(KPL) Prolific Lao artist, Mick Saylom, 31 years old, paints part-time and he persisted to paint even though he failed to sell any painting when he lugged his paintings on five occasions in five years to Vietnam. He also exhibited in Singapore last year but he did not sell any.

This part-time artist, who is a full-time art teacher of the National Faculty of Art, the National University of Laos, believes that he has a flair, talent and a deep urge to express his visions and he didn’t only work hard to raise his level of professionalism in his chosen calling but he spent many long hours on the canvas.

On his trips to Vietnam on the Lao government scholarships he interacted, empathised, gaggled and did all he could to learn from his Vietnamese artist buddies.

He wanted to learn more and won an Indonesian government scholarship to study Balinese art in Hindu Bali. In this island Paradise the artistic Balinese taught him to play the gamelan, to do wood carving, to dance like a Balinese, to water colour like the locals and to paint like the ancient Balinese. His determination, hard work and preparedness to learn paid off as he managed to sell some of his paintings for the past few months at reasonable prices.

Maybe lady luck smiled on him when a Singaporean art collector cum businessman, Micheal, invited Mick and two other Lao painters to paint and exhibit their paintings in his M Gallery in Vientiane.

The nice part of the arrangement is that Micheal would buy any of the painting if he takes a fancy to it and up to date Mick has struck gold and he is now in the money. His paintings were sold at the price range of US$300 to US$500.
Regarding the nature of his painting he said he does not have any distinct style and that he is not able to pinpoint any of his painting form which is basically Lao. However, he feels that he is being influenced by the Vietnamese painters as he has a close relationship with them over a five-year period.

Giving his opinion on the other Lao painters he said they have their own individual styles. He added that they are diy or “do it yourself” painters, they learn from books and television and they draw inspiration from their own instinctive urge to paint.

Mick is taking a longer view on his art career and now he has a place to exhibit only his paintings. His gallery is in Rue Pangkham, off Rue Samsenthai and near The Fountain.

He continues to be productive and has so many paintings in his spacious gallery that he will soon run out of space.