The Versatile Master Artist

The latter part of this sentence also became Kara’s epitaph.

Perhaps the elders of the Ilyena family were moved by her persistence, or maybe it was a mix of slight pity and unspoken regret.

After Kara’s death.

Her epitaph identified her as ”Malerin Coral.”

Malerin is the feminine term for artist in German, meaning female painter or female artist.

Apart from the painting ”hidden at the world’s end,” the only work Kara left behind was the fragment of her self-portrait after it was burned.

Anna had seen the remnants of that self-portrait preserved by the family.

Most of the canvas had been burned, leaving only a few strands of flowing golden-red hair on a baby palm-sized piece.

Judging by the fragments, both the brushwork and the texture of the pointillism were unmistakably those of a master.

But even if they were the work of a master, so what?

In the field of painting, every artist’s artistic life is fragile.

They are like exquisite and fragile ice sculptures.

Days and nights of honing, sweat and blood, and achieving mastery in painting, you barely reach the threshold of success.

Beyond that,

it depends on fate, the help of benefactors, and opportunities.

And any storm or fate’s knife and axe can destroy their lives.

Those who have felt the cold winds know the pain under the chill.

”Don’t disappoint me, Lady Detective Cat.”

The reason Anna was willing to make this call was her simple hope that, compared to Grandma Kara, Lady Detective Cat’s artistic journey might be smoother.

She gently placed the remaining rose in her hand on Kara’s tombstone,

and turned to leave.

...

Fitz School.

Mona put down her paintbrush and made herself a complimentary coffee from the café machine on the side.

Her gaze swept across the people in the public studio.

The international school had plenty of funding, with an entire art building dedicated for student use.

The upper floors housed the campus theatre and auditorium used for drama rehearsals and social dances, and the entire first floor was a large public studio.

The studio was filled with various easels, canvases, brushes drying, plaster models, and in the corners, there was a café and sofa for resting.

The public studio was where art students spent most of their time daily.

Perhaps because the campus recruitment was approaching.

Even though it was Sunday, almost all the thirteenth-grade students were in the studio, diligently working on their paintings.

Mona noticed,

at this moment, many students were pointing and discussing in front of a row of easels in the corner of the studio.

”Amazing, the brushwork, the composition... It’s so precise, the lines are like they’re measured with a ruler.”

”This has the skill of a professional painter, but why only paint half a picture?”

”What do you know, maybe that’s their creative idea. It’s art, understand?”

”No way... even though Miss Shengzi is indeed impressive, the angle you’re licking is truly novel.” A male student mockingly retorted.

”And you? Calling her Miss Shengzi so intimately, have they agreed to it?”

An onlooker shot back without backing down.

Curious, Mona stood up and glanced at the easels in the corner.

There were four oil paintings lined up in a row.

The brushwork on these oil paintings was astonishingly beautiful, especially compared to the other students’ works drying in the studio, it was like comparing exam papers of forty points to a perfect score.

”These are the works of transfer student Koizumi Katsuko this week, stunning, right? She’s the daughter of an international grand painter, after all.”

Koukou, with a single silver punk-style earring, sighed in front of her easel.

”Compared to her, we’re like country bumpkins. I thought your little boyfriend’s work was already good enough, but this transfer student’s painting and brushwork are simply hopelessly better.”

Mona nodded subconsciously.

All four paintings had the same theme and composition.

Judging by the outlined shapes, it should be something like a church or a classical castle.

Unfortunately, for some reason,

perhaps Koizumi Katsuko was dissatisfied? These four paintings stopped at the dark thunderstorm background layer, and the central structure was only in its initial simple outline.

It was like a stunningly beautiful lady,

yet only half her face was painted.

What a pity.

”By the way, Gu Weijing isn’t my boyfriend, don’t talk nonsense.”

Mona, as if suddenly remembering something, gave Koukou an annoyed look.

Koukou chuckled playfully.

”As long as you’re happy. Let me give you a kind piece of advice, the number of people you can meet and like is just so many, let them slip away, and there really won’t be any left. You don’t really like that Jerry, do you? This playboy I wouldn’t even take a second look at.”

Mona glanced around the studio and snorted quietly to herself.

Since the start of this term, she barely saw any sign of Gu Weijing in the public studio.

Mona knew Gu Weijing’s family owned a small gallery, and they had a studio at home.

But so what?

She could paint on her bedroom balcony as well.

But generally speaking, the atmosphere for painting at home and at school is different.

It’s like both dorm rooms and libraries are places to study, but for ordinary college students, the study atmosphere and efficiency are different.

In the school’s public studio,

where your peers are all working hard on their portfolios, you’ll unknowingly be drawn to work diligently as well.

But at home, those with poor self-discipline may waste their time.

That’s the impact of the environment.

Gu Weijing used to always be a regular and competitive figure in the campus public studio, but this crucial semester, he’s nowhere to be seen.

Even when she expressed willingness to agree to a date with the ”King” at the campus recruitment event.

”Doesn’t care about me at all.”

This was the real reason Mona was so furious.

She could forgive the other person’s failure despite trying hard.

After all, graduation was near; even if he didn’t get the most offers, as long as they could attend the same university, backing out on their bet... it wasn’t impossible.

But she at least wanted to see Gu Weijing’s attitude.

Hanging around lazily every day and not focusing on the right path, what is that supposed to mean?

”Why does this transfer student Koizumi Katsuko always paint only half a picture?”

?”

She changed the subject.

”It’s because she’s not satisfied, presumably.” Koukou stuck out her tongue.

Taking advantage of the girl-to-girl dynamic, the transfer student Koizumi Katsuko wasn’t as cold to Koukou as she was to the swarms of admirers in the campus.

Even though far from achieving the goal of ”winning over” this chick, Koukou at least successfully added Koizumi Katsuko as a friend under the pretext of seeking artistic advice, and could exchange a few words daily.

This made Koukou quite excited.

You eat your meal one bite at a time, and you also turn pretty girls one step at a time.

If you show up with a sleazy look of lusting after her body, you’ll scare people away.

Koukou heard from Miss Koizumi that she’s seen someone paint the same subject of thunderstorms much more vividly than she could, and she wanted to know what went wrong.

”More vivid than her painting?”

Koukou presumed that the person Miss Koizumi was talking about was Professor Yakai Ichiro.

Such an ethereal artist, far above, is perhaps only someone like Koizumi Katsuko, an artistic genius, can have an interest in comparison.

”Even with that dissatisfaction, my oh my... who knows, why such an artistic little princess came to our Yangon?”

Mona sighed as well.

She secretly compared her own work, the difference was indeed too vast.

The painting environment felt like a well.

The people around you are like the walls of the well, staying in Yangon long enough, you might just end up a frog in a well.

Mona initially thought peers like Gu Weijing were already very exceptional.

Perhaps they really were,

but these ”little town painters” from Yangon, compared to the heirs personally taught by truly great artists,

were worlds apart.

”Oh, I might know why she came to Myanmar.”

Koukou said with a mysterious expression at this moment.