Original Art Stories - Xueling Zou

"A work of art is the energy manifestation of the one who created it. It holds the spirit of the artist within its shapes, forms, and colors.... When we observe a painting, the light and energy systems of our bodies and minds meet the energy system of the painting."― Audrey Flack "Art &Soul - Notes on Creating") “Tears are a river that takes you somewhere…Tears lift your boat off the rocks, off dry ground, carrying it downriver to someplace better.”― Clarissa Pinkola Estés (born 27 January 1945; is an American poet, post-trauma specialist and Jungian psychoanalyst) “To put meaning in one's life may end in madness, But life without meaning is the torture Of restlessness and vague desire-- It is a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid.” ― Edgar Lee Masters (1868 – 1950; was an American poet, biographer, and dramatist) “Let your boat of life be light, packed with only what you need - a homely home and simple pleasures, one or two friends, worth the name, s

I love boats, studying on boats is a joy to me.  I can easily wander around dock, look at each one of the boats, take countless photos for hours.  Of course, I enjoy painting them as well.  To me, getting the best composition is the key of an successful painting, then shape, color palette... "The act of painting is a spiritual covenant between the maker and the higher powers. the Intent of the artist flows through the work of art, no matter what the technique or style."  (―Audrey Flack "Art &Soul - Notes on Creating") "It almost doesn't matter what you paint. It is what takes place during the act of painting that matters. It doesn't matter what style or technique you use. It is the artistic result and personal development that counts." As Joseph Addison (1672 – 1719, English essayist, poet, playwright and politician.) said, "The chief ingredients in the composition of those qualities that gain esteem and praise, are good nature, truth, go

"Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature." ― Gerard de Nerval "Flowers have spoken to me more than I can tell in written words. They are the hieroglyphics of angels, loved by all men for the beauty of their character, though few can decipher even fragments of their meaning." ― Lydia M. Child "The artist is the confidant of nature, flowers carry on dialogues with him through the graceful bending of their stems and the harmoniously tinted nuances of their blossoms. Every flower has a cordial word which nature directs towards him." ― Auguste Rodin "Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the soul." ― Luther Burbank "Flowers have an expression of countenance as much as men or animals. Some seem to smile; some have a sad expression; some are pensive and diffident; others again are plain, honest and upright, like the broad-faced sunflower and the hollyhock." ― Henry Ward Beecher

Sister Wendy Beckett (born 25 February 1930) is a Catholic nun, who was born in South Africa and educated in Oxford where she was awarded a first class degree in English literature. She has lived a life of solitude for almost thirty years on the grounds of a monastery in England. I never knew about Sister Wendy until I started painting in 2001. Our local library carries a very decent amount of books and DVDs. So, I go there and check them out often, I have found many art resources. I did not pay too much attention to the stories behind each masterpiece before. I was more interested in learning the composition or techniques, etc. One day, I saw Sister Wendy on a cover of a DVD in the art section and just out of curiosity I brought it back home to watch. That was the most remarkable experience I had ever had. I was totally moved by her eloquence and charm, her profound spirit, her passion in art, her rich knowledge and outstanding description of sharing her views on each masterpiece

There are many beautiful portraits that have visually showed us the subject's personality, history and culture.  I think facial expression is another very interesting subject in art.  That is why I love to study it.  I do it differently than some artists who just copying a photo.  I'd rather to know a little bit more about my subject before I start painting.  Here are some some portraits I painted and the stories behind them.  Please visit my online gallery at:  http://xueling-zou.artistwebsites.com/galleries.html to see more. Lady from Bangladesh was the portrait I painted in March 2011. We used to be neighbors for a short while. Her name is Tahmina. She was the mother of three very nice and well-educated boys, with such a sweet character. One early morning, I saw her dressed this lovely traditional pink/magenta sari in the garden, the morning light went through her veil, shining on her face... I went back and grabbed my camera immediately and took a couple of photos. Aft

Magpies are believed to be one of the most intelligent of all animals. In Chinese culture, the magpie is an auspicious bird (the opposite of the crow) which has been depicted in art and literature for thousands of years of history. Magpies appear in the most happy events, representing positive energy for new years celebrations, festivals, birthdays, marriages, anniversaries, and any good news, etc.. I designed "Magpie Singing at the Bath" by adding many auspicious symbolic items, like bamboo (longevity, the spirit of scholars), water(prosperity, opportunity, wealth), and full moon (joyful reunion, especially for family and lovers) against the auspicious red/orange colors in the background expressing good luck, or good news coming from hearing the singing of a magpie, or even better seeing one. February 10, 2012 is the first day of lunar year of the Snake. Chinese usually begin the day by offering prayers and welcoming the gods of heaven and earth. Everyone tries to get there

"Learning to walk sets you free. Learning to dance gives you the greatest freedom of all, to express with your whole self the person you are." - Melissa Hayden Lucky me that I can walk, the artistic vision and the rich imagination I have had set my thoughts free. I never had learned to be a ballerina, though it was one of the many dreams of mine. I do not think that I could stand the physical challenge of a dancer, but I do enjoy watching and appreciate deeply every single movement all the dancers make. Ballet really has become one of my most favorite subjects to paint, it has come into my dreams countless times as I am one of those dancing on the stage, and also in ancient Rome I was dancing ballet in the middle of the Colosseum! It might have made me wonder if there was a certain kind of soul that haunted me deeply inside, and this transformed into a vision I saw through my mind's eye. Reading all the novels, stories, and watching all the movies, TV series, we all

Last time when I visited Sydney, Australia, I saw this red-haired young lady on the train going downtown carrying a very large brunch of gardenias, she was almost buried by the flowers she carried, they brought such a lovely fragrance surrounding her on the train. http://xueling-zou.artistwebsites.com/galleries.html Luckily, she was looking outside of the window, so I could study her from where I sat: Her red dress was a tiny bit longer than the short black unbuttoned-wind-jacket she was wearing. Her short red hair was contrasted by the collar of her black jacket, her two lean and long legs were positioned gently and femininely on the blue covered seat... I realized that this was not the main reason to grab my attention. From my artistic vision it was the beauty of the whole package - youth, color contrast, simplicity, freshness, sweetness, dreaming... full of life, maybe some mysterious reason too since I had no idea who she was! Finally, I painted her for sharing what I had see

“What i like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.”   ― Karl Lagerfeld As much as I enjoy painting, photography is one of my favorite things to do.  Not because I have to collect enough images for my original art, also I think digital media gives us more creative space, with such a wide range of tools available for self-expression, we should update our skills, and be creative as much as possible.  So get your camera ready. During shopping time, I carry my camera sometimes too.  I asked this young lady if I could capture a photo of this cute puppy Chihuahua in her hand, of course she was happy and I was able to keep this lovely photo. (Please click the image to enlarge) I was looking for a laundromat when I traveled in Mexico.  These two dogs suddenly were running in front me.  I captured their adventure by holding my camera with one hand, the other hand was still carrying my dirty laundry... (Please click the ima

"An artist is a dreamer consenting to dream of the actual world." ― George Santayana "In art, the hand can never execute anything higher than the heart can imagine." ― Ralph Waldo Emerson "The principles of true art is not to portray, but to evoke." ― Jerzy Kosinski "The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." ― Aristotle "The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection." ― Michelangelo "If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced." ― Vincent Van Gogh "Art in Nature is rhythmic and has a horror of constraint." ― Robert Delaunay "Fine art is that in which the hand, the head, and the heart of man go together." ― John Ruskin "Art begins with resistance - at the point where resistance is overcome. No human masterpiece has ever been created without great l