ST colouring contest winners show strokes of ingenuity

Winners of The Straits Times “In This Together” Daily Colouring Challenge include Primary 5 pupil Wendy Lee. PHOTO: COURTESY OF WENDY LEE
Winners of The Straits Times “In This Together” Daily Colouring Challenge include Primary 5 pupil Dayna Zaidi. PHOTO: COURTESY OF DAYNA ZAIDI
Civil engineer Christian Micu, 25, with his winning entry. PHOTO: COURTESY OF CHRISTIAN MICU
Challenge 1 winners (clockwise from top left): Sharyl Lam, Dayna Zaidi, Vincent Lee, Chiang Yok Wah and Cheryl Kam.
Challenge 1 winners (clockwise from top left): Teo Aik Cher, Wong Chek Poh, Wendy Choo, Fernanda Wee and Audrey Tan.
Challenge 2 winners (clockwise from top left): Soh Rui Ting, Ng Chee Choy, Tay Ee Yan, Christian James Micu and Enya Lee.
Challenge 2 winners (clockwise from top left): Lim May Ping Sarina, Chan Chee Kwong, Wee Yong Hui, Lim Xin Hui and Yap En Teen.
Challenge 3 winners (clockwise from top left): Torazo Tokuda, Amos Yeo Desheng, Ruby Guan, Odelia Yap and Sarah Tan Xuan Lin.
Challenge 3 winners (clockwise from top left): Joseph Yeoh, Rohaya Mustapha, Jorraine Lim, Amulya Mathur and Thalia Lim.
Challenge 4 winners (clockwise from top left): Ng Ai Peng, Tengku Tiara Laetisha, Mary Anne Peattie, Shawn Ho and Juliet Toh.
Challenge 4 winners (clockwise from top left): Koh Mui Sang Pauline, Natania Tan, Lau Lee Chian, Rusdiany and Shaun Chiang.
Challenge 5 winners (clockwise from top left): Chur Kian Chong, Alvin Chia, Chong Chung Meng, Michele Lee and Leong Chao Yang.
Challenge 5 winners (clockwise from top left): Angelyn Chew, Chong Pei En, Jarrett Wee, Martin Lee Choy and Ow Kian Wei.
Challenge 6 winners (clockwise from top left): Tan Soh Hui, Rohit Suresh, Georgina Gray, Michael Saw and Yong Sam Yee.
Challenge 6 winners (clockwise from top left): Ashley Teh, Chen Minjie, Wong Yew Chung, Ang Wai Lin and Jacqueline Chiam.
Challenge 7 winners (clockwise from top left): Rachel Chiang, Marilyn Chew, Shaun Lim Jun Jie, Goh Min Yan and Joan Lai.
Challenge 7 winners (clockwise from top left): Chow Kien Yew, Teo I-Jen, Lukas Minghui Hoppe, Huin Kim Lian and Gigi Lo.

Using only a few shades of colour pencils but a stellar amount of creativity, 10-year-old Wendy Lee completed an artwork that won her a $500 cash prize in The Straits Times "In This Together" Daily Colouring Challenge.

The Primary 5 pupil and her civil servant father Vincent Lee are among 70 winners selected from more than 12,000 entries in the seven-day contest that started on May 18 and was sponsored by life insurance company Prudential. This was the second ST colouring contest after the first was held last month.

Wendy had "exhausted a whole box of colour pencils" on the previous #STayhome #STaysafe challenge, but was determined to make the most of what materials she had left for this round.

Choosing to work on the artwork for the first day's challenge, which depicted a "galactic battle" against the coronavirus, she and her 44-year-old father covered a deflated rubber ball with aluminium foil to create the form of a 3D coronavirus particle, which she attached to the drawing.

As a finishing touch, she pasted shiny silver sequins from an old shirt all over the inky black sky.

Like the duo, many contestants dug into their creative reserves and used a variety of materials to colour the seven visuals by ST artists.

Mr Geoff Tan, head of content marketing at Singapore Press Holdings and one of the judges, said he was impressed by how participants went the extra mile to "inject dynamism into their colouring".

"The 3D effects, tasteful embellishments and inclusion of intricate details shone through their submissions," he said.

Undergraduate Amulya Mathur, for instance, spent about five hours on her winning entry, which comprised many tiny dots drawn with crayons and markers.

"At first I was like, oh no, the page is so big," the 19-year-old said with a laugh. "But I began enjoying the process, which was kind of meditative. I was watching my thoughts more, and it drew me away from the stress I was facing from university work."

A mosaic-inspired effort clinched a win for interior designer couple Chan Chee Kwong, 39, and Agnes Chan, 40, and their six-year-old daughter Laura. "We hope the rainbow colours send a positive message - like there will be a rainbow after the rain," said Mrs Chan.

Ms Amulya Mathur, a 19-year-old undergraduate, is among the winners. PHOTO: COURTESY OF AMULYA MATHUR

For other winners, serendipitous strokes of ingenuity made their work stand out. For example, drawings of injection needles in the artwork for the first day's challenge inspired Primary 5 pupil Dayna Zaidi, 11, to embellish her colouring with needles and metal studs from her mother's sewing box.

Another winning entry was a "coffee painting" by Mr Christian Micu, a Filipino civil engineer working here. The 25-year-old said he was having breakfast and brainstorming ideas for the colouring when it hit him: "Hey, why not use my coffee?"

He was also influenced by memories of his boyhood in the Philippines, where he watched street artists paint with instant coffee, Milo, and once, even a magnifying glass and sunlight.

"Winning this challenge is a huge help to me," said the 25-year-old, whose income has been cut since the construction site he works at closed last month.

"It was the perfect opportunity that came at the perfect timing."


AND THE WINNERS ARE...

Challenge 1

Sharyl Lam

Dayna Zaidi

Vincent Lee

Chiang Yok Wah

Cheryl Kam

Teo Aik Cher

Wong Chek Poh

Wendy Choo

Fernanda Wee

Audrey Tan

Challenge 2

Soh Rui Ting

Ng Chee Choy

Tay Ee Yan

Christian James Micu

Enya Lee

Lim May Ping Sarina

Chan Chee Kwong

Wee Yong Hui

Lim Xin Hui

Yap En Teen

Challenge 3

Torazo Tokuda

Amos Yeo Desheng

Ruby Guan

Odelia Yap

Sarah Tan Xuan Lin

Joseph Yeoh

Rohaya Mustapha

Jorraine Lim

Amulya Mathur

Thalia Lim

Challenge 4

Ng Ai Peng

Tengku Tiara Laetisha

Mary Anne Peattie

Shawn Ho

Juliet Toh

Koh Mui Sang Pauline

Natania Tan

Lau Lee Chian

Rusdiany

Shaun Chiang

Challenge 5

Chur Kian Chong

Alvin Chia

Chong Chung Meng

Michele Lee

Leong Chao Yang

Angelyn Chew

Chong Pei En

Jarrett Wee

Martin Lee Choy

Ow Kian Wei

Challenge 6

Tan Soh Hui

Rohit Suresh

Georgina Gray

Michael Saw

Yong Sam Yee

Ashley Teh

Chen Minjie

Wong Yew Chung

Ang Wai Lin

Jacqueline Chiam

Challenge 7

Rachel Chiang

Marilyn Chew

Shaun Lim Jun Jie

Goh Min Yan

Joan Lai

Chow Kien Yew

Teo I-Jen

Lukas Minghui Hoppe

Huin Kim Lian

Gigi Lo

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on May 31, 2020, with the headline ST colouring contest winners show strokes of ingenuity. Subscribe