Sunshine on my mind

(Repost, 2024)

Eleven years ago, my husband and I stayed in a B&B in Tainan, with a Formosan gum tree rising three stories tall inside the house.

I painted this several years later, in 2019, to memorialise the trip. I was trying to capture the serene and peaceful feeling of the house.

Looking at this painting again, another five years later, it is taking on a new meaning for me. It does remind me of the few days we spent there, and it also is a story about today. The scene reflects my state of mind. It’s a place with sunlight, there’s a big tree, it’s quiet, calming. There’s a peace and harmony that shouldn’t be broken.

When I look at the two birds, Japanese white-eyes, I see my husband and me. We are two birds living in this house, where we are building our life, where we feel comfort and safety. Birds can also be startled - make a loud noise, and they fly away. You can come here, if you’re invited. There’s sunshine in here, and you can come, if you come with respect – quiet and gentle, and bring love. Or you might scare the birds away.

Where is your sunshine place?

Something a bit old, but the ideas are still new