Once upon a painting

Spray of Flowers
Watercolour on paper, 71cm x 95 cm, 18 April 1974.
Artist collection

My mother

The early 70's was one of those  peak points in my life.  Having just graduated from Universiti Sains Malaysia in Pulau Pinang, I came back home to Bintulu as a young man full of ideals and energy to perform what was expected of a graduate.  But not too soon because I had to undergo an additional  year of professional study for a teaching diploma from the University of Malaya. In between studies and a term break I went back to Bintulu and in April'74  did a watercolour painting of a spray of flowers.  These flowers were actually made by my mother from different plastic straws strapped on a long wire.  She would combine many different colours of straw and their weight on the long wire made them bend gracefully like real flowers.  Her artistry attracted me to do the painting in imperial size paper (see above).
By next year the painting would be 40 years old and I am glad I have kept the painting in my collection for posterity.

My mother, in watercolour, done much later (6.5.2011)

It will remind me of my mother as gifted woman not only in sewing our clothes, decorating the house, cooking meals, but also in her shower of love and kindness in upbringing her 13 children.
I consider the mid 70's as my mature years as an artist.  To see more water colour and mixed media painting during this period, please go to my blog here...>>>http://beingmy2.blogspot.com/2007/12/mature-years-ayu.html

( Note: This is a re-posting from my blog Being MY (3rd. Ed.) and the link is here.