Colors Dance Even in the DarkAs 2026 draws to a close, I find myself looking back on the past year.
My mother passed away last year, and it was one of the most difficult times of my life. Perhaps that is why I spent so much time painting, creating works that were, in many ways, meant to comfort myself.
Those paintings were not created for competitions or exhibitions. I simply wanted to keep moving forward. And to do that, I felt I needed to keep painting.
Perhaps I filled every spare moment with art because I was afraid that, if I stopped, memories of my mother would come flooding back and overwhelm me with sadness. Maybe I kept myself busy so there would be little room for grief to take over.
In that way, painting became both a way of coping with loss and a quiet source of strength that helped me get through each day.
Yet when I recently began selecting artwork for an exhibition, I realized that I had surprisingly few pieces I considered suitable for submission. I had painted so much, but most of those works had never been intended for judgment or public recognition.
Eventually, I returned to an older painting and decided to give it a different atmosphere.
The painting was originally inspired by the beauty of different colors coming together as one. I imagined colorful betta fish dancing joyfully through the water, creating a dreamlike world filled with movement and energy.
At first, the painting felt somewhat dark and restrained. I decided to introduce brighter colors and emphasize a greater sense of movement and life.
Something unexpected happened.
The entire atmosphere began to change. The fish seemed to come alive, and the colors started to dance.
For the first time, I felt that the painting was truly complete.
Perhaps life is much the same.
The presence of darkness does not mean that bright colors cannot exist. Sadness does not necessarily erase joy. Sometimes, colors shine even more vividly against a dark background, and different shades come together to create something beautiful.
I began to think that this was not so different from the world we live in.
Throughout life, we sometimes find ourselves misunderstood, even when our intentions are sincere. There are moments when our feelings are not recognized or when the meaning behind our actions is interpreted differently from what we intended.
It is especially painful when our grief or sense of loss is neither understood nor comforted.
Yet we live in a society that often seems more comfortable with comparison and competition than with understanding and compassion.
Who is more successful? Who has achieved more? Who is moving ahead faster?
We are constantly measuring, ranking, and evaluating one another.
In such a world, the idea of genuinely comforting one another, accepting our differences, and dancing together almost seems like an unrealistic dream—something that belongs more naturally in a painting than in everyday life.
I often think about the competitive society I have experienced and the one my children will face—or, more accurately, are already experiencing.
I have never particularly liked ranking people or judging their worth through comparison.
Ironically, however, I am also a teacher who works hard to help students achieve success and win awards.
I encourage them to challenge themselves, improve their skills, and prepare carefully for competitions. Sometimes the process is demanding, but I believe it is part of my responsibility as an educator.
After all, these small efforts and accomplishments gradually become part of the foundation on which their futures are built.
Still, questions remain in the back of my mind.
Why must we constantly compare ourselves with others?
What does it really mean to be talented?
And what does it mean to be successful?
Now, another powerful competitor has entered our lives: artificial intelligence.
We find ourselves facing something capable of producing extraordinary results with remarkable speed and precision, sometimes surpassing what human beings can accomplish.
I can almost hear the sighs of exhaustion and uncertainty as people struggle to understand what these changes will mean for their futures.
I am no exception.
There are moments when I feel discouraged watching AI generate sophisticated and beautiful images in seconds—images that might take me hours, days, or even longer to create by hand.
It makes me wonder what it means to be an artist in a world where machines can produce such impressive work so effortlessly.
Why do human beings continue to paint?
Is it to create something more beautiful?
To become more skilled?
To receive recognition?
Or to prove that we are better than someone—or something—else?
I still do not know the answers.
But there is one thing I know for certain.
Painting remains a source of joy and comfort in my life.
When I paint, I can focus on myself. I can set aside my sadness for a little while and express emotions that I cannot easily put into words.
Sometimes, simply moving a brush across paper without any particular goal brings me peace.
As I continue painting, some works may sell. Others may be exhibited or receive awards. Of course, I am grateful when these things happen, and they bring me happiness.
But they were never the reason I began painting.
I paint because I love the process itself, and because that time spent creating something is meaningful to me.
Still, in the real world, we are constantly expected to explain the value of our work, submit it for evaluation, and sometimes compete for recognition.
So I find myself wondering:
What kind of message should art carry in a world shaped by comparison, judgment, and competition?
I recently gave my revised betta fish painting a new title:
United in Color.
The painting shows fish of different colors and shapes, each maintaining its own beauty while moving freely together in the same space.
They do not compete to determine which one is the most beautiful.
They do not try to prove which one can swim the fastest.
They simply move in their own colors, creating a beautiful scene together.
Perhaps this is the kind of world I have always wished for.
We do not all need to be the same color.
We do not all need to swim in the same direction.
If we can exist together while remaining true to who we are, perhaps that alone is enough to create something beautiful.
Looking back, I wonder whether what I have been searching for through painting was never really recognition or achievement.
Perhaps I was simply looking for a way to comfort myself.
The sadness of losing my mother has not completely disappeared. I know there will still be days when memories return unexpectedly and I miss her deeply.
But I am slowly learning that even in the presence of sadness, I can add brighter colors to my life.
We do not have to erase all the darkness for light to exist. Colors can dance even in the dark.
And I will continue painting.
Not because I want to become better than someone else, but because I want to keep doing what I love and remain connected to who I am.
Perhaps, after all, that is the most sincere message I have to share through my art.

The Magic of a Pencil: Bringing Textures to Life Through Drawing

How much can we really create with just one pencil?

This is a question I sometimes ask my art students. Most students know that pencils can be used to draw lines, shapes, and shadows. But they are often surprised to discover that a simple pencil can also capture the texture of almost anything.

In drawing, accurately representing the shape of an object is only part of the process. Learning to observe and express different textures—shiny metal, soft fabric, rough wood, or transparent glass—is just as important.

For my latest online art lesson, I chose something very ordinary: a spoon.
A spoon may look simple, but drawing one realistically is surprisingly challenging. Its reflective metal surface requires careful observation of light, shadow, and contrast.

The fascinating part is that all of this can be achieved with just a pencil and an eraser!
Sometimes, leaving an area completely white is just as important as shading it dark. And occasionally, an eraser becomes an even more powerful drawing tool than the pencil itself.

When students begin to understand these techniques, they start seeing ordinary objects in a completely different way.

"Wait, I can really make something look shiny with just a pencil?"

That moment of curiosity and discovery is exactly what I love about teaching art.
As I prepare another online lesson, I am reminded of how much I personally enjoy creating these teaching materials. Choosing interesting subjects, experimenting with techniques, and finding simple ways to explain challenging concepts are all part of my own creative process.

For me, teaching art is not simply about showing students how to draw well. It is about helping them discover something extraordinary in the ordinary.

Even a simple spoon can become an exciting artistic challenge.

And sometimes, all we need is a pencil, an eraser, and a little curiosity.

Mr. Sprout’s Story is a heartwarming picture book about friendship, responsibility, perseverance, and the importance of caring for living things.

When Johnny leaves for summer camp, he asks his younger sister, Molly, to take care of his beloved little plant, Mr. Sprout.

One day, Max brings a four-leaf clover, giving Mr. Sprout a new friend. However, both plants begin to wilt, and their roots become damaged. Worried about their survival, Molly carefully cleans the jar, changes the water, and does everything she can to help them recover.

Despite the challenges, Molly refuses to give up. With patience, love, and care, the plants slowly begin to grow new roots and regain their strength.

When Johnny returns from summer camp, he listens to Molly's story, reassures her, and thanks her for taking such good care of the plants.
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Through Molly's journey, Mr. Sprout’s Story teaches young readers that caring for living things is not about being perfect, but about showing kindness, taking responsibility, and never giving up.

​Creating Our Own Picture Books: The Story Behind Mr. Sprout’s Story

A Story Inspired by Saving a Little Plant

We are currently working on a new picture book, Mr. Sprout’s Story, which we hope to publish this November.
The story was inspired by a real experience of the author, Emilia Zielinska-Bien. Emilia once devoted her time and care to saving a tiny sprout. Through the challenges, worries, and small moments of joy she experienced along the way, she found the inspiration to write this story.
After reading her manuscript, I began illustrating each scene in watercolor, gradually bringing her words to life through images.

Taking care of a small plant may not seem like an extraordinary experience. However, watching a living thing struggle, patiently waiting for it to recover, and finally witnessing new roots and leaves begin to grow can carry a surprisingly deep meaning.
Mr. Sprout’s Story grew out of just such a simple but meaningful experience.
The Freedom of Becoming Our Own PublisherOne of the things I appreciate most about creating and publishing our own picture books is that we no longer have to wait for someone else to give us permission to bring our ideas to life.
Traditionally, publishing a book often involves submitting a manuscript to a publisher, waiting for approval, hiring an illustrator, and going through a long production process. Of course, traditional publishing has many advantages, but we have chosen a different path.
We write our own stories, create our own illustrations, design the pages, and publish the finished books ourselves.
Becoming our own publisher means much more than saving money or simplifying the publishing process. It gives us the freedom to continue dreaming, imagining, and creating without having to depend on someone else's decisions.
When an idea comes to mind, we can turn it into a story, illustrate it, and eventually transform it into a real book.
That creative freedom has become something truly precious to us.
Picture Books Created by MothersThe reason we began creating picture books was actually quite simple.
As mothers raising our children, we often spent time together talking and sharing our experiences. One day, we wondered what it would be like to create books for our own children.
That small idea eventually became Moms’ Playground.
We are not a professional publishing company, nor do we have a large production team.

​We are simply mothers who make time, between our everyday responsibilities, to write stories and create illustrations.
Fortunately, with the warm support of our local library, we have also been given wonderful opportunities to exhibit our artwork and continue publishing a new picture book each year.
Looking back, it is remarkable how one small idea has continued to grow over time.
Why We Still Paint by Hand in the Age of AI

Today, artificial intelligence is making it easier than ever to write stories and generate images. With just a few instructions, beautiful illustrations can appear almost instantly, and a seemingly complete story can be created in minutes.
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I understand how powerful and useful AI can be, and I sometimes use it as a helpful tool myself.
Yet, as technology continues to advance, I also feel a quiet sense of concern.
I sometimes wonder whether we are gradually losing something deeply human in the process.
Perhaps that is why I find myself wanting, even more strongly, to continue doing things that feel genuinely human.
Taking a small event that someone actually experienced and turning it into a story. Reading that story and imagining its scenes. Placing watercolor on paper, watching the colors spread, and painting something again when it does not turn out quite right.
These handmade illustrations carry imperfect brushstrokes, unexpected washes of color, and traces of the artist's time and emotions.
I love those imperfections.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons we continue creating our picture books.

We want our children to read not only beautifully polished books created with modern technology, but also books that mothers have written, illustrated by hand, and published with their own care and dedication.

Maybe it is this simple wish that keeps us moving forward.
Bringing a Small Story to LifeMr. Sprout’s Story is not a grand or dramatic story.
It is a gentle story that began with someone's effort to save a tiny plant. Yet I believe that simple stories like this can sometimes remain in children's hearts the longest.
Our everyday lives are filled with moments that may not seem extraordinary but are still worth remembering and sharing.
Discovering those moments, turning them into stories, and preserving them through illustrations is something I hope to continue doing for many years.
With the book's publication planned for November, I intend to devote much of my time and energy to completing this project.
I want to carefully consider every illustration, every color, and the flow of every page, while staying true to the feelings that first inspired us to create this book.
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In a world increasingly filled with fast and flawless results, there is something deeply meaningful about taking our time to create a book with our own hands and hearts.
For me, bringing even one such book into the world is a challenge worth pursuing.

​Introducing students to new materials and artistic techniques is always an exciting part of teaching art. In this lesson, we combined metal embossing and printmaking to create a hands-on art experience that encouraged creativity, experimentation, and discovery.

Rather than simply creating an embossed design on metal foil, students used their finished metal artwork as a printing plate to transfer their designs onto paper.

The entire project took approximately one hour, making it an engaging and educational activity for a single art class.

Understanding Positive and Negative Space

One of the main learning objectives was to introduce students to the concepts of positive and negative space.
Positive space refers to the main subject or shapes in an artwork, while negative space is the area surrounding those shapes.

Before beginning their metal embossing designs, students were encouraged to consider how these two spaces interact. Through the printing process, they could observe how both the main subject and the surrounding background contribute to the final composition.

This was a practical way to explore an important concept in visual art.
Creating Designs on Metal FoilStudents began by drawing their designs directly onto thin metal foil, using a pencil as a stylus.
Creating raised and recessed areas in the metal requires pressure, but pressing too hard with a sharp tool can easily puncture the foil.

To solve this problem, I introduced a blending stump, a tool typically used for shading and blending graphite drawings.
By pressing and rubbing the foil with a blending stump, students were able to create more pronounced embossed areas without damaging the delicate metal surface.

I found this technique particularly effective. The blending stump provided a smoother, more controlled way to shape the metal while reducing the risk of tearing or creating holes.

It was also a wonderful example of how a familiar drawing tool can be used in an entirely different artistic process.

Turning Metal Artwork into Prints

Once the embossing was complete, students applied acrylic paint to their metal plates using brushes.
One important discovery during this lesson involved the consistency of the paint.
I found that thinner acrylic paint, with a consistency closer to watercolor, worked better than thick, heavy-bodied acrylic paint.

When the paint was too thick, it tended to obscure some of the delicate embossed lines and textures. A thinner application allowed the design to transfer more effectively.
After applying the paint, students carefully placed a sheet of paper over the metal plate and used a roller to press the paper gently against the surface.
When they lifted the paper, their designs appeared as prints.

This was one of the most exciting moments of the lesson. Students could experience the anticipation of revealing an image, much like artists working with traditional printmaking techniques.
Each print was slightly different, depending on the amount of paint, the pressure applied, and the texture of the paper.

Exploring the Unique Texture of Rice Paper

For this project, I chose rice paper as the printing surface.
Unlike ordinary copy paper, rice paper has a distinctive texture and delicate fibers that can influence how paint is absorbed and transferred.
Using this material provided an additional opportunity to introduce students to the characteristics of different types of paper.

Students could touch and observe the paper, noticing its texture and how it responded to the printing process.
This helped them understand that paper is not simply a surface for artwork. Its texture, absorbency, and physical properties can become important elements of artistic expression.
I especially appreciated how this simple material choice added another dimension to the lesson.

A Complete Art Experience in One Hour

Although this project took approximately one hour, it offered several valuable learning opportunities.
Students explored design and composition, positive and negative space, metal embossing, paint consistency, paper texture, and basic printmaking techniques.
What made the lesson particularly enjoyable was the transition from one artistic process to another.

Students first created a tactile, three-dimensional design by pressing into metal foil. They then transformed that design into a two-dimensional print on paper.
Through this experience, they discovered that a single artwork can take on different forms depending on the materials and techniques used.
I also found that this project was relatively simple to organize while offering plenty of room for individual creativity.
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Students could experiment with different subjects, patterns, colors, and printing effects without needing complicated equipment or an extended amount of class time.

Final Thoughts

One of the most rewarding aspects of teaching art is watching students discover unexpected possibilities through familiar materials.
A pencil, a blending stump, a piece of metal foil, acrylic paint, and rice paper may seem like simple supplies. Yet, when combined thoughtfully, they can create a meaningful artistic experience.

This lesson reminded me that art education is not only about producing a finished piece. It is also about exploring materials, solving problems, understanding visual concepts, and enjoying the creative process.
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Sometimes, a simple one-hour project can introduce students to several important artistic ideas while leaving them excited to experiment again.

Add a concise materials and steps sectionClarify the student age and audience

Congratulations, Miles! Winner of the AUSA America 250th Art ContestI am very happy to share some wonderful news about one of my students, Miles Li.
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Miles was selected as a winner of the AUSA (Association of the United States Army) America 250th Art Contest!

His artwork, “America Is My Home,” celebrates America through the eyes of a child. Against the background of the American flag, Miles included the Statue of Liberty, city buildings, a yellow taxi, hot dogs, hamburgers, popcorn, and many other familiar things from his everyday life.

What I especially love about this artwork is that Miles did not try to describe America only through grand historical symbols. Instead, he showed America as the place where he lives, eats, plays, and experiences everyday life—his home.

In his accompanying statement, Miles also shared that America is a place where different people, cultures, foods, and ideas come together. He expressed his hope that its future will continue to be colorful, welcoming, and full of possibilities.

As an art teacher, I believe children's artwork becomes especially meaningful when they are able to express what they truly see, feel, and experience in their own way. Technical skill is important, but finding one's own voice and telling a personal story through art is just as valuable.

That is why I am especially happy about this recognition. More than the award itself, I am proud that Miles transformed his own experiences and ideas into a work of art and successfully communicated his story to others.

Congratulations, Miles! I am so proud of you!

Keep observing the world around you, keep creating, and most importantly, keep telling your own stories through art.

What Is the AUSA America 250th Art Contest?The AUSA America 250th Art Contest, organized by the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), celebrates the 250th anniversary of the United States (1776–2026).

Through this special art competition, young artists are invited to express what America means to them—their experiences, culture, history, community, and hopes for the future. The contest is meaningful because it encourages students not only to demonstrate artistic skill, but also to communicate their own ideas and personal stories through art.

Why Is This Award So Special?This contest is especially significant because it commemorates a once-in-a-generation historical milestone: America’s 250th anniversary. For a young artist, having a piece recognized during this historic celebration creates a lasting connection between their childhood artwork and an important moment in American history.

Miles’s artwork, “America Is My Home,” approaches the theme from a wonderfully personal perspective. Rather than focusing only on famous historical events, he filled his painting with things he sees, eats, and enjoys in everyday life, expressing a simple but meaningful idea: America is the place he calls home.

For this reason, the award represents more than artistic achievement. It recognizes a young artist’s ability to transform his own experiences, observations, and ideas into a work of art that communicates a story to others.
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I am very proud to share that my student, Miles Li, was selected as one of the winners of this special contest. Congratulations, Miles!