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This site is dedicated to our mother, Meilan’s art works.
簡美蘭，我們的母親，小朋友的奶奶，學生稱呼她為簡老師，咖啡音的客人稱她杜媽媽。母親十九歲時任教於台北市雙園國小，進入台灣油畫素描大師李石樵先生門下 學畫。她參加了數屆教師美展，校方總是以相當於一個月的薪水買下母親的畫作，對當時年輕的她而言是很大的鼓勵。工作和家庭的忙碌使母親沒有時間作畫，直到 1989年母親因為照顧孫子而退休，才終於重拾畫筆。
1989-1996之間，母親最常畫的主題是花、天母的街道、陽明山和北海岸的風光。移居溫哥華之後，母親開始大量作畫。班夫國家公園的景致、社區 裡的櫻花、列治文的花園、甚至屋頂上掛的一輪明月，都入了畫。早期跟隨李石樵大師的磨練，母親的素描功力展現在油畫與淡彩之中。潛心學佛的母親近年來致力 於佛像畫作，將莊嚴的佛像注入印象派活潑的空氣感和光影色彩。
Meilan Chien, our mother, a teacher, and a grandma of 5, had followed Taiwanese master Lee Shih-chiao to study sketch and oil painting in her early years. As a young teacher, she constantly attended teachers’ art campaigns and had won many prizes. The school authority always encouraged her with one month salary for her painting. It was an important support for this young lady 50 years ago, while Taiwan was still at early developing stage. However, the busy and hard life never allowed her to chase her art dream. But in 1989, when Mom retired from school after her first grandson was born, she got the chance to start painting again.
From 1989-1996, Mother had worked on subjects such as flowers, streets of hometown Tienmu and Yang-ming Mountain. After moving to Vancouver (Surrey) in 1996, she was inspired by the splendid landscape in Canada. From Banff National Park, to Richmond Fisherman’s Wharf and the sakura trees in Surrey, she fulfilled her dream with hundreds of paintings.
The family started a restaurant Cafe Andante in Surrey, and buildings around the store became Mom’s painting subjects. She has started to teach painting from that time. Mom established her sketching skills while studying with Master Lee Shih-chiao. In recent years, Mom started painting Buddhas. She brings the light elements of Impressionism into the religious paintings.
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