With pen in hand, he began drawing an outline of a cat against the background of chirping birds and the chatter of tourists to the historical town.
To others, such noise could be distracting, but for the 52-year-old, it was a symphony the maestro needed to do what he does best.
“To me, this is the best place to work. It’s very peaceful,” he told FMT.
The artist and history buff is part of a dying breed of artists who come to the ruins on top of St Paul’s Hill to create art.
The church was originally built in 1521, making it the oldest church building in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, and is part of the Melaka Museum Complex comprising the A Famosa ruins, the Stadthuys, and other historical landmarks.
“I started coming here when I was 14 years old. There were many artists here then, so I’d work as a runner of sorts – they would give me money, and I’d run down the hill to the shops and buy them drinks,” he recalled with a laugh.
Most of these artists have either passed on or retired, he said; only a handful still try to eke out a living there.
Daniel, who only studied until Primary 6, said his love for art blossomed as he saw the different artists at work.
“I never thought I’d be a full-time artist. My mother wanted me to get a fixed job but my passion was here.”
Nearly four decades and well over a 1,000 artworks later, Daniel is doing what he loves most: coming up the hill to his spot almost every day at 7am.
“This is my ‘secondary school’ and ‘university’. I learnt from the other artists growing up, and I’m still learning. I try new styles of art every day,” he said.
His makeshift “gallery” is a testament to this. There are sketches of Melaka’s landscape, abstract art pieces, watercolour paintings, and animal portraits made skillfully with just markers and highlighters.
“I’ve even made artwork using coffee stains,” he revealed, happily whipping out his mobile phone to show his past works.
Daniel said he is happy Covid-19 restrictions have eased, as the past two years have been particularly challenging.
“I’m blessed that many friends and even customers supported me during the pandemic. They gave me money because I couldn’t earn a living.
“I just want to make people happy, and the only way I know how is through my art. I will keep doing this as long as I can,” he added.
