Workshops

MARGARET MORALES tells us how she uses symbolic elements to create a watercolour piece filled with story for a gallery exhibit

My painting, which I titled Fleeting, was originally made for the Ephemeral art exhibit at Jiro Miura Gallery in Tokyo, Japan. Coming from the word ‘ephemeral’ itself – meaning something that doesn’t last a long time – I pictured a story of a mysterious maiden lost in thought, and longing to remember someone she had been with momentarily.

To further illustrate this concept of impermanence, I incorporated details such as butterflies and flowers in a place that appears to be enchanted. Butterflies are creatures with a short lifespan that symbolise dreams. Flowers, on the other hand, have different meanings such as love and loss. I thought it was fitting to surround her with these elements that tell more of her story.