The painting is a continuation of my intention to feature another part of the body after my "Faces" series last year. As I reflected on my challenging journey after being diagnosed as having retina detachment which I could potentially be blind since March 2017, I was battling with the fear of losing my eyesight. I painted frantically to complete my desire to give back to society with a charity art auction with the Faces series in October 2018.
After the calming down from that fright, I was groping with the idea of painting another part of the body; Eyes. I started to warm up with some frontal views such as "My Land" and "What Do I See" in search of ideas.
As I had also obtained help from an optometrist consultant who did various scans on me, I was totally moved by the beauty of the scans. Never knew that the back of our eyes could be so spellbinding. Intriguing lines and hues of green, orange, yellow or even purple. I realized then most of us had only seen the limited external beauty of the eyes on someone’s face. The appealing or not-so appealing frontal view is often more accentuated by the lens of the eyes, the eyelashes and the shape of the eyes framed by a face.So I present in this piece a glimpse of the wonder of science of light bouncing on the retina an image that we see and the art in an image I see in my imagination.
Hence I have learnt a new medium which originated from the region of South East Asia. This medium enable me to achieve the softer effects desired and I began a new journey since March 2019, adding on the Fine Art Batik, using reactive dye stuff on combed cotton medium into my artistry.With Joy, it was simply inspired by a photo of an innocent, happy girl holding a strawberry. I hope my attempt to show that "small and simple things can often bring happiness too" can make one feel the same when looking my artwork.
I have written a poem that can be exhibited together with the artwork if necessary:
Happiness and great pleasure
Is something so simple to treasure.
With a strawberry in my hand
I hear distant giggles of children.
Thoughts go back to childhood days
Those silly and carefree ways.
Days with cousins playing “Train”
Satisfied with things so plain.
Pretended with chairs all lined up
We travelled as a full grown up.
The mind’s eye brings me back
To every moment there is to track.
As I thought of what to share
A childhood so innocent and bare,
I saw delight in simple things
And mirth like eternal springs.