When I met these beauties
In 2023, I took my mother to see the sakura exhibition at Gardens by the Bay. As we were making our way toward the main exhibit, something delicate caught my eye among the greenery spilling over the planters. Hanging quietly beneath the leaves were flowers that looked like tiny ballerinas in mid-dance. Their graceful forms seemed to sway gently, as if performing a silent ballet among the plants. I was immediately captivated. I took many photographs, wanting to remember their beauty. Later, I discovered that these charming flowers are called fuchsia. That brief moment stayed with me. Their elegance, lightness, and quiet movement became the inspiration for this artwork. When I painted this piece, I hoped to capture the same sense of wonder I felt when I first noticed them — a reminder that beauty often appears unexpectedly when we pause long enough to see it.
INSPIRATION
3/8/20242 min read
Touched by the Light
I have always loved sunflowers. Their bright yellow petals feel cheerful and full of life.
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.
A Panda for the Children
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 that God has for us his children.
