Original Art Stories - Xueling Zou

  My annual allergies have started up again, and it has me "locked" indoors, can't go out painting often. Joined a zoom meeting for drawing minute sketches. Focused on value study. Frustrating and enjoyable at the same time...

Planned to go further today, but the news report said that coivd-19 infected numbers increased dramatically. I thought I should stay at home and maybe clean up my garden. Then the temperature went all the way up to 70 degrees, I thought what a waste of a perfect, beautiful winter day for painting outdoors. I drove around and found two almost identical houses next to each other. What attracted me was the shadow from the tree traced on the yellow house as a background. But my painting was not big enough to show the details. Good exercise to paint a residential house. Usually all the leaves on the trees block the full view of houses. Today, I spent a lot of time and tried to understand how each part of the house connected together. In the end, I had to break up the fences to make my painting not looking monotonous. A lovely afternoon being outdoors and painting!  (Jan 14 2021)

Jan 13 I didn't want to miss painting outdoors in such a gorgeous day, sunny and warm. Painted at this peaceful location, saw many beautiful horses, and the same old couple walking on the trail holding their hands. It was only five weeks ago I painted at the same location. The grass had turned green after rain. Not much rain so far, not sure if California agriculture would have a harvest year if there wasn't enough water naturally. It was 68 degrees around noon. Several Mexican landscapers had their lunch break nearby me. I don't understand Spanish, but I could hear they were chatting happily. California provide them good opportunities, or should say they helped California develop. Then a lady passed by, she was curious what I was working on, and gave me compliment. She also asked if I painted it on an i-pad or a PC. My mind was frozen for a second, and told her that I painted on traditional watercolor paper. She left with her surprised face. Felt a little sorry for her, ha...

Decided to paint something different. I saw many gardens have been growing vegetables since the pandemic, thought it was a different subject to paint. So drive around and found one. Set up my workstation and found I did not have any paper with me. Drove back to get the paper. Set up my painting station again, and I didn't bring any water with me. Hahaha, I guess that is a sign of getting old and forgetful. Luckily, there was a water hose nearby. Sun was out for a short time, mostly it was gray. There were flowers still blooming, vegetables, like pees, luffa hanging on the fence, and other greens still growing. We really are spoiled by California's good weather. Inspiration and paint how I feel are more important than copy what I see exactly. That's why I keep painting loose. Moved the pot under the sunflowers, we all needed the positive feeling in life, especially during the current situation. (Jan 12 2021)

Jan 10  Yesterday, Saturday I went to paint @ this beautiful location and met a new painting friend in the afternoon. It was close to sunset time and wasn't warm. My watercolor paper refused to dry. But the scene was magnificent! After I got home, the paper was still wet. Learned not to paint outdoors under certain degrees temperature for sure. So, I stayed at home and joined a zoom "portrait party" today. Several drawings I did and shared here, they were all minutes sketch starting with one minute only, great to practice.  

Stuck at home, still shocked by the breaking news. What has happened to this country? It seems confused and unprecedented in at least American history and reminded me why I came and became a citizen of this country in the first place. What I learned about the Constitution of United States of America 1789, "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."... tears in my eyes, I missed my family and friends back to my home country, covid-19 has made us further separated, don't even know when we will be able to see each other.. Sun came out in the afternoon, so I escaped all of the mayhem and ran out the door to paint. Found this unusual subject and layout for my composition. Quite a busy area, besi...

Challenging weather to start my first Plein Air painting of the year. Gray, cold and wet, my hands were frozen when I was drawing and painting. Not sure it effected my brain too, I didn't follow my small sketch to paint. And I moved things around, liked the trees, etc. A student passed by, took a photo while I was struggling with my painting on the campus on such a wet cold day. Glad that I left earlier though as I caught a glimpse of the sun which appeared briefly. Finally it rained but I had already packed up and left. (January 6 2021)

Raining Monday morning, back to work. Could not paint outdoors, but joined zoom minute drawing sketch. Sharing several drawings I did.