Min Joyce Abraham: Spirit of Spring | Place Des Arts

Spirit of Spring takes the audience on a journey through a garden of blooming flowers along with big and small creatures who might call the garden home. The viewer might imagine the fragrances given off by this floral display… After all, who doesn’t enjoy a leisurely spring stroll through a flower garden in full bloom?

From my first brushstroke to the final step of framing, my approach is based on traditional Chinese techniques. My aim is to capture the essence of a subject, rather than create a realistic representation. I use black ink to outline the elements of my image, then I add colour with watercolour paints, which bring the painting to life. Before framing, the painting is matted to rice paper by rolling the painting and paper together in water. This rolling technique flattens any ripples in the paper caused by the watercolour paints and adds strength to the artwork. Finally, the paintings are framed and ready for hanging.