Liên Hương Fiedler is HẠNH.
My name is Liên Hương Fiedler and I am an artist. I sign my paintings as HẠNH, my family nickname. I work in oil on canvas, as well as in pencil on paper.
I retired after working ten years as a reference librarian at the Library of Congress Asian Division and twenty years with the Copyright Office in Washington, D.C. I moved to La Quinta, California with my husband in 2014.
In 2017, after dinner one evening during the holiday season, I grabbed a piece of paper and pencil, and quickly drew the face of a young girl. Looking at the pencil sketch, I thought of my granddaughter Lila. Suddenly I realized I needed to revisit my dream of painting.
I had painted two small watercolors while living in Ankara, Turkey with my husband in 1976. After those little pieces, I did not continue painting. I never even thought of taking formal courses. Working and raising two children consumed all of my time.
The sketch of this young girl's face (below) prompted me to pursue my love for painting. Here are a few pencil sketches I did in January and February 2018, including one of my lovely mother, Minh Sang.
During 2018 and 2019, I began experimenting with oil paints. I sent pictures of these new pieces to my sister Mai Hương in Saigon, and other family members asking for their opinions and comments. I knew that formal painting education wasn't an absolute prerequisite, and making up for lost time I painted day and night. One friend of my husband told me I should paint more and more until I reach 100. I told him given my age, the most I could probably paint was fifty. Painting became an all-consuming passion and relief for me. Now in the fifth year of painting, I have finished nearly 80 landscapes, city scenes, animals, and many portraits.
Now friends and relatives are asking for their portraits to be painted. Some are even willing to pay!
So begins my next phase as the energetic, elderly artist HẠNH!
- HẠNH a.k.a. Liên Hương Fiedler a.k.a Huyền Tôn Nữ Liên Hương from Gia Hội, Huế, Việt Nam
