Chapter 120 (1) - The Mysterious Art Museum
1/2 Bonus chapter thanks to @SomeoneRandom from Ko-fi
After Monica left for the factory, I remained alone, still seated by the window, lost in thought as I gazed outside.
"Monica's brand logo is a water lily. I should draw a water lily."
Drawing a water lily is easy.
I had drawn one during my school days, and even received an A+ for that assignment, so I'm confident in the drawing itself.
"But what kind of design can I make with an ordinary water lily?"
It's possible to draw the flower in a stylish manner.
water lilies have broad green leaves floating on the pond's surface, with flowers in various colors that resemble chrysanthemums blooming above them.
The issue is that unlike a rose, which has multiple blooms attached, water lilies have blooms that are separate from each other. Being a flower that is not flamboyant, it's not an easy subject for store design.
I opened my sketchbook to view the rough sketch of the store's structure I had made during my last visit. I hadn't measured it properly yet, but if this square-shaped store were to be completely covered in paintings, it would need four paintings, each 3 meters high and 30 meters wide.
Of course, depending on the store design, only parts may need to be painted, so this is considering the maximum workload.
After sketching a bunch of water lily flowers, I fell into thought.
"water lilies are not flashy flowers. They're more like a dignified lone crane than a flock of birds. If I just paint a single bloom, it can bring out a sense of luxury."
But the store will look too empty. And if I add too many nonexistent water lilies, it will seem cheap. Ultimately, I need to decide on an appropriate number of water lily flowers.
"Phew, this is tough."
The last remaining day.
I spent the entire morning in the living room, pondering over water lilies.
Skipping breakfast, and as lunchtime approached, I wasn't very hungry.
Then, I heard someone someone knocking on the door of the lodging.
Knock, knock.
Huh? Monica already went to the factory.
Who could it be?
There's no use answering in English as the other person wouldn't understand, so I just opened the door, only to find no one there.
"What the, are there pranksters here too... Ah, Lea!"
I thought there was no one because I didn't see anything at eye level, but then I noticed a cute baby below, holding out a basket filled with bread.
Lea didn't understand or respond, but she was intently looking at the beautiful painting.
"That's 'The Houses of Parliament, Effect of Fog' in London. It's a bit of a difficult name, isn't it?"
A painting condensed with abstractness created by colors.
This artwork is divided into a few large areas, not schematically organizing the pictorial space.
The buildings, water, and sky become a canvas projecting tumultuous colors,
creating an image elusive like the foggy atmosphere.
The Victorian Gothic style of the new Parliament building seems to disappear into the mist, barely visible.
This painting, utilizing the entire spectrum of colors, is considered an important assignment in art schools.
I placed my hand on Lea's shoulder and said,
"Monet, who took refuge in England during the war, was greatly inspired by William Turner's paintings. That's when his style of painting changed like this."
Lea looked up at me with round eyes and then pointed her finger at the painting.
"Ban, ban."
"Yeah?"
"Ban, ban."
"Is it similar to the painting I did?"
"Ban!"
"Ha-ha, got it."
I understand what she means. Among the paintings I made of Lea's house, one depicted the dawn, exactly like this. It was a day when the village was shrouded in heavy fog. Of course, my painting wasn't as grand as this work, but it had a similar impression.
At that moment, the painting changed, revealing a woman holding a parasol.
Lea had been here before and comfortably positioned herself.
I smiled broadly as I gazed at the painting.
It was time to embark on our final dream journey with Lea.
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