Thursday, December 22, 2011

Trying something new!

My perspective of lifelong learning is perhaps a view that is held by many people as well - Life is a long journey. How we make of the journey is up to us: whether we want to make it a long, boring and ardous drudgery or an exciting adventure depends on our perspective on learning as we walk life's paths.

Recently, a tuition student asked me whether i could do miniature canoe paddles for her canoe team in air-dry clay. However, i felt that it would not be realistic enough as the polysynthetic effect of the clay paddle may not convey the solid and straight, symmetrical shape of the paddles. I like wood craft and i proposed wood as a medium. She agreed. This is the result. I was very proud of myself ;-)



This is my first foray into wood craft. But it would be quite a while before i venture to start a woodcraft blog XP.

Christmas Gifts and Presents

It's the season for giving and receiving. It is, of course, more blessed to give than receive. I do customised orders for a more personal touch to your Yuletide planning. Whether it is a birthday present for the birthday boy or girl this special season, there's always plenty of ideas which i can provide. See some samples!


I am a professional facilitator and i facilitate private and public companies in creative teambuilding using clay. The latest one was held in Goodwood Park Hotel.

Penguin Wonderland 2011

I just love penguins. They are cute and intelligent, and of course in my previous posts I have talked about the love for these clever creatures. This year, i have included the use of Christmas lights to make Penguin Winter Wonderland.
Making use of lights significantly increases the time taken to complete the project as arranging the lights and effects, as well as positioning them for aesthetic effect, takes time. But the satisfaction outweighs the trouble and time taken.

See the video of the lit tree on Youtube: http://youtu.be/BsiWFTzuaLs

Have a Blessed Christmas!

Friday, December 2, 2011

Penguins in Winter Wonderland!!!


The Yuletide season is here and all the penguins in Penguin Adventure Camp are all geared up for Christmas! As the helicopter hovers above the camp, all the penguins are seen to be enjoying different kinds of activties.

These penguins are not very difficult to do! For those staying in Singapore, i am conducting lessons during this holiday season. Do contact me at leonardkok@yahoo.com if you are interested ;-) For all organisations, if you want to organise a special event involving Peguins, i am the definite person to call!





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Lessons in the polytechnic that i am lecturing in will be having a break as the students will be having their Mid-Semester Tests. So, i will only be meeting them again in Jan 2012. All the best to all my students.

I am continuing my marketing efforts to make PEAK PARADIGM a well-known Training and People Development Solutions company and of course besides the usual collaterals, printing brochures as well, i am also meeting clients and contacts.

I also signed up to be a fieldworker to document a well-publicised grave in Singapore, the Bukit Brown Cemetery! More on this as the events unfold.

Monday, November 21, 2011

My Biggest Project Horse & Updates



It has been a month since my last post! The reason? I have been struggling with many things of varying challenges, and one small pebble is the blog and FB updates. I was pondering for a looong while about the possibility of shutting down; or rather, MIGRATING my clay blog to FB. However, i realise through experience that there is a place for blogs after all, and one big reason is that i don't think FB postings are meant to be like blog posts. So, yes, i am back online again. Moreover, I have my PEAK PARADIGM Business website plus blog which i need to update also. Check out what i do: www.peakparadigm.com.sg and my FB page: https://www.facebook.com/leonardkok#!/peakparadigm

Well, to play catch up slowly, i want to update you on the largest and most challenging piece to date: My horse. It has undergone three changes of colour, after some wear and tear from transporting from exhibition to exhibition.


This colour change also carries a spiritual theme: Man was the owner of all created things and he was the resident owner of the Garden. He was pure. (white) Then, of course, sin entered via the Serpent and the First and original couple was kicked out of Paradise. (Black). All creations then lived under the Curse until prophesy pointed to and was fulfilled in the Messiah, Jesus. We are wood, covered in GOLD.

Now this latest colour - GOLD- sits nicely in my study ;-)

Monday, August 1, 2011

Cultivate your passion!


It is interesting that with every birthday, the text in my post has become longer. Perhaps, it is the gradual de-censoring of my thoughts and feelings. Perhaps it is the gradual and personal revelation which matters more and more to me. To be true to myself.

Today is August 1,2011. I am getting somewhere and yet at a snail's pace in the direction where i want to head towards. Drips and draps of official opportunities in cultivating my passion. My thoughts for today, before i head to my tutorial, is this:

Passion, left unattended, will fade into the mundane rhythm of mere existence. Passion, focused and cultivated, will spark, ignite and flourish.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Medium: a brand of Korean Air-Dry Clay. The blue fish is of course the early Church's symbol of Christianity. The colour is achieved by mixing it with white clay.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Here we go again!

Seasons come and go - before you know it, the (Lunar) Mooncake Festival will be here again. Festivals and occasions are traditional and cultural symbols. They anchor us to our roots and identity. They help us to mark time. Festival after festival; year after year.

The relentless tide of annual events carry us along our existence, silently and surreptiously. Soon, we stop counting for every 15th day on the lunar calendar, the moon fills the whole circle, only to be "crescentised" - then the rigmarole repeats itself. Time and tide indeed wait for no man.

Though this regularity, we can just go through the motions. Money flows in, the bills get paid, tuitions and enrichment courses get paid for, with the bonuses paying for big and small overseas family trips and nice things which we want as toys. And so it keeps us reporting for work and at the end of every work day, say "OK, another day, another dollar!"

I have enough of this.

I want to get unfamiliar with this mind-dumbing stuff. I want to do what i think is meaningful for my existence and at the same time, fulfil my role as a parent; and enable the less fortunate to have more opportunities. I believe balance can be achieved. I choose to believe that the social business pie is somewhat different from the dog-eat-dog, zero-sum-game-pie. I choose to believe that the idea of a social enterprise can work. I believe my idea can work. Which of course led to www.peakparadigm.com.sg
My business plan is also affirmed by the professionals at Mckinsey Consulting, the Rolls-Royce of Consulting, who are so kind enough to listen to my plan for 30 minutes. The meeting, organised by the SES, turned out very encouraging for me.

Thank God for gainful employment, four months into my 'declaration of independence.' Opportunities and assignments are coming in. I am enjoying my time engaging students. But I hope the trickle of opportunities provided by the SES will turn into an outpouring. And that i don;t have to wait for another full moon to see things happening.

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Picture - Mooncakes. Medium - a brand of Korean Clay. The colour stays vibrant and unlike the real mooncakes, this won't flake. There are many uses for these authentic-looking mooncakes. If you are keen to have a lesson or two, email me: leonardkok@yahoo.com.
I do corporate teambuilding using air-dry clay as well. Enquiries are welcome.

For more information, check out www.peakparadigm.com.sg
Check out my FB page as well:https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/peakparadigm