Dharma Ashoka: A Transformative Journey

As Singapore hits its 50th year anniversary, Temple of Fine Arts Singapore is mounting a dance drama on the 27-29 August 2015, 8pm at TRCC THEATRE, REPUBLIC POLYTECHNIC.

"Dharma Ashoka: a stage production that brings to life the metamorphic journey & spiritual uplift of the mighty Mauryan Emperor Ashoka.  Upon witnessing the suffering caused by his greed and desire 

for conquest, he sought inspiration from teachings of the Buddha, thus relinquishing violence and adopting peaceful models of rule.

As we celebrate the city-state's milestone birthday, we reflect and revisit the ideas conceived by our very own leaders, whose vision uprooted Singapore from conflict and confrontation, propelling her to become an exemplary city state through co-operation and reconciliation, achieving the ideals of Peace & of One-People."

Here's a sketch of King Ashoka, played by Dharmenda Ganesh, 

drawn at one of the photo shoot sessions.  

You may reach TFA to get your invites at 

6535 0509

20 Havelock Rd, 01-01 Central Square 059765

admin@tfasg.org

www.tfasg.org

GISTORIES: Anand and the Sitar

Gistories: Anand and The Sitar

I met a Sitar teacher at Temple of Fine Arts Singapore. His name is Anand, originally from Coimbatore in Tami Nadu, South of India. On his last day before moving back to India, I made a video of him and got to know him a little better. It has been a few years since but on days I remember him there's a slice of this day captured in a little movie that I can replay.

Hi and Bye For Now Virginia Hein

I totally missed Virginia Hein's workshop at the 6th International Urban Sketchers Symposium in Singapore . I was at another location covering the workshops there which was far from her location. Today she is flying home to Los Angeles. Some sketchers met up with her at lunch and went with her to Waterloo. Managed to join Francis Theo, Chris Ng and Parka with her for some drinks and ice kachang and headed over to the Chinese temple to sketch. 

Before going back to work I did a super quick sketch and got her to sign it.

Felt good to meet her and bask a bit in her sunshine  before she left. Safe travels, Virginia Hein and hope to learn more from you and see your sketches online via your blog. See you again someday :) 

My First Ever Sketchwalk

The day I met the Urban Sketchers in Singapore, I knew that I have found my tribe!  It was my new year's resolution for 2013 to do something I really love and but just never gotten around to allowing myself to go for it. It was the January 2013, the first for the year.

I came in at show and tell so it wasn't valid but I made connections and caught a whiff that there was a regional sketchwalk at Chao Praya in Bangkok. It was good enough to get Madam Tia Boon Sim's email address and I emailed her about my interest! Bam! So I went and that was my first sketchwalk!

I missed my flight and took the next flight out. No one could pick me up but Mr Asnee Tasna told me where to go and I dove right in to the temple of the Reclining Buddha and sketched my heart out.
I was hooked!

Back in Singapore, the wild sketchers here are so fired up there was always someone sketching and if the weather was bad, we virtually sketched together! The interest for sketching here was like a fever that you would never want to be cured of! Haha!