Me and a Flower

Me and a Flower by Marina Cheng  (8 y/o) - self-portrait, painted in acrylic on a 12''x16'' canvas; Dec 2025, Auckland, New Zealand.

In this artwork, my hero is myself on a journey through nature. I am hiking in the mountains, wearing my red and white striped dress, and taking time to smell the flowers along the way. I chose myself as the hero because I am learning to slow down, be brave, and appreciate the beauty around me. Picking the yellow flower represents courage and curiosity—the courage to explore new paths and the curiosity to discover what makes me happy. This simple moment is heroic to me because it shows kindness to myself and respect for the natural world. Through this portrait, I want to show that a hero does not always need to be strong or powerful; sometimes a hero is someone who notices beauty, stays gentle, and keeps moving forward with hope.