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Drawing Close, Kennedy Town (2026)

28/10/2024

「寫生時，畫家要選取主題及構圖，和去蕪存菁。」
“Plein air painter would need to decide on the theme and composition, and be selective in what to include (or not) in the drawing.”

很幸運能在瀑布聲為背景下與自學成材的水彩畫家先生「以畫會友」。雖然您謙虛地說不能說是學習，但我的確從跟您的對話中獲益良多。得悉您在七十歲的年紀才重拾畫筆，從基本功開始的耐心的鑽研水彩，及後被畫廊發掘及邀請以梅窩第一個開畫展的畫家身份去辦了兩場展覽。整個經歷都提醒著我，無論幾歲，人生都能有新的故事線，只要您願意去寫（畫）去堅持。在跟您交流前，我一直以為寫生的目的是要像真。但是您提點了我，其實畫家的角色包括了選取主題及構圖，和去蕪存菁的部分。在眾多媒介之中，水彩必然是我覺得最難駕馭的。您說到水彩對紙質，環境，濕度有極高要求，我想是這種「畫十張有兩張可以已經很幸運」的挑戰性讓您如此鍾情水彩吧。我想，那種未知及不可控的感覺的確很訓練人的心智，也許這已經超越了單純訓練畫技的層次了。最後，我希望我不用等到退休才跟隨您的意見去好好練習素描吧。

I’m lucky to get to have met this self-taught water colour artist under this waterfall through art. Though you emphasised that it was not a kind of “learning” but mutual exchange, I did get inspired by our interaction. Knowing that you picked up your art practice at the age of 70, starting from the basics, and eventually being recognised by the gallery and being invited to set up 2 exhibitions as the first artist in Mui Wo. Your experience reminded me that, no matter what age we are at, we can always write a new storyline as long as we are willing to try and persist. Amongst all medium, watercolour is the one that I find hardest to master. You mentioned that watercolour is sensitive to the paper, weather and humidity. It could be the challenge of “I would call it a day if I get 2 good ones out of 10” that have drawn you to it. For me, that sense of unknown and uncontrollability would be the ultimate training for the mind, beyond the artistic skills. Lastly, I hope I won’t need to wait till retirement to follow your advice to practice my sketching.

//255//⏱15mins//🎨pencil

Thanks for the capture 📸

26/11/2023

“We need to believe it first and then it can happen one day”

To the girl with beautiful eyes and lovely smile, thanks for reminding me in the end of what I tried to convince you earlier on. From beauty tips to rules of living, from good food to body insecurity, from Marrekash to Hong Kong, it was incredible that we managed to fit in such a wide range of topics within this hour. Everything unfolded so spontaneously. It was as if the magic of London just decided to bring the two of us sitting next to each other in on a winter morning, ordering the same breakfast combination and striking up a conversation. If we chose to believe that “everything happens for a reason”, then the purpose of our encounter maybe was to remind us of our own blindspots. I will try to practice what I preached by having more faith in myself. May it be to do with my own body image or to do with our future dreams of owning an apartment in a posh area of London, because one’s confidence really shines through under all circumstances. Above all, this moment of connectedness we had really warmed me up in this sudden drop of temperature (well maybe that cardamom bun and americano helped too). Till next time and good luck!

//254//⏱1 hour//🎨ink, watercolour

23/11/2023

「为了孩子，怎么样都是值得的」
“Everything is worth it for the sake of my children.”

谢谢您在我画画的时候过来参观，也很开心我们因此能有这么一次不期而遇的交流。为了家人放弃了稳定的职业，到了陌生的国度开展事业，这真的很厉害。而但更难得是身边的人和自己能同步一起为家庭而奋斗。从您分享父亲的国画到儿女的成长就能感觉到您对家庭那份浓浓的爱，我相信这份爱也是从一个有爱的家庭里承传到下一代的。下次有机会去迪拜玩的时候希望能去拜访您。

Thank you for showing interest in my drawing while I was doing my previous picture, and I’m glad how that catalysed our impromptu interaction. It was impressive how you gave up a stable job to set up a new business in a foreign country, all for the sake of the family. What’s even more impressive is to have your partner on the same page as you during your life pursuit. Your love towards your family was evident in the way you talked about your father’s Chinese painting and your children’s growth. I believe this love was passed down from generation to generation. I hope I will have the chance to visit you next time if I travel to Dubai.

//253//⏱15mins//🎨inktense

23/11/2023

“I recognise his nose from the drawing… but maybe a bit more smile… but I guess maybe he wasn’t smiling so much then.”

To the couple from Venice, grazie for letting me draw you. I think the drawing definitely did not do justice to your lovely smile which I saw during our later interaction after the drawing was completed. Your kindness means a lot to me as I got rejected twice today. Confidence is a strange thing, I imagine if I have not given this one more try, I would feel quite defeated after two “no”. But your “yes” was all that needed to motivate me to carry on for just a tiny bit more. I was kind of relieved that you both were quite occupied during the drawing, so my nervous sweating might not be so obvious to you. Wish us all a safe and enjoyable flight to Dubai and to our onwards journey. Ciao.

//252//⏱19mins//🎨pencil

26/02/2023

「自己一個去旅行可以發現好多關於自己嘅嘢。」
“Solo travelling is a journey to self-discovery.”

想跟洋洋的主人說，我真的很佩服你一個女生去旅行的勇氣。撇除安全的問題不說，我想我更怕那種孤單或無助，因此我也從沒試過隻身到訪一個完全陌生的國度。當你用閃亮的表情訴說著一人旅行的美好時，讓我看到硬幣的另一面正是對於獨立自主以及無拘無束的追求。一個人想要特立獨行時要抗衡的是集體主義的框框條條，而當中所需要的除了勇氣，還有靈活的創意。即使在過去三年無法外遊的環境下，你也繼續透過學習陶瓷及油畫來挑戰及了解自我。很高興今天能遇到你和調皮活潑的洋洋來作為我2023年這系列的第一張畫。有時候工作上承載太多沉重的生命故事會叫我在執行這個計劃上有些卻步，但這種透過畫畫的輕鬆相處卻總能帶給我更大的力量去繼續走下去。世事總是充滿著矛盾——自由及孤寂，關係及負擔。有時候想，這種矛盾就像左右腳一樣，一邊一下才能一步一步往前走。我也該是時候多花點時間學習獨處，學習去多了解自己。畢竟，在對人的工作中，自我才是最重要的工具。

To the owner of “Yeung Yeung” the parrot, I really admire your courage as a female solo traveller. Besides safety issues, I think I am more wary of the that sense of loneliness and helplessness, therefore I have never attempted travelling to a totally unfamiliar county by myself. The sparks in your eyes as you recalled the perks of solo travelling made me realise the other side of the coin was the pursuit of independence and freedom. To strive for individualism, one has to stand against the restrictions and fetters of collectivism in a brave and creative manner. Even though we were deprived of the opportunity to travel freely in the past 3 years, you continued to challenge and learn about yourself through mastering clay and oil painting. I was so glad to have met you and the playful “Yeung Yeung” today as my first Drawing Close post in 2023. Sometimes I got so overwhelmed by the life stories from work that made me hesitated in engaging with this personal project. But such carefree and delightful encounter always revitalise me to carry on. The world is full of numerous dialectics — freedom and loneliness, relationship and burden. Sometimes I think, such dialectics are akin to our left and right foot. We need to step on alternatives in order to move forward. Maybe it is also time for me to learn to be on my own and to learn how to introspect. After all, in therapeutic endeavours, our self is always our greatest asset.

//251//⏱55mins//🎨inktense , watercolour

15/10/2022

「要順住出力。」
“Go with the flow.”

想跟兩位釣魚愛好者說，謝謝你們不但友善地接受我畫畫的邀請，還大方地送給我你們今天的魚獲。Fred說釣到魚的竅門是要「順住出力」。說的大概是要先感受魚的游動速度、方向及韻律，然後以相約的力度及方式移動誘餌，方能輕鬆讓魚兒乖乖上鉤。說易行難，不光是如何感受是種很玄的概念，連魚鉤的大小，時間，風向風速，溫度等等，通通都有講究。而我在旁觀察時最大感受是，落鉤上釣只是一瞬的功夫，最好看的卻是你們慢條斯理地準備魚餌魚鉤時的那份悠然自得。有時候船隻高速靠近，一個大浪打來魚絲就會纏成一團，甚至不能再用。唯一的解救方法是船隻靠近前先收起魚絲，等待風平浪靜時再投餌。也許做人就像釣魚一樣，如何享受準備的過程正是一種修養，感知何時該收該放亦是一種功夫。我不確定以釣魚為樂的人會有多在意收穫，但我把你們送贈的魚獲拿回家時家人確實都很高興。這是我住在附近十多年來第一次嘗到這水域的魚呢！它們必須是我吃過最鮮甜的泥鯭了。

To the two fishing enthusiasts, I was truly grateful that not only you kindly accepted my invitation, you also generously gave me your catch of the day. Fred said, the key to fishing was to go with the flow. That roughly means you have to first get a sense of the movement, rhythm and direction of the fish, and to jig or drag the bait accordingly. The fish would get caught easily if you do it right. It was surely easier said than done. Let alone the sensing part was almost like an intuition, you also have to take into account the size of the hook, the timing, the direction and the speed of the wind, the temperature, etc. While I was observing, I noticed that dropping the bait and catching the fish was an momentary act. What I enjoyed watching most was the way you mindfully prepared the bait and the hook. Those moments were timeless. Sometimes your fishing line might get all tangled up after a boat drove past, to a point that it could no longer be used. The only solution was to reel it up before the boat arrived and to drop the bait again when the current settled. Perhaps life is like fishing, the learning lies in how to enjoy the process, and how to know when it’s the time to pursue or to wait. I’m not sure how much people who enjoy fishing would care about the catch, I only know that when I brought your catch back home my family was so delighted. It was the first time I tasted the fish from this area after living here for 10+ years! They must have been the freshest and best tasting mottled spinefoots I have ever tasted.

//250//⏱55mins//🎨ink pen, watercolour

24/09/2022

「我一开始以为我一个人会很开心，但现在我才知道我确实是个很恋家的人」
“I originally thought I would enjoy the freedom of being independent, but since I left home I became more certain that I’m a really family-oriented person.”

致刚成年就第一次离乡背井的英语系大学生，你让我想起了第一次出国的自己。那种彷徨无助，尤其新地方不一定总能遇到友善的环境和人。出走了很大一圈，浪迹了半辈子，回到家乡的我收获了很多成长和自我认知，却很少再忆起当初离开的痛苦。那种当家人发生什么而自己不在身边的愧疚，又怕自己孤身在外发生什么会让家人担心。这些思绪通常都在夜阑人静的时候来缠绕，强迫我们面对自己的脆弱。到忘了多久后的后来，让我渐渐安心的有新遇到的好朋友，还有来自故地的一通通电话和一封封信。因为有爱，才有痛；因为在乎，才会苦。生老病死都是练习和这些人生矛盾共存的一个个课题。我相信会有那么一天，你回过头来看着这一路披荆斩棘走来的成长，然后由衷的为自己而骄傲。

To the uni fresher majoring in English who has just officially turned adult and left home to study afar for the first time, you very much reminded me of how I was back then. That sense of helplessness and perplexity was so prominent, especially when people or the environment were not always the friendliest in the foreign place. Ever since I returned home from an odyssey that lasted for half a lifetime, I was conscious of my personal growth and self-understanding, yet I seldom reminisced about the pain when I first departed. The guilt for not being around when things happened back home, and the fear of causing worries to our family should anything happened to us. Such thoughts usually kick in during the darkest hours of the night, confronting us with our own fragility. God knows for how long after, I gradually settled down with thanks to the new friends I made, and the countless phone calls and letters from my homeland. Love comes with pain, and caring with suffering. Life is full of opportunities for us to work through such dilemmas. I believe that there will be one day, you will look back and be proud of yourself for what you would have achieved along the way.

//249//⏱38mins//🎨ballpoint pen, watercolour

28/08/2022

“This t-shirt used to belong to my son, I just wear it now as he did not bring it with him to the US.”

To the very kind Korean lady who sat opposite to me on the bus, I am glad that I have made you proud of yourself for having accepted my unusual invite for this drawing. You told me that you were motivated by the intent to help me out with my personal project, and therefore agreed to be drawn despite your initial hesitation. This really tells how altruistic you are as a person. The way you talked about your two grown up sons who just went back to the states to continue their studies reminded me of my own experience of studying abroad. After speaking with you, I began to wonder what feelings my mother might have had back then when she saw the bits and pieces that I left at home after I was gone. Thanks for sharing the curious incident of you and your husband having to run away from the police in the middle of your portrait drawing when you were in Paris, as such activities were not allowed in certain public areas. This time there was no police, no running, but still, you could only see half your face in the drawing because of the face mask restriction. I hope that maybe one day you and your family can have a proper drawing done with every one’s full face in it without having to rush.

//248//⏱14mins//🎨graphite, watercolour

13/08/2022

「可能如果一直望住對方會以為你對佢有意思。」
“Maybe if you keep staring, they would think you are interested in them.”

想跟和的一樣在商場等人的先生說，你說的也正正是我以往偷畫人的時候的疑慮。然後開始這個企劃之前，我會以為直接了當地問人能不能畫對方會讓對方會錯意。但實際上，至今我似乎從沒出現過類似狀況。也許當我解釋我的原意後，大部分答應被畫的人都能理解。又或者，不理解的人一開始就不會答應了呢。聽到你也學過畫人像我也很想有機會看看你的作品多作交流呢。

To the gentleman who was also waiting for someone in a shopping mall like I did, what you said was exactly my worries when I secretly sketched others. And before I started this project, I once thought approaching people directly for portrait drawing might also be mistaken. But in fact, I have almost never encountered such situation till now. Maybe most people would understand as soon as I explained my intention. Or maybe, those who didn’t would not even accepted my invitation. After knowing that you have also learned portrait drawing, I would love to see your drawing and to have a chance for aesthetic exchange.

//247//⏱5mins//🎨ink pen

04/08/2022

“People say that a lot.”

To a fellow passenger whom I met on the cross-harbour bus journey, thanks for being so forgiving towards my inept Disney association when I first heard your name. You reminded me of how kind people can really be if only we were given a chance to interact. And that was probably one of the main reasons for me to continue with this project.

//246//⏱3mins//🎨pencil

21/05/2022

“I’m quite a reader, and writing is also something I’m interested in.”

To the 13-year-old Indian girl who was reading quietly in the shade, I wanted to let you know that your tranquil and serene vibe marked a stark contrast to the younger children screaming and running around you on the lawn, and that was what drew my attention to you in the first place. It was rare to see children in Hong Kong to hold a book instead of a smartphone or tablet nowadays. Also I was quite surprised to learn that you and your peers would actually enjoy watching FRIENDS. Talking with you helped me to challenge many of my presumptions about the younger generation, and served as a wake-up call for me not to turn into those kind of judgmental, stubborn and arrogant adult that I never wanted to be. Schooling and socialising had indeed not been easy for you and your peers under the covid restriction. I had a mixed feelings towards the joy you had in finally being able to see your friends and teachers in person after months of “summer holiday”. On one hand, I felt happy for you to be able to enjoy some “normal” school life again; on the other hand, I felt sad to realise that even simple human interaction has become such a privilege these days. Thanks for sharing with me your way to practice writing, and I wonder how you might describe our encounter in your beautiful writing. It was so cute when your 6-year-old younger brother came to fetch you, I hoped I didn’t keep your family waiting for you for too long.

//245//⏱22mins//🎨watercolour, ink

09/05/2022

「由細開始同佢訓練就係先苦後甜。」
“There is no sweet without sweat in terms of dog training.”

想跟今日遇到的兩歲的P**i🐶 **i 說，很欣賞你可以很乖地聽從父母的話，全程待在原位沒去偷吃擺在我畫簿附近作為吸引你多看過來的零食。而且以你的年紀貪玩貪吃都是狗之常情，但爸爸媽媽一個指令就足以令你安定就足以反映你的斯文乖巧和爸媽的對你的耐心教導。通常這都被稱作狗隻訓練，但實際上背後的理念和人類孩子的育兒概念大同小異。都是以愛，界限設置和溝通為基礎。當然這都是知易行難，因為當中需要持之以恆，讓習慣成自然。我去稍微找了一下你名字的來源（一款克羅地亞的飲品上綁著雙馬尾的小女孩圖像），可以想像擬人化的你會是個有著蓬鬆帶著自然捲的雙馬尾的小女孩。因著香港食物業規例所限，香港能做到寵物友善的餐廳確實不多。很多時候連公園都不許動物使用。但希望隨著香港愈來愈多人有毛孩，相關條例可以早日有所修正，讓寵物們也可以多點機會外出，共享家庭樂 🐾

To the 2-year old paw friend P**i, I really appreciated how you listened to your parents, and remained in the same space throughout without stealing the snack that was put near my sketchbook (the snack was there to attract your attention). Being playful and gluttonous is a norm for doggies of your age, the way you calmed down instantly under your parents’ instructions reflected both your gentleness and the patient guidance from your parents. We called that dog training, but in fact the underlying concepts are more or less the same as parenting with human kids. The basis of both would have to include love, boundary-setting, and communication. Of course this is always easier said than done, as it involves so much persistence and consistency to make such habit becomes second nature. I did a research on the origin of your name (an image of a girl with double ponytails on a Croatian soft drink). I can totally imagine if you were personified you would be a little girl with a pair of fluffy and curly ponytails. Due to the food business regulation in Hong Kong, pet-friendly restaurants are a rare kind. Very often pets are not even allowed into parks. Hopefully as the pet owners community grows in Hong Kong, the relevant regulations can be revised to give more opportunities for our paw friends to go out and enjoy their family time.

//244//⏱17mins//🎨watercolour, pencil
**i

Drawing Close

28/10/2024

26/11/2023

23/11/2023

23/11/2023

26/02/2023

15/10/2022

24/09/2022

28/08/2022

13/08/2022

04/08/2022

21/05/2022

09/05/2022

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