engaged

engaged no. 1 - 10 x10 x1.5" mixed media on canvas

engaged no. 2 - 10 x 10 x 1.5" mixed media on canvas

In the living room hung a single original work of art: pink blossoms, dark gray branches, a calm composition of nature's beauty, all hand-painted strokes of ink. I don't know where the painting is and any trace of it has disappeared.

​Growing up, I didn't know that my mother painted at some point before being a parent. And it was during her earlier years as a grandmother when she decided to tell me about the original piece in the living room. She spoke briefly about  technique and chose to say little else. I had hoped the moment would last a bit longer. 

In 2011, I bought inks and brushes while vacationing in China. Eventually, I asked my mother if she would ever want to paint again. She gave it a go: used a few different brushes, wrote some Chinese characters, and then, set it all aside when she could no longer hold the brush well enough to do more.

​Our children know her lovingly as PoPo.

On June 11, 2021 our son, Casey proposed and Emily said, yes. Shortly thereafter, I received a mother-daughter request (surprise Christmas gift) to create art celebrating the engagement. Emily gave me a collection of dried flowers: deep blue, light pink, creamy white sweet peas that were present at the family gathering, along with roses, orchids, peonies from her mother. ​

Remembering when I first met Emily, it was May 2017 at Yankee Stadium with Casey wearing his Red Sox hat, celebrating graduation day - fun, beautiful, brave, happy, brilliant. With the warmth of their connection, I asked Casey about the design of their engagement ring and began working... sketching larger circles followed by smaller ones, playing with gold on white. 

renewal (2018) - 36x36" mixed media on canvas (dried flowers, black inks, chalk pastel, acrylics) - private collection

Then, using the circle motif in "renewal" (2018), I began to paint: first in black (ink purchased in China); then, in gold with rings that reflected canvas no. 1 with no. 2, canvas no. 3 with no. 4. To balance the spaces between brush strokes, other elements were added: dried flowers (mother-daughter); a variety of red and green beads (Christmas); red pigment to stamp the Ho/Yang chinese characters on rice paper (art signed GYang); white and violet (NYU colors); yellow and blue to make green (the color of Emily and Casey's couch). Four pieces, each entitled, "engaged" -- art elements, moments with loved ones, memories we share -- apart/together, awaiting new stories to be told. 

"For..." (2015) - 20 x 20" mixed media on canvas - NFS

Cheers, Casey & Emily (engaged no. 1 & no. 2) 
Merry Christmas, Tran Family (engaged no. 3 & no. 4) 
"For Mom... painting her blossoms before I knew how" (2015)
​
​​In time, she showed me how.

engaged no. 3 - 24 x 24" mixed media on canvas

engaged no. 4 - 24 x 24" mixed media on canvas