I was a fan of Monet Claude and Impressionism. I wouldn't say I idolized Monet because he was simply an eye-opener for me to the artistic world of Impressionism.

Impressionism helped me shape my world view!

When I appreciated the art piece of impressionists, I realized the distance between me and the oil paintings made a big difference! When I was too close to the oil painting, all I saw as a blur! That taught me about life. I had a more positive view of my life when I learned to step back and connected the dots (counting the blessings of all the the incidences in my life as I grew older, the perception of my life changed!Subsequently, I learned to see the true purpose of my life and all the seemingly negative circumstances.)

I became the fan of Frida Kahlo when I read about her autobiography in one of my English writing class back in my college years. She was another eye-opener to a different trend of art world.

She also painted from her heart and her painting inspiration was her own pains and afflictions.

Her story and painting inspired me to look at my imperfections with a positive perspective.

Although I learned from the book of Job that how suffering could make one's spirituality grow, I learned to appreciate my imperfection with an artistic glance!!!

I just found a thorough brief introduction of her life and her artwork online. A fan of her made an website with her biography, selected artwork, and more!

"

BIOGRAPHY

Frida Kahlo de Rivera (July 6, 1907 – July 13, 1954; Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderón)was a Mexican painter, born in Coyoacán.  Perhaps best known for her self-portraits, Kahlo's work is remembered for its "pain and passion", and its intense, vibrant colors. Her work has been celebrated in Mexico as emblematic of national and indigenous tradition, and by feminists for its uncompromising depiction of the female experience and form.

Mexican culture and Amerindian cultural tradition figure prominently in her work, which has sometimes been characterized as Naïve art or folk art.  Her work has also been described as "surrealist", and in 1938 one surrealist described Kahlo herself as a "ribbon around a bomb".

Kahlo suffered lifelong health problems, many of which stemmed from a traffic accident in her teenage years. These issues are reflected in her works, more than half of which are self-portraits of one sort or another. Kahlo suggested, "I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best."  She also stated, "I was born a bitch. I was born a painter

Frida was one of four daughters born to a Hungarian-Jewish father and a mother of Spanish and Mexican Indian descent. She did not originally plan to become an artist. A survivor of polio, she entered a pre-med program in Mexico City. At the age of 18, she was seriously injured in a bus accident. She spent over a year in bed recovering from fractures to her spine, collarbone and ribs, a shattered pelvis, and shoulder and foot injuries. She endured more than 30 operations in her lifetime and during her convalescence she began to paint. Her paintings, mostly self-portraits and still life, were deliberately naïve, and filled with the colors and forms of Mexican folk art. ..."

Info taken from : http://www.fridakahlo.com/ (it is "fan-constructed non-commercial" as it claimed on its disclaimer)

This entry (written in Chinese) was also posted on my Chinese blog: http://www.wretch.cc/blog/eeyorewinnie/13945227

Whoever wants to translate my Chinese blog entry into an English one, Go ahead!

Whoever wants to translate my English blog entry into a Chinese one, Go head!!!

However, make sure you get the meaning correctly!

I hope I won't be misunderstood for what I did not mean to say.

This is simply an advocacy letter (弱勢者陳情書)

I am not trying to fight for a just response. I write to advocate for the minority, so that they will be acknowledged as human beings.

I am not trying to seek out for legal help from some governmental justice system.

The objective of an advocacy letter is to educate the general public so that they learn to respect all the human beings,

非關愛情...非關婚姻...只是我信仰的痕跡

開始這裡,只是想記載過往,以孩子的角度看事情.以弱勢者的心情,看待所有的一切.

還好有信仰的支撐,讓我不至於變成叛逆的孩子.這些小品,只是我年幼不知天高地厚寫出的年輕氣盛的心裡喊話.

過去我想的,不一定代表我現今的心情.但那是我曾經走過的心靈痕跡.

過去的傷害,可以被原諒,被忘記,但留下得心靈印記,卻是不容抹滅的.

有這樣的過去,我才知道孩子也可以是很殘忍的動物!

我不相信"人之初,性本善"(在始祖犯罪後,這句話就不成立了)

我相信"人之初,性本惡".

每個孩子,都有他單純的一面,但卻也有因無知而有的無限殘忍可能.

這從許過過往的回憶,不容抹滅!

台灣的孩子不是比較壞,只是我觀察到的正好是台灣的孩子.
不是外國就沒有壞孩子,我並沒有攻擊台灣孩子或家長的意圖.

只是那些回憶歷歷在目.

台灣人其實是最會排外的民族.
也許是出於自我保護.

他們只認識說美語的美國人.

我永遠不能忘記自己曾經是個因母語能力不夠強而被認定為外國人的台灣人.

我也不能忘記外國來台的外甥,曾經在校園裡受到校園暴力的那一些景況.

就只是因為他是中德混血兒.
就只因為他爸爸是教會的傳道人,不在身邊.
他就要因為口語表達能力不及母語是國語的孩子強,
而在學校受到一些語言上或人際關係上的校園暴力(Verbal and relational bullying at school).

我希望這些事情不要在台灣再次發生了!
我不希望弱勢孩子需要在令他們害怕的環境下長大,同時又得面對著他們與他們不同的生命.

還好,萬事互相效力,叫愛神的人得益處 (羅馬書八28)(Romans8:28).
這些過往的傷痛和淚水,都成了我們成長的足跡.
感謝主!(Thank to God)
因為在祂的眼中,我們仍然是最完美的.
感謝主!(Thank to God)
祂以將我們得害怕除去.
我們得以坦然的回到台灣,面對童年時的傷痛地.
感謝主!(Thank to God)
祂藉著這些逼迫,讓我們都跟祂建立起直接的關係.
感謝主!(Thank to God)
讓我們得以在祂的愛中成長茁壯.
就算我們的爸爸媽媽不完全了解我們受到的傷,
就算我們的爸爸媽媽沒有辦法在當下保護我們!
神仍一直與我們同在!!!!
感謝主,因為一切的患難,我們都在靈裡成長了!

Reference:

Thank to God

Adopted from http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Thanks_to_God/

Thanks to God

August L. Storm, pub.1891
tr. by Carl E. Backstrom, 1931

Copyright: Public Domain

Main subject: Thanksgiving

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Thanks to God [.xml]

Johannes A. Hultman, pub.1910

Copyright: Public Domain

Key: B♭

Meter: 8.7.8.7 D

Thanks to God