Charoon Boonsuan: A Mystical Garden in Reality  Reflecting on the past, his youthful dreams of painting backdrops for Likay performances were the catalyst the pushed Charoon Boonsuan to pursue serious training in art at the Faculty of Paintings, Sculptures, and Graphic Arts, Silpakorn University in 1958. Charoon was fortunate enough to have enrolled when renowned master Silpa Bhirasri was still present to impart his wisdom in person, a period when Thai students were also heavily influenced by modern Western works. For Charoon, besides his formal studies, the career artist also lived to observe the world around him, as much as his own inner thoughts and experiences. In other words, Charoon exists within an atmosphere surrounded by constantly fluctuating sunlight and temperatures, scents, and colors. His observant nature and diligence are two crucial characteristics for a painter who seriously studies landscapes. Realism isn’t the objective of the painting, with inspiration and creativity being indispensable tools that allow Charoon to interpret and compose a painting with complex color palettes. One time during his time as a student, master artist Fua Haripitak once said to Charoon that there are two types of painting: painting something from your imagination, and painting something that exists in front of you, with the painter managing what they see with their thoughts. Furthermore, Silpa Bhirasri himself saw potential for Charoon to become a great artist, if only he learned to see colors through the landscapes in front of him. The words of guidance from these two figures displayed their thorough insight into their student, and has allowed Charoon to journey through the world of paintings up until his 84th year of age. What exists in front of you isn’t there to be copied; on the contrary, the objects or locations in front of an artist are things to be observed, analyzed, and interpreted. Once Charoon has achieved an understanding, then he can begin each of his paintings. Even Rong Wongsawan once referred to Charoon as an artist who distills whatever is in front of him intil complex and wondrous color palettes.       Looking back upon his infatuation with Likay backdrops all those years ago, one realizes that paintings are like the backdrop of life. Charoon’s paintings are akin to spaces that can be explored by the mind. Few realize that Charoon once created numerous works of abstract art and cubism paintings. Even though they were not his prime focus, these works are proof of Charoon’s high level of expertise in utilizing colors. However, his return to painting the surrounding natural environment came at a time when it was unusual for such paintings to win awards on a national level, particularly when more contemporary forms of art were becoming more and more popular, especially abstract art. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that Charoon had an understanding of subjects beyond the theories commonly taught in classrooms.    Those who have had the fortune of seeing Charoon’s works can sense his elaborate explanations of nature through his use of colors. As such, the recognition he has garnered didn’t come by chance, with Charoon’s paintings proving his timeless success, with no need to identify the genre or school of painting. The painter’s life did not have any short cuts; it is the result of constant, tireless observation and analysis of the colors in light, objects, and ideas alike. The decades of experience have made him one of the few artists capable of manipulating color in unique ways that are both simple and complex, with even the darker areas of the painting giving the impression of air currents flowing through the piece. Paintings are the door into Charoon Boonsuan’s new world, a door that will bring us towards a deep understanding of the aesthetics of color. And though the decades may pass, this door will forever remain open to all.