Original Art Stories - Xueling Zou

Redwood City Port seems like a perfect location for practicing painting on a windy day. A year ago I painted at the location a couple of times. It was windy in the afternoon. I found a short tree to paint under to block a little wind. Took me almost an hour to finish the drawing. I tried to paint the kayak, but it was removed from the people working there. Lucky I had my reference photo. Not sure why I love painting fishing boats Later the owner of the boat next to it came to me, he took a photo and wanted me to paint his boat someday... Rushed to the drawing class...(July 26 2022) I have to get ready for the Annual Alameda Plein Air event, so I drove to the Campbell Community Center to practice, but I didn't know what to paint. Walked around and saw the Campbell Pool, then I knew it would be a good subject to practice. Found a corner and set up my stuff. For the composition purposes, I had to "move" and "reset" several little details. It wasn't a

Three of us artists decided to paint outdoors together.  Followed Google maps, directed me to the Campbell Library, but there wasn't anyone there.  Called the other friends and found out that Google map was incorrect.  So we were behind schedule a little bit.   I saw a guy playing his guitar in front of a coffee shop, asked if he wanted to be our model.  One of us painted him.  Crossed the street to paint the people in front of the coffee shop, including the guy and one of the artists friends, also I could be in shade. I painted in watercolor, the other two painted in oils.  It was a lovely day hanging out, then went to the other artist's studio to check out her work, chatting, eating, learning,  fun afternoon....

After picking my painting up which showed at NUMUNew Museum, chatted with a couple of artists. I painted at a corner of downtown Los Gatos too. It looked busy, not sure because it was Sunday noon or since masks are no longer required in public in California. Soon, most of the restaurants were occupied by many people. Some passing by me complimented my work, though it was not finished yet. I appreciate all the encouragement. A couple crossed the street to look at my work, they were a little bit disappointed that I didn't paint their restaurant. I told them that I will do it next time, and they said they prefer to wait till their patio is done. (March 13 2022)

Nice day, felt relaxed after seven days participating in the Capitola 6th Annual Plein Air Event.  My first time painting at the location. Met several artists I hadn't seen for a long time.  One even said "Nice to meet you", because she could not figure out who I was under my mask. Only two hours parking permitted, happy with my quick work. Went home tried to catch up with all week's house work. (November 8 2021)

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.

This painting took me so long to finish! I started painting it at the beginning of January this year, then I went back to China for a visit at the end of February. Coming back to my studio it was almost in May! I could not follow up with my own feeling to continue this piece. It did help me to complete this painting after I set myself a dead-line. Camogli (Camuggi in Genoese dialect) is a small Italian fishing village and tourist resort located on the west side of the peninsula of Portofino, on the Golfo Paradiso at the Riviera di Levante, in the province of Genoa on the Italian Riviera. The former fishing village of Camogli, which now lives mainly from tourism, is known for its colorful houses that line behind the beach.The colors once helped the fishermen of Camogli, easier to catch the way back to their port.

This piece won the 1st place in the Contest - Its A Masterpiece on May 31, 2013. http://fineartamerica.com/contests/its-a-masterpiece.html?tab=leaderboard It is one of my Boats In Front of Buildings series, was inspired by the architecture at Cefalu, Sicily, Italy. This piece won the 1st Place of the Contest - 7 Masterpiece Contest on May 12, 2013. http://fineartamerica.com/contests/7-masterpiece-contest.html?tab=leaderboard It is one of my Boats In Front of Buildings series, was inspired by the architecture on Procida Island, Campania in Italy.  Procida is one of the Flegrean Islands off the coast of Naples in southern Italy. The island is between Cape Miseno and the island of Ischia. It is one of my Boats In Front of Buildings series, was inspired by the architecture at Riomaggiore-CinqueTerre, Italy. Riomaggiore is a village and comune in the province of La Spezia, situated in a small valley in the Liguria region of Italy. It is the first of the Cinque Terre one meets