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Hope
Hope | Mixed-media (pencil & colour pencil) | 2020 (SOLD) the rain will slowly flow
to empty the ocean of sorrow—
promising the beautiful rainbow.
Em271220 -
Distorted III—Sold
Distorted III |Mixed-media on Stretched Canvas
Size: 20cm x 25.5cm | Year: 2020Distorted series were made as a reminder that no one is perfect—and that the definition of perfect is define by us human. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I see imperfection as beauty.
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Enough
I often think that I am not good enough in everything that I do. I have come to peace with being not good. I am just enough. That’s all that matters.
Em241220 -
Paintings made and sold
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A brush with Covid-19
On 9th December, I came across a notice from a book publisher, that whoever was in their building from 24th to 30th November, should do a swab test because an employee had been tested positive.
Being in the building and dealt directly with the employee that was tested positive, I went to the hospital the next day to do a swab test but was turned away as I do not have the letter from the district health office or the Health Ministry. I contacted the publisher and asked if they had submitted a report to the ministry. They had not but immediately took action. Three days later, I was contacted to go and get the quarantine letter from Petaling District Health Office. They put a white band on my wrist and was directed to go for the swab test two days later. A day before the swab test, I was given an option to either be released from the quarantine; or do a swab test, wait for the result and get a release after that.
The former option was given because it had been more than 10 days and I showed no symptoms. But I opted for the latter option because I read that sometimes people with no symptoms can get Covid-19. I had to be sure.
And so I went for the swab test on 15th, waited for five days and got the result. I was tested negative. Alhamdulillah. I felt that all burdens are lifted. Psychologically, I was numb during the quarantine. I can’t do work right and my head was swamped with so many questions.
So, the whole process in chronological order:
1. Found out the news on 9th December.
2. Went to get quarantine letter on 13th December.
3. Went for the swab test on 15th December.
4. Got the result on 19th December.
5. Got a release letter on 20th December and they took the white band off.The whole thing took 12 days—12 days of numbness and queasiness on my part. I am just glad that it was over. I am also glad that during the transaction with the close contact, I sanitised my hand and wore a mask. The safety measures really help in preventing the spread of the virus.
Stay safe everybody!
Monalisa by Da Vinci. Photo manipulation by Yaroslav Danylchenko from Pexels. -
Landscape studies in pointillism
When I visited Albertina in Vienna, I came across some paintings by Paul Signac, Auguste Rodin, Henri Matisse, Georges Seurat, using a technique called Pointillism. Now, although this is not something new to me, but seeing the paintings up-close made me want to try the technique. So I bought a sketchbook and some markers and made some studies on the technique. I am just using markers because they are easy to carry around in my pouch case.
The idea behind pointillism is that when we place two basic colours next to each other, the colours will optically blend into a different colour. But that was then, I think I will make some adjustment and use whatever colours I have in my hands to do this technique. I layered two colours to make one and sometimes layered a few colours to achieve the colours I want. Maybe I can name this technique to Neo-Pointillism. Haha! The term is not coined yet by anybody.
About Pointillism
Pointillism is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of colour are applied in patterns to form an image. Pointillism takes advantage of the way our eyes work with our brains—instead of seeing thousands of dots of colour, we will be seeing an image from a distance.
The technique is associated with its inventor, Georges Seurat, and his student, Paul Signac, who both espoused Neo-Impressionism, a movement that flourished from the late 1880s to the first decade of the 20th century.
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The Kiss
After walking out of Albertina, I wandered around the city with no intention of going to another museum. The weather was great; the air was favourable along with the cool breeze. It was a wondrous time of the year and the autumn foliage of golden yellow, brilliant orange and gorgeous red were embracing the streets.
After walking for a while, I chanced upon Wiener Stadtpark. I went in and sat on one of the benches lining around a pond. In the pond, there were ducks swimming gracefully, singing to one another—or perhaps—to the park visitors.
While being absorbed with the ducks swimming in the pond, I heard waves of laughter. I shifted my eyes from the pond to the bench opposite me on the other side of the pond. There was a couple sitting there; holding hands and laughing. One made jokes, the other was laughing and giggling. There was something that attracted my eyes to them—their attires. The man was wearing some kind of robe with Art Nouveau style; printed with geometric patterns and subtle swirls on mustard-yellow background —or perhaps gold— because I swear it glowed. The woman was wearing a lovely dress with floral prints with the same mustard yellow background, with a crown of flowers on her head. Nonetheless, they were both glowing amidst the autumn foliage—even the pond was glowing with their reflection. Can you imagine such a beautiful setting?
I looked in awe trying to memorise the scene so that I could draw it later. I dared not capture the photo of them because that would be rude, not to mention that I had to get consent first to be able to take their photo with my camera. I remember the incident when I was visiting Wiesbaden, the capital of Hessen, with my sister-in-law. She was capturing a photo of a building in front of her when a guy in a car screamed to her to delete the photo as he thought that my sister-in-law had included him in the photo. There was a heated argument and she had to show the photo on her phone to the man. The man laughed and drove off, never even bothered to apologise. Both my sister-in-law and I looked at each other while uttering ‘perasan!’ simultaneously.
Anyway, back to the couple. The man, I reckon, was at his mid-40s while the woman in her 20s. He had curly dark hair while the woman, curly orange. From the way they talked, laughed, hugged, kissed, I could tell that they were so in love with each other. I looked at them for quite a long time before they got up from the seat and walked. My eyes were still following them until they walked toward me. I was totally caught off-guard and was blushing. I could feel my heart pounding faster. Before they could say anything, I said hello to them and apologised for looking at them. They giggled and said they were used to it and told me not to worry. We talked a bit and they introduced themselves as Gustav and Emilie. When I told her my name is Amelie, we laughed. What a coincidence that we have a similar name!
“Where are you staying?” Emilie asked me.
“I stay at the Azimut Hotel in the city centre. Und du?” I replied while asking the same.
Emilie told me that they live in the Upper Belvedere, 2 kilometres away from the park. They invited me later to their home at 3 pm. It was 12 in the afternoon and I promised them that I would drop by later after lunch. After having lunch at a restaurant near the park, I turned on my Google map looking for the way to Upper Belvedere. So I followed the direction before reaching the majestic gate of Upper Belvedere. I went inside and to my surprise, it’s a museum!
I could not enter without having a ticket, so I bought one. I went straight to the information counter and asked whether Gustav and Emilie were around. I was told to go to the first floor. I was sceptical if people are living there because it’s a museum. Furthermore, the receptionist seemed composed and calm when I asked about them. I was certain that she was asked the same question a lot.
So I went to the first floor, peeking all the rooms looking for the couple. There were so many original paintings that my jaw dropped. Entering a large hall with a sign ‘Vienna around 1900’, there I saw Gustav and Emilie, immortalised. The kiss said it all, and the note beside them said:
Gustav Klimt, Kuss / Liebespaar, 1908 (completed in 1909).
This is for Prompt #22: The kiss that said it all, July 2020 writing prompts.
