by Shiho Nakaza in Cambodia
After the Urban Sketchers Symposium in Singapore, I spent a few days with fellow Urban Sketchers artists to explore and sketch Cambodia. This was my second visit in Cambodia and it was more memorable than the first time I went in 2006 because I did not sketch then, and while I took a lot of photos, the experience truly sinks in only when I actively observe and record what I see. Being with other artists to share the experience this time also made for a fun trip.
Our first stop was ruins of Ta Prohm temple. It is where the movie Tomb Raider was filmed. Lush green jungle took over the stone structures and a giant tree was growing on top of one of the ruins. I had a hard time conveying the color and scale of this place, so I did several small studies.
In the afternoon we went to Bayon temple in Angkor Thom. Bayon is known for giant carvings of faces on the surface of the buildings.
When I was inside Bayon complex, a monk with bright orange robe walked by, so I placed him in the sketch for scale and color.
I also like to capture everyday moments, like this tuk-tuk driver taking a nap in the parking lot outside of the temple complex. It gets very hot in the afternoon, so I am learning to pace myself and sketch at a leisurely pace to beat the heat.
This one is an entrance to Royal Palace in Angkor Thom complex. It makes me contemplate how the building might have looked when they were being used.
The next day we went to Angkor Wat, which is the most popular temple in Cambodia. The entire area and the temple itself is very grand. This sketch is a part of the back side of the temple - I couldn't fit the entire terrace in.
One I walked inside, the scale and complexity of the structure is very awe-inspiring.
It was a rainy afternoon when we went to Baphuon the next day. This temple was restored in 2011 so it was truly my first time visiting this site. I sat under the eaves and sketched the view of the building across from me, and included the carvings on the column. Listening and sketching to the cooling summer rain made me feel peaceful.
Besides the temples, I also enjoyed exploring the town of Siem Reap where we were staying. This is a quick sketch at night market on Pub Street of young guys doing leather work for shadow puppets. It was amusing to see the guy on the right pounding leather with a mallet while his friend is casually leaning against him and checking his phone.
I also went to Artisan D'Angkor, where young people are working on traditional Khmer arts like lacquering and carving. It is fascinating to me to see people working on their craft.
When I went to Psar Chas (Old Market), the smell and the heat were overwhelming, and the sound of vendors talking, birds flapping, andl tuk-tuks wheeling by added to the atmosphere. In the meantime, red plastic chairs caught my eye in front of the meat market (where I couldn't even identify the animals). I have seen similar stackable plastic chairs everywhere I have traveled, yet these had a decoration in the back so that became the focal point of this sketch.
After the Urban Sketchers Symposium in Singapore, I spent a few days with fellow Urban Sketchers artists to explore and sketch Cambodia. This was my second visit in Cambodia and it was more memorable than the first time I went in 2006 because I did not sketch then, and while I took a lot of photos, the experience truly sinks in only when I actively observe and record what I see. Being with other artists to share the experience this time also made for a fun trip.
Our first stop was ruins of Ta Prohm temple. It is where the movie Tomb Raider was filmed. Lush green jungle took over the stone structures and a giant tree was growing on top of one of the ruins. I had a hard time conveying the color and scale of this place, so I did several small studies.
In the afternoon we went to Bayon temple in Angkor Thom. Bayon is known for giant carvings of faces on the surface of the buildings.
When I was inside Bayon complex, a monk with bright orange robe walked by, so I placed him in the sketch for scale and color.
I also like to capture everyday moments, like this tuk-tuk driver taking a nap in the parking lot outside of the temple complex. It gets very hot in the afternoon, so I am learning to pace myself and sketch at a leisurely pace to beat the heat.
This one is an entrance to Royal Palace in Angkor Thom complex. It makes me contemplate how the building might have looked when they were being used.
The next day we went to Angkor Wat, which is the most popular temple in Cambodia. The entire area and the temple itself is very grand. This sketch is a part of the back side of the temple - I couldn't fit the entire terrace in.
One I walked inside, the scale and complexity of the structure is very awe-inspiring.
It was a rainy afternoon when we went to Baphuon the next day. This temple was restored in 2011 so it was truly my first time visiting this site. I sat under the eaves and sketched the view of the building across from me, and included the carvings on the column. Listening and sketching to the cooling summer rain made me feel peaceful.
Besides the temples, I also enjoyed exploring the town of Siem Reap where we were staying. This is a quick sketch at night market on Pub Street of young guys doing leather work for shadow puppets. It was amusing to see the guy on the right pounding leather with a mallet while his friend is casually leaning against him and checking his phone.
I also went to Artisan D'Angkor, where young people are working on traditional Khmer arts like lacquering and carving. It is fascinating to me to see people working on their craft.
When I went to Psar Chas (Old Market), the smell and the heat were overwhelming, and the sound of vendors talking, birds flapping, andl tuk-tuks wheeling by added to the atmosphere. In the meantime, red plastic chairs caught my eye in front of the meat market (where I couldn't even identify the animals). I have seen similar stackable plastic chairs everywhere I have traveled, yet these had a decoration in the back so that became the focal point of this sketch.
