Before creating When It Soaks My Veins, I visited the Orchid Festival at Kew Gardens. The exhibition featured a wide variety of orchids, ranging from common species to rare ones with unusual colors and shapes. I was captivated by their peculiar forms and the eerie beauty in their uniqueness, a resilient vitality that stood out. Inspired by this, I chose one orchid for reinterpretation, experimenting with a different color palette. I began with a watercolor sketch to capture its transparency, as the water-based medium allowed for a delicate layering effect. Transitioning to oil painting, I first applied a watery acrylic base to the canvas, which helped control the thickness of the oil paint and allowed for more intricate details. I completed the orchid’s central figure first as I am creating a self-portrait. I then worked on the leaves, weaving them between the petals. Using transparent layers to disrupt yet not fully obscure the main subject, I also try to create an interwoven and fused composition. This approach reflects how societal turbulence subtly impacts me.