Jennifer Lim is a Singaporean-trained musician, artist, and compliance business owner. As an artist, she has explored various mediums such as Oil, Watercolour, Gouache, Acrylic, and Coloured pencils. She also engages in crocheting and knitting as part of her hobby.

Qn. So when did you transit from musical arts to fine arts?

I started learning the guitar when I was in my teens. Then, I learned the piano in my late 20s whilst working in the United States. My interest in art was triggered during my visit to the National Art Gallery in the UK, as the beautiful paintings inspired me. I also studied psychology to understand the artists’ mindset in their paintings. For example, what was Van Gogh thinking about when he painted the Sunflowers or The Starry Night. 

Qn. How did you start painting?

I chanced upon an art studio at Takashimaya when I was 50 years old, and noticed a lady painting abstract art in warm colours; brown, reddish-brown, and yellow. When I complimented her work, she asked if I would be interested in taking art, to which I immediately said yes. 

She introduced me to David Chan, her teacher at the art studio. He was one of the UOB winners (UOB Painting Of The Year) in his 20s. He is currently a prolific artist and art educator at NTU. When he asked if I could draw, I confessed that I could not. However, he assured me that if I could draw a stickman, I should be able to draw anything. His words were very encouraging, and that is how I started learning under him.  I have been attending weekly classes under his tutelage ever since. 

Qn. Why are your favourite mediums Oil and Watercolour? 

Oil is my favourite because it is a forgiving medium. Oil paints offer much flexibility and allows me to cover up any mistakes as it dries slowly.

In contrast, watercolour is more challenging than it seems, not forgiving of mistakes. It requires techniques that come with lots of practice. However, I like this medium because the painting produced has a bright luminosity, and the layers appear translucent.

Qn. How did you come to love landscape paintings?

I love to travel and take pictures of the scenery of places I visit. During my first trip to the United States, I visited the Grand Canyon. I stood there and gaped at the vastness of the Grand Canyon. The sight was magnificent, and the rocks formed by natural erosion were spectacular. I love autumn colours as they contain earthy shades incorporated with rich, deep, and soft, warm muted colours. So that is how I became very in tune with landscape paintings because only nature can provide various colours.

In all my landscape paintings, I tend to exaggerate the colours because photographs usually do not display the vibrant colours that I desire. For example, during my trips to England, my photographs of landscapes appear dull due to the gloomy weather. However, when translating these pictures into paintings, I will enhance the colours to make them appear more vibrant and interesting.

An example is my painting, Lake Windermere. The sky was grey in the actual picture, and the house was huge and greyish. I saw that the flora and fauna had some colours like red and yellow, but they were not bright enough, so I enhanced them in my painting.

Qn. What is next for you?

I would like to dabble more with contemporary and abstract art. I am experimenting with Zentangle; a form of doodling because I am intrigued by this form of art which uses straight and curved lines and circles to create beautiful designs. I will try out these art forms on smaller scales before advancing to display them. 

Check out our Facebook Page: MeetArts Marketplace for the catalogue of Jennifer’s artworks.