Fragrance of Flower 

Lotus pool is peaceful and quiet in spring with breeze blowing as well as pool water rippling. There are green leaves lying comfortably on the pool water and poolside plants floating in the wind. All kinds of fish swim and play scattered in the water with a happy mode. I paint “Lotus Pond in Spring” at the studio next to the lotus pool.

 This is an oil painting using green as the basic color tone. All experienced oil painters know that oil painting with green color tone is not easy to depict. It is easy for the painting to become tacky. For me, I don’t really care and I don’t have any pressure. After looking at the real lotus pool in spring, I want to draw the one from the bottom of my heart. I do it pretty much for myself. Sometimes I think it would be too tired to be a professional painter. As professional, most of painters cannot paint just what they like. At the time of their art creation, they always have to consider factors such as the preferences of their sponsors and customers as well as the market demand. They cannot paint whatever they want. Since my only loyal audience is myself and I am only an ordinary person who cannot escape from the world of secular life, it is not a big deal if I depict the painting with the spirit of worldliness. In this way, I can do my best to graffiti. My lotus pool is filled with lotus leaves. These leaves with both small and large size are tender, delicate green, and green. The pool water is also green in color. Green color is all over the canvas which is good for the eyes. At the moment, what I can smell is no longer the taste of turpentine but the breath of nature spring. I really feel so relaxed and happy.

Of course, my lotus pond cannot be without any lotus flower. I cannot wait to add lotus flower to the spring lotus pool. Several white lotuses quietly come out from the gap between the leaves. Some of them are only still in bud while others are ready to burst. They don’t have the style of the blooming of lotus during summer. Instead they are shy and they show the feeling of love, which presents different view. The ancients like to appreciate the lotuses with their noble character and the fact that they can grow in sludge without being polluted. For me, I like painting lotus only because of their attractive attitude from different seasons. With different seasons of lotus pond having so many connotations, there are just endless materials for painting.  

Although the lotus blooming season has not yet arrived, the fragrance of my lotus pond has already been spread out, which is indeed the fragrance of flowers from my heart!

(24 April, 2011, “Hong Kong Commercial Daily” Siu Fun Kee's column, “Fun Kee's Articles About Art”)