Of art auction and another painting

Another bright Saturday morning, a simple breakfast in my cool, airy gazebo. The only colour lighting up my garden is a big flaming red hibiscus, and the garden shrew is happily fleeting all over looking for food. The little boy above is at it again, screaming his head of while 2 Indon maids and a cook try to pacify him! Welcome to the neighbourhood!

A quiet Saturday (hopefully) except for the KL Fest launch late this afternoon and an appointment with my masseur. Last night I attended a launch of new art gallery and an exhibition in a RM5 million bungalow in an affluent neighbourhood in Shah Alam. Intoxicated by the atmosphere I guess, I booked a painting! God knows where I'll hang it and why I need another one when many of my paintings are still all over the house unhung! Anyway, the artist Yusof Ghani is one of Malaysia's top and his work sought after. He has not done a show in Malaysia for three years and collectors were just snapping up his paintings last night. My colleagues told me, if anything, it is a good investment. OK lah! Got some money coming from the sale of my one year old, only 6000 km underused car (why I kept it till now is also a mystery to me when I have my older imported car and the office car as well!)

Anyway, judging from last Sunday's Henry Butcher Art Auction at Publika, Solaris Dutamas, art (paintings) is really big. 90% of the 104 local paintings on offer were sold, netting RM3.1 million. Latif Mohidin's 1968 PAGO PAGO Forms was the star seller fetching RM572,000. I don't own any Latif Mohidin, Ibrahim Hussein, Syed Ahmad Jamal or the likes but I do have some good works by the younger established artists. I guess in time my collection will also become priceless as well. I did not buy them for investment and I enjoy having them, but how long can I have them...

Tomorrow to Kuantan, and on my way will visit my cucu, Kuca, who has become very attached to her atok as much as I am to her. A charmer at just under two years old. I don't get to see her often due to the distance but I do pamper her all the same. 

The last month or so had seen me travelling quite a bit to network with my institution's clients - Langkawi, Kota Bharu, Kota Kinabalu, and tomorrow to Kuantan and next stop Johor Bahru. I do enjoy the travels but they deprive me of a domestic weekends. No harm. 

Have a good weekend all!