Tag Search

Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. – Carl Jung

These words could not have been truer. Especially with my state of mind before I decided to create this piece.

In December 2021, for the whole month, I was extremely busy socialising, attending art and talk events. Everything seemed to happen within very short notice after the long Covid lockdown. Galleries and social events went out full force, trying to make up lost times.

Being more towards an introvert (Oh, I can socialise well if need to but not that often), it was all quite too much for me. I felt lost and was pretty emotionally ‘disarrayed’. It was too much for me. Mentally exhausted.

This particular reference photo was taken in 2019, when I was preparing for my first solo exhibition. I decided not to use it because

I had totally forgotten about writing a blog on this one, how could I?? This was done way back in September 2016.

How large could I work with colour pencil? Never thought of it before and that got me thinking. To my ability, I figured that the largest I could go is about 40 x 30 inches max.

As for the subject, it needed to be something simple without too many detailed work. It could not be just a pretty painting, it has to have some substance to it. I was quite obsessed with rock pebbles at that time and naturally it became the perfect subject.

I went around for several days, to the beach and waterfalls, to get inspirations. But it was all in vain.  It was when I was almost at my wits end that a sudden image of rock pebbles in water with bubbles ‘appeared’ in my head. And I knew just

‘Resonance’ 23″ x 15″, 140lbs Bristol Vellum. Faber Castell polychromos.

Every Morning, after husband and daughter leave the house to work and college, I will have my coffee at the dining area, looking out to the garden and savouring the quiet time by myself before I start my day. That particular morning, the sun was unusually bright and everything looked so refreshing.

I have rows of river pebbles lined up the edges of the house perimeters, they are usually quite dull but on that particular day, those pebbles somehow looked so beautiful resonating under the bright rays of the morning sun. The shadows cast from the frangipani tree added to the serenity to the whole scene, I knew that I have to paint this.  I have painted rocks/pebbles before and I find them calming to paint because there is no set rules on how a rock surface have

“Stillness Speaks” 42x30cm, 300gm hp/wc paper. FC poly cps.
This idea came by when I was out of inspirations. I have taken quite a number of pretty decent reference photos before this but as usual, after a few days, those pictures that I took didn’t appeal to me.

I was bumped out of ideas. I was like a zombie, mopping around the house like a lifeless soul. So I told myself, just relax, take a break, watch stupid movies on TV, then perhaps something may come up.

One fine day (after almost 1 week in zombie mode), while doing my routine house chores, I saw this set up on one of my tiny balcony (see ref. picture) that an idea suddenly came about. The whole set up gave me a sense of calmness. I started to re-arrange the rocks, using my mobile phone, tried to capture the best angle