I was tempted to try oil pastels for a long time, and I finally I did it. I’m still in love with watercolour, but it’s nice to try and learn something new.

Working with oil pastels feel like to reconnectiong with my inner child – I have to explore, experiment, and figure out how to use them.

It’s not easy; my fingers get dirty, I smudge the colours, and I leave unwanted marks on the paper.

I feel like a clumsy child trying something new. It’s frustrated, but I’ve learnt a lot during the process. At the very least, I’ve opened myself up to new experiences and embraced learning something new.

I painted this sunflower.

I hope it brings you some warmth on these cold days. I realise my skills have improved this year because I dedicated a whole year to practicing my painting. Of course, there are some days when I don’t want to paint at all, but I always go back to my painting afterward.

I used to act based on my feelings, but I know my feelings can sometimes be unrealiable, so I trained myself to be more disciplined.

I enjoy gardening, but painting is another way for me to capture what I see. Painting helps me through difficult times, and it also makes me feel proud of what I create. When I paint, I get lost in the world of this beautiful flower. I feel calm, and my thoughts vanish.

The more I paint, the more colours and details I notice. I love vibrant, realistic paintings because I don’t have to think much about what I paint.

How to get good at painting? My answer is to keep praticing.

I never thought I could paint something like this. It’s such a precious skill.

When I start painting, I divided large shapes into smaller ones, so I’m not overwhelmed by the whole big subject. I paint each sunflower petal as a separate piece; later on, they’ll come together as a whole. But sometimes, I move away from the painting to see it as a whole.

I gradually build up layers until I feel the tones are right.When you paint a lot, it becomes easier to adjust and see the tonal ranges.

Because the center is darker than the petals, I paint it last to avoid the colour bleeding into the petals.

When the centre is darker, I adjust the tonal of the leaves and petals.

Mistakes are unavoidable, but I try to correct them when possible. Use a damp brush to remove unwanted paint. Wait for it to dry, then repaint it.

I use white gouache to create the hairy texture of the sunflower’s leaves.

You can also lift the colour if it’s too dark, but it’s not always possible to lift it.

When mixing colour, the more water you add, the lighter the colour; the thicker the paint, the darker it gets.

Yellow is easy to get muddy, so be careful when working on the darkest tone of yellow.

Enjoy the process of painting; the painting will be finished when you can’t fix anything more or when you’re ready to move on.

Regular breaks will refresh your eyes and brain. Take a break, go outside, make some tea, and return to it when you can.

As Jim Rohn once said “ Don’t break too long, or the grass might take over your garden.”

Be patient! Hope you find something you enjoy doing.