Original Art Stories - Xueling Zou

Happy Chinese Lunar New Year! Year of the Ox. Today is the second day of the Ox year. I delivered two of my original oil paintings to a home in Palo Alto where a couple collected them. They were excited to show where the painting would be hanging. They said they would frame them, but two photos were sent to my smart phone before I arrived home to show me how happy they were. Both my paintings I did in year of 2012, and I read the story I wrote, looking back, I wasn't happy, depressed back then. "San Francisco Moments" https://originalartstories.blogspot.com/2012/10/san-francisco-charming-city.html My original painting "Summer Stroll by a Cafe" can be view here: https://xueling-zou.pixels.com/featured/summer-stroll-by-a-cafe-xueling-zou.html It took me years for healing myself. Lucky I have my art, and I think that I have changed after doing Plein Air, the beautiful landscape of California really helps in settling down my heart here.

Planned to join an online drawing with other artists. Rushed and got everything ready this morning, then found out it was already over. Hadn't painted outdoors for ten days, really missed it. Sunny day today, so came back to paint this unique architecture in a residential neighborhood. Overdressed, it was still feeling warm in the sun. Started with a little sketch study. Looked at the surroundings and stood cross the church, I felt fascinating by so many things hanging in the air and stuff on the ground; I never paid attention each time passing by. The longer I drew, the more things I discovered. Every object looked more interesting under the winter sun, because of the contrast between light and longer shadows I guessed. It was getting busier around noon. Spending almost an hour to finish the basic drawing. Even I knew that I shouldn't add too many details into my Plein Air works, but they were the parts of the local life, maybe the reason they attracted my attention. Brought p

This is one of my first paintings from when I started almost 10 years ago.  I aimed to capture the old Beijing culture with an old man and his bicycle. Typically the retired people enjoy hobbies like carrying pet birds in cages to nearby parks for a morning walk, Chigong, chat, chess game with others... Often they would carry small radios to listen to their favorite channels playing Chinese operas, traditional novels or historical stories. Afternoons would pass with a nap in the park or sitting out enjoying sunlit porches. My painting expresses a moment typical of a day like this in Beijing where I was born and grew up. Please view a better image at:  http://fineartamerica.com/featured/old-man-and-his-bike-xueling-zou.html .   Please view more photos at my Photography - China Gallery: http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/xueling-zou.html?tab=artworkgalleries&artworkgalleryid=47756