aPleasant Surprise(s): Arts Appreciation

Wify and I attended a get-together held at the home of her Arts teacher, Mrs. Fan, at 2pm today. In attendance too were Mrs Fan's other students in the same class, a prospective student, Linda, and her friends living in the same area, Mr. And Mrs. Huang. A subsidiary purpose was viewing of Mrs. Fan's drawings as well as making digital copies of some of her works to be put in this blog, with her consent of course.

Even though this was our second visit (read here for our first visit), I had to make a few turnarounds in order to reach the destination. We started in heavy downpour at our end but reached there in the dry, reliving the spotty nature of afternoon showers that we used to experience back home.

While the lady host and the lady guests were in the kitchen and various parts of the houses engaging in animated conversations of their own, the gentlemen were at the living room exchanging views on the latest developments in the political front, sometimes distracted by the live telecast of the professional football game between the Chargers and the Colts variously when points were scored by either side.

Ladies first (from left: Linda, Wify, Mrs. Fan, Ling Yi, and Claudia; not here is Julie Huang who arrived after the photoshoot.)

The gentlemen's turn, taking a brief break from their discourse to pose for yours truly (from left: Bill, Steve, and Mr. Fan, the host; by the same token, Mr. Huang is not to be seen here).

Midway through it all, I retreated to the backroom to take digital photographs of the works of Mrs. Fan. Even though these works were done decades ago while she was still in/just out of college back in Taiwan, most of them are in pristine condition, a testimony to the high quality of the drawing material used and the meticulous care she has invested in the upkeep of the drawing pieces. Much more impressive are the efforts she had put into each of the drawings, sometimes requiring triple make-over to embellish certain exquisite details such as the hair-do, the dress design, or the leaf canopy. The results are a stunning set of individually rendered artworks that she has graciously agreed to have them illuminate today's blog. Thanks, Mrs. Fan.

Admittedly the photographic effect is not the greatest such that it interferes with the lustrous appeal of the artworks. Just take my word that the actual drawings outshine their digital counterparts, another instance that nothing beats the real thing.

Then we were treated to a scrumptious food offering prepared by the hosts and the lady guests. And we left just when the game between the Giants and the Cowboys got underway, and were pleasantly surprised by the relatively bright outdoor during our drive home, which is usually dark this time of the year when dusk starts to set in. But the images of Mrs. Fan's drawings that follow will forever remain a bright spot on this blog irrespective of the time of the day.

This was taken at our home prior to our departure, showcasing wify's now famous fruit basket.

The lady bearing a gift to commemorate longevity. Just the hair-do with the flower garland of sort is enough to highlight the patience, the soft touch put into the effort.

The lady rowing a log on choppy waters. The flow streaklines are visible on the drawing, which illustrate the uneven flow surface, but hardly noticeable here. Note also the exquisite design pattern on the dress.