Original Art Stories - Xueling Zou

There are more than one million visitors that have viewed my art. Have you? @https://about.me/xuelingzou "In solitude the passions feed upon the heart."  - Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton "Art starts alone – and convinces society later." - Douglas Davis Why do I love the old songs so much? Do you? "The Sound of Silence": I first listened to it without knowing enough English words back when I was still in China. It always brings me so many memories, especially during the holiday season. I just love this song, because of the solitude of my life being an artist, and with sensitivity... It takes the courage to be there for sure! Belows are the two links of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zLfCnGVeL4 https://www.facebook.com/maya.huynh?fref=ts Attached the lyrics: Hello darkness, my old friend, I've come to talk with you again, Because a vision softly creeping, Left its seeds while I was sleeping, And the vision that was planted in my br

My newly finished original oil painting on canvas, 36"x24"x1.5", "Jazz San Francisco", was inspired by Blues and Jazz musicians and their soulful music! I posted a basic drawing on Facebook before (https://www.facebook.com/zxling1). I am very lucky to live in the Bay Area, California.  Each year we could join many Music or Art and Wine Festivals.  We could experience the all kinds music or see many styles of art from all over the world and from the locals.  Being a part of the audience at many shows, I think Blues and Jazz music are the best.   The musicians could let us feel their souls from their beautiful and expressive playing or singing.  Slowly, I get to know more and deeper. Still, I remember that I didn't like the life here for a long time.  I was so disappointed and expressed it through my artwork "San Francisco Moments", which I created in 2012.  Far away from family and friends.  It seems that no-one could really understood my lo

An art collector from NYC just sent me this image - He framed one of my sold original paintings. I so appreciate the support and encouragement! My best Christmas gift so far :)! I do not usually frame my original artwork I have created because no one knows the interior of the collector. But this framing job is an excellent choice for sure! I have to share it, thanks! Framing is part of art. A nice frame is the "bridge" for connecting a piece of artwork to the environment. Most contemporary paintings were framed into much wider and simpler style. I love the choice, just because the painting and the wall have complementary colors and the highlight of the gold color on the frame transfers my contemporary painting to this traditional wall color/environment in a very classical and settled way. Does my original art look like it is displayed in a museum ;)? Happy holidays :)! 'Lonely Jazz' -  http://xueling-zou.artistwebsites.com/featured/lonely-jazz-xueling-zou.h

Actually this painting was created inside my head for a long time. I really saw the picture with my minds eye. Finally, I painted it on canvas while I was listening Don McLean's "Starry, Starry Night" Vincent (song) over and over. The result that came out was nice, of course it has the Van Gogh feeling for sure. But this was the first time I was stuck with naming my own painting, what should I title it? Glad that I have this artist community to ask.. In such a short time, there were many great ideas suggested. Siesta, Intermezzo, Guitar Break, Melody of Dreams A Perfect Day, All Played Out, Passing Time, dreams of Van Gogh, Perfect Ending , Little Dogie With Shades, Dog Day Melody, While My Guitar Gently Weeps , Six Strings, Four Feet and Sweet Dreams, A Cowboy's Melody, The end of the howling blues, All we need, California Dream Interlude, The Hills Are Alive With The Sound Of Howling, The Sun's Comin' Down On Me, On The Road Again, Acoustic Aphasia, Cool

Carmen is commonly reputed as the most popular opera ever written. The story is about a Spanish soldier Don José who falls passionately in love with a beautiful Gypsy woman Carmen. José abandons his childhood sweetheart and deserts from his military duties, yet loses Carmen's love to the glamorous toreador Escamillo, after which José kills her in a jealous rage. The depictions of proletarian life, immorality and lawlessness, and the tragic death of the main character on stage. I was moved by the music and so shocked by this tragic love story... I always wanted to express this drama, but how could I create art piece differently than others? So many of them as well... It was very challenge for sure! I knew that I would love to express the rhythm of the music through a flamenco dancer, as well as showing the passion and bravery, also the bull fighting, and the death... Finally, I've finished creating this painting after three-month period time (studied and painted over and o

"An artist is a dreamer consenting to dream of the actual world." ― George Santayana "In art, the hand can never execute anything higher than the heart can imagine." ― Ralph Waldo Emerson "The principles of true art is not to portray, but to evoke." ― Jerzy Kosinski "The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." ― Aristotle "The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection." ― Michelangelo "If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced." ― Vincent Van Gogh "Art in Nature is rhythmic and has a horror of constraint." ― Robert Delaunay "Fine art is that in which the hand, the head, and the heart of man go together." ― John Ruskin "Art begins with resistance - at the point where resistance is overcome. No human masterpiece has ever been created without great l

I am pretty sure that I am not the only one Chinese female visual artist interested in studying on black people's face structure, skin tones and the expressions. Since my portrait paintings were uploaded onto the Fine Art America (FAA), I have got mostly positive feedback from the artists over the world. Thanks for that! Born and grew up in Beijing China, studied and lived in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, traveled to many counties in Asia, Europe and South (Central) America and now I have lived in Silicon Valley for over 11 years. I am always interested in different cultures, different people and different food, no political interest at all. America, is one of the biggest countries with multi-cultural identity and we all admire it. If we only could understand each other from the one universal language - Love; if we could treat each just only one race - the human race. But now in the 21st century, I would never have thought I could be so confused by the question of race in th