27th December 2022 Ann Su and Beena
Hello everyone, as the year is coming to a close, I thought of writing about this painting done by Ann Su. This painting is in watercolour, and she used a white pen for the highlights. I loved the way one of the flowers on the mask gives a 3D effect😉😉😉. I found this painting of the girl with a mask a curious topic to muse about🤔🤔🤔🤔.
Since 2020, we have all been wearing various types of masks. We went through significant discomfort; I had an allergy over my face, my glasses were constantly fogging, and my face was sweaty under the mask😒😒. Then it occurred to me that we have been wearing a mask all our lives😎😎. Just pause and reflect; we constantly wear an invisible ‘mask’. We remove the ‘mask’ only with people we are comfortable with😉😉😉😉. We may wear a half ‘mask’ with some and a whole ‘mask’ with many😂😂😂. When I realised the similarity between the masks, it was the same, wearing masks is demanding, physical or invisible 😤😤. So to stay safe, avoid people or situations where you must wear a full mask😂😉. We can be ourselves and avoid many conflicts by being in a comfortable zone. I think people who always wear masks are challenging to understand 🤨🤨. I find them exhausting🙄🙄. It is like when we see someone in a grocery shop, and they ask you, ” you don’t recognise me?” Once when they remove their mask, you know the person🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️.
Wow, that was too philosophical even for me😅😅😅. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed the painting as much as I did. Till the next musing, stay safe in your comfort zone😎😎.
21 thoughts on “Girl with a Mask”
Exactly
Life teaches us to wear mask
Your true face may not be appealing or acceptable
I have learnt to accept it as I know it is transitional so long as you have a place where you can be true to yourself
Yes, practice makes perfect:):). It is not easy to be not yourself, but we can choose to spend less time with negativity.
Loved the painting…especially the one flower on her right that is trying to escape the weave. ..
Yes we all wear appropriate social masks to cope…its called emotional masking….yet may we be able to discard them and be open, free and joyous….
So glad that you noticed that flower trying to break free from the confines of that mask. I should have thought of that in my story:). Thanks Suzie
2022 a year with lots of masked people.
Lots of pain. Lots of laughter but more pain than laughter. More masked than ever
Yes, life was very painful for me too. Losing Mika was my biggest loss. Its strange how one can love a dog more than any human. I suppose its because she gave me so much unconditional love, and she was so different from Zara and Yumi.
Whaoo! Amazing painting!
Accurate thoughts Beena.
Wonderful to hear from you my dear.
Beautiful painting with the attractive eyes and colorful mask.
Some people wear mask as decorative item too. 😅
I like your description below :
“we constantly wear an invisible ‘mask’. We remove the ‘mask’ only with people we are comfortable with😉😉😉😉. We may wear a half ‘mask’ with some and a whole ‘mask’ with many”
Dr. Are you talking to me with “half mask” “full mask” or totally “no mask” ?
☺️😀😛
Hi Chiam,
I talk to you with no mask:)
Lovely painting…. it is so beautiful… wearing mask is after all charming. It brings about a different facet of us. Imagine what goes on under the mask. When I wear the mask no one knows if I am smiling or crying or angry…. sometimes it is real fun for me. It gives me the freedom to be myself without putting on appearances…. I get a kind of thrill when I wear a mask, though it restricts the fresh air flow, that I don’t have to put on pleasantries even in public. I can be totally myself… this is my experience of wearing a mask….
A different perspective when compared to an ‘invisible’ mask. Its very true that one can hide one’s feeling with a physical mask too.
You know how there are some words that are stuck in our heads but never really have a chance to use them? One such word for me is “chiaroscuro”, learnt in my school days. It resurfaced when I saw this painting. My chance has come! Have I used it correctly?
Beena’s philosophical musing on masks is absolutely on point. I think we need to put on an invisible mask to varying degrees depending on the situation we’re in. It’s a survival instinct.
On our current practice of physical masking, I’d been recognised by a chicken rice seller from my local hawker centre when she walked past me in the busy Singapore airport! We were both in our face masks and i’d not bought from her in the last two years. There’s no escape for some. Seen right through!
Thanks Nyuk for the new word in art that I got to learn:). It is the dark and light that Ann has captured beautifully. But then it also represents the dark and light side of my thoughts on the invisible mask. But can I use that word? Hahaha, art is always a great talking point.
Great portrait by Ann Su
Beautiful flower (3 D)
Life like rendition
Absolutely wonderful water color 👏🏽👏🏽
Hi Dr Beena 😁
Thank you for sharing.
I agree with you that we are wearing mask all of our life. Once with we step out from the house, we have to wear a ‘mask’ just to protect ourselves from unwanted situation. But by wearing ‘mask’ the whole time, we will be very uncomfortable & tiring. Just be who we are & surround ourselves with people who can accept us just the way we are 🥰😊
Farida, glad to read your thoughts on this topic. Just be who you are is more difficult, but it gives us a sense of freedom. As long as we don’t hurt others it is better to portray ourselves honestly.
That’s a beautiful painting Beena !I love the sensuous curve of her neck .her hair .her pretty face (or what we can see of it) Hey that reminds me have u had a time when u thought a person was beautiful only to change ur opinion when the mask was removed or vice versa when u realised she had a lovely smile only when the mask was removed!
Thanks again Beena!
Oh yes, it has happened quite a few times. The physical mask is an add on. So it is a surprise. But it is tge invisible that is difficult to fathom.
The painting is by Ann Su. She has contributed before.
Hi Beena,
Thank you for sharing such a beautiful mask on this girl. Love the painting in strong colour with floral design that makes this mask so outstanding.
Masks not only keep us safe from virus but also negative people.
Sometimes in life I see this whole concept of having to always be nice, always smiling, always happy, that’s not real. It was like wearing a mask.
Hi Stef, the painting is by AnnSu, who paints beautifully. I wrote my thoughts on masks😉😉. I totally agree with you, it is very draining to be surrounded by negative people constantly. Yeap, the lesson here is try to eliminate the negative ones ( not very easy) and find positive ones ( not very easy). Thats why wearing an invisible mask is for practical reasons to keep us safe.