This is a painting of one of my beautiful twins. They are almost 5 years old now and so much easier to manage. It is so much easier to take photos of them because it is pretty much impossible to ask an almost-five year old to sit still and model. But I wanted something more special than a photo. I decided to attempt a portrait, even though I think portraits are one of the most difficult genres to paint.
It’s not an exact likeness, but I wanted so much to capture her in a moment when she is at her most tender, her most vulnerable. She has this old blanket that she is most attached to. It’s nicknamed “bu-bu” and is like a real being to her. She cuddles and sniffs this piece of fabric when she is feeling tired, or distressed and it almost always works like a charm to calm her down. I dread the day when it finally falls into pieces, it is hanging literally by a thread now. Our wonderful general practitioner gave me a pair of these pink wraps when the girls were born. I never used them as wraps, but one of my girls adopted them as her lovie. I tried so many other substitutes but to no avail.
I took a photo of her when she had fallen asleep clutching her bubu, right on the living room couch. I love watching my babies sleep.
When she is awake, she is witty, cheeky and full of cheeky grins. A pair of gappy front teeth add to her charms. She loves puzzles, blocks, Lego, and arranging things into patterns. When she gets tired, she is like a drop bear. She goes hyper and a bit drunk, then crashes like a limp rag. That’s my beautiful Yun.
