Decluttering during Covid-19 pandemic lockdown or "circuit breaker" as it's called in Singapore, yielded its rewards. A couple of paintings I bought from Pat Henry showed up.
The one painting of the Raffles Hotel holds a special place in my heart, while Koon Seng Place (in the east coast enclave of period terrace houses in Singapore) exudes her ethnic charm of an era gone by. Then there are the lusciously vibrant garbs of the women at the Port Vila Market that drew me to add the print to my collection by Henry.
And Singapore's reformed Boat Quay in the sailor's eyes is a tranquil and picturesque haven.
There are many sailors the world over. But solo female sailors are rare at that juncture. So meeting a solo sailor-artist was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. I was delighted that Pat accepted my invitation for a meal at the Changi Sailing Club where she berthed her boat. Affable, soft-spoken, the fifty-something cut a robust, tan figure. She told me she had been on a long expedition and had not seen home for five years. The only form of economical communication was ship-to-shore radio.
It was in the mid-nineties when layman photography had not gone digital, and I regret that I'm unable to trace memories of our meet-up. Thanks to internet, I'm delighted to know that Pat is alive and engaged in what she loves to do. Her paintings of various places at her ports of call have indelibly marked her courage and resilience braving the rough elements of the weather and perhaps many wild seas.
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