(369)The Plein-Air painting & Frost Flower ...Journey of Love (1)

“Have you ever seen those beautiful frost flowers quietly blooming on glass windows in the depths of winter?” Years ago, while chatting with my dear friend Ruta, I suddenly asked her this question. Ruta smiled and replied, “Of course! When I was a child, I often saw them in the remote countryside, and they touched me deeply. We truly believed they were beautiful surprises prepared for us by the fairies of Heaven!”

“Then perhaps I should bring an exhibition to your country and share with everyone the precious fruits of Professor Kuo’s years of photographing these Frost Flowers? You and I both love nature. Perhaps it is a beautiful destiny that God has chosen to bestow such a generous gift upon lovely Lithuania as the first destination!” As I excitedly poured out my idea, she was already smiling. She knew all too well that I am a creature guided by intuition—once an idea is born, wave after wave of events simply seems to unfold.

And so it began. From the first Frost Flower Exhibition in Lithuania in 2023, hosted by Lithuania’s national environmental authority, my boyfriend, Charles and I embarked on a nonstop journey: Canada later that same year; Japan in 2024; Spain and India in 2025; and Mexico in 2026. After circling the globe, the seventh stop of the World Tour has returned to the Lithuania I dearly love. Was it merely a coincidence, or was it all part of a divine plan?

I still remember last summer, when we held the "Listen to the Water" joint exhibition featuring Frost Flower photography in Spain. Through a wonderful convergence of circumstances, I met several local artists who shared our passion and vision. Coincidentally, Ruta was telling me at the same time about a group of painters who were coming to her ancient village to paint outdoors. She immediately invited me: “Next year, come back to Lithuania and join our Plein-Air painting symposium. After Charles has immersed himself in nature and created his paintings, we can exhibit them together with the Frost Flowers, giving the local community a feast for the eyes!” Wow! My heart leapt at the idea. “Wonderful!” I replied. “Then let’s bring along the Spanish friends I’ve just met, and have everyone come together to Lithuania for Plein-Air painting—and a Frost Flower exhibition!”

People often say that life is unpredictable. Would our promise made a year earlier really come true? Well, destiny has its own mysterious and moving ways. I have always believed: “Words need not be many. Sincerity is enough.” Although we live in different countries, our genuine and wholehearted exchanges had already gently woven our hearts together.

And so, at the end of July, the two of us from Canada and four friends from Spain—including one fellow Chinese and one Polish lady—gathered in Lithuania, ready to embark on a magical journey of artistic creation. After a year apart, the warmth between us had not faded one bit. The moment we met, we were laughing and playing together like old friends who had never been separated. Yet whenever the conversation turned to art, we became equally unstoppable, talking passionately and endlessly!

Honestly, the thought of bringing this wonderful group of painters to my dear friend Ruta’s village for Plein-Air painting, and then fulfilling my dream of presenting my mentor’s Frost Flower exhibition there, filled me with joy from the very moment I boarded the plane. Every step of the journey, I felt no doubt, anxiety, or hesitation. Because the feeling of "Being Used"… feels wonderful!

That said, before setting off, all I knew was that this would be a one-week international artistic exchange and creative collaboration. But I am not a painter! Ruta comforted me: “What does every production need besides its leading actors? What are your magnificent Frost Flowers born upon?” I smiled. “Exactly! The supporting characters are indispensable! Frost Flowers cannot simply appear out of thin air. Behind them are glass windows, seven-colored fabrics, and so much more… Whatever supporting role I play is fine with me, as long as it helps bring the whole production to life perfectly!”

Indeed, I often say that on the grand stage of Planet Earth, our tools and professions may differ, and our roles may be different, but every role is indispensable. Perhaps this is the essence of an integrated Oneness—the law of coexistence in harmony with the Dao and Nature. Throughout that week, artists from different countries immersed themselves in the simplicity and beauty of the ancient countryside, painting day after day. And I, the “supporting actress,” happily played my many cameo roles: morning exercise instructor, on-the-spot Chinese–English interpreter, bread and pastry baker, and three-meals-a-day server. Now that the Plein-Air gathering has come to an end, I have naturally jumped into yet another role—the travel writer and storyteller, bringing you a first-hand account of this extraordinary journey. Ah, how fortunate I feel to keep changing roles, while witnessing the beautiful birth of something truly extraordinary!

On July 31, when I finally arrived at Ruta’s ancient village of Žiboliškės, I truly began to understand the touching story behind this entire Plein-Air painting experience. I suddenly remembered the summer of 2018, when I had travelled alone into this simple, rustic village, carrying a heavy backpack. Eight years later, I returned once again, still carrying that same heavy backpack—only this time, I was bringing five dear friends with me. It felt almost as if I had been given a special mission, or perhaps quietly pushed forward from behind by some greater hand.

After all these encounters and reunions, I can sum up my feelings in just one sentence: Surrender to the beauty of Heaven and Earth. Surrender to the love of Oneness. And with that surrender, I find myself deeply moved by every single moment. I write with my heart, though I have no idea how many words it will take this time to fully express what is within me. So, dear friends, I invite you to journey with me and slowly savour the memories of this extraordinary adventure — “The Plein-Air painting & Frost Flower... Journey of Love.”

(To be continued)

Add-on Video clip😉 ~

https://youtu.be/rz__m6SnlfU?is=TRK5R7oXN-aMzOV6