I have had a lifelong passion for art and beauty, driven by nature’s beauty and color. I grew up in Singapore and Malaysia – surrounded by abundant nature and wildlife and color. This has fueled my passion for creating art that reflects the resplendent and vibrant joy in nature.
My father was a rubber plantation supervisor and at the heart and soul of my being I will always be very much a country girl who is inspired by the splendor of nature and wildlife. I was the fourth of eight children and grew up in quite humble surroundings. I was lucky to have a family background that is both Chinese and Indian. The Chinese side of the family practiced Catholicism while the Indian side of the family was Hindu. I like to think I adopted the best of both worlds. I also grew up fluent in three languages: English, Tamil, and Malay.
When I was 24 I returned to Singapore to pursue a career in nursing and fulfill my other passion – helping people. The busy and commercial city life in Singapore was a great contrast to the country life I was accustomed to. However, my devotion to my career in nursing made up for it and inspired me to live in Singapore as well as Australia, developing my nursing skills. Although I loved nursing, I became ready for change as procedures started taking precedence over patient care.
In 1992, I met Van Tharp in Singapore. Van eventually became my husband and our marriage brought me to North Carolina. Since living in the United States I have helped run my husband’s company and also trained in computers and image consulting. We added several members to our family along the way: two Papillions (Ari and Tiggi).
My passion for food is also an artistic outlet. I enjoy cuisines from all over the world that are full of color, flavor, and spices. I love the combination of flavors and visual beauty that I can create. I must admit that because of my nursing background I tend to focus on foods that are nutritious and wholesome.
My creative skills have always driven me. I paint what I see with my feelings. I feel that my paintings are complete only when the sigh of the painting gives me the right vibration. It is a really good feeling when I can say a painting is finished.
I have been fortunate to study with various accomplished artist.
My goal as an artist is to continue to channel my inspirations onto canvas up to my last day, God willing!