Singapore Story" is a tiny taste of a tiny island place, and my home for three years! Eat the sweet sugar tops and toss the bland biscuit bottoms of nostalgic Gem Cookies! Meet elegant globe-trotting ladies in sarong kebaya at the airport. Drop by a bustling open-air Coffee Shop and have a sweet Kopi C, or a strong Kopi O. Dip fragrant Bak Kut Teh pork in Dark Soya Sauce set ablaze with Thai chilies! Meet the Merlion near the Raffles Hotel. Take a stroll along Neil Road, and let the brilliant blues of a special old shophouse catch your eye. Wherever you are in Singapore, there's always something to take in!
"Cowboy in Black" was an experiment with flat patterns and stark complementary palettes. It features an old friend and musician in Southern California. I wanted to push the dry desolation of the mountains there, so I used a dusty brown to contrast with the sharp dark blue of the foreground. The glowing flecks add magical atmosphere to the scene.
"Raining in Providence" captures a walk along the Providence River on a wet gray day. As with "Cowboy on Black" I was experimenting with flat patterns and stark complementary palettes.
"Missing the Sun" is an illustration inspired by Ray Bradbury's 1954 short story "All Summer in a Day." I wanted to emphasize the dreariness and isolation that Margot, his main character, felt on her new home Venus. She is surrounded by classroom desks, but they are empty. The palette is mostly cold and subdued, except for Margot's drawing of the sun, which shines on Venus only once every seven years.
"Fish Funeral" is my strange way of honoring pet goldfish who swam on to the big fish bowl in the sky. I wanted the illustration to feel magical, so I gave the fish a luminous quality and plotted out their ascent with ephemeral glowing flecks. Swim on, little buddies!
"The Common" celebrates Spring in one of my favorite cities! I was aiming for a vintage travel poster look, so I used a yellowed palette, three-tone shading, and a painterly style. The curve created by the outline of the tulips echoes the curve on the bridge railing, leading the eye to the lovers standing in the center. Their colors match those of the tulips, making a connection. There are themes of romance and possibility at play here.
