“Illuminations” (2020)
Watercolour and mixed media paintings on Saunders Waterford paper
While the pandemic has highlighted our insecurity towards uncertainty and unknown, we seemed to have craved for wonders, serendipities and coincidences as our physical and social movements have become restricted. I realised though, a piece of wonder that would elevate my mood could be found anywhere: being amazed at a cut branch of my house plant thriving in a cup of water, noticing more natural sounds in nearby woods, and paying attention to what my dog is sensing on walks…… While our usual life was on hold, nature has gone on business as usual. It has always been this way - storm or wildfire, the life goes on and the sun rises and sets again. This unstoppable force of nature is not just made of rigid rules however, it is flexible and adaptable. Nature is wonderfully whimsical and resourceful. Everything is always changing to keep a delicate balance without regretting the past or worrying about the future. Nature is cruel but forgiving.
“For most of us, knowledge of our world comes largely through sight, yet we look about with such unseeing eyes that we are partially blind. One way to open your eyes to unnoticed beauty is to ask yourself, "What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?”
― Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder
“Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.”
― Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass
