Rolex and art

(Above: Waterlilies at Janda Baik, Acrylic, 2006)

When I was a kid in school, I remember we always had to write an essay or karangan about our hobbies. Mine, of course, was painting. Friends would write about collecting stamps, catching fish, playing marbles, etc.

These days, I think our kids' hobbies are very different from my generation's. Theirs are probably more advanced and high-tech due to the new invention of things!

Recently, I got to know a new art collector based in the north. Besides collecting paintings, he is also an avid collector of rare and vintage watches, and specifically Rolexes! From his website, I learned about the history of this fine brand of watch and why even to this day, a Rolex is an esteemed timepiece that people are willing to pay thousands for as an investment or a much envied accessory.

Of course, many want to own a Rolex simply for the name and prestige that it commands today. But, for those like this Penang collector, his love for the Rolex is not only about the brand, but about the passion, fine workmanship and the commitment that goes into each vintage piece.

I hope this means that he collects my paintings, such as the one above, for the same reasons! Hehe...

Janda Baik sunset

Last week, we went to install a few paintings at Kevin and Dwina's house. Their main "feature" wall was red in colour, something that was of concern to the couple when they were looking for a painting.

But when we hung "The Janda Baik Sunset" against it, the red wall framed it quite nicely.

This particular piece was my wife's favourite because we both have a certain fondness for Janda Baik. It's one of those places that we used to frequent on the weekends for a quick getaway. My in-laws have a nice little apartment at Bukit Tinggi, and we have friends who live there, too, operating a little chalet business.

It's amazing that in just about an hour from the congestion of KL, we can already be amidst nature. Being partly in the highlands, Janda Baik is very cooling in the daytime, and extremely cold at night!

Like everywhere else, development is encroaching upon this tiny village, but there are still some very nice places there, with the rivers and streams, the thick jungle, the hills and valleys and wildlife there.

My wife wrote a poem about the place once, and I'd like to post it here...but will have to search for it first. She wrote about being at peace, the solitude there, the colours of nature -- a magenta-coloured dragonly -- and about doing absolutely nothing!

UPDATE: The poem by my wife:

The dream of pink dragonflies

We sat there by the pond

counting dragonflies

that flitted here to there

on paper-thin wings

of red, magenta-pink,

blue and gold.

I had never seen pink

ones before, I said,

Only dreamt them up

in my dreams.

But sitting there

by the water's edge

with tadpoles

swimming at my feet

and you lounging at my side,

it came to me,

-- a quiet smile --

my dreams had just

come true.