Original Art Stories - Xueling Zou

Today's 3-hour live model session. Even a very experienced model still changes position, and the light changed too. I should have followed my original plan to retouch the work I did from last week only. Instead, I tried to correct the painting. But it was great to meet a Chinese master painter. Got some feedback from him, and reconnect my expression of feeling, then time was up. Couldn't finish it, felt frustrated...  

Today's 3-hour session live model oil painting.  Getting better for managing time.  Not sure if I should start a new one for the next section, or if I should work on the same one to add more details? The light indoors and outdoors can make the same painting looks so different.  I like outdoors' lighting, it needs to be retouched.

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)

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

Sunny day with improved air quality. Planned to paint and meet our local watercolor group, but I didn't see anyone. A possibility of being the wrong location. Never mind, morning light and shadows near the outdoor eating garden were very interesting. Experimented a limited color palette and a vertical layout. My Strada easel setup wasn't suitable for painting verticals, it was reach the maximum of the holding 15" area, and wasn't stable especially on a windy day. No wind today, getting hot near the noon. Had to move into the shade, a waiter moved away the chairs I was working on. Saw a fewer people, enjoyed the peaceful moment, and painted loosely... but not happy with the result, colors look too muddy... Just another practice work.

Cleaned up my studio, found some old outdoor oil paintings I didn't like. Feels like my beginning Plein Air oil paintings look like antique works after I have sanded them down and e-framed them. Shall I keep them or paint them over again?

It is a good time for me to slow down a little bit. Cleaning up my studio, at the same time reorganizing my physical work area and myself mentally as well. I stacked my Plein Air watercolor works together (some of them were painted both sides) since I started my outdoor painting journey about two and a half years ago. These don't include about 100 oil outdoor paintings, a couple of sketch books with drawings, still-life, figure and portrait studies, some have been mated or framed or are exhibiting now, and some works sold...

Got to love it, there was no traffic driving from south bay to the city. A gorgeous day, no wind, my first time painting there with one of my photographer friends. But the Golden Gate Bridge was under maintenance... Such a beautiful spot, every angle I could paint. My friend took some photos while I was working and I didn't notice, after I found a bird flying over my head. She told me that she was waiting for that moment for a while. We had great time together. I must go back again.

At Santa Cruz Art League, I was surprised and humbled that one of my Plein Air paintings has received an Honorable mention award from Juror Warren Chang at 90th Annual Statewide California Landscapes Exhibition. There are many beautiful California landscape paintings to see, please go to enjoy it if you have time. It opens till April 12th 2020. I pulled out the pictures I took on the day I painted this one "Plein Air at Wildwood Park Saratoga CA". And it reminded me that I forgot to bring my clips, so I borrowed them from other artists at the location. Thanks for all the strength it brings us to work together with other artists! This is the link of the opening reception:  https://www.facebook.com/100002905923076/videos/pcb.2717108345062670/2717108258396012/?__cft__[0]=AZX7CkCloYc9Bkzp0uQzYFtSos1MvcoQrRjdl1t_JqIXx-0imb3T6RfknNWdcGMr3elCjBRtGX1wx5k1fw2Wy51wBEy501bEeLXs2ZAop_24Lb9xQb5rgu2-hH__S2llPr-b-8fJh4F3qMQK9XCp-QKV&__tn__=*bH-R

Add caption The model looked a very experienced one, confident and stayed still well. Found out she was a preforming artist, would act in "The Mystery of Edwin Rrood" from Feb.27 to Mar.15 at Lohman Theater. Brought a used canvas panel, red color treated background seemed to be perfect fit into painting her. Slowly learning time management on figure study, usually three-hour section. I was mostly happy for the result.

I was very happy that the owner of the shop bought my original Plein Air work. His wife told me that my painting meant so much to him and his family. He was the forth or fifth generation owned the shop. He was so proud of his family business, also he already used my painting picture as his smart phone's screen saver. All my hard work is worth it just for hearing such a heartwarming story.

This figure study mostly was done in a three-hour section at the art studio the day before. I only brought a portrait canvas panel, but the model posed so inspiring though for a square panel... lucky I had an old one painted from last week in my car. Today, I did a little retouch, but spent a long time trying to figure out how to paint her delicate and relaxed hands. Difficult to get right without the model being present, now I'm stuck...

2020 Day31 Today is the last day of the Strada Easel 31-day challenge to paint from life. The day before I felt overwhelmed, so only did a watercolor still-life sketch as the last piece #31 of the challenge today. Forgive my daily post, hopefully not a bother for you. I tried to be polite and not post too often but in this case it was a daily requirement. Thank you so much for your feedback, comments, likes and shares. I appreciate your support and encouragement to help me make it through. It was a necessary experience, especially for me to make personal progress, not because being a full-time artist to create art, and think through which area I should focus on depending on my own interests. I think it is important being an artist to create art and also to inspire others or to be inspired. I will continue sharing some my work and stories behind my work, and practice in English my second language. Happy painting!

2020 Day30 Strada easel thirty one day painting challenge is almost ended. I have gone through and made my own process. Really there is so much to learn in the rest of my life. Today I was a little bit "ambitious" for my #30 work started at day 1 this year, brought a used panel 20"x16". Feeling the time was chasing me for three hours, all my concentration and energy cost had made me sweat in winter, I couldn't believe it. But I didn't have time to stop, till the end, I was exhausted... I didn't manage my time well, won't be able to get to the point I could take a break. Many corrections, I have to wait for next section later.

2020 Day29 I bought five bananas, only did a watercolor sketch of two of them. It was my first time doing a study on bananas, found they were not as easy as they looked. I am not a realistic painter, no matter whether a simple subject or a complicated one, keep practicing is the only way to become a better artist. Do you agree? Also it took me a couple of tries to display them.

2020 Day28 I always love portrait paintings, used to study on the photos I captured. Not today, a real model face study was challenging， struggled through three hours. The model he had American Indian blood, I tried to capture his honorable and proud stature. I was happy at this point. Of course there were many small areas I wanted to correct, but had to wait... On the way out, someone recognize the model from my portrait, she was excited and that made me happy. BTW, does anyone know which brand of linseed oil carrier metal bottle is good? The rubber part was old, and the linseed leaked. Also, the filter was too sharp, made my brush spread. Just ordered more brushes, now I need a new oil carrier.

2020 Day27 I trimmed most of my plants before Chinese Lunar New Year, and had these trimmed branches in a glass jar of olives since then. Finally, I did a watercolor sketch before the flowers drooped. The Abutilon Flowering Maple Chinese Lantern Plant is one of my favorite plants. When we moved into this house eleven years ago, I did a little research before I started gardening. I focused on the plants that could live well in the shade and attract hummingbirds, also ones that bloom often annually . I discovered this Chinese lantern flower was the absolutely perfect plant, I love that the leaves look like maple leaves, the bell shape flowers look like Chinese Lanterns, and it can produce flowers almost year around. These plants really helped to attract hummingbirds who moved into my neighborhood, I watched hummingbird mother guard territory, built nest, raise and train her babies over the years, took countless footage of course. Now, my plant is at least three meters tall, it makes me ...

2020 Day23 Tomorrow night will be the Chinese New Year's Eve, I haven't thought about what I should prepare for dinner. Life is quite simple here, lucky me! Tuesday I just picked up oils again. Today I went there early and did a short meditation before the Section. I kept reminding myself to relax and follow my feeling to paint - the internal visual voice... I wasn't sure which one helped, but I was a little bit happier with the result than last time. Any feedback?

2020 Day22 Do you know the interesting history behind Meadowlark Dairy? Have you tried their dairy products yet? Each time, I saw people in queues in front of the Meadowlark Dairy as I was passing by. To satisfy my curiosity, I planned to do Plein Air, also because there was a demo of Stephen Berry's, organized by CWA at the Firehouse Art Center. It was gray with some sprinkling in the morning when I was on the road to Pleasanton. Luckily, it turned into beautiful with dramatic clouds. I didn't manage time well for my painting, some areas I had to leave them. Ran to the Firehouse Art Center. Stephen did a great demo, also his English was clear and easy to me to understand. But I heard my tummy was grumbling at the demo, realized that I didn't have lunch again. Haha, Chinese New Year is coming, there is plenty delicious food to enjoy then... Meadowlark was the first certified dairy in California founded in early 1900's. The dairy has been a drive-though since it o...

2020 Day21 Picked up oil again, struggling for three hours, not a good result...