Marriage brought Pryde financial security, and she was able to devote her spare time to pottery, until injuries to her fingers compelled her to diversify away from the craft towards ink painting. She reflects: "embarking on my artistic career in my 40s seemed late, but it never crossed my mind that what started as a hobby would lead to establishing my own studio and holding exhibitions. Art has not only enriched my life but has also offered me a new beginning.”

From the 1980s, Pryde explored her artistic direction through ceramics, oil painting and ink painting, continually studying and refining her craft. She earned a Higher Diploma in Western Art from the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2004. This was followed by a Master's Degree in Art through a joint programme of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and Hong Kong Art School, at the age of 62. "Having endured the hardships of postwar life, I've become stronger, and I’m unafraid to try anything,” she asserts. “I draw strength from the 'Lion Rock Spirit'."

As for having her artwork take to the skies, Pryde considers it a privilege. "I am thrilled that Cathay Pacific is making it accessible to a broader audience," she says. Her hope is that her pieces will inspire viewers to further explore their own ideas and creativity; she wants to “delight them and ignite their imaginations."

After all, it was a lucky stroke of inspiration that led Pryde to incorporate magazine clippings into her artwork, giving rise to her unique personal style. Her mentor, the ink painter Wucius Wong, loved the technique, and encouraged her to integrate an even broader range of elements into her pieces.

Now, whenever she comes across a striking real-life scene on her travels, either in Hong Kong or abroad, Pryde captures it with her camera, carefully storing each print as both a fond memory and a possible component of her future work.