I live in Sydney with my 2 paw-babies, Toto and Lulu.
“Stop doodling about, get back to your homework!”, my ma used to say when she caught me doodling. Growing up in a Chinese family in Malaysia, art was not exactly frowned upon but it was not encouraged either. Art does not make money, full stop!! I remember I was always drawing on spare bits of paper, books, cardboard lying around. I drew countless drawings of palm and coconut trees, raised kampong houses with chooks and cartoon characters. It seems I always aspired to be an artist!
And then I grew up, started work and life was good until 2013. And then I discovered urban sketching! Little did I know then that this feel-good hobby would turn into a full-on passion, firing me up each day and giving me lifelong friends along the way as a bonus. That was the start of a good sort of addiction and my life has slowly but surely changed.
I had my first solo exhibition in 2018 with 54 paintings/ sketches I did on my first Europe trip. The excitement and rewards were amazing.
Now I see my surroundings in terms of colour, value, contrast, composition and what draws my eyes in. The thrill of capturing what I see before me and translating it onto paper is priceless. I dream about travelling and sketching the world!
I recently started an exciting new chapter as an artist-in-residence for the City of Ryde. This year-long residency has given me the opportunity to focus on my artistic development and transition to becoming a professional artist. I am challenging myself by moving beyond sketching and turning sketches into larger scale works, pushing myself beyond my comfort zone.
Here I share with you my passion through my work.
Getting in touch: Email: rooi@treksketcher.com.au | Instagram: treksketcher_rooism