Storyteller visual artist🎨original art paintings in Oil and Watercolors ♦️ art lover collective ♦️Plein Air ♦️prints/ship worldwide since 2010 @ https://about.me/xuelingzou
Face study on a raining Monday morning
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Raining Monday morning, back to work. Could not paint outdoors, but joined zoom minute drawing sketch. Sharing several drawings I did.
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
Nice weather in the afternoon, I wanted to do something different and escape from my current "bottleneck" situation. But I realized half way to the location that I didn't bring my tripod. Lucky it was not far away to go back and get it. All the students were on school vacation, so it was perfect timing to paint on the campus. And the winter lighting is always especially beautiful. Found a corner of the garden and noticed that one side looked more complicated than the other one. I chose the easier side to paint, and focused on a monochromatic expression to see what could make it look different. In the end I added a small amount of color to certain objects, my work really looked different. I decided to stop, but might continue this way of practicing... Started the new year without any resolutions, but frustration that I won't able have my home studio time undisturbed, I can not get 30 minutes of meditation time in. No one is perfect for sure. Who likes having argum
Thought to do something different, Apple Park was a good place for sketching and not far from where I live. and some of our local artists were meeting up there today. Sun came out this morning after weeks of rain. I was not well prepared for it. Found my pencils, sketch book, eraser and outdoor chair in a rush. Felt I should have more hands to carry each of them, why didn't I grab a bag and have everything in it? Warm in the sun, but not in the shade. There were many young olive trees, I guessed that they were the same age as the Apple Headquarters. Tried one sketch that had architecture, and one very stylish artist I drew her into my work. Then I started to draw other artists. Walked through the Apple park's "mirage" sculpture takes shape as iridescent glass pillars winding through trees. Chatted with several artists to catchup, left after in the afternoon. (January 25 2024)
I thought I would paint a head portrait, but instead did a figurative study again on a used 16"x20" panel. Had to work on his legs more. Continued using my leftover Veridian Green. Anyway the lighting system in the studio was cooler. He was a very professional model, and we had him again for our evening short pose three-hour session. He read a book instead of using his smart phone during each break, seems usual these days. Pages of drawings I did, and I was tired after two sessions total of six hours painting and drawing the same model. I was wondering if our sitter was exhausted too. (March 19 2024)
It was not a warm morning, but the rain finally stopped. My husband drove me to the location, then he visited a friend who lived nearby. My first time coming here to paint. Peaceful morning with the other artists, only could hear birds singing. It is still our winter time in 50's and partly cloudy, I did several sketches. Tried a German made fountain pen lent to me from another artist. It was really a nice one, I might buy one. Sun came out later and brought the temperature up a little bit, then I did a quick watercolor sketch. Saw our friend and had nice chat with her, she introduced us to another park nearby. I would try to paint next time. (February 12 2024)
Planned to Plein Air in the morning, but there were some household things that interrupted that plan . It was about 4pm when I set up to paint at the Downtown Campbell Light Rail Station, I've painted near this Light Rail Station several times over the past two years and have found it a very interesting place to paint from different angles in the morning or in the afternoon. For example just this red warehouse I painted from the other side in the morning on the last day of 2021. This building had a "for sale" sign on it. Today the sale sign still was on the fence, but the messiness I saw around before was all cleaned up. It is unusual that a property could be on sale for so long in Silicon Valley. Many times I've told myself that I should not copy what I see exactly, so today I slightly moved things around or implied things a little bit. Slowly but surely I will get there for sure one day. There was a condominium behind where I was painting. The residents had a
Laurie Hill, the organizer of Capitola Plein Air Evert, gave me a personal orientation before I started. Weather was perfect, I was in a rush and felt excited to start working, but forgot my parking permit. No worries, I saw a flower stand on the corner of Monterey St and Park Ave. A Mexican Lady carried a baby, and two others looked like teenage girl helpers. Surprisingly, their business was very good. Every several minutes someone stopped by and bought flowers. Not mention it was Tuesday. I thought people usually buy flowers before the weekend. After my work was done, the younger teenager asked me if it was OK to take a photo, the lady with the baby she talked to me in Spanish, which I didn't understand. They took photo, then we had photo together. Next day, I met a newly wed couple from Texas while I was painting outside Zelda's on the Beach. They seemed very interested in my work. I gave them the Sunday exhibition info, hopefully they would come. Last year I almost m
We had a young girl sitter today who was wearing a red dress. She sat on a piece of greenish color cloth. I liked it, because I finally got to use some "left over" colors, expecially Veridian Green which I had a huge tube of for over twenty years and had only used a tiny squeeze of. Started sketching on a 16"x20" used panel, I painted in a more comtemporary color scheme by using Cadmium Red and Veridian Green together as complementary colors. I painted her full figure, just because I liked her black shoes. During each break, she studied with a pack of flash cards cards in her hands, seemed like she was in school and preparing exams. Three-hour sessions are never enough time for a portrait, so I went home to correct and add a few more details after. Happy with the result. (March 5 2024)
It seems that the rainy season is over. The spring blosomes are beatiful but my allergies are back. Carefully I started painting outdoors. The campus of Santa Clara University looked gorgeous, painting the the old mission Adobe wall was on my mind. I guessed that the students and professers were in classes. Quietly, I found a shady spot to set up my gear. Started with a thumbnail for a black and white study, than proceeded to my work. Once in a while people passed by. Roughly finished the painting, I will be back again soon. (April 18 2024)