Convening with the Masters, Again!

Starry Night over the Rhone by Vincent van Gogh

I was first introduced to the art of the great masters by my sister when I was barely ten years old. Those days, we did not have glossy art books or the internet. My sister's precious collection consisted of a small pocket sized book of works by the great impressionists, another one of Picasso, and a collection of watercolours by Dufy. These little books lit a fire in my heart and I have been in love with the impressionists ever since.

I can hardly contain my excitement whenever I visit an exhibition of impressionist paintings. I had the good fortune of visiting such an exhibition twice in the last couple of years. Last April, I was in Canberra for  Masterpieces from Paris. My friend and I had to queue for hours before we could go in. The highlight of that show for most people including me, was undoubtedly Van Gogh's "Starry Night over the Rhone". Yesterday, less than a year since, I saw this masterpiece again! This time, no crowds, and I could linger before it for as long as I please. The place - National Museum of Singapore, the exhibition "Dreams & Reality" Masterpieces of painting, drawing & photography from Musee D'Orsay Paris.

I feel so privileged, to be convening with these great masters of art! When I was a little girl of ten thumbing through the pages of those pocket books, I never imagined that one day I would be viewing those masterpieces face to face, not just once in a lifetime, but sometimes even repeatedly!

Disappearing Heritage

I am revisiting the land of my birth. However, the old house where I spent most of my childhood and youth has been replaced by an expressway. My old primary school has relocated to a brand new building. So has my junior college. The buildings where I spent most of my university days are either gone or have been converted to serve other functions. The hotel where I had my wedding reception has been demolished and replaced by a condominium. Only the church where I got married still stands. Even the last home where I resided before I left for Australia has been completely rebuilt and looks nothing like the house we had painstakingly designed and built. In the news recently, I read that the cemetery where my grandmother was buried will be exhumed soon.

Countless new buildings have sprung up in the last few years. There are now twice as many people in the country as when I left. There is a palpable sense of discontent in the locals I have opportunity to speak with, especially disgruntled cab drivers. Everyone is busy, and busy people do get impatient. I had the pleasure of savouring the delights of hawker food that I missed so much recently. However, I discovered that if I hesitated about what I wanted to order, or did not have my cash for payment promptly, I met with impatient looks on the faces of the vendors. I was reprimanded for giving one "poh piah"lady two 5 cent coins because she said it would impede her business counting small change!

Here, one can buy any conceivable manufactured thing under the sun, whatever the budget. I had a lot of fun browsing in a two dollar store selling Japanese goods. There are mega complexes of shopping malls with enticing array of goods to capitalise on festive shopping. I watched a programme on TV last night about how the Bhutanese people are fighting a losing battle to maintain their happiness quotient as tourism expands and the country's youth are increasingly exposed to foreign influences and the consequent hunger for material goods. Consumerism carried to the extreme is a threat to happiness!

It makes me wonder, what price progress?

Embracing Solitude & Revisiting Old Places

A Clinical Psychologist friend once told me that there are two kinds of people: people who recharge by being with other people, and those who do so by being alone. I belong to the latter category. I need a minimum time alone in order to function. This week, I have the pleasure of enjoying my own company, and having a whole house to myself. I have the luxury of waking when I please, eating when I please, and going where I please. This is my recharge time.

I am back in Singapore, getting reacquainted with the land of my birth. Things have changed a lot since I left. For one thing there are now close to 6 million people. It is a vibrant metropolis of sleek shopping centres and gleaming new skyscrapers. In the next few weeks, I hope to revisit the places where I used to go outdoor painting. More to come....

Art Class 2011

Landscape by M.M.W.

Niagara Falls by B. H.

I have finished teaching the first Beginners' Watercolour class and Creative Journey class at Art Shed today. To celebrate I brought along an orange and ricotta tea cake to class. It is an extraordinarily hot day but at least the air-conditioning is working, and we can paint in cool comfort. I still remember the first class, where being in a new studio, I was not even aware that the air-conditioning was not on and wondered why it was so stuffy. Eight weeks have flown by, and today we can celebrate what the students have accomplished. I am very pleased, and like a proud parent, want to show off their work:

Beginners Watercolour Class at Art Shed

Portrait of Angela

This is my friend Angela in her lovely summer dress. Sitting there against the light with an old fashioned spinning wheel in front of her, she looks beautiful and serene as she kindly posed for me. I had much pleasure painting her and the light around her.