Wandering artists: (Forefront from left) Boo, Lim and Lau with other sketchers during a session in Pontian in December last year.
JOHOR BARU: A trio of friends is providing a platform for the public to come together and sketch ... for fun.
Graphic designer Boo Ching Yang said he and art teacher Lim Tian Xiao, both 36, as well as barista Lau Wei Kwan, 45, have been meeting frequently since 2018 to sketch whatever interests them.
“It is a way for us to continue embracing our passion while juggling our respective full-time jobs,” said Boo.
“Unfortunately, we had to stop meeting in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead of letting that come between us and our love for art, we decided to hold these sessions online and invite others to join in.
“Gradually, the number of participants in our online sessions grew and by the end of the pandemic, we had built a small following on social media.
“During the online sessions, one person would share a photo along with a story behind it.
“Everyone would then spend an hour sketching the same image in their own unique way,” he added.
After the pandemic, the trio, who call themselves “3Wanderer”, began hosting physical sketching sessions, inviting the public to join them at different locations.
“Each session lasts between one and two hours, where participants are free to draw anything they want.
“We hold these sessions at different locations across the state each time.
“We have even travelled as far as Batu Pahat and Kluang,” Boo said, adding that he works in Johor Baru, while Lim is based in Simpang Renggam, and Lau in Kulai.
He said each session could have between five and 20 participants; the youngest participant they’ve ever had was just six years old.
“Apart from these regular sketching sessions that takes place every one or two weeks, we have also been invited to conduct sharing sessions in schools and have organised several workshops,” he said.
Boo added that their main objective is to provide a platform for the public, especially art enthusiasts, to connect and share their passion with like-minded individuals.
“We also want more people to learn about this form of art, which is growing rapidly in places like Kuala Lumpur and Penang.
“We hope to see similar growth here and believe our initiative can help contribute to that,” he said.
