Two Views of Malaysia -- Ismail Kadir and Phang Chew

Keseng Village
watercolor, 12" x 18" (30cm x 45cm)
Ismail Kadir

Calm
watercolor, 18" x 24" (45cm x 60cm)
Phang Chew

Ismail Kadir and Phang Chew, two very talented and accomplished watercolorists, share a love of the Malaysian countryside but focus on different aspects of the world around them. However, with wide-ranging interests, neither artist is confined to a single subject, and their work overlaps in some areas. Both are also open to experimenting and pushing their work in new directions.

Phang Chew teaches painting and exhibits his work regularly. He has exhibited widely throughout East Asia -- Thailand, China, Korea, Taiwan, and Japan, as well as Malaysia -- and his work was included in the 2010 Shanghai Zhujiajiao International Watercolour Biennial Exhibition.

Phang Chew's portfolio:

Scene from the Countryside, 18" x 24" (45cm x 60cm)

Scene from the Cave of Happiness, 18" x 24" (45cm x 60cm)

Hillside Sheepfold, 21" x 30" (54cm x 78cm)

Duckling Pond, 27" x 33" (69cm x 84cm)

Houses Beyond the Pond, 21" x 29" (54cm x 74cm)

Stream in the Woods, 21" x 30" (54cm x 78cm)

Ismail Kadir also teaches and exhibits regularly. His work has also been included in exhibits throughout East Asia, and he has been invited to the Lushan International Art Festival in Shanghai and Lushan, China since its inception three years ago. He was featured in a full-length article in the June 2009 issue of Watercolor Artist magazine and contributed a painting to the Art vs. Oil Spill disaster relief efforts.

Ismail Kadir's portfolio:

My Village Series #1, 12" x 18" (30cm x 45cm)

Kg Atas Paloh #4, 12" x 18" (30cm x 45 cm)

Pantai Mek Mas Village, 12" x 18" (30cm x 45cm)

Pulau Kundur, 22" x 30" (56cm x 76cm)

Pengkalan Ikan Pulau Gajah, 12" x 18" (30cm x 45cm)

Genting, 22" x 30" (56cm x 76cm)

Please visit Phang's blog to see more of his work. You can visit Ismail's blog to see more of his work, but he has posted most of his recent work on his Facebook profile and welcomes you to view his photo albums there.

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Car Culture -- Diane Morgan and Ron Morrison

Eldorado

watercolor, 17" x 22"
Diane Morgan

This Caddie Has Run Its Course
watercolor, 15" x 30"
Ron Morrison

Diane Morgan and Ron Morrison are both passionate about cars, but approach the subject from quite different directions. While Diane celebrates the new/shiny/powerful aspects of cars, Ron finds inspiration in their decline -- from single "portraits" to piles of rusting hulks. Both of them skillfully exploit watercolor to depict the characteristics of their subjects and clearly enjoy working with the medium.

Diane's goal is "to transform simple everyday life into un-ordinary, not-so-still life" which she accomplishes by using lighting, reflections, exaggerated contrasts and unusual compositions. She says, "I love how the medium takes command. The artist starts the process, but the paint takes charge and leads the work to a sometimes unintended outcome. It's always exhilarating."

Diane's portfolio:

Hot As A Heartbeat, 22" x 29"

Heaven is a '57, 20" x 15"

Mercedes Mascot, 20" x 16"

Highway to Heaven, 22" x 28

Top Down Day, 21" x 16"

Ron says simply, "I've always loved the shapes and colours of old vehicles as they settle in for the long rust. I especially enjoy creating scenes using characters I have collected over the years. These paintings are from my imagination. I am after the entertainment factor. No mask, little reference material, just draw and paint." Ron often returns to the same subjects, recombining images and manipulating mood through his use of form and color.

Ron's portfolio:

'35 Plymouth, 11" x 15"


Pile of Chevys (detail)


The Heaps Are Piling Up, 22" x 30"


Shifting Into Neutrals, 22" x 30"


The Trading Post V, 22" x 30"


Halloween Is Near, 22" x 30"

Please visit Diane's website and Ron's blog to see more of their paintings.

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