The Man and the Sea

The Man and the Sea

The ocean, a constant dance

Vast, fluid and latent

Primeval but complex, yet somehow familiar

Have we not met before?

Your horizon just out of reach

Each night it gives birth to stars I wish on

Celebrates each new sun with a symphony of colors

You bring me hope

Sprays so refreshing

Nourishing the spirit, caressing the soul

Playful yet so yearning, reaching out to me

I am touched

Ancient smell, waves of wrinkles

Wisdom of time

A lonely lighthouse searches on for an answer

Your enigma intrigues me

Taste of melancholy

Generations have wept

A sea of tears

I feel your pain too

Your roars and heaves humble men

Your sighs and songs inspire

Tranquil blue is solace

I can hear your embrace

Much already known, yet so little

At times crystal clear, on occasion murky

Washing ashore gifts of seashells and starfish, teasing

Take me away, won't you?

Your smile, wider than the ocean

Your tears, more drenching

Your heart, bigger

Your thoughts, louder

Your profundity, more daunting, inspiring

Your love, deeper

What should I do with you?

by Vulture, 2005

Twist of Fate

Twist of Fate

Descended from heaven
When I was not looking

Still an enigma,
Profound, complex, yet beautiful

Swept me off my feet
Played with my heartstrings like a windchime

Stirred up a storm
A symphony of emotions

The summer breeze
Laden with pine
A reminder you are near

by Vulture, 2003

Throughway

Throughway 2005, in acrylic, 30" x 24".

I like some of Nick Norris' works. In particular, his painting Throughway really speaks out to me. However, with a price tag of US$8000 and a whopping size of 5' x 4', I endeavored to replicate the painting myself in acrylic. Here is my version and interpretation. In the process of creating this work, I learnt quite a fair deal about techniques. To date, these are the only pieces I have done. I hope you like my attempts at expressing myself on canvas.

Mask I

Mask I 2002, in acrylic, 3' x 4'.

I have a friend who is a ceramicist in San Diego. He created a wonderful series of ceramic masks, which inspired me to paint this one. This work was first conceived as a sketch on a PDA. Once painted, it turned out a lot more organized than I intended it to be. The red and black hues to the background were added when the initial putty colored background just did not cut it.

Landscape II

Landscape II on Nov 06 1997, in acrylic, 8" x 8".

This piece too was painted to be a farewell card for another colleague. I like the soft textures and the surreal feel that I was able to achieve. What do you hear in this painting? Are my paintings drowning in lonely melancholy? I never intended them that way, but somehow, they seem to share a common trait.

Landscape I

Landscape I on Nov 02 1997, in acrylic, 8" x 8".

Being a self-taught "artist", I still sometimes struggle with the technical aspects of painting with acrylic paints. This painting was a practice piece that I did some time ago. It was small because it was made into a farewell card for a colleague who was leaving his job.

Alone

Alone on Feb 10 1997, in acrylic, 18" x 24".

The imagery in this painting has always danced in my head. I tried capturing it on canvas one day. After stepping back from it and taking a look from a distance, it seem to dwell on the fine line that separates solitude and loneliness. In the painting, the ugly rug seems to taunt the subject as he attempts to nonchalantly ignore the loneliness he is feeling. The outside world buzzes on...

My Sojourn... sunset

I have decided to post all my artwork today, in chronological order. I welcome all comments and feedback.

My Sojourn... sunset on Dec 22 1996, in acrylic, 24" x 16".

I lived in New Zealand for some years back in the college days. I recalled the vibrant sunsets just outside the big window in the humble dingy apartment that I shared with a few fellow students. Years later, I found several sunset photographs I had taken and conglomerated them together into this painting.

How do you like your... umm, tea?

Some take it hot; some take it cold. Some like it smooth and sweet; some like it sharp and dry. Some like it light; some like it strong. Some have it plain and simple; some embellish it with adornments. Some like it herbal, natural and mellow; some simply spice it up. Some have it from a paper cup; some bring out their best china. Some have it to go on the run; some sip it leisurely on the porch on a cloudless day. Some share it with friends and family; some curl up next to it and a good book. To some, it is a staple; to some others, it is a luxury. It is an art; it is a science.

It seems to me that there is something here to reflect on. Perhaps it is how we are all so different but yet so similar. Perhaps it is how much we unwillingly tell others about ourselves even in the simple things we do. Or perhaps it is how much a humble cup of tea can be such an analogy to the way we live our lives, how we love and how we are loved or yearn to be loved. How do we learn to know what we like and how we like it? Is it environmental or is it ingrained?

Do we love the same way we long to be loved? Do we all need love to be more than who we are without? Do we learn to love by example, or by counter-example? Is having that someone special who loves us the way we need to be loved addictive? Does it revitalize our soul and spirit like how a perfect cup of tea makes us feel warm and tingly inside?

How do you like your tea?