Ko Kret (also Koh Kred) is an island in the Chao Phraya River, 20 km north of Bangkok
The island dates only to 1722, when a canal was constructed as a shortcut to bypass a bend in the Om Kret branch of the Chao Phraya river. As the canal was widened several times, the section cut off eventually became a separate island. The island continues to serve as a refuge to the Mon tribes who dominated central Thailand between the 6th and 10th centuries and have retained a distinct identity in their flavor of Buddhism and, particularly at Ko Kret, their pottery.
For about 40 THB (=1 euro) you can rent a bike for half a day.
A ride from the bus station to the boat pier: 20 THB
Green Fanta in a plastic bag!
A stop at Chatuchak weekend market on the way back.
In October last year I started at the 'Atelier 31' doing sculptures in clay with the aim to get them cast in bronze, brass or other lasting materials. I stumbled upon the place through an ad in a publication of the 'Alliance Française'. The owner/teacher of the place, Patricia Byrs Lasquier, is a very inspiring and driven woman who convinced me to give it a go even though my experience in sculpting upto then was limited to attacking marble blocks with power tools and hammer and chisel. These are the results from the past few months and there is even one of my 9 year old son, Jules. He also caught the microbe.
If you are interested in buying one of the works, you can contact me by mail : ivens.chris@gmail.com Please also name the work that you fancy and your adress. Since the works are in Bangkok (Thailand), there might be some shipping costs involved. Any encouragments or critics are also welcome on the same e-mail adress!
Enjoy!!!
Indifference
Nature in grief
C'est le pied (Belgian surrealism ;) )
Girafe aux baffes (Jules, 9 year old)
C-line woman
C-line miniature (among sculptures of other artists)
Friends and visitors at the group exhibition of the 'Atelier 31'
We had lots of visitors and friends dropping in at the 'Atelier 31' to check out the sculptures and paintings on exhibition. There was a BBQ in the evening to conclude this memorable day for a the artists!
Jonas and Jules with the 'Girafe aux baffes' van Jules
Chris with his 'pièce de résitance' : "Indifference"
The teacher of Jonas and his wife
Jules and his fans
A colleague sculptor : Céline
Jonas running around in the garden , annoying people with a whistle
The 2 gentlemen sitting : Thierry and Jean-Charles , who helped Jonas and Jules with their French during extra lessons at school
Koh Sichang (Koh Si Chang, Ko Sichang) is a small island on the eastern coast of the Gulf of Thailand. It is the closest island to Bangkok and can be reached after an hour's drive to Siracha followed by about 45 minutes ferry.
After the foundation of Ayutthaya Kingdom in the fifteenth century, Lopburi was a stronghold of Ayutthaya's rulers.It later became a new royal capital during the reign of King Narai the Great of the Ayutthaya kingdom in the middle of the 17th century, The king stayed here for about eight months a year.
Today the city is most famous for the hundreds of Crab-Eating Macaques (Macaca fascicularis) that live in the middle of the city, especially around the Khmer temple, Prang Sam Yot, and a Khmer shrine, Sarn Phra Karn. They are fed by the local people, especially during the Monkey Festival in November. Because they are not afraid of humans, they steal whatever food they can find from unwary diners.
Prang Sam Yot, originally a Hindu shrine, has three prangs that represent Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva (the Hindu trinity). It was later converted to a Buddhist shrine.
We joined the Art fair this weekend and put up a stand showing the work of most of the members of 'Atelier 31'.
Jules showed his first piece ever : "the Ghost Ship"
The family supporting a desparate artist. At least somebody believes in it!
And the 'monstres sacrées' of Sukhumvit soi 31 were also present: Patricia Byrs Lasquier (sculptor) and Elsie Evans (painter). Who is who?! The painted hands kind of give it away! LOL
Our stand from a birds perspective. To Elsie and Neil : Superman seems to be drinking something loaded with vitamins in this picture?! Is that really sufficient to get him in the air? Or does he still need the Kryptonite?
Ayutthaya (pop. 76,000) was the capital city of the Thai kingdom of Ayutthaya and one of the world's largest and most sophisticated cities until it was sacked by the Burmese in 1756.
Much of the ancient city's architecture, art, and literature was destroyed in 1767 when Ayutthaya was sacked by Hsinbyushin of the Alaungpaya dynasty, but several temples (=Wat) still stand. The modern town of Ayutthaya is set among the ruins of the ancient city, and its treasures are preserved in the National Museum. Ayutthaya was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1991.
Originally built in 1448 as the king's private chapel, Wat PhraSri Sanphet is just south of the raised Grand Palace area.
The major attraction of the park is Erawan Falls, a waterfall named after the erawan, the three-headed white elephant of Hindu mythology. The seven-tiered falls are said to resemble the erawan. There were supposed to be three upper segments coming down over a rounded limestone precipice that would've made the falls appear like three elephant trunks. Hence the three-trunk-elephant-like appearance resembling the Hindu God by the name of Erawan.
It takes about 3.5 hours to do the entire round trip to visit all seven of the Erawan Waterfalls.
Since part of the Belgian population speaks French as a mothertongue, a delegation of the Belgian embassy was present at the 'Fête de la Francophonie' hosted by the 'Alliance Française de Bangkok'.
Malaika and the team organised some games/competitions on comics and typical Belgian landmarks or products. Cake and chocolate mousse were kindly offered by the ambassador's wife, Mireille.
lots of activity on a Thursday morning at our condominium 'Baan Suan Chan'. The owner organized a ceremony at the Buddha shrine. Involves a lot of flowers, fruit offerings and traditional Thai dancing. Since the residents skills amount to fairly nothing, he invited a few ladies from a dancing school. Purpose is to obtain good luck for the coming (fiscal) year!
In an half hour range from Chiang Mai centre, at Bo-Sang , there are several artisan and manufacturing sites open to the public. These visits are always in combination with a tour through the factory shop!
Crafts you can admire : silk making, wood sculpture, lacquerware, leather, jewelry, jade cutting,...
The most interactive is the paper umbrella/parasol making:
1)Beat the cane into pulp
2)Let it dissolve in the water and collect with a fine-mazed tool
3)Make bamboo strips for the frame and assemble it
4)Stick the paper to the frame in several layers
5)Paint it
If you want, you can paint your own or take a course in umbrella painting!
