14^th August 2021 Dr. Beena

Hello everyone. The Olympics is finally over. Hmm, you must be wondering what the Olympics has to do with the above picture. I painted this as part of Paul Clark’s weekly tutorials.

I did wonder about the place where the fisherman is? Can anyone enlighten me on which part of SE Asia the fisherman may be from? The background of mountains with the boat nor his hat gave me any clues.

Let us start with what I did in this picture. I masked the fisherman, the boat, and the two long sticks with masking fluid. Masking fluid aids us to paint over without fear. Then later, when we unmask, we can paint another colour over that masked area. It protects that part of the paper. Then I reflected. Isn’t that the same as we wear masks to protect us from the virus? Interesting how art and the pandemic have something in common😊.

Hope all of you watched the Olympics? I found a parallel between the fisherman and the Olympiads. Before the performance, the athletes especially the divers, tend to be quiet and focused. Fishermen wait patiently for the catch too. Occasionally, there is no catch after the long wait. Similarly for divers, after that quiet contemplation, they dive. They either win or lose. Hence, despite what he may have mused, his feelings move from elation to disappointment. Quite similar to the divers. This morning I decided to walk for thirty minutes. After a while, I realised how fast time flew. Hence, I wonder if the fisherman contemplates so that time will swiftly pass so he can get home soon?

Personally, I find quiet contemplation helpful. It does quieten our busy minds. In our current chaotic environment, it may be worth attempting to have a quiet time for oneself. Now, it would be rather interesting to explore what fishermen contemplate. Do they look at their own reflections?

When I was young, I loved to watch my reflections in the water. Did you find that amusing? 😉😉. More so because it is often distorted😊😊😊. But as kids, we enjoyed laughing at those distortions. My challenge was to get the reflections of the boat and the fisherman.  It had to be built up in layers. Once again, we are back to layers😉. Our contemplations are in layers too. Maybe the Olympic divers are trained to peel off the multiple layers and focus on only one goal. TO WIN 😊. Nonetheless, it takes a lot of practice to peel those layers to achieve razor-sharp focus. When the distortions are peeled from the reflections, one’s true self is revealed (just my thoughts) 😊.

Hmm, hope I didn’t sound philosophical. Now, if I had a chance to converse with that fisherman, I may learn the art of patience through his quiet contemplation. As the saying goes, Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there someday by A.A.Milne.

Now, did I sound loaded😊😊? Heh, sometimes, it is hard to circumvent the realities of life. No harm in learning some coping skills😊. I hope to hear more from our readers and thank you for your continued support. In the meantime, take time to look at reflections in the water and enjoy a good laugh. All distortions can be stripped. Bye for now…….