On one occasion three people including his mother were wheeled off for operations, of whom only his mother returned alive. Seeing the life of his mother, for so long the pillar of the family, slip gradually away, as well as the conditions of other patients of various ages and backgrounds, led Yuan to produce his series of paintings entitled Insects and Puppets, expressing the impermanence and helplessness of life.
曾經「三個人推進手術室，只有我媽媽活著出來」，看到長久以來做為家庭支柱的母親一點一點地逝去，醫院裡進進出出的各種年齡、身份、地位的人們，袁金塔先後畫出《昆蟲》與《戲偶》系列作品，表現了人生的無常與無奈。