The Mantis Visit and the Lady in the Garden

It must have been about a month....

into the Coronavirus pandemic self isolation that a Praying (not Preying as I initially thought) Mantis appeared on my kitchen window. I can't be certain why it randomly appeared there but the night was filled with moths and other insects that it may just be hunting for food. I took a closed up photo of it, which may have annoyed Mantis (yes, that is what I decided to call 'it') because it was moving its right middle leg up and down telling me to bugger off.

2 days later, Mantis appeared again. I used the word 'again' because I was convinced it was the same Praying Mantis as the last time based on its length and shape. My contact deprived mind wondered if it remembered me and where I live. Surely it came over to say hello. And when Mantis appeared in my bedroom a few days later (again purely anecdotal), I thought we may have become chums but I did relocate it to the veranda before sleeping just in case it decided to join me in bed. 

I decided to sketch and paint this phasmid looking insect. Mantises are not to be confused with phasmids (e.g. stick insects). As I painted Mantis, I became in awe of its anatomy and phenotypical characteristics. The different shades of green and yellow and the different grooves and patterns on the inside of its wings. I wondered where it would go after our visit. Would it continue to find other places to feed? Perhaps a report back to its Queen? Maybe Mantis IS the Queen! My mind boggled!

(The Mantis Visit, 26 April 2020, Medium: Acrylic and Watercolours on Canvas)

At the end, I had plenty of greens and whites leftover that I decided to do another Feeler art. From no where, the Lady in the Garden appeared in my quick sketch. I thought she was beautiful and rather seductive. 

(The Lady in the Garden, 26 April 2020, Medium: Acrylic on Cardboard)

New paths

Directions, Paths, Branches....

We are never ready when we feel the unsteadiness of our path. I lead a life not defined by the normative narrative of adulthood; education, finding a partner, settling down, buy a house, have children, structured career paths. Mine is always driven by my quest to explore my mental and physical limits. My explorations are mostly internal but in recent times, they are guided by my need to survive. It sounds particularly dire and dramatic but truthfully, it is not. It is a luxury that some of us have when one feels to survive is to explore uncharted paths of life. It has lead to many heartbreaks and self-reflection and being an artistic feeler, it can be a stifling weight that hinders progress. Nonetheless, these experiences, upon reflection, do add to the already rather colourful tapestry of my life.

"Directions" and "Feels" are my attempts to break through the faux ceiling that I have imposed on myself about 6 years ago when I realised that the business of art is not about pleasing one's aesthetics but to strategically adapt. I started to produce realistic art pieces in the hope that my art is better appreciated and more importantly, purchased.

However, I went against my natural inclination to produce "feeler" art. I don't possess the vernacular of the erudite artistic scholar as my art journey has been mostly self-directed but "feeler" art is what I like of abstract art. No academic breakdowns. Just subjective emotions. There is nothing more freeing than to mentally trudge an emotional path while making Feeler pieces. "Directions" is my juvenile attempt to integrate my realistic and "feeler" identities. It feels unsteady to reestablish this new equilibrium but it does not enervate me. Watch this space.

(Directions 7 March 2020, Medium: Pastel on paper)

(Feels 8 March 2020, Medium: Acrylics on paper)