Hello from Singapore

Marcus Lim · 10-28-2004, 10:45 AM

Hi, my name is Marcus Lim. I'm 31 this year, and have been in the art business for the last 3 years. I've never attended art school, and have self-taught my draftsmanship since 6 years old. It wasn't until about 5 years ago, I met my oil painter master whose works I've been idolizing for many years. And it was then i became his apprentice. Recently, I'm honored to be selected as one of the 16 local emerging talents at this national art show called New Finds.

Though I've been an artist for a few years now, I haven't much opportunity to paint portraits. So I'm glad to be among masters of this craft in this Forum, and I hope to be able to learn as much as I can...Here's a painting I recently showed at New Finds art show. Size is at 30" x 40". So with this modest artworks and more in the future, I humbly seek your guidance in to becoming a much better artist.

Mike McCarty · 10-28-2004, 11:31 AM

Greetings Marcus,

I wish you well in your art studies. I like your image above and believe you will have many opportunities, not only to learn on this forum, but, to teach as well.

Marcus Lim · 10-28-2004, 10:40 PM

Thanks Mike, that meant alot for me from someone who's been an artist for such a long time. I've been reading your other threads and they've opened so much thoughts for this "eager schoolboy" here...haha.

Michele Rushworth · 10-28-2004, 10:58 PM

Welcome to the Forum, Marcus.

What a fascinating and powerful image you have posted. Can you tell us more about the subject? (The amazing huge red hat, what he's holding, are those scratches on his legs, etc.)

Marcus Lim · 10-28-2004, 11:20 PM

Hi Michele,
This is one of the four paintings in my "Samsui Woman" series shown at New Finds 2004, a show i was in recently. It tells a story of a 90-year-old lady, who was working as a construction labourer in Singapore during the 30's till the 80's.
A Bowl of Water depicts her early days as a labourer, donning her signature red-cloth headgear. She was in her late-teens and had no money for food. So all she had was a bowl of water during lunch, and off she goes to work again, carrying average 30lbs of sand and water up and down the constructions, and earning only 60 cents a day. Though we know locally these women are really resilient and tough, secretly they bottled up much sorrow and pain. So i included a drop of tear in the bowl of water, to depict that silent tear she had and refused to be seen with; the hunger, the loneliness and missing her hunger-stricken family she had left in China, to come to Singapore so she can work and earning more money for them.
Hope i've described aptly the story behind this painting.

Michele Rushworth · 10-28-2004, 11:58 PM

What a stirring story, Marcus, and a very evocative painting. Thanks for sharing it with us.