“Shine or Go Crazy”
Acrylic on Canvas – April 2015

As a huge fan of Korean dramas, I recently watched the historical Kdrama Shine or Go Crazy. A lot of historical kdramas are super colorful and this one was no exception. I also really liked the premise that the main character stood on the precipice of being a shining ruler or going completely mad – though honestly they could have expounded upon that storyline a whole lot more than they did. Thinking about historical Kdramas though always reminds me of the old palaces and buildings in Korea. Living in Suwon for 6 years, I was lucky to be particularly close to one of the most beautiful ones. The Hwaesong fortress there was a place where Richard and I had our first date, but it was also a place where we’d go for walks to enjoy the beautiful side of Korea. Along the wall there are many lookout towers where now you can take off your shoes and walk up the stairs to relax and enjoy the beautiful views. Our last night in Korea we actually did this walk and took a lot of photos under the stars (what there were of them anyways – in Korea it’s so bright it’s hard to see a lot of stars).

Anyways, I was thinking about the drama – the colorfulness, the bright versus mad concept, and wondering what the fortress may have been like before the city was taken over by skyscraper apartment buildings and industry.

This artwork is a one of a kind piece hand painted by Stephanie Ishler of Hallyu Back. All artwork is for sale unless otherwise specified. If you are interested in purchasing this original painting, contact us here!