. The participants will also learn how to visualize through touching shapes, and mentally conjure up an object with details manifested by the shapes. Such were the physical ways of learning art.

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"Give me a place to stand and with a lever I will move the whole world."
- Archimedes

The principle of lever was introduced in this workshop, to get the participants to consider the relation between fulcrum - load - effort while constructing a balance/imbalance composition. It may sound too difficult for the participants, don't you think so? I thought so. But through examples, where I first explained, and later got them into showing me which was fulcrum, load or effort, they got it correct. Examples shown were significant compositional paintings like those of De Stijl, James McNeill Whistler, and Barnett Newman.

I got them drawing compositions utilizing shapes, lines, dots and the principle of lever for a while before we got into the 3-dimensional exercises playing with shadows and touch. It ended up in zest and the participants especially the younger one were very participative.

There will be a replacement of this workshop on 27 Dec 08, pictures will not be exposed until that day.

"The problem of a painting is physical and metaphysical, the same as I think life is physical and metaphysical."
- Barnett Newman

Day 09 (Puzzle Painting)

Workshop: Puzzle Painting (forth/last day)
Date: 20 December 2008
Time: 5-6.30pm
Participants: Chan Yun Sheng, Chong Jun Kiat, Lai Ming Xuan, Lim Jun Hong, Wong Kai Wei
Details: Puzzle Painting hopes to spice up the participants' creativity by asking questions - simple questions. To paint a puzzle, is to paint fragmented stories, whereby those fragments or anecdotes, can be integrated into a bigger or a more holistic story/scene. Unlike painting only a scene on a paper, this workshop manages to trigger the participants' creative thinking, to have them visualize what's beyond the paper, and what's next.

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Woosh-woosh! The last day to complete the puzzle.

The progression was alright. Effort spent...and being overly excited with water-based medium wasn't exactly a good thing - the mess at the end of the workshop, you know...

I hope all the participants still remember what they have learnt on the first two days. No more nagging, and here are the pictures:

Almost done.

Full concentration.

Getting busy.

Kai Wei requested me to take a picture of her with the puzzle before leaving, her brother Kah Lok on the left.

Can you recognize this animal?

Kai Wei enjoyed mixing different colours and nearly forgot about her task.

Ming Xuan told me that he saw eyes on the floor. I was a little worried at the beginning until he pointed this to me. That can be an art too - to see things around as something else, to imagine from simple shapes. (Those were the paint on the floor by accident if you wonder)

This group of participants was so egocentric that each of them (only the guys) wanted this cup of water to turn into the colour that they were painting with. They called it 'the World' because I made a necessity to put this cup at the center so that everybody can reach it. So the fights came when 'the World' changed its colour. It is a performative, interactive art that they were doing, despite unintentional.

According to the Theory of Cognitive Development by Jean Piaget, children around age of 7 are egocentric as they thought everybody thinks alike themselves. Don't you think these kids are just full of surprises?

Yup, the completed puzzle. Come and visit us during the exhibition for a clearer and closer view.

Aftermath of the 'World War of Colour'.

After the exhausting cleaning of the fast-drying acrylic, I packed and went back home around this time;

Some thoughts of mine:
The result might not be as interesting as the process (they might be too young to know how to control water-based medium), interestingly, if you get to witness their excitements; of how they enjoyed mixing colours (without knowing that they were actually wasting my acrylic - oh well), of how they created the mess, of how they learnt to paint water-based medium, of how they saw 'opportunities' to make fun/play with in almost every minute during the workshop, of how they argued with each other, of how impatient were them - this puzzle is nothing but the result, the documentation of all those brilliant 'performances'. And those 'performances' were important as those were part of their juvenile artistic learning process.

Day 09 (Documenting Mistakes-replacement)

Workshop: Documenting Mistakes (replacement)
Date: 20 December 2008
Time: 2.15-3.15pm
Participants: Lennon Ng
Details: Documenting Mistakes will train the participants to accept mistakes, to see it as an opportunity to learn, to see it as part of the overall documentation of the art like in Jackson Pollock's paintings or to see it as part of the art itself. This helps not just in specifically art subject, but also in real life - to shape a positive independent attitude towards conflicts, failures and mistakes.

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Supposingly, this workshop will be conducted on 29 Dec 08 (Monday). This student can't make it on most Sundays and Mondays hence an earlier replacement for him. Details will not be posted until 29.

Sneak peek:

You guess it.

A humble advice for Lennon Ng: You did a great job in this workshop. Remember what you have learnt, apply such knowledge to life and not just art alone.

Readers: Click here if you want a preliminary warm-up, it is Pollock-ly fun. From Miltos Manetas, a new media artist.

Day 09 (Cage and its Transcendence-replacement)

Workshop: Cage and its Transcendence (replacement)
Date: 20 December 2008
Time: 1-2pm
Participants: Chong Jun Kiat, Lennon Ng, Ng Sin-Ee, Annabelle Yap
Details: Cage and its Transcendence is a workshop inspired through the study and analysis of John Cage's 4'33'' silent piece. Instead of learning through the eyes or visual perception, participants will be taught to learn and draw with the sense of hearing. Participants are free to experiment and articulate. The purpose of this workshop is to provide an alternative method of perceiving, also hoping to train their observation skill.

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Some students can't make it on 14 Dec so I did a replacement for them.

The exercises and the music were the same. Do refer to the above link for workshop details. And here are some pictures of them:

Chong Jun Kiat who seemed to pay more attention to the radio.

Lennon Ng who did some pretty imaginative drawings during the workshop.

Lennon's sister - Sin-Ee. Doing alright.

The very attentive and obedient Annabelle Yap.

Leaving them to surmise, they thought I was playing a fool; sticking their ears onto the speaker, disbelieved in the 'silent piece' while I disregarded their complaints and kept asking them to listen carefully.

List of samples.

There was actually (to me) quite a big difference considering their reactions to the music compared to the previous group on 14 Dec. This batch embarked on a more physical approach, so the silent piece was difficult for them to realize themselves before I clarified and illustrated what the previous group had drawn. Even for the music, instead of drawing what they could feel, they inclined to draw the instruments who produced the sound...turned out like a guessing game.

It wasn't wrong though.

Day 08

Workshop: Puzzle Painting (third day)
Date: 19 December 2008
Time: 5-6.30pm
Participants: Chan Yun Sheng, Chong Jun Kiat, Lai Ming Xuan, Lim Jun Hong, Wong Kai Wei
Details: Puzzle Painting hopes to spice up the participants' creativity by asking questions - simple questions. To paint a puzzle, is to paint fragmented stories, whereby those fragments or anecdotes, can be integrated into a bigger or a more hollistic story/scene. Unlike painting only a scene on a paper, this workshop manages to trigger the participants' creative thinking, to have them visualize what's beyond the paper, and what's next.

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The participants were excited as they got to paint with acrylic and water-based medium - something they haven't got to even touch. While they were enjoying, the mess was disastrous for me.

Yo! Lim Jun Hong asking some questions regarding the DSLR camera.

Finish drawing, so put every piece back to its position and take a picture!

The young artists. One hiding his face, one hiding under the table.

Start painting.

This might be some aimless splotches to you. But to them is an effort that they would be glad of. That is the aesthetic of children's art.

It was 6.30pm, all of them left the room. And I saw this palette! What profligates we have had here!

Ok, two days for them to complete the whole 1m x 1m wooden puzzle, today and tomorrow. All the best to them.

And I have to repeat this: PLEASE WORK TOGETHER AS A GROUP.

Day 07

Workshop: Puzzle Painting (second day)
Date: 18 December 2008
Time: 5-6.30pm
Participants: Chan Yun Sheng, Chong Jun Kiat, Lai Ming Xuan, Lim Jun Hong, Wong Kai Wei
Details: Puzzle Painting hopes to spice up the participants' creativity by asking questions - simple questions. To paint a puzzle, is to paint fragmented stories, whereby those fragments or anecdotes, can be integrated into a bigger or a more hollistic story/scene. Unlike painting only a scene on a paper, this workshop manages to trigger the participants' creative thinking, to have them visualize what's beyond the paper, and what's next.

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Chong Jun Kiat - a new student joined in today, so the workshop started 30 minutes earlier, only for him, just to make sure he managed to catch up.

Same exercises for him. I found him sensitive to details and have very unique ideas. The picture below was one of the most original ideas amongst others:

A & B given, C & D by Chong Jun Kiat.
C: Tree monster in pain after one of its apples being plucked down by the man. D: The man ate the apple and plucked the second apple, the tree monster died in pain. While all the other participants viewed the monster tree as something superior, Jun Kiat thought the other way. Instead of the tree monster swallowing up the human, the human 'defeated' the monster. Peculiarly brilliant!

As mentioned in previous post, there would be one more exercise. The exercise was to let each of them draw a picture of any kind. And then to put all the random drawings together and they would be asked to link all the images together with a simple story. In between every drawing, I gave them an allowance - that they can have two more drawings in order to link the pictures together as one single story. Somehow, this exercise trained the participants to connect the unconnected, and it required their creative thinking.

Their initial drawings; 5 participants, each produced one.

The two 'additional' linking drawings produced when constructing a story.

Amazingly, they need only two pictures and they really did construct a very logical story; yet without all the illogical magic of A turning into B or some other silly efforts to ensure a polish story etc. Good job guys!

*We will have a small display at the end of the workshop where all the works will be showcased, so if you are interested in knowing the storyline, do come! Date and time will be confirmed after the workshop.

After connecting the unconnected, we moved on to the puzzle. They have decided to draw kampung and they did apply what they have learnt earlier: the idea of multiplying narrative and evoking curiosity upon the viewers to ask what's beyond the singled piece.

Here is the thumbnail (click to enlarge):

and some pictures of them working in a serious manner:

I am quite happy with them...and here're some advices for them, under each respective paragraph is their drawing on the puzzle:

Yun Sheng, you have great drawing skill, but try to be humble and be gentle to your friends. You can criticize them but be kind and less abrasive. You have talent in figurative drawing too.

Jun Kiat, you are sensitive to details, keep it up and remember to stay focus during the workshop. It's good to know that an 8 year-old can draw the top view of a car.


Ming Xuan, the fact that you like to play, you tend to make things around you fun, and you created laughter with your somehow cynical drawings. Continue that, have fun but be obedient too. Your drawing done with Yun Sheng. Very imaginative.

Jun Hong, you are a kind and helpful person. You can draw many things, you are not afraid of trying. But be tough when you receive criticism from friends, don't take it emotionally.
Your sun is huge and took up the whole piece! Doing good. I appreciate your intention to darken the outline.

Jia Wei, you are the only girl in the group, but don't let that resist you. You have to believe that you can draw, shun the fear of making mistakes - failure means a chance to learn anyway.
And thanks for the 4 beautiful jagungs, they might not look like real corns but they are graphically terrific.

One last advice for all: PLEASE WORK AS A GROUP.