4-Year-Old Talented Drummer

(Please click the image to enlarge)

I just posted a new oil portrait, here is the story behind:

Sunday, July 17, 2011, I went to Los Altos farmers market. A beautiful blues voice and music attracted my attention. I walked close by and saw a young girl playing saxophone, and an older guy singing... I heard the drummer playing amazingly too, but could not see anyone there from the crowd.

Unfortunately, it was the last song, and the singer announced that the drummer was 4 years old. It was hard to believe, but it was true.

It was around noon. I saw this little shy mixed boy was holding his mother's hand, standing under the Californian strong sun shining down on his head, while his mother was busy answering questions from other people. I tried very hard to capture the boy's face, and imagined the bright future ahead of him... Sorry I didn't get their band's name, I am sure there are a lot of other people who know:-)!

Please view a better image at:
http://fineartamerica.com/featured/4-year-old-talented-drummer-xueling-zou.html
Storytelling artist Xueling Zou who works in ♦️ watercolor & ♦️ oil mediums on ♦️ original art Plein Air paintings. Ship worldwide since 2010 @ https://about.me/xuelingzou@ about.me/xuelingzou or http://xueling-zou.pixels.com

Original Art Story

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It was a rainy Saturday this Easter weekend.  I went to an evening live model session at Lynn's studio by chance that I found through Instagram, also it was very close where I live.   About 10 artists showed up, and one came all the way from Oakland on such a rainy weekend.  Painting and photography are unique arts. As we see in the work of old masters, great painting captures instead the outward molding of inner feeling that is truer to the individual than any momentary expression.  Because artist adds emotion into the painting it is unique to the individual.  Different color palettes, brushstrocks, or different perpectives to catch the likelness of the model.   Painting a model in realistic style isn't as important to me as capturing the essence of the model's expression.  I don't use a reference photo to copy a model, instead I use my eye and my hands to capture the expression from life, practise during the precious moments of the painting session. Of course, I use r
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Plein Air @ Santa Clara University Santa Clara CA

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Portrait and figurative studies of a model

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Plein Air @ Mission San José Fremont CA 加州風景寫生

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Plein Air @ Elim Assembly of God Church Santa Clara CA 加州風景寫生

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Live study of a young model in a red dress

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Plein Air @ Ed Levin County Park, Milpitas CA

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Capitola Plein Air 8th Annual Art Festival 2023

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