Chua Wei Jian wrote… More than just my art teacher! Life is like a point of transit. People come and go. Some stay on for a bit while others make hasty exits. As this cycle perpetuates, once in awhile, we will come across individuals who choose to do more than merely “exist” in our life. They are the inspirations that play a part in defining our life. In my case, my art teacher, Lynn Tan, is one of them. During those days, art was one of the subjects I was least excited about. It was perceived as feminine and I had come to a conclusion that my talent in art was nil. Not that I was particularly talented in my other subjects though – I was always more interested in the after-school kickabouts than my classroom incarceration. During secondary four, like everyone else, I had to sit for my GCE “O” level exams. Art was registered as one of the examinable subjects. Some of my classmates had the notion of dropping it and I was enticed by the idea. The only thing holding me back then was my art teacher. I did not want to disappoint her. Over the span of secondary three, she had slowly and steadily made her way into my list of favourite teachers. As my class had a penchant for notoriety, most teachers avoided us like plague lest we add to their woes or worse – their off-work hours. She was the shinning exception. She was the only teacher who was willing to spare us a second look. She was the only teacher that made us feel hopeful. She saw in us not dull stones but unpolished diamonds. She wanted to help us find ourselves through her passion – art. I can still vividly recall the days she stayed with us until late evening while we rushed out our work pieces. It was the personal touch in her teaching methodologies that made learning about art so interesting. She had succeeded in what most teachers failed to – she made us feel appreciated for our efforts to learn. One such occasion to cite; she was returning us our individual proposals for the year-end examination after she had reviewed it. To my delight, attached to each and every of our proposal was a hand-written note giving us advice and words of encouragement. Once, she also gave us little “morale-booster” cards, something which I still carry with me today! Even with her hectic schedule, I realised she was also working on her own art projects when I chanced upon her works on an occasion. Her inherent love for the Arts cumulated during her wedding when she held it at the Singapore Arts Museum! Since then, she had been an exemplary role model for me. Art had also made its way into a special place in my heart, knowing that it was the subject that changed my life. Thank you for being more than my art teacher. Thank you for your lessons on the art of Life.

Muhammad Hazmi Bin Buang wrote… She was locked up with her students in her own school staying back late teaching art. Her passion and love for art was contagious, she practised the art that she taught. One day in her class she brought in a painting to show us, it was a painting she did herself. It was a blue watercolour painting of two persons gazing at each other. She posted a question. Why did the painter paint the picture? She always stressed upon the notion that there was a story behind every piece of art. It is a very important lesson, the WHY and the WHAT. I have been most fortunate to have learnt art under such a passionate and compassionate person. Learning art under her and immersing myself into it gave me an edge when I continued my studies in Architecture….

Liyana Ali wrote… She is a very dedicated art teacher. I would never have been where i am now if it was not for her. She has inspired me throughout my art education. She has brought and opened up my eyes to the world of art in many amazing ways. She brought the learning experience outside the classroom walls. I never knew that art was more than just drawing and painting, until she was there. She was the light that guided us through. She was always there when I was in doubt and needed a helping hand. She was always generous with her wealth of knowledge for the Arts. Her lessons were always interesting and fun and she always brought new ways to explore art. As an art teacher, she was the one that had inspired me and opened up the possibilities of art in higher learning and to build my career with this knowledge of art. She has equipped me with the relevant knowledge and skill for my post-secondary school education in art. She is my source of inspiration for my passion in the arts world.

Jeff Tan wrote… She is a very dedicated and creative person. Dedicated would refer to her responsibility and being able to wholly committed to what she is doing. Creative would appertain to her imaginativeness and originality towards a certain purpose. On top of that, her determination to get things done and never to give up attitude is undoubtly the perserverance factor towards becoming a perfectionist. Initially, I hated Art but because of what she had shown and told me, I did not give up hope and got a hang of it eventually and is currently very into graphic design. For that, I thank her not only as a student but as a person too.