Painted in Grey.

As I walk into my room, I can smell the aroma of the newly hung oil painting. Looking at the black and white contrast of the interconnected webs of branches and dots of leaves with the background always forces me to stop, stare and mavel. Art really is beautiful thing.

I remember the exact moment this painting caught my eye so many months ago. I was walking unsuspectingly in Jusco, One Utama. I wasn't even looking for anything in particular even though we were all supposed to be on the lookout for additions to our new sanctuary. And then I saw it. From afar - in all it's contrasting glory. And I knew I wanted to have that painting. Must have it, even. I had no clue what my room would be like, what colour I'd paint my walls, what style my future furnitire would look like, but I knew I wanted that painting. Crazy isn't it?

And so many months later, I finally have it. At a fraction of the original price because I managed to find the exact same painting with a tiny flaw at a stall in Plaza Damas. The artist who sold me the painting said they all came from China. Oh, how they over-inflate the prices at these commercial stores!

But I digress.

I was saying how art is such a beautiful thing. And it is. I find it so amazing how the same piece of art can mean so many different things to different people. I see mine as a tree of life. The vendor sees it as a money tree. (and so does my dad) 0_o But it works just as well I suppose. I love how, in that sense, each piece of art is unique to every individual. And I'm not just talking about art in the form of paintings, but art in the form of words, architecture, buildings, songs, photographs, sketches, food - everything.

Creating something out of nothing. That's probably what I admire the most about artists. It's times like these that I wish my art was good. That I am able to create all these wonderful, amazing things which will make people stop in their tracks and think for a moment about what it means to them. How wonderful that gift would be!

But I cannot create, I can only imitate. Or re-create. Even when I took art lessons as a kid, my best drawings and paintings were imitations of my teacher's work. I always had to have an example to look to, before I could do anything on my own. But I think I've come to terms with that. It's probably why I admire writers, artists, architects and even engineers so much.

Oh well, in the meantime, I'll just admire my pretty tree of life everytime I walk past it. :D