Whilst at the Paint Mojo workshop in Cambodia, I took the liberty of squeezing in a “practice” painting between sessions. I was so immersed in the creative scene and so full of inspiration that I needed to create something different! This one is also about the symbols I observed during the trip. The remaining feet of a broken statue from one of the ancient temples had such an impact on me that I started off with drawing them with a pink oil pastel stick. Along with the feet I sketched some bamboo sticks.
Following that, I painted other pairs of feet this time with ink and added some colours and angular shapes to contrast with the roundness. The extensive roots of the trees from the “Tomb Raider” Ta Prom temple were then added as well as stamping on some images of Little One. It is here where I introduced a branch of Banyan leaves I had come across during our sightseeing trips to some temples. The Banyan tree has a sacred significance in Buddhism by symbolising longevity and fertility. First, I painted one in fluorescent pink then changed my mind as it was not standing out enough. The branch was then traced over in red.
Still, the red just didn’t look right. At this point, it was time to leave Cambodia, and I decided to continue with this piece back home. The branch was then further traced over with a darker colour, Payne’s Grey.. Although the red does show through, I think it makes an interesting blend. A series of layers ensued in terms of paints and collages, a significant one being glueing on bits from a Cambodian-language newspaper! I had the idea of grabbing a few copies of it before leaving the country. How cool is that! It was also nice to be home with all my other art supplies. Origami paper scraps were also added on along with colours I didn’t have with me during the trip.
Other stuff I didn’t have with me during the trip were my Sennelier 3D Liners which came out quite handy. Eventually I was able to add more cool stuff too such as embellishments like sequins, one of which I glued on. I then added some finishing touches with my white Molotow acrylic markers, including a kawaii doodle of Little One just hanging out. How can we not include her!! Once happy with the whole picture, I was good to go. It was so much fun being able to practice independently from the painting workshop, getting all creative and colourful in my own time. A great way to gain further confidence in exploring and painting one’s mind freely!
My Kawaii Quarter 