Anyway, I
started my first
art class on March
8, 2007. From
learning how to
hold a pencil to
draw to how to
paint on a canvas,
I didn’t miss a
single class on
Saturdays for two
years. I enjoyed
sitting in that
classroom observing
my subject or
copying from a
master’s works.
I truly appreciate the constant encouragement from the great teacher who offered the best guidance that I could have had, otherwise there’s no possible that I could be able to present some works today.
I see painting as the best therapy especially for my intensive school year of 2007. Being able to continuously dialogue with art certainly makes me a better and happier person in many ways. I hope I would be going back to the art class soon to feel again the unique tranquility from painting...
在多伦多视觉艺术学校跟郑大伟老师学画是从2007年3月开始,从学习拿画笔的正确姿势开始认认真真地坚持了两年，每个周六的下午那个画室里一定有我的身影。感谢老师一直的鼓励和点拨，让我能够完成这样一些习作。 希望不久的将来还能回到那间画室，继续享受绘画带来的那份宁静 。。。
In a December afternoon 2006, a friend asked me to picture myself in the far future, where I would be and what I would do. I was surprised by my answer because instead of saying that I see myself being surrounded by my children or something that I dream of, I said I see myself learning oil painting, and doing it elegantly at home at my age of 55 or even 60. The friend then challenged me, “if you see you doing that, why don’t you start now? what are you waiting for? ” I paused and then quickly replied, “well, I’m going back to school in Jan....” But after that conversation, I started to seriously think about this idea...
Early February 2007, when I was at school playing a client role at a practice counselling session with my classmates, Joel who played the counsellor role and another classmate as an observer, I shared my struggling of making decision for taking part-time classes learning drawing and painting. Here is the unforgettable part from our conversation.
Me: I’m thinking of taking paining and drawing classes soon, but it seems really difficult to find that extra time because of this extensive school work.
Joel: It sounds like you want to make decision to learn art but the heavy school work makes you concerned about the time management.
Me: That’s right. I want to be a good student, and my goal is be an A+ student. But I also love art, and art is very important to me...
Joel (looking into my eyes and with a very soothe and caring tone): why art is so important to you?
Looking at him, I suddenly found my tears rolling down from my cheeks and quickly splashed down on my laps drops after drops. Not only my classmates were shocked but I was too. That reaction was completely out of my expectation. Took my time, I disclosed to them that I lost my voice some years ago after more than 10 years vocal training and sadly I can’t sing anymore. But there’s an artist part of me that wants to express myself through some other form of art.... Anyway, before we finished the session, I made my decision to take the drawing and painting class on weekends and I was so longing to start it right away...
About me being emotional and shed tears all of a sudden, I spent the whole rest of the day trying hard to figure out what hit me so hard. I got my answer finally and believe that I had never got chance to grieve about the skills that I lost. It seems like that part of me with the ability to express artistically is dead, but I did not even take some time to reflect on it... In fact, the time and energy that I put into singing, the efforts I made and the achievement that I reached did mean too much to me. Because of always being busy at work and seeing singing just as a hobby, I didn’t care about it at all and no one did... Suddenly, when my life pace gets slowing down in Canada, and someone’s caring question became a trigger to reveal my veiled emotion...
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