(Dear English readers, please scroll down for English translation.)

在多伦多的这两个月都无所事事。主要是要放自己一个长假。

前好几年的日子好忙碌，现在难得有机会，反正等着加拿大的永久居民证。

Ed担心我闷得发疯，鼓励我参加一些短期课程，学一些新东西。我开心得不得了。

我最爱学东西。在墨尔本，就曾学过许多 – 非洲鼓，非洲鼓DIY (do it yourself), 电影制作，电影剪接，踢踏鞋, 心理辅导，现代舞….. 当然都不精, 只为尝试不同的东西，增广“见闻”。

现在，我又要学东西啦！决定学一些从来没学过的 …. 绘画 （acrylic painting ) !!

第一堂时，几乎要马上放弃。看着其他同学的画那么地专业， 我却一点头绪都没有。幸好， 老师很有耐心。

这种绘画很讲究调颜料。基本颜色只有白，黑，红，蓝，黄(或青）。其他的颜色要自己调。

我会花上至少五十巴仙的时间来调色， 而不是绘画。

有时真的想哭, 因为怎样也调不出我要的颜色 !

我自中学的美术课，已近十多年没画过画。再说，我以前的美术也是得过且过。

有时, 觉得这是应证了自己真的没天份。

后来，才发现， 原来其他同学学画画学了至少好几个月。刚开始时，他们也是什么都不会。

那时，我才相信努力真的可以成功。我鼓励自己要有耐心， 要努力。

第一层色上了后，觉得我的画像小孩子的画, 可能更糟（没拍到照）!

既使，我现在学了四，五个星期，我还是觉得它像小孩子的画。

可幸的是， 我开始喜欢上它。

看着它，慢慢地，有点像我手中的照片时， 那种开心很难形容。

渐渐地，我开始发现调颜色已不再使我心烦气躁 ，反而让我感到一丝的平静。

我开始体会到, 绘画原来是一 个心历路程…..

(注:在此，要谢谢Maggie, 让我借用她的照片来画画。)

(第二幅画是莲花， 请点击这里)

I have not been doing much in Toronto for the last two months because simply wanted to give myself a long holiday.

This is a rare opportunity and a good excuse for myself to relax, especially after such a busy and hectic lifestyle prior to the move to Toronto.

However, Ed is a bit worried that I will go insane because of doing nothing at all.

He suggested to me to take some short courses to fill times, and to learn something new.

I was overjoyed by his suggestion because I love to learn things. Just anything !

When I was living in Melbourne, I have taken so many different short courses, eg African Drum, DIY (do it yourself) African Drum, tap dancing, counselling, film making, film editing, modern dance ….you name it !

Of course, I am never become good at anything However, all these served my purpose – simply to explore different things, hence to expand my life a bit.

Now, it is time to learn some new stuff again !! After consideration, I have decided, once again, to learn something I never learnt before — Acrylic Painting !!

At the first lesson, I nearly wanted to give up immediately, because I was completely stunned by other students’ work, and felt ashamed that I had no clues at all. Thankfully, the teacher is very patient with me.

This sort of painting places a great emphasis on mixing colours. Black, white, blue, red, yellow (sometimes green) are the primary colours. For the rest of colours, you have to mix it yourself.

Usually, I spend at least 50% of my time to mix colours, rather than painting.

Sometimes, I almost burst out crying because I can’t get to the colours I want.

I have had not drawn or painted since my secondary school (that was more than ten years ago). At that time, I was never a good student in the Art classes.

This time, I felt like it has proven it more.

Later, I found out that, those students who could paint so well because they have been attended the painting classes for at least three months. They comforted me that, they were like me at the beginning.

I felt more relieved and wanted to believe that hard-work would bring about good work like them. I start telling myself to be more patient and work harder.

After the first layer of colour was painted, the painting looked like a kid’s painting to me, possibly worse.

Even after four to five weeks of classes, I still felt the same.

Fortunately, I started to like painting.

Seeing the painting, slowly becoming more alike to the real photo, I was overjoyed.

Gradually, I am getting used to mixing the colours. Rather than feeling frustrated, I find it meditating instead.

I realised the process of painting is a journey of getting in touch with the deeper self…..

(Ps: I want to thank Maggie for providing her photo for me to paint)