In post midlife, there’s an interesting thing that happens, as people start exploring other facets of themselves, whether it is seeking spiritual truths, pursuing other interests or deepening relationships with friends and family.

 

After retiring from the travel trade, Patricia Recto-Garcia has found more time to devote to her painting. In its introspective process, she is able to enjoy the peace and joy often lost in the pressures of the world.

 

Since her retirement, Garcia has been creating works inspired by flowers and travels. She is able to fine-tune her techniques, honed by such mentors as Ibarra de la Rosa and Florencio Concepcion.

 

These works are exhibited at Duo restaurant in Serendra, in a show titled “Stepping Out.” It reflects the phase in her life when she is fully realizing her gift from God, and setting out in a new direction filled with meaning and purpose.

 

In flowers, Garcia found a way of expressing an experience of solitude that is well-concealed within her poised demeanor. The petals are fragile, with stems suspended in space amid vivid colors. Some are soft, others are healthy and ripe, albeit a symbol of her stage in life.

 

Contradictory meanings

 

As a subject, flowers  hold contradictory meanings. They can be proud or delicate, or soft and strong.  The blooming and wilting can symbolize youth and maturity.  Alone on the canvas space, they express confidence or isolation.

 

Garcia also tests her mettle in spatial depth and precision. One of the vibrant works is the oil painting of a man selling Christmas star lanterns. She said the challenge was to make the lanterns perfectly aligned and to draw the human face. In all, the painting is striking for the vibrant colors.

 

Rendered in acrylic on canvas, the houses along Lake Como, Italy, bathe in a soft sunlight, evoking a tranquil effect. An impression of the gondolas along the Venice Canal are also captured in acrylic on canvas. Outlines of stony building façades, their reflection on the water and the graceful shapes of the boats in warm colors suggest the Old World feel.

 

Garcia explained that the fine lines and pointillist dabs of the brush were inspired by De la Rosa. “I like his style. The colors also come out. I like to paint trees among the mists, flowers and the grass. Painting gives me peace. It’s as if I’m in another world. Problems melt away,” she said.