Around 2005, I received an email that fascinated me.
It was from a compiler in the UK working on a book about Princess Diana in art, asking if I was interested in contributing my portrait of Diana.
The book would feature artists from around the world and be published in the UK.
I immediately said yes; this was my chance to be published internationally!
I soon began focusing on painting Diana’s portraits.
The compiler commissioned me for a new portrait in colored pencil, and I also worked on a couple of pastel pieces.
My husband had created an account for me on artwanted.com, which shows the incredible power of the internet even in the mid-2000s.
That entire year became a period of intense focus.
I was simultaneously busy preparing for my spouse visa interview, taking care of my mother’s property matters that had been overdue for over a decade, and selling everything I owned—my car, my household goods—in preparation to move to Los Angeles for good.
I was so relieved when I was called for the spouse visa interview at the US embassy in KL, and thrilled when the visa was approved.
Despite all the pressure—the art commission, the visa application, settling property, and selling everything—I was so focused on completing my long list of tasks.
This intense focus allowed me to get everything done.
My husband and I hadn’t seen each other for almost a year, and we had waited this long so that my four-and-a-half-year-old son and I could finally move to America.
Stay kreatif,
Siti
