Original Art Stories - Xueling Zou

Caught up with some housework this morning. I had no idea why both my body and brain are trying to convince me in many ways not going out painting. But it was a gorgeous day out, I knew that I must go out and paint. Finally, I dragged myself and gear out the door around 2:30pm. Such a lovely day, about 75 degrees. Walked around in the lovely rose garden, took several deep breaths, enjoyed the beautiful garden with thousands of blooming roses. I saw a girl reading a book on the grass with the arched arbors and roses behind her, so I painted that. Of course, she had changed her position many times. Practicing figure drawing really helped me to let her fit into my work, not overdid it. (September 29 2021)

Nov.5 Don't remember when I last came to this park. Today I followed the watercolor group to come here again. Driving through the hills and saw the spectacular views of Santa Clara Valley. Saw three females riding their horses walking on the hills, looked like they had a good time together. After paintings were done. we had lunch together at the park, everyone wore the face masks, and kept distance. We gave feedback to each other. Happy to meet other artists, old and new, great time we had together. Not sure how this year went by so fast - almost gone. I painted outdoors everyday this week. So enjoyed the good weather, and painting. Raining season is coming. One thing I had noticed is that my supply of watercolor paper is running out, have to order more...

Came to this 5.5 acres historic Rose Garden during a gorgeous autumn day. There were about 189 varieties, 3500 rose bushes, and this regional park won the national awards. There were only few people in the park, because a weekday I guessed. There would be a lot more people during weekends, sometimes there would be a wedding party. Been here so many times, but my first time to paint here. Found a good spot in the shade, focused on painting the water fountain. Could not finish the painting at the park. There was a guy following me. He asked me if I was a famous artist selling super-expensive paintings. Not sure how I could satisfy his curiosity, so I kept silent... Then he asked why I kept my face all covered. I wore a hat, a sunglasses and a face mask. I only answered that was my outdoor protection. Actually, some other people where covered up the same like me. Got home and retouched the painting a little bit.  (  Nov. 3 2020)

It was my first time painting on location since "Shelter in Place". No traffic, great day with fresh air. I enjoyed painting outdoors and my favorite subject. Though the airplanes flying overhead made me feeling sad (I miss my family so much and I don't know when I able to visit them, especially my old mother...). Just tried my best to focus on my work. I didn't follow my study much in my painting. I feel happy now, even though my painting's result wasn't that good... So much going on and I had been feeling depressed. So many times I reminded myself I should go out and paint to avoid reading endless news I feel helpless to change. After a while, I started warning myself that I should not pay too much attention to the news. Since my family is in China... Slowly I have learned how to take better care of myself, my family and my surroundings in a new way, because I don't want to live as a victim of Covid-19, and all the madness and politics that come with. Th...

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.

2020 Day7 Over an hour driving instead of thirty minutes on 101 this morning. Sunny day, came to one of my favorite spots to paint boats. There were clouds, air planes flying overhead, boats, birds and reflections in the water, trees and mountains in distance... I thought a boat on the ground being fixed was an interesting subject. Tried wet into wet technique. I know it is one of the tougher parts to master - using the right amount of water to paint spontaneously. I was happy with the study result. Mike, who was fixing the boat, told me that boat would be here next week. So I think I will be back to paint it again next week. Hopefully it only rains during the evening time, California needs it🌧.

Started a little late. There wasn't a real nice spot for me to paint this bridge. Some people exercising on the trial, running, biking, walking... It was a good exercise for me moving my stuff around to paint, sunshine was too bright on the paper. I really have to get ready for Alameda Plein Air event, no doubt! But my allergies are killing me these days.

Back to my local Plein Air life. It was a lovely breezy day. Both Google maps on my smartphone and the car GPS could not get signals near the location. I told myself that I should always double check my stuff before go out to paint many times, but I forgot to bring the part that connects the tripod and the easel, had to set up and paint on the ground.. What an adorable retirement life for those who were living there, I thought! How would I make it to such a gorgeous place being an artist? LOL🤣...Did a small drawing and a painting. Quite place, will be back again. Maryknoll is a magnificent building easily visible from I-280 just north of the Foothill Expressway Exit. It was built in 1926 as a Catholic seminary for students preparing to enter the Maryknoll order, a Catholic society dedicated to missionary work in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. In the mid 1970’s it was converted to a residence for retired Brothers. The architecture contains Spanish mission, Baroque, and Oriental inf...

A gorgeous day to join the Plein Air event hosted by the California Watercolor Association(CWA) yesterday. We met in the lovely town Danville and took a shuttle bus to America's only Nobel Prize winning playwright, Eugene O'Neill's house. He chose to live in Northern California at the height of his writing career. Honestly, I haven't read his plays yet, and it was my first visit to this charming town. I thought that I only had less than two hours of painting time to catch on the returning shuttle. I was in a rush to my first site of this historical barn for a fast drawing, then painting... I knew I wouldn't have time for second layers, so had to use a stronger and thinker colors from my palette. Suddenly I heard the shuttle bus starting the engine, actually there were other visitors wanted to go back, so they were leaving earlier. I rushed to pack my stuff and ran onto the bus, while my painting was still wet. I never thought that 14"x11" could be done l...

Painting could be fun and meaningful. A couple of friends we hadn't seen each other for a long time decided to have a vegetarian potluck Plein Air party today. We chatted and had lunch together until the rain stopped, but it was still very cold. Luckily I brought my down jacket with me this morning. I had it on the whole time I was there. We had great time, surely will do it again.

It started a grey day, went to this paintable ranch, felt chilly. Did a small study sketch, it didn't help me for some reason. Well, I guessed that it was one of the days I just could not paint, two paintings in a row all failed. Sun came out, walked around the property, took some photos, young cows nearby looking at me. One goat mom with two kids they were calling each other... A wonderful Californian ranch life, the moment inspired me to paint the third one, and I added the goats into it after came home. (May 6 2019)

Nice day but windy. Drove through a very winding road, my first time at this location. Found a spot in the shade, felt chilly while painting. Relocated the objects on the paper for a better composition. Tried these QoR paints, my work came out grayish and muddy. Judy did a beautiful glowing California landscape in oil. She said to me that it was always hard trying new paints. It did help me feeling better a bit. So I used limited watercolor pens did a quick color sketch. There were only over 30 miles each way, but I felt so tired and barely drove back home through a much narrow and winding road. It took me over an hour. Many times I thought I was lost, because both my smartphone and the car GPS didn't talk for a long time. Can't believe that time flies so fast, May already. Viewing today's work, wondering if I should stop trying the new paints...

Saturday April 13, California Watercolor Association organized to paint out at the park on the Earth Day weekend, otherwise I wouldn't know about this place and drove more than 70 miles to come. Very pleasant spring weather, I was instantly attracted by the surroundings after short greetings with other artists, I painted an old falling apart house in the morning. After a lunch break, the volunteers and a docent Ed Lai - one of the founders - gave us a very knowledgeable introduction to China Camp where there used to be about 500 Chinese people living, running a shrimp-fishing business in the village started in nineteen centuries... Part of history was cruel, just liked many Chinese labors who built the railways in old days here. Mr. Lei's eyes turned red with tears, so did mine... The rest of afternoon I did another painting, but felt very emotional, thought about all immigrants' life, who hadn't gone through all the low-paid, longer hours work, racial unfairly...

What a gorgeous day came back to paint, though it was windy and chilly. There were a couple of beautiful pine trees and surrounding rocks on the edge of the cliffs were beautiful, especially under the morning light. I was so focused on my work, constantly stopped, backed up to view how I did... Once I backed up a little further, suddenly I noticed that I was standing on the very edge of the cliff, lucky me that I didn't fall, lol... Yesterday I planned to paint at Pigeon's Point Lighthouse, but the weather report indicated very strong winds there, so I didn't go. Then I went to San Jose area, found a historical warehouse I wanted to paint, but there were three small dogs barking next to me endlessly, I had to give it up...  (April 10 2019

My first time came to this park to paint. Planned it for weeks, but there was a chance of rain. Kept checking on the location's weather, finally I made it. Such a beautiful place, there were docks and boats. Though there was some work going on in the park, and there were frequent airplanes flying overhead, I didn't notice. Happy to meet new people. Will be back to paint for sure. It started raining when I was leaving. Not mention there is traffic all day long on Route 101...

Bugs like my watercolors in spring... lol. I didn't know about this park till today. Still under 60 degrees out, not a warm day. Felt like somewhere in China all of a sudden. Lucky me not only have so many friends all over the world supporting my art every day, and also my family members helped and delivered a couple of new 140b big and small watercolor blocks which were made in Holland, and a new watercolor palette with 17 wells from China. I used a couple of new watercolor paints I ordered online. Hadn't gotten to used them yet. Anyway, keep practicing... I don't usually paint for using all the tricks, today's painting I used some sea salt on the tree area, wanted to express the spring blossom feeling, but the sea salt I used not absorbed properly

Gorgeous and warm day. Painted at Saratoga Heritage Orchard next to the library. Finally spring came, though there was frost on roof this morning. Beautiful apricot and cherry trees just start blooming. I have allergies and have to cover myself well outdoors. Some nice people came by to talk to me while I was painting. Thought I could paint more than one, but the allergies had made me tired... Please view this video I made that there was a coyote there before I started painting in the morning.

Raining for days, working @ my studio... Finally my old color palette is fallen apart. First, the 2 lids were broken, one was the lid of the container, and the other one was for covering the paints area. Then the side of the box was broken. So I glued everything back together. I have been using it on and off at studio and outdoors at least 15 years I believe. Though I had bought a few different palettes, still this is my most favorite one, functional and light in weight. I don't need too many colors, and I love it has large and deep area holding each color, it is just the simple right size for me. This time I won't able to glue everything back again unfortunately, have to let it go... My new order is on the way...

First time I came to this park. Unfortunately, the road inside the park was closed. There was too much rain recently, I guess. I didn't want to give it up though so I found a neighborhood that looked interesting to paint on the outside road. That was what I did today, not easy in a gray day though. Usually I would bring the masking fluid and salt. I didn't have them with me today so I had to paint carefully. But I am not sure if I like the result. Only thing that I'm sure of is to keep doing it.