April 26, 2016.  Oil on canvas.  50 x 70cm

In Hong Kong, although we are a multi national community, we can seldom get a gwelio model. The simple reason is the hour rate of art modelling is only HK$80@hour, approximately US$10@hour.  Normally a foreigner can get a better pay by working other jobs.  Demand and supply in a free market determines.

This lady, Jade, was met in a nude painting studio. She volunteered to be a triple nude model in the midst of the session. She had just arrived HK for a month and started to make friends in this community. Originally from South Africa, she worked in fashion industry in Shanghai for 2 years and knew a bit Putonghua. She was half Holland and half African. All gwelio looked alike and actually I could not tell their origin if they didn’t mention.

Jade was a sweet girl, she kept asking whether we felt good about painting her and tried to communicate with us all the time. But didn’t know why I could not do well this time. She had a great smile and good bone structure, although she thought she had a big nose and hated it. It was a pity I could keep her face on my canvas. Sometimes this is life.