Nostalgic Brushstrokes: Painting St. George’s Institution
- Malaysia Raja
- Oct 25, 2025
- 2 min read
When I closed the door on my professional career, I didn't see an ending; I simply found a new canvas. Retirement, for me, was a call to return to a passion I’d put aside for decades. Through watercolours, I found my purpose.
My journey with the brush started in earnest in 2018. I took the Basic, Intermediate, and then the Advanced Watercolour courses at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) in Singapore.. I was 67 when I completed the course.
For years before that, my focus was entirely different. I spent my working life as a Beverage Applications Manager for a German flavour company, a very demanding job where I helped clients create new drinks and develop complex recipes. Painting, by contrast, gave me something essential: peace, focus, and immense joy.
As my technique improved, I started sharing photos of my work on Facebook. It became my digital diary. One day, my old sixth-form classmate, Choy Ping Cheng, saw my paintings. She sent me some beautiful photos of Taiping to try, and as I painted the Lake Gardens and those old heritage buildings, fond memories of childhood came rushing back.
Then came the suggestion I couldn’t refuse. Agnes Cheong, the youngest sister of my classmate Lawrence Cheong and daughter of our late Maths teacher, Mr. Aloysius Cheong, encouraged me to paint St. George’s Institution (SGI). I gladly accepted.
When I finished the piece and posted it online, the response was truly moving. Loo Young, a fellow Georgian from the batch after mine, reached out. He said the painting spoke to him - he loved it and wanted to have it. I was deeply touched that my work had resonated with him so profoundly.
For me, painting SGI was more than just capturing a building's structure. It was an act of honouring the memories that shaped us. In the gentle wash of the watercolour, I captured more than just a façade; I captured the boy I once was.
I’m incredibly happy that the painting of SGI found its home with another Georgian who shares that same love and nostalgia. In the end, these watercolours on paper became something more: a vibrant, emotional bridge between the past and the present, between old friends and our cherished history.
Chong Cheng Yan
25th October 2025
Cheng Yan well said! Didnt know that you have a hidden artistic talent that has surfaced. I knew you as a quiet classmate going about your business. Well done mate! Keep it up. God bless in your pursuit of excellence through your art pieces.