Click on any picture to zoom in.
LINDA YEW’s inspiring artwork appears in every issue of What’s Up. Ms Yew is a talented artist who studied at Nanyang Girls’ High. She has two young daughters and a dog named Tikki for short. Believe it or not, his full name is Tikki-tikki-tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo. “His long name comes from a book I used to enjoy reading very much as a kid: Tikki
Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel. According to the book, his name means ‘the most wonderful thing in the whole wide world’,” she says (explaining that the
dog arrived before her daughters).
“He’s scared of everything even though he is big. He is a horrible guard dog and sheds a lot but he’s still very wonderful!” Ms Yew does most of her work late at night, after her girls have gone to bed. Her What’s Up pieces are done by hand. “I start off with a pencil sketch to lay down the composition, followed by the inking. After which, I use mostly watercolor, though a dash of markers, liquid paper and glitter here and there is not uncommon. When the final artwork is complete, I do some digital touchups and embellishments.”
As important as the art are the quotations. She hopes that they will inspire you. “I think they’re like vitamins and energy boosters for the soul!” she says. “I’m not a very eloquent person and I often find it hard to express exactly what I mean in words. Every now and then, I come across words of wisdom that have been put across so nicely and concisely by someone who has travelled further. Their words can really inspire and encourage! It’s like finding a treasure. So, I like to collect them and save them for rainy days.”