Gouache Sketch

Bought a set of gouache for some time but not yet tried seriously. Here is the first shot - a quick sketch of my mum! 

First time to paint with gouache, I had great difficulties in color mixing, the proportions of water and even with the paper!!! Having said that, it’s a great medium for head sketch as it allows certain room of adjustments. I particularly like the opacity of this medium!  Hope I can improve my skills in next painting!!! 

#watercolor #watercolorpainting #gouache 

#gouachepainting #portrait #portraitpainting #portraiture #amateurartist #mamajournal #mamadiary #lovetopaint #paintforlove #losaartjourney #sunshineofmylife #appleofmyeyes  #畫

Portrait for a Young Adult

A sunny smile is not exclusive for children only and it works for male too!! Can you feel his sunny personality? Yes, I do!!

#watercolor #watercolorpainting #portrait #portraitpainting #portraiture #amateurartist #mamajournal #mamadiary #lovetopaint #paintforlove #losaartjourney #sunshineofmylife #appleofmyeyes #水彩 #畫

Sunny Smile

This sunny smile is priceless for me as a mother. One day when she grows up, hope this can remind her the joyful self in the picture.

It’s quite difficult to depict a smiley face for a kid without letting them to look old by the shading. Hope I can get a pass.  I hate the addiction to rectify errors over and over.  I just let go and let it be this way. 

#watercolor #watercolorpainting #portrait #portraitpainting #paintingforkid #amateurartist #mamajournal #mamadiary #lovetopaint #paintforlove #losaartjourney #sunshineofmylife #appleofmyeyes

Refining a “Completed” Painting

I just refined a previous painting done half a year ago.

At the time I painted this “First Run” portrait of my elder daughter, I was quitting my previous job. I was pretty much occupied and had so much handover tasks to be completed before I left.  I squeezed time to paint to balance myself.  I just knew something not right by that time but couldn’t tell how exactly (don’t know what happened to my eyes).

Sitting in front of a painting for hours really needs a time-out to readjust my lens.

After months, I changed to fresh eyes to view this piece again and I tried to correct my huge overlooks.  Here I tried to correct the facial structure and warm the color tone. I cannot tell if this is enough but at least I’m contented with it.

There is never a perfect painting just how you view it.  Hope I don’t need another remake of the same piece. But who knows, huh? :)

Before & After: Left is the Original; Right is the Refined Painting

Chubby Cheek

“Chubby Cheek”, Watercolor, 10.5” x 15”

I really miss the chubby cheek of my big girl when she was small.  I always saw hope and possibilities in her pebble like round eyes.

幸好趕得切在妳 5歲生日前，完成這幅畫。沒甚麼可送給妳，就讓這一切珍貴的片段伴隨著妳成長。生日快樂，我的親愛！

這片段已經是兩年前，當時Luvia 剛三歲，面圓圓、眼圓圓的，樣子很可愛；那時的她很怕羞，叫她買個蛋撻，也只會含羞答答的看著人家笑。這兩年間小妮子不知不覺間蛻變了，圓圓的輪廓線不見了，對答亦老積了自信多了。看著妳長大了進步了，心裡當然很高興，但同時我心裡仍會深深記住妳兒時的畫面。

當你開始不停重看小孩子昔日的片段，證明你已越來越不捨得她們長大！

First Run

My 4-year-old daughter participated in an athletic meet for the first time.  I was stunned by the reflected light of the red runway on children’s faces.  In this short run, I felt my lovely girl suddenly grew up.  Of course, there are many more journeys out there waiting for her.


Contrasting the red runway, I don’t know if this is the right way to capture the reflected light on her face and if the color temperature is correct.  I have applied white gouache on the tips of her hair.


It seems some parts have been a bit overdone.  If given another chance, I would try to reduce the layers applied and preserve the fresh white of the paper more.



記Luvia 的第一次賽跑
在紅色跑道的光影下，跑道上的小孩子們均映照得滿面通紅，非常可愛。在短短數十米的跑程下，看著Luvia 堅定的往終點跑，突然發現，小妮子真的長大了。媽媽怎麼捨得妳長大得這麼快呢？

“First Run”, 10.5” x 15”, Watercolor



“First Run”, 10.5” x 15”, Watercolor
Do you think this painting looks better when putting in a frame?

First Watercolor Portrait

When you have two kids to take care, watercolor is the most preferrable medium to paint with.  Unlike oil, which is much more messy and involves many toxic medium.  Watercolor is easy to set up and everything can be cleaned easily with water.


Here is my first attempt to paint portrait with watercolor.


My second daughter Rafella was holding a huge mango and asking us to let her eat!!!  She is just 21 months old and loves to eat so much~~  Contrasting with her tiny body, the mango was so huge that she has difficulties to balance herself. 


I could only paint during lunch hour so it’s pretty much remained as a sketch.  I know it has so much to be improved.  But, I am happy to stop as what it is now. 


When I showed this to her, she said: "It's Rafella.".  Luckily, she can still recognize herself!!




Little Rafella Big Mango, 10.5 x 7.5, Watercolor

Paint My Loves

After having my first daughter, I watch her grow up everyday.  I can feel time slipped away so fast that I could not remember all the precious moments well enough.  I sometimes would even fear I would forget how she looked like, how she crawled, how she smiled and how she ate as a baby, as a little girl.  Though in smarts phone era, taking photo is just a handy job with no effort at all.  But I don't like instant food.  Painting can help me to process my emotions and communicate to my loved ones in a deeper level.  Most importantly, paintings can become tangible memories of the family when hanging on the wall! Lol


Without formal portraiture and figure drawing training, I know these paintings are not perfect.  But, these really helped me to record my love to my dearests.


The first piece depicted the moment we went to Thailand at Luvia's 1-year-old.  She didn't enjoy much of the texture of the sand and cried.  Without saying a word, Daddy just held her and gave her a kiss and hug.  Under the sunlight, this scene was really full of love.  I wanted to remember it and turned it into painting.  Though it looks like a bit cartoon, I really enjoyed the process and the outcome!

Daddy's Hug with Love, 16"x20", Oil on Canvas

This second piece was the scene that Luvia playing with her cousins together.  She was roughly 1.5 years old by that time.  Her cousins treated her as their young sister.  Only when they were around, Luvia would run and play happily and care-freely.  They both definitely were her first two friends in life! Hope they all could remember their happy childhood, how they loved each other and enjoyed the company together.

Three Gangs Enjoying Childhood, 16"x20", Oil on Canvas

Art Jamming Pain

I tried Art Jamming back to 10 years ago, well before I started to paint.  In a social setting, people brought in reference photos to paint whatever they liked.  After the event, we all said "Oh! Painting is so much fun!"


After I touched my hands on oil painting, I have given another chance to join an art jam event.  The experience this time was totally different.  Since in art jam, I was given to use acrylic paint to paint a huge unprimed canvas (22"x48") which I never handled before.  My experience with the acrylic paint was a nightmare, it dried super fast when compared to oil paint and its plastic and sticky texture were difficult to manage.  After 4 hours struggled with the paint, I only got plenty of frustrations with an unfinished canvas.  Of course, it was their marketing strategy to ask you to purchase more painting hours!


But I didn't give in.  I brought the canvas home and continued to work on this huge painting project.  This time, I changed the medium to what I am more familiar of - oil paints.

I designed to install a window view for my tiny home.  After working for several nights, this painting project was completed!

Can you feel the wind is blowing to your face?  Can you feel how intense is the red of the poppy field?  I just love it!  After all, I can say again "Painting is so much fun!!"

Floral Painting

 

Like most of the people, when started learning oil painting, I was asked to paint many black and white still life to get used of the properties of oil paint.  Gradually, color was introduced.

I was somehow lack of patience.  I would keep asking my instructor when I could try painting something else.  But when the opportunity finally came, I found it was difficult to control the paints, the color, the texture.  Sometimes, the color became too muddy.  Sometimes, the paint became too thick and slippery.  I realised I was lack of the "color language" to paint.

There is no fast track, at least no for me.  Only with patience and practice, I can now get used of oil paint and am in love it!

Here are two beginner level floral paintings I've done in my painting journey.  After I learned to paint, I become more aware of still life, flowers and people around me.  Sometimes, I starred at things as if I need to paint them right away.  I love to see how's the color changed, how the light reflected on the subject...  Painting really enriched my life. :) 

"Hello Camellia" 11"x 14" Oil on Canvas

Before I painted a larger size, I started with a small study.  But then, I changed the background color to a more neutral one. 

Camellia Study, 8"x10" Oil on Canvas



Beginner's Heart



Self-Portrait, Oil on canvas, 2015
I picked up painting again after having
my first daughter

I always want to start a painting blog but just delay and delay.  Finally... here I am!

To me, painting is the most theraputic process in the world.  I can be so focused and attuned to my own feelings.  In busy world nowadays, that is a precious moment for self-nurturing.

I didn’t have the luxury to learn painting when I was little.  I found my passion in painting only after I worked in office work. I joined painting class after work. Unfortunately, the long working hours could not allow me to continue.  Since then, I paint on and off for a few years during leisure time.  After I have my first daughter, life became even more intense and busier.  Of course, I enjoy my family time and playing with my daughter so much but I also felt parts of me has been detached. 

Luckily, painting found me again (sob sob...)

I started to paint again whenever my little sweetheart fell asleep.  I keep painting whenever I have leisure time. 

Through painting, I found myself again. 

As a mum and a working woman, I won't let people to define who I am.  I always see my genuine self through my artworks.