And my first painting since I’ve gotten back from Japan! I’ve surprisingly not gotten rusty with the mixed media intuitive style I had picked up from Tracy Verdugo’s Paint Mojo workshop last January. The intuition will never go away of course but I must admit my thought processes were a tad slower than usual which meant the painting took a few days to complete. Not to worry, what’s the hurry? It’s so wonderful anyhow to come back to my stuff like my art supplies both old and new. Whilst in Japan, I also stocked up a bit. Couldn’t wait to try out my new Turner’s Acryl Gouache!
All this mess with the Corona Virus has indeed been turning the world upside down. It was bad enough in Japan with the gloomy mood, face masks, events cancelled and areas of interest closed off. That was 10 days ago when we left. And now in the Netherlands, we are jumping the bandwagon and starting to take measures here. Worse is stock markets have plummeted and all major industries are screwed. And no wonder why we need some bright vivid colours to lift our spirits up!
I began with doodling with my oil pastels and worked from there mainly layering with acrylic ink. Also incorporated were some coloured India Ink and the new gouache which worked very well. Much of my inspiration like symbols came from what I had observed in Japan, all the colours and shapes. One of the categories I found most fascinating was the food! Rice grains, bunch of natto beans, shellfish, the red colour of maguro raw tuna and shiso leaf. At the time, I must have been hungry and getting homesick already! The Sakura cherry blossoms were starting to bloom beautifully when we were in Japan too. And thus, I began adding them in the painting, getting as brightly pink as possible by going for fluorescent pink. Then I thought it would be a cute idea to draw smiley faces on the flowers to cheer us up. How kawaii!
Of course I didn’t forget Little One! She must feel so scared and helpless with the uncertainty of the Corona Virus scare, the poor little girl. Amid the bright happy colours though and surrounded by the pretty Sakura and yummy food she feels more secure and safe. And look, I emphasized the sun even more with some gold! That ought to help lighten her days more too. In fact, I’m hoping this painting itself will brighten things up for all of us amid this scare. It’s of course not a cure but we all need some boost in spirit and to stay positive!
My Kawaii Quarter 