Being a 3rd year student always has its privileges, and I know it because I am doing admin for another university so I know entirely how things work around here.

I finally was able to ballot for this painting module that I wanted so much after 4 semesters and I was very excited about it because I love to draw.

I have no professional arts education, and what the last time I had an Arts class was in Secondary 2.

Majority of my art pieces were with the teachers or many were already discarded or stored somewhere I couldn’t remembered, but it was this interest in me that kept me looking for books and online for more resources to stoke my itch on drawing.

I remembered this one book I had picked up in my Secondary School library which taught drawing using shapes, and at that time I was interested in drawing castles and houses, because I wanted to learn so that I could draw my dream house so I can look at it all the time.

Naive thinking back then, but that book really open up the world of drawing to me.

I would keep renewing that book, and since one of my classmate was a student librarian then, I was blessed to be able to hog that book all the time. After all, nobody made noises about me borrowing that book all the time and no one seems to be wanting to borrow that book.

I cannot remember what the title of book was now, but definitely, if I had a chance to go back to my Secondary School library again, I am going to search for that book to get the title, if it is still there, that is, and I am so going to buy that book from Amazon.

Besides learning how to draw turrets and skyscrapers, that book had introduced me on the concept on perspectives. I never thought how the book would impact me so much later on now in my life, but it definitely had open a window to peer through and see the world I love.

After that, coffee table books on tropical houses and architecture are next that catches my interests.

I would go to the National Library, borrow them, copy the houses I love by drawing, then return the book. I thought I would fall in love with architecture courses in the end, but an in-class experience in Singapore Poly when I was Secondary four disproves that theory.

Don’t ask me how I landed myself with a diploma in Communications Engineering; cause I will tell you  a story so absurd you won’t believe and that is the truth, yet; so heart wrenching to me because that was the worst decision I made in my entire life.

Although I made some friends for life and experience some things I know I will never get to experience if I was not in that school, but all these were mere passing clouds and I had missed the crucial train of my life.

Finally, when I come to terms to know what I want, I have to pay the price of working and studying at the same time because, with an Engineering diploma, it gets me nowhere near to the course I want to take, based on the University selection criteria. Harsh, but true.

It’s funny how one module of my utmost interest can spark so many digging up of old wounds and have to miserably bury them again. However, these experiences have taught me to help intervene what other juniors I met in my life are experiencing now and guiding them to the right direction and making sure that they get to where they should be going and not to have regrets later on in their life. At least, it’s a consolation for me I guess. One person’s sacrifice creates blessings for many others.

So enough of sob stories and back to my oil painting module.

I was so excited because this module was taught at the Nanyang Academy of the Fine Arts (NAFA), an Arts school that was in my radar zone years ago. And now, it’s like fulfilling a childhood dream of being a student there.

Everyone of us in the class were issued a NAFA student pass, just like an actual NAFA student for us to access their libraries in the duration of our lessons there.

Unfortunately, I didn’t had time to enjoy their library, but the student pass is an awesome keepsake for memories.

In this module of 8 weeks, we were supposed to complete 2 pieces of art work.

One still art piece, and another, based on a photograph we have chosen.

Sitting in that art studio with easels and all is a total excitement on its own and made me feel like a real arts student. I am blessed.

Here are some photos that showcases my progress of my art pieces:

The tutor firstly told us to do a pencil sketching on paper ( which I did not document) as a practice before we started on a more complicated still-life arrangement.

For the second piece, I had a few selection of photographs of water, seas, skies, a closeup of a Sakura flower, another a close of a rose.

Finally, my tutor said this piece (the photograph pasted above on the easel) was complicated enough and should be able to complete within the timeframe, so I went along with it.

Today is the last lesson and I still have a few strokes left to complete. Because oil takes a few days to dry, it’s quite frustrating because I cannot add on layers to the painting.

However, I guess it should be enough for me to secure an A grade for this module (I am so praying for it) so, I guess I can pass on that. I will add the strokes after when the painting is dried.

When I send this above photo to my UK friend, he had seriously asked me if this painting was for sale.

I was flattered. However, because I had previously mention to my colleagues that I am not intending to keep the paintings because there are no place for me to hang them at home and she had immediately said she wanted this boat piece of mine for her new home. I agreed since it’s easier to give away then to throw away.

My mum later saw the piece and ask me if I am keeping my first piece of artwork.

I told her I wasn’t since my colleague has agreed to take it off me. She had the same thinking as my classmates who had told me previously they were going to keep them. She even asked why so; I casually said this wasn’t my first piece. (Well, technically that’s true because the still life is the first) but that wasn’t totally the reason.

I don’t want this painting to be anywhere within the premises of my home because it just reminds me of my wounds. 

Every time I sit in front of this painting and paint, every stroke reminds me why I didn’t insisted on transferring to LaSalle and just gone with the flow and let everyone else influence me. This memory is like a haunting ghost that will never go away and I don’t want this negativity staring at me every time I see it in the house.

Although so, I always weigh in the pros and cons. I would have never had the best friends of my life right now if I would have left the poly route. So overall, even life is unfair, reassure that God loves you and definitely gives you back some blessings in another form somehow.

To my colleague receiving this piece, you can be assured that every time I paint this, I think of all the positive things I can about you so you are receiving many strokes of blessings in this one painting.

So, my aim for this module and it all?

I think I just want to been there and done that, no more regrets in my life and move on.