CAT scan, anyone?

Something I did during my free time in the clinic. Took me approximately 10 hours to complete.

PC Requirement:

Hardware -

Lots of memory ram. Minimum is 128 megs but from experience that is downright slow.
I upgraded my notebook to 256 megs a few years ago, and I think I'm doing OK but still slow (which explains the amount of time it took me to finish one piece of work). Many PCs nowadays offer at least 512 MB which should be just comfortable.

Also, don't run any other program as it will bog you down. Monitor resolution should preferably be higher than the usual 800 x 600. A good graphic card is esential.

You also need Wacom tablet and pen. I bought it for RM250 about 5 years ago and it has never given me any problem. I've test run it in a pilot project for medical record a few years back. I noticed a 'wow' reaction from some of my patients. Unfortunately, I have abandoned the project as I feel in the long run, it would just eat up too much space and processor power.

Software -

Corel Painter 6 (thankfully this registered version comes bundled with the Wacom purchase). Technology is advancing so fast that I think right now they have come up with version 10!

Some thoughts on digital art:

Digital art is the most forgiving form of art I've worked with as I can undo my work up to 10 strokes backwards, in case I mess things up. Of course I try not to do it often as I may develop a liking for it. I certainly can't do that in traditional painting! The closest resemblance of digital art to a traditional media is oil painting as one can blend colors continuously to one's heart's content, unlike an unforgiving media like watercolor and acrylic.

Corel Painter has literally hundreds of brushes and short cut functions to allow the user to work smoothly. One can rotate, transform, liquify and change the entire contour of the painting. There are many 'magic wand' special efects that one can play with. You need to be selective, though, and familiarize with your favourite brushes, palette, canvas texture etc, otherwise you could get way overboard with this fantastic painting software. For example, if I want to smear 2 colors together, I would just slide the resaturation scale to 0% and the bleed scale all the way to 100%.

Is digital art good for the soul? The answer is in the affirmative, depending on what you draw and paint. It is a very healing process for me. More than just peace of mind, it has drawn me closer to God. So go ahead and try it. You may get hooked on it.

Lastly, for all those already dabbling with digital art, happy painting!

Reminiscing Valentine's Day?

Love blossoms. I wonder how the young couples are sharing their Valentine. If this is your first time, don't forget about the ambience though, whether at home or in a restaurant.

Gift sharing is another important tradition. It could be flowers, cards, gadgets, watches, a lavish dinner, or even a night's stay in a hotel, whatever your budget allows. Die-hards will insist on three stalks of roses. I like Shakespeare's take on this:

What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet.

-From Romeo and Juliet (ll, ii, 1-2)

However of all the gifts, there's one you shouldn't even consider:


Even though the new Chinese Lunar New Year is just around the corner:

"Happy New Year", cried the pigs as they are herded to the slaughter house.

I discovered a very interesting idea in using milk and coffee powder to make a sort of latte art. Perhaps, the guys can bring their GFs to Starbucks or Dome, in case all other restaurants are packed tonight. Just hope the coffee won't chill out before the art is done.


As for me, I have my family life to live. Our schedule is too hectic - it's like running on a non-stop treadmill. However, we do celebrate Valentine's Day - every day. Love comes in small, small packets too!

Lastly, don't forget to say the words. It would be like rays of sunlight shining into the heart of your sweetheart, something like this:

My dream ecopark

I was standing at a foot of a tree in the twilight, listening to the sounds of nature. Suddenly, as I was turning to go back, I began to hear soft murmurs all around me which became more and more distinct. Initially I thought it was the sound of a small stream or the rustling of leaves over my head. I looked at a clearing in the forest but saw nothing. At length, the sound grew more intelligible. It was the sound of small creatures that were hiding in the dark places in the forest. Soon the trees joined in and they were holding a sort of mass communication with me. The sound slowly turned into clear words, echoed several times: Save us! Death is all around us!



This is a painting of my dream ecopark. As it is, it shall remain a dream. Life holds many uncertainties. However, as far as environment is concerned, there is one certainty - the world is getting warmer. The ice bordering the Artic is breaking up. The flood has paralysed a whole neighbouring city. In certain parts of Johor, the people are still standing on soggy land. The drought is coming. Are we on the eve of some major ecological upheaval?

The illegal logging and land clearing should now be classified as major social sins. More funds and effort should be poured into nature conservation. Each of us have also sinned a little by contributing to the greenhouse effect. This earth is the only one of its kind that we have at the moment. Please take good care of it.

Always Winter, Never Christmas

I've taken a leaf from Marina Mahathir's blog on social entrepreneurs. Who are they and why are they flocking to the recent World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland? Florence Nightingale was a well known social entrepreneur who founded a nursing school. Another is Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi and last year's Nobel Prize Winner, dubbed a 'world banker for the poor'. His banking system extended microcredit to the poor, especially women, so that they and their families can break free from poverty.

Social entrepreneurs are people who have dedicated their lives to work for the eradication of poverty or at least an alleviation from the present state, the promotion of health and education, the betterment of women and children, the freedom of the press, the conservation of the environment and many, many more issues.

These are people who are not only innovative but single minded in their approach, so much so that they are willing to do away with whatever idealistic thoughts or even material comforts they may have for the sake of humanitarian causes.

These are people who want to share the fruits of their success with the society in which they were bought up and which they now feel obliged to serve

People with charitable hearts. People with the vision to see through projects and to find solutions to the social injustice that has afflicted the local community

They come from various backgrounds eg businessmen, economists, scientists, accountants and even fresh graduates. Their work is akin to that of full time philantropists but who uses their creativity and entrepreneurship to solve social problems. They have become a class of celebrity of a different kind at Davos. As a journalist, Nicholas Kristof observed: It’s one of the most hopeful and helpful trends around. These folks aren’t famous, and they didn’t fly to Davos in first-class cabins or private jets, but they are showing that what it really takes to change the world isn’t so much wealth or power as creativity, determination and passion.

You too can be a social entrepreneur if your heart desires it to be.

You know, I wish I could help emerging artists who are struggling with their livelihood. They are indeed talented but they do not have the material means to produce artwork that are consistent with their artistic genius. One of the ways out for them to promote their art is to display their work online for the whole world to view, as in an online gallery. Perhaps a like-minded person with better connections with local artists or art associations can do the job better. Perhaps the registration fee can be waived and they are free to post a limited amount of paintings with their biodata attached.

The organiser or webmaster can then help to oversee the transaction between the buyer and artist at a minimal cost. In fact, I would propose that the website be opened to artists from anywhere in the world for that added flavour and variety. We learn not only from our masters, but from each other so that we can better ourselves. We cater to different needs. A certain segment of the society may be collecters of floral paintings. An American art enthusiast may want scenes depicting the recent Thaipusam event at Batu Caves. A foreign bank may want to commission a series of work on the kampungs and fishing villages. Needless to say, the world is getting flatter and we have ample opportunities to make our presence felt in the international art terrain. The local artists need to be unified and not be like scattered individuals with hidden talents. A little networking can go a long way.