Photo at the radio station with the two lovely hosts

Last Friday I was invited to a live radio interview for the programme 思潮作動 of RTHK Radio 2. The radio host Tony Woo and various guest hosts interview different people every night to introduce cultural, social and historical topics to the listeners. First of all, I was impressed by Tony came to my studio for a pre-interview chat. Even though he said he would only stay for half an hour, he ended up staying for 2 hours! (Hm…I hope I didn’t talk too much…)

I was nervous during the interview not only because it was my longest live interview ever, but also because I had never been so personal in media interviews. I was so nervous that I even forgot to take a photo inside the recording studio! My first time in a recording studio! The hour-long interview was in Cantonese. Please click here to listen.

These are some of the artworks we talked about in the programme:

Into the Woods IV

H for Heart-broken

E for Envy

B for Betrayal

And thank you to blogger diva Gillian Chu who did a fabulous interview on my practice. I am impressed by the way writers can shape ideas into words so precisely and poetically. Gillian has completely condensed my answers into prose that are not only easy to understand, but beautiful to read. Thank you Gillian.

To read the full interview, please click here.

Details of a Christmas-themed "Into the Woods' drawing

Details of latest "Into the Woods" drawing

Freshly finished this morning!

Can you see the influences?

Chinese Cantonese Opera Gown.

When I first arrived in Hong Kong a few months back, I was eager to see how living in an Asian cosmopolitan city would affect my artworks. I listened to my friend Norman deBrackinghe who said I should never rush.

Indeed I continued with what I’d already been doing and did not force any Chinoiserie into my works. This is especially funny since I am ethnic Chinese. My entire art education and practice had been in the Western context. Therefore, my style and representation are more Western than Asian.

When I was working on my latest “Into the Woods” drawing, I was delighted to put the girl in a gown inspired by Cantonese Opera costumes which I saw earlier this week at the Heritage Museum. You may see the images above. I have begun to collect interesting images to be used in my artworks.

Now that I have finished my first piece of art with an Asian flair, I can’t wait to do the next one.

To see which “Into the Woods” drawing is available in a print, please visit the online shop. If you are interested in an original or a commission, please contact me.

Into the Woods XXI Fallen Blossoms

With my limited art prints, I always offer a free gift sent to their address when they send me a picture of the art in their space.

Over the weekend, I got a picture of a framed “Into the Woods XXI: Fallen Blossoms” from Surrey, BC, Canada. I love seeing how my art lives in the collectors’ homes.

Do you have a piece of my art in your home? Send me a picture today, and you too can get a free gift.

Into the Woods IV Prints Available in Online Shop

Last month I invited readers to write comments on my blog. The author of the most thoughtful comment was rewarded with a complimentary 8×12” “Into the Woods” Fine Art Prints of his/her choice.

I was delighted to announce Marilyn Anderson from Duet Media to be the winner of the contest. Her message was not only touching, but the language was also poetic. She is a fantastic writer.

“Like the proverbial still waters, which always run deep, Michelle’s thoughtful and thought-provoking works tap deeply into the roots of beliefs and reach up high to open the window so ideas can soar.

Asia’s gain will be Vancouver’s loss, Michelle.” (See the blog post she commented on.)

After extensive “imagining living with [her] choice”, Marilyn finally decided on one of the most popular images of the tree series. She told me the choosing process was difficult because there were “so many choices, such beautiful art…”

However, she settled on “Into the Woods IV” because the drawing reminds her of her daughter. The roots are like nourishment providing for the little girl, while the leaves allude to the wonderful potentials in her life.

A few months back, when I showed this image to a fellow artist friend Eddie Hui in a bustling restaurant in Hong Kong, he fell in love with it instantly. (The beef tomato soup noodles were heavenly delicious! Thank you Eddie!) He said, the girl’s expression is at once coy, mysterious and mischievous. There were no more than a few lines that make up the face, yet they say so much.

I love it when my viewers tell me what my artworks mean to them personally. If I may be honest, I don’t remember at all what I was thinking when I made this drawing. It was when I was making one after another tree drawing. The only thing I remember is that the oval shapes on the tree are owls. I was thinking of Easters Eggs when I was drawing them.

If you like these tree drawings, visit my online shop today. The global free shipping has been extended to the end of February 2011.