Inspired by Orchids

My mother has always loved orchids. When I was growing up, she tended a whole garden full of them, filling our home with their delicate beauty. As she aged, caring for the garden became too demanding, and now only a few pots remain. I never quite inherited her green fingers, so these days my connection with orchids comes through visiting orchid shows and exhibitions.

In 2024, during one such visit, I was captivated by the grandeur of the giant Phalaenopsis flowers. Their elegance, vibrant colours, and graceful forms called out to me, and I felt compelled to paint one.

This painting is my way of preserving the beauty of the orchids and celebrating the inspiration they continue to bring — a gentle reminder of the gardens of my childhood and the enduring joy of nature’s artistry.

These orchids remind me of my mother’s garden and the quiet joy of nature’s beauty. May they bring the same delight and inspiration to everyone who sees them.

Touched by the Light

The Peonies of Home

I have always loved sunflowers. Their bright yellow petals feel cheerful and full of life, as though they are constantly turning toward the light.

This painting holds a special place in my heart because I painted it twice. The second time was for a dear friend who was going through a difficult battle with cancer. During that season, I felt a gentle nudge from the Holy Spirit to ask her if she would like to choose one of my flower paintings as a gift.

Among the different paintings, she chose this sunflower piece. What touched me deeply was the reason she gave: she said that the morning light shining through the centre of the flowers gave her hope that she would recover.

I was grateful to be able to gift her the painting. In time, she completed her treatment and recovered from her illness.

Today, whenever I look at this painting, I remember that moment. I often find myself praying that the light shining through these sunflowers will continue to bring healing, hope, and encouragement to those who encounter it — just as it did for my friend.

For as long as I can remember, there was always a large arrangement of peony silk flowers in our home. When the flowers began to fade, my mother would carefully replace them and create a new arrangement. It was her way of keeping their beauty alive in our living space.

My mother was a first-generation migrant to Singapore from China. As she worked on these arrangements, she would often share stories about her homeland and her love for the peony.

Life was not easy for her. Like many migrants of her generation, she faced the challenges of building a life in a new country, far from her own family, during the early years of Singapore’s nationhood. Through all those seasons, the peonies remained a small place of solace and joy for her.

At the beginning of 2024, my own family was going through a difficult period, and my spirits were quite low. During that time, I felt a gentle prompting from the Holy Spirit to paint the peony.

As the painting took shape, the three blossoms at the centre began to represent my family. In the background, rays of sunlight filtering through the trees became a quiet reminder that God was watching over us, even in uncertain times.

This painting holds that message of assurance for me — that even in challenging seasons, there is light, hope, and a presence that continues to watch over those we love

A Panda for the Children

Dolphins have always been my favourite sea
animals. I love the way they seem to be constantly smiling and the joy they express when they leap out of the water.

When I was raising my own children, I shared this love of dolphins with them. We watched many documentaries and movies about these fascinating creatures, and on one memorable trip to Bali, we even went dolphin watching together.

So when I was invited to do a live painting during a church service for Mother’s Day and felt inspired to paint dolphins, I was thrilled.

In this painting, I imagined a mother dolphin leaping joyfully over her young one. As a mother of four, I know how easily we can become caught up in the busyness of caring for our children and fulfilling the many responsibilities of motherhood. Sometimes, in the midst of all that activity, we forget the simple joy our children bring into our lives.

My hope is that this painting reminds every mother who sees it of that joy, and that every child who looks at it will know that they are a wonderful source of happiness in their mother’s heart.

Some years ago, while introducing Chinese brush painting to my K1 and K2 children, I used the works of Wu Guanzhong as part of our exploration. His paintings offered a beautiful way for the children to encounter the expressive possibilities of the Chinese brush.

We looked at his works such as Spring Snow and Spring, and the children were given the opportunity to create their own interpretations using Chinese brushes and watercolours. Their paintings turned out surprisingly well, and they were delighted with their results.

Many of the children were especially drawn to Wu Guanzhong’s panda paintings. They eagerly wanted to paint pandas of their own. Although I tried to gently discourage them—knowing how challenging it might be—their enthusiasm was hard to resist.

As it turned out, painting pandas was much more difficult than their earlier works. The shapes and brush control required proved challenging, and some of the children became discouraged.

Wanting to cheer them up, I painted a small picture of a baby panda with its mother on a round Chinese fan. When I showed it to the children, their faces immediately lit up. They loved it.

I enjoyed painting it as well, and later created a larger version of the same image. That painting eventually found a special place when my pastor used it in her Mother’s Day message that year — a gentle reminder of the warmth, protection, and love between a mother and her child.

A Mother's Joy

The Gift of the Jar

I had a live painting session coming up and was praying about what I should paint. During that time, I received an image of an earthen jar pouring a stream of golden liquid onto flowers that were growing and blossoming in a planter during a church service. I sensed that this was the image I was meant to paint for the upcoming session.

Almost at once, another idea came to mind. Nearly a year earlier, I had watched a video online showing how air-dried clay could be used to create a mixed-media artwork. I had been curious to try it ever since but never found the right opportunity. This seemed like the perfect moment.

Feeling excited, I went out to buy a round framed wooden board and the clay needed for the project. With the help of my husband, I began sculpting the earthen jar using wire, metal netting, and clay. After that, I shaped the brick planter wall where the flowers would grow. The whole process turned into quite an adventure as the piece slowly came to life.

I am grateful for the new experiences that came with creating this artwork. It felt as though God had remembered that small desire in my heart when I first saw that video and gently created the opportunity for me to try it through this piece.