Original Art Stories - Xueling Zou

Two days in a row drove miles for Plein Air. Just because I tried to figure out how to paint unique rocks at the Pacific coast. It was my first time coming here and paint. Wasn't sure where to go after parking my car. Asked how to get to Shark Fin from a guy whom I thought he was a surfer, then found out he was another painter Scott, haha... Another gray day, under 60 degrees. Only issue there was no public restroom nearby. I brought two slice of cheese, somehow they melted inside the car. The ocean view was magnificent! After my painting was done I walked a little higher and it was even better view. Definitely I will be back to paint again.  (September 15 2021) Did a small sketch from a different angle. Tried to add white wave splash on the rock, but the white watercolor paint didn't show up the way I expected, only was all over my fingers.

I didn't plan to paint at Pigeon Point, instead of going to meet other artists at Pescadero Village. Driving on the Highway #280, listening to the Mozart's Piano #21 in C concerto on the Classical music channel KDFC. I enjoyed the scene so much, especially on such a gorgeous day, white clouds floating on the blue sky, there were dry golden yellow, bold hills against the blue and white. Clouds here are precious, we usually don't see them for half the year. Thinking of how beautiful the state is that I live in! It took very long time to like it here, I believed that I had started to love California after I learned to Plein Air. Four years now, and I had found out so many unique and beautiful places nearby, felt very grateful... I had to turn the radio off for not hearing the clear sound and kept driving... I only saw a few cars, seemed like I was the only one driving on the Highway #1. And my car GPS told me that I arrived at Pigeon Point. Well I decided to walk around

🙏Say a prayer for those killed at the shooting in San Jose today! Planned to paint at Pigeon Point Lighthouse for a while now. Because it is always super-windy, I kept checking weather report, my instincts told me many times not to go. Quickly checked it again this morning and it was OK to paint during my usual Plein Air hours. First my car wasn't fully charged, but i had enough juice to cover the miles. Loaded my painting gear into car. Then my car GPS directed me to an unusual way, seemed a little bit further. It was not a big deal. Only myself driving on the dappled sunlit road, I enjoyed seeing all the beautiful redwood trees. Only a person in front of me drove super slow later, and I had to pass by when I had the chance. Enjoyed the magnificent ocean scenery. Finally, got into a big line waiting for the road work only 2.8 miles before arriving at the Lighthouse. No matter how much I wanted to start my painting earlier, I had to wait patiently... It was cold and windy, only

Rainy season keeps delaying in San Francisco Bay Area. I thought that I'd better paint outdoors as the weather allows me. After checking the weather report around, I decided to go to Capitola, one of my favorite charming small towns not too far away. Caught the road work on Route #17, it was about half past ten when I arrived. There were so many subjects I would love to paint at the location, and it was a perfect day, about 70 degrees. Flowers were still blooming, birds were hanging in the bushes. Still felt like during spring... Less people on the pier, of course that was my final decision to set up my stuff and started to work. Met two people, one was Len, he walked on the pier back and forth several times. And Bob was tricycling around with his super large surf board, waiting to meet friends. Got many compliments from people passed by. Walked around and took many reference photos after my work was done. Tired when I returned home but enjoyed such a lovely long day!  (Dec. 7 2020

After arriving at the location, I walked around, but didn't see any other artists there. Thought I remembered the wrong day. It was a gorgeous warm day with a breeze. The mist came out of the ocean and made everything look mysterious. Set up my stuff, not sure why my Plein Air umbrella just kept falling down. I tried so many times, couldn't make it work properly. Gave it up, kept painting... Chose this unique angle, there was a lamp post next to the light house. I liked it, and painted it into my painting. By noon, the sun had changed its angle, and more people came. Just love to paint at this location, only a little bit too far away from where I live. (Nov. 16 2020)

Over 100 miles and about 3 hours driving around trip, just because I was caught in a little bit traffic in the morning. Thinking to paint the lighthouse for a long time, it was too windy or it was raining... But today was a hot day. After my dental appointment, driving on windy CA highway route 84 in the hills, I really did want to arrive the Pigeon Point as early as I could. There was an SUV Volvo car in front of me driving only 15 miles/hr. I was very patient at the beginning, because usually I am a slow driver, always let most of the cars pass by me if it is possible. After a couple of miles, I realized that his brakes were on all the way, so I sent him flashing headlights since there was only one lane, with the occasional shoulders. But this guy would not let me pass. After a while, I started honking gently with flashing, he still drove very slow for miles... Finally he pulled his car on the shoulder, so I was able to arrive the location past 11am. Beautiful breezy day aroun

  Excited to experience the first rain in our location, it started at least one month earlier than usual. Even raining when I drove through the mountains all the way to Santa Cruz. Local people still brought their dogs for walks in the rain. During the time I was trying to figure out where to paint rain stopped. The lighthouse again of course, because I didn't like the one painted last September. Struggling with the rocks for a long time, sun came out, the harbor looked so beautiful instantly, I had to paint another one for sure, though I felt tired. Sat down on a bench, set up my Best Brella umbrella, enjoyed the ocean breeze while working on my second painting... Suddenly, there was a strong wind that blew my umbrella out of the connecting tube, it was blown across a steep ledge and into the ocean. Almost at the same moment I put down my brush, jumped off the bench and ran down the ledge of the water. But the umbrella was sinking fast, my arm wasn't long enough to reach

"A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are." -- Unknown Saturday at Pacifica. Gorgeous sky and the ocean, painted near the Pier. Heard a familiar voice, surprised to see a couple of my long time no see friends. Their kids are off to college now so they have a little more time for themselves. The rest of the afternoon and evening we tried to catch up, and they took us to see the beautiful San Francisco night view on the top of twin peaks.

Finally I could not stand painting plants around the house and made a quick decision to go out Plein Air painting. 64 degrees and very warm at the Lighthouse Point. I did a sketch first, and painted at this location. I used a light weight tripod, it was not too windy, but my station was not stable enough. I had experience painting in different weather conditions, and so should not have any excuses. In the morning I thought that I would have two paintings done. After one I was very tired already.

"Cherish your own emotions and never undervalue them." -- Robert Henri It wasn't warm, about 50 degrees this morning. There were many surfers at the beach already. Some of them were not young, still so brave. I really admire them all. Light is the source of the reality, can change the way you look at everything. Later the sun came out, felt warm, but my painting didn't look right any more... It was the challenging part of painting out. I've learned for years that creating a good piece of art, artist should respect one's own emotion first. What do you think?

🎨Santa Cruz landscape inspires me, especially when I sketch plein air 在海邊寫生😊.

This original watercolor painting was inspired by Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and The Sea.  It is one of my favorite watercolors, and a great gift for Father's Day. (Please click the image to enlarge) I read this book in Chinese a long time ago, then I read it again in English when I was studying in Australia. Back to my overseas studying time, I had to take the ferries from the place I lived to school each day for a while. Not mention the terrible home sick I had, the ending of relationship with my first boy-friend, when I struggled with every single little detail in life. But nothing could stop my love of the ocean and I enjoyed taking ferries on beautiful and stormy days. Watching the sun-rising or sun-setting, sailing by the magnificent city landscape and the awesome boats out on the sea, I promised myself that I knew I would overcome the difficulties... Years later, I started painting watercolors after moving to Bay Area in California, and the first one in m

(Please click the image to enlarge) I didn't posted new paintings for a long time.  There were a couple paintings, but they didn't come out the way I expected.  Still I have many ideas I'd like to try.  Why the result wasn't come out the way I want... In March, an old friend introduced her friend to me online because the new friend is coming with her American husband, their daughter and a dog to settle down in Maui, Hawaii soon. Instantly, we found a major common that we both love art.  She started learning drawing many years ago too.  I saw she posted many beautiful photo-realistic drawings online.  Simply, I started to imagine how she would like the life style in Miami since she is Chinese from Shanghai, one of the biggest city in China. Then, I saw her post that she ran six kilometers one day.  What?  I am not a sporty person, to me it is impossible.  She told me that she was runner, used to win a couple of competitions when she was younger.  Also, she p

I didn't paint for almost half a year, not sure what kind of mood blocked me... Actually, I wanted to do it, still had a lot of great ideas, but felt it not easy to focus, or might have been there was some interruption going on... I was told that some artists went through this kind of period, could be shorter or longer... So, I did not worry too much, and waited until I finally finished this still life painting. It really took me for a longer time to finish the painting, but I am glad that I could paint again! At the same time, I found my most earliest still life painting which I did when I was a child without any art instruction... It still surprised me that I painted it purely, directly from what I saw, not from how I felt. I really believe now that II have grown up and older... LOL...

I really love boats and architecture as well as nature, though I love to paint portraits too. I believe that I just cannot separate them from our life and emotions. Italy's architecture and the lifestyle of the are one of my most favorite subjects. I would love the introduce some of my oil paintings here, hope you will love them as much as I do, thank you! This piece won the 1st place in the Contest - Impressionism and Post Impressionism Influenced Masterpieces on January 22nd, 2013.  Please visit my Oils - Landscape And Still Life Art Gallery at:  https://xueling-zou.pixels.com/collections/oils+landscape John Orley Allen Tate's poems (November 1899 to February 1979; was an American poet, essayist, social commentator, and Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congressfrom 1943 to 1944.), who wrote this beautiful poetry about "The Mediterranean". Here is the link:  http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15304

I had this opportunity to create a booklet by using mixed media for a Japanese Twin Sister's story. This was the design for the cover and the intruction page. The story is about Japanese twin sisters who were separated since they were born, one lived in the east and other one lived in the west. Finally, they found each other after 20 years, but their destiny could not make their joyful reunion easy, or stay for long... Additional changes were required for adding the cherry blossom to the design. It was just the right timing as they were blooming in our location in April. So, I took a perfect "Twin blossom" and added to it.  Cherry trees and their blossoms in Japan go by the name of sakura and carry a great cultural meaning and significance for the people of Japan. The word sakura would translate as the Japanese flowering cherry tree in English whereas the blossoms are referred to as cherry blossoms. Originally, the purpose of hanami excursions was to ponder the tra

What a great inspiration! Unknown in advance, I had seen the Pacific Voyagers and seven boats at Monterey Bay, California! August 13, 2011, late afternoon sun shone on the weekend Monterey beach. I saw some unusual boats, actually ancient looking boats, mostly like the boats made by Maori people from New Zealand, anchored to the beach in the bay. I was so attracted by the beauty of those boats, and a couple of handsome sailors paddling people back and forth from the beach to the boats. I didn't want to miss this good opportunity, and started shooting... A local lady chatted with me that these were Pacific Voyagers - a group of Pacific Islanders from Aotearoa (New Zealand), Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Tahiti, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Vanuatu, and Tonga. They started in April of this year, passing the Marquesas, and Hawaii on their journey. Also she said that I missed seeing the landing, which was a traditional American Indian ceremony for welcom