Posts

Sketch and Hike on Christmas Day

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Today is Christmas, and I am back to this county park. Sketching a little bit, but ended up on a four-hour-hike in the mountain. I've learned a lot about the history of the old mine here. Nature inspires me! Enjoying editing my photos and a couple of small videos to create this short animated story on my smart phone. Merry Christmas to every one🎄!

I Wish You A Merry Christmas

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Just like many adults, I have discovered that a certain part inside me has never grown up. For example, I love Christmas decoration lights. I have to go out and see them around Christmas time, and sing "I wish you a Merry Christmas..." whenever or wherever there is one I really like. Last year before Christmas I drove by a small house, there were a couple working on deceleration. I was wondering how they were going to decorate it, it will be worth me sing the song after it was done? At Christmas Eve early evening, a well decorated bright gingerbread house caught my eye while I was driving by. I instant started singing "I wish you a Merry Christmas...". This lovely and cozy feeling house really brought me so much joy, not only visually, also I imagined how much loving care the owners put into it sharing the holiday spirit and beauty with the world, though they only lived in such a tiny house. Then I had to stop my car, to capture the moment. I realized this wa

Plein Air @ Bernal Historic Ranch Park, CA 加州风景水彩寫生

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Plein air @ Bernal Historic Ranch Park, CA. My 2nd time to paint here. Last time, a little boy came by to critique my painting, he wanted me paint a blue sky. Today, I painted a blue sky, I was painting for him... Where was he? Hope you will like my first little animated story about my plain air @ Bernal Historic Ranch Park, CA. I had fun to edit it on my smart phone by using very limited phone captures and a nice soundtrack🎬. Sure I will do better next time.

Plein air @ Almaden Quicksilver County Park, San Jose, CA 加州风景水彩寫生

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🎨Plein air @ Almaden Quicksilver County Park, San Jose, CA. It was about 50 degree this morning with wind. Followed the GPS direction, and my smart phone had no signal. I got lost for a little while, then found the park. Felt chilly for out door painting. But I did it. 加洲风景水彩寫生.

Santa Cruz landscape inspires me

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🎨Santa Cruz landscape inspires me, especially when I sketch plein air 在海邊寫生😊.

Girlfriends' Teatime - Happy Easter!

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Happy Eester​! "Girlfriends' Teatime IV​", 24"x18", newly finished oil painting on stretched canvas is available for a new home. This painting is one of the series. I enjoy the outdoor living in California since it is Mediterranean weather with beautiful scenery. I combined Fauvism and post-impressionism style, by the pastel color painted this piece 90% with my left hand using pallet knife. I am a 100% right hand person, and I dropped the tools countless times. I had to "hide" my right hand in my pocket, otherwise I would pick up pallet knife unconsciously. It was a great exercise for my right and left brain. Living far away from my hometown and old friends, I have already made some new friends. But we always are busy in life. Having a date, sitting down, having tea or coffee while chatting heart to heart has already become such a luxurious and precious time. Of course, California is one of the main states has a large multi-cultural pop

Happy Lunar New Year - Year of the Rooster!

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🎉Happy Lunar New Year! ㊗大家春節快樂吉祥如意🎈🎈🎈 🐔Chinese Rooster New Year starts on January 28, 2017. Traditionally, adults give small red envelopes with money inside for luck to younger generations.  Between January 25 to February 14, you can get 25% discount if you order any prints or products of my original art. This is a limited time offer, simply view my website @ xueling-zou.artistwebsites.com , then enter "MZBPXC" as discount code before your check the order(s) out. 🎨If you interested in collecting any my original artwork, please message me or email me. Thank you for all the support, thank you for viewing and liking my original artwork😊!

The Sound of Silence

There are more than one million visitors that have viewed my art. Have you? @https://about.me/xuelingzou "In solitude the passions feed upon the heart."  - Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton "Art starts alone – and convinces society later." - Douglas Davis Why do I love the old songs so much? Do you? "The Sound of Silence": I first listened to it without knowing enough English words back when I was still in China. It always brings me so many memories, especially during the holiday season. I just love this song, because of the solitude of my life being an artist, and with sensitivity... It takes the courage to be there for sure! Belows are the two links of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zLfCnGVeL4 https://www.facebook.com/maya.huynh?fref=ts Attached the lyrics: Hello darkness, my old friend, I've come to talk with you again, Because a vision softly creeping, Left its seeds while I was sleeping, And the vision that was planted in my br

Turkey Tom's Tango - Title Inspiration

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They are ocellated turkeys. I first saw them when I traveled in Guatemala, but could not realize that  they were in wild.  I was not surprised that some people mistake this type of turkeys for peacocks.  Both of them are birds with similar and beautiful teal colors and patterned feathers covering their bodies, especially when a male opens his fan in order to attract a female's attention.  After day by day study, maybe the autumn feeling urged me to paint a pair of ocellated turkeys in front of a farm, because I haven't seen them in North America.  The more I got into the painting, the more I felt the love between this pair of birds.  I really didn't want to think about Thanksgiving.  I would love to create an environment where they are happy as long as they should live, no matter whether they lived in wild or on a farm. After the painting was done, I was happy for the result.  I posted a thread at http://fineartamerica.com/showmessages.php?messageid=3220021, and

Jazz San Francisco - Inspired by Blues and Jazz Music

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My newly finished original oil painting on canvas, 36"x24"x1.5", "Jazz San Francisco", was inspired by Blues and Jazz musicians and their soulful music! I posted a basic drawing on Facebook before (https://www.facebook.com/zxling1). I am very lucky to live in the Bay Area, California.  Each year we could join many Music or Art and Wine Festivals.  We could experience the all kinds music or see many styles of art from all over the world and from the locals.  Being a part of the audience at many shows, I think Blues and Jazz music are the best.   The musicians could let us feel their souls from their beautiful and expressive playing or singing.  Slowly, I get to know more and deeper. Still, I remember that I didn't like the life here for a long time.  I was so disappointed and expressed it through my artwork "San Francisco Moments", which I created in 2012.  Far away from family and friends.  It seems that no-one could really understood my lo