Things which are meant to be should be effortless. At least this I believe. I've been watching this 1 meter canvas for weeks and waiting....waiting to finish work...waiting to get over a cold....waiting for a day where I have a big burst of energy and no other deadlines.....waiting to get past not knowing what to paint, then suddenly it's over and done. Sometimes art is like this. You never know how they are going to be born.
My journey started when I was about 14. Not like I vividly remembered. I just recall drawing a lot in my class at school and then I started drawing at home. It came naturally for me. I never once doubted myself even if I needed to come a long way.
I've always wanted to study art in a university. It didn't happen yet. I would go in the wink of an eye even if I am 60 years old.
I have always been a quiet person and I enjoy being by myself simply because I place value in the ability to discover 'self' amidst all the noise. It is easy to get carried away into other people's beliefs and attitude.
Living in China is a great opportunity for self discovery and learning about art. It's not for feelings of isolation. It has not been all pretty and easy for me and after 8 years I am still trying to adopt. I guess at some point I just have to admit that this is not where I belong. I don't plan on staying here forever and whenever I leave I can say one thing, 'this country grew me up and gave me a wealth of knowledge.'
I have since painted hundreds of art, after all it's been 24 years of inconsistently creating art. Inconsistent because I work a full time job. I have to. My style has evolved from very stiff brushwork to fluid lines and strokes. I still struggle with painting series because I never paint consistently enough to actually create a series. It seems like each time I take a break, my mind evolves and something new comes out onto the canvas. That's good too. I can't imagine how better I would have been if I really were to paint each day.
Presently I am working on an exhibition I have in September. Shuu, it's a secret. I have not been actively seeking exhibition opportunities since I do not have an 'art shelf' of work but I am still working on consistency, my biggest failure. One day I imagine myself retired and painting. I hope I will be healthy enough to paint and have lots of exhibitions then.
I do other things to. I enjoy writing and I like singing more than painting. Unbelievable right? My wish has always been to play musical instruments like my dad and sing. Maybe in another life. Painting is enough. I am satisfied with my art and I can't imagine life without it.
I don't like doing commissions. It feels too much like a job. Every day I evolve in my ideas, my thoughts and my art; then suddenly someone comes up to me and ask me to paint something I would have painted 12 years ago. Really? I am not sure I know how to do that. Painting is an evolutionary state of being. 80 percent of the work is done in your brain the rest just comes out on canvas. When you are no longer in that mental space, it's hard to go back there. My paintings evolve and so do I.
This painting is based on the idea of 'knowing'. Often times we identify and know someone by their features and motion but the true inner being is yet to be discovered. Many of us have friends and associates we meet and laugh with yet we do not know them. Here I unmask the features to stir the observer's imagination. Your interpretation is totally yours. It is not even my duty to explain my paintings. Do enjoy.
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