But in my eyes you are perfect

colour marker and water colour on paper

(275x375mm)

a beer at screening room; 5-5

water colour and colour pencil on paper

(149x210mm)

your eyes the colour of the sea

colour pencil on paper

210x297mm

Life drawing

This was sketched during my evening train journey.

Sometimes I did it at work, too.

It was serious fun :-)

I started drawing and painting in late June this year (2010) when I took up life drawing class at LaSalle with Susan Olij. 

Before that, it was the usual art lessons in primary school and lower secondary school. I don't know now why I stop for so long. 

I must thank Jan for his encouragement when I wasn't sure whether to go on. 

the roofs of Roquebrune Cap Martin

water colour on cartridge paper
210x297mm

letters to a man the man I love loves

water colour on paper
210 x 297 mm

flowering tree before blue house (hope)

colour pencil on cartridge paper
210 x 297 mm

cliff and reef (my life is as full without you)

colour pencil and water colour on paper
210 x 297 mm

detail 1

detail 2

The anemone and the sea

"My life is as full without you," says the anemone to the retreating sea.

The rock pool in which he was stuck was still filled to the brim at that hour of the morning. The water was fresh and full of lives which though invisible to human eyes were all too obvious to other creatures. 

"My life is full," says the anemone, as he lazily snag one of the darting lives with one of his waving tentacles and brought it to his mouth.

"My life is full," says the anemone as he retracted a tentacle from the snapping pinchers of a flower crab.

"My life is full," says the anemone, looking up at the now stilled surface of the rock pool. Overhead, very high above, the sky has lightened.

Lives went on pretty much the same in the rock pool after the tide retreated as when it was when the area was fully submerged under water. If anything, it was in a sense safer for the anemone because there was no fish nipping at his tentacles. Of course there was also no new and novel tasting morsels brought up by the churning water. 

"But you can't have everything," shrugs the anemone, or anyway he tries.

"My life is full," the anemone says, reaching out a tentacle with effort to snag the last of the darting lives. 

Moments earlier, a monkey has darkened his universe and reached in to snatch up the flower crab. The water surface has stilled after that invasion. But he still shivered a little remembering the busy crunching sound afterwards. He was happy that the flower crab will no longer be around to menace his tentacles, yet he was sad too. Although the flower crab was not exactly a nice neighbour, she was familiar and she did add a bit of life to his world.

"My life is full," murmured the anemone, extending his tentacles fully again.

The water level has fallen. Water has been seeping continually through a fissure in the rock. The crack is minute and the seepage was imperceptible except to the most observant in the slightly more brilliant colours of the pebbles immediately surrounding the path of the water.

There's no more darting lives. The water has gone stale and warm under the sun.

"My life is as full without you," says the anemone, more as a matter of habit than anything else.

you don't send me flowers

water colour on tissue collage
11.7 x 16.5 inches

detail 1

detail 2

detail 3

What keep us alive, what allows us to endure? JW

pen, water colour, colour pencil on paper

11.7 x 16.5 inches

Not for sale

The following are all the words in sequence of writing:

If you love something / let it go free / If it doesn't come back / you never had it / If it comes back / love it forever.

In the end / these things matter most: / How well did you love? / How fully did you love? / How deeply did you learn to let go?

significant quality / implication of a hidden or special significance / having a purpose / having an assigned function / space / boundaries definite indefinite / the logical communication of a word or phrase / a house / a room / a bed / your bed / our bed / the proper place / a suitable occasion / office / talk / I have lost my space / social standing / relative position / the appropriate right or duty / to rank in order or sequence / to put in particular condition

If I can let you / go as trees let go / their leaves / If I can take / the dark / with open eyes / Love will endure

This is my wish / for my birthday / that you'd look / at me like you' / re really seeing / me. That you'd / smile at me / as if you're / happy to see me. / That you'd hold / me like you'd / never let go. That / you'd love me / like I'm your / first man. That / you'd talk to me / like we're best / friends.

I carry your heart / with me (i carry / it in my heart)

I crave your mouth your voice your hair

What keep us alive, what allows us to endure?

if equal affection / cannot be / let the more / loving one / be me

我以为伤心可以很少 / 我以为我能过的很 / 好，谁知道 / 一想你 / 思念 / 苦无 / 药 / 无处可 / 逃

This one is for the / things you / could never / tell me / And this one is / for the / void / you gave / to me so freely

JW