DAY FOUR: Feb 3: Robert stayed at his Pattaya studio studying research notes and preliminary sketches in order to get the feel of the painting he will create tomorrow on location. Director/cameraman Barry Wale and sound technician Graeme Hagan went to The Sanctuary Of Truth to film interior shots, such as the massive central column of the building said to contain the Sanctuary’s guardian spirit.

Carving for the Sanctuary Of Truth

It is a Buddhist tradition in Thailand that every home and building has such a spirit protecting it, pretty much the same as the Bless This House signs on the walls of Christian houses all around the world.

Thai Classical Dancing.

DAY THREE: Feb 2: We finally get to see the amazing building called The Sanctuary Of Truth, just a few miles outside of Pattaya. The Sanctuary Of Truth symbolically represents Thailand’s past, present and future and is an awesome sight. It’s ornate, towering spires make it look as if it was built in biblical times, but it has actually only been erected in the last few years. The building cost an absolute fortune and is the result of an obsessive dream by an eccentric Thai billionaire who died in 2000 and never lived to see his dream fulfilled.

DAY TWO: Feb.1. Good weather again and we called in on Pattaya’s massive Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens, which are spread out over 600 acres and must surely be one of the most amazing public gardens on the planet. We saw an amazing array of tropical flowers, plus a garden layout inspired by the gardens of The Palace of Versailles in France and even a reproduction of England’s historic Stonehenge.

In the afternoon we attended a truly astonishing theatrical performance of battle re-enactments and traditional dancing, based on ancient Thailand myths and history. Our sincere thanks to Mr. Kampol Tausacha (Managing Director) for granting permission to film, and to Mrs. Aree Uttrarakan (Customs Service Manager) for putting up with our impossible filming requests the whole day long!. For those interested in finding out more, here is the link to the Nong Nooch Village website.

DAY ONE: Jan. 31st. We’re off at last- our first day of shooting the Splash Of Color TV series. Shooting started with visits to the scenic attractions of Pattaya, about two hours drive south of Bangkok. Our director/cameraman Barry Wale shot footage of Pattaya scenes as varied as the gigantic Golden Buddha on Buddha Mountain to the Hard Rock Café in downtown Pattaya..

Day 4 June 6th - Day four and the serious work began. Robert kicked off with few preliminary water color sketches which he finds indispensable in helping block out in the color formations and pre-set in his mind the directions his painting will take. From the previous day’s experience he knew he had a limited four-hour window of opportunity for perfect light conditions.

Preliminary Water Color Sketches

Robert started painting at 10:00 AM and the elephants were due to arrive at 12:00 noon, so no time to spare. Further, since elephants refuse to sit around posing for a couple of hours, he had decided to photograph them on digital camera, print out the shots on the spot and paint from them as a reference. So time was time was of the essence.

Taking Shape

Fortunately the elephants arrived on time, and the photos were taken. We handed out a few bunches of bananas as a thank you gesture and they happily left. Then it was back to the easel to rub out, add in the subject matter and complete the fine detail and finishing touches.

Getting The Subject Right

The clouds started to roll in, but Robert managed to beat Mother Nature with a little time to spare. Robert had completed the painting within the four-hour window of opportunity. He said, “Speaking as an artist, it had been a totally rewarding trip”.

Robert Getting A Grip On The Detail

With his signature and his spot of yellow for his Mom Robert signed off and the day finished on a happy note.

Property Owner And Crew

The owner of the property was a welcomed guest of the Executive Crew, Bob, Bill and Barry.