Vision of Motherland
Helen H.
Traditional Asian Watercolor: calligraphy ink, poster paint, watercolor, rice paper, charcoal, spray bottle, Asian calligraphy brush
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This painting, created using traditional Asian watercolor techniques, explores my vision of my motherland, Vietnam. To illustrate this piece, I reference countryside scenes of Vietnam while imagining a river close to my mom’s childhood home, where she could have once played. I start with a charcoal sketch, which is easily adjusted on the rice paper. Then, I line with ink, diluted in water, to achieve different values to contrast between the foreground and background. After blocking in colors for the foreground tree and rocks, I spray the entire painting with water before employing a wet-on-wet technique for the background waterfall and trees. As I add final details with poster-paint, I think back to the stories my mom told me about her childhood. Dotting in blossoms of orange wildflowers and stroking dark leaves of the tall tree, my vision of my motherland starts to appear, and I can picture myself there.
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To me, creativity is inspiration in action. It’s the process of experimenting with raw materials—a brush, a pen, imagination—to express thoughts, voice, and vision. Creativity serves as the catalyst for art, sparking further inspiration and, in turn, fostering more creativity.
