Inspired by my grandparent’s photo album, I capture the essence of familial traditions during the Chinese New Year. The vibrant mandarins and delicate floral centrepieces are central motifs that symbolize the unity and togetherness of the two characters. This New Year celebrates the bonds of family and the rich cultural heritage that shapes our festive gatherings.

The creation of this work was funded in part by an Ontario Arts Council grant.

It starts with a collection of references - which slowly builds the foundation to my thumbnail sketches. After multiple sketches playing with the arrangement of characters and settings, I come up with a final draft consisting of line work.

Occasionally, I dabble with the colour palette to find the most fitting colours for the theme of the work. I apply my colour options to the line art and begin to plan the physical assets I’ll need to complete the artwork.

With a plan in place, I start collecting swatches and paint any additional assets needed for my piece. My studies include several analogue mediums ranging from gouache, pens, and paper textures. From then on, I use a Wacom Cintiq tablet to start rearranging and collaging assets to build up my final artwork. When the composition is completed, I begin to make final touches on the colours and shapes using digital brushes. And eventually, I have a work composed through mixed mediums: digital and analogue.