Reflection

I have a small garden at home. I grow vegetables like tomatoes, herbs such as basil and rosemary, and foliage plants like rubber trees and monsteras on my balcony. The plants thrive thanks to ample sunlight and good airflow. Among them, the rubber tree’s vitality never ceases to amaze me. Its leaves are broad, glossy, and deep green, while its branches are smooth and upright. As I wipe the dust off the rubber tree’s leaves in my balcony garden, I feel briefly connected to nature. When I notice small insects living in the pot, I imagine myself coexisting with these tiny creatures—lying on the healthy leaves to bask in the sunlight or swimming in a puddle beneath the tree. These ideas inspired me to create an artwork that depicts people and small creatures living together atop the tree. I used gouache and colored pencils for this piece, as they are suitable for expressing vivid colors. The deep green of the rubber tree’s leaves, the bright green of new shoots, and the insects’ brilliant hues were all best captured with these materials. I painted most of the scene in gouache and added details of the creatures using colored pencils. Through this project, I realized that we don’t need to venture far to feel close to nature. Even without a large garden, we can coexist with plants and living beings by caring for them in the small spaces we have. Tending to plants on a balcony is enough to experience the vitality of nature.