Original Art Stories - Xueling Zou

Same painting: left indoor and right outdoor. In the early afternoon when we were waiting for our model to arrive at the studio, several artists chatted together. I told them that I would love to have a regular person be our model rather than a professional one, I could feel a more personal message from the face expression, and therefore more interesting to paint for a portrait. One or two agreed with me. Then we got our model's message that she just had a car accident,  wasn't able to be here. Hope she was OK. One of the artists volunteered to be our long pose model, so we started painting. Not sure if I should have said what I did about painting regular people, but this artist was a good model. She stayed still, and her face's expression really was more interesting to me. By using palette knife, I worked on a used panel 12"x16". Everything worked out smoothly, and First time I was done when the time was up. Being a visual artist working in the studio or

Had an orange haired model for today's long pose session. I hadn't painted a live model in about one month as I mentioned in my last post.  The model was stable, I was able to layout her pose on another used canvas panel.  Other artists thought that it would be confusing for them if they saw the old oil painting in the background.  It didn't bother me, I could ignore it.  Mostly I used the pallet knife, but I didn't use it for the background; I will change it later.  The next day I spent two more hours correcting a little bit, but forgot the background, lol...  (October 11 2022)

We've had an Indian summer for days now, around 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It was challenging to go out. But I didn't want to miss the live model long and short posts today for six hours at the studio. It was showing 105 Fahrenheit degrees in my car when I was driving on the highway after lunch. There were many artists there, so was the model. Some of them already working on their second session. I started as quick as I could, it was my first session, and it will be a different model next time. Working on a used canvas panel 12"x16", I noticed that I had problem to mark the measurements, but my eye "measured" better. So I followed what I saw to get the sketch done, and continued with the portrait. The model told us that he had American Indian blood, but he didn't know what percentage. wondered why his skin tone looked Indian. Three hours isn't enough time for sure, but I know it was only a study. Anyway, I will do a little correction at home la

There were many areas that bothered me on Tuesday's portrait study, so I decided to correct it. Worked on the panel for an hour.  Finally, I erased it all and spent a whole day repainting it. Checked my previous work, the last figurative portrait from a live model was nine weeks ago. No wonder I couldn't paint the way  I used to, lol  (August 26 2022) Can't believe that it was nine weeks ago that I did my last oil painting live model session study. Today's model was a good one too, but my process was much slower, and result was different than I expected. The short pose live model was late, a couple of people did several poses for us. I felt my sketches came out better than last week. Not kidding, every artist must keep practicing daily to see long term improvement.  (August 23 2022)

Attended the evening short pose live model sketch practice again after three weeks. Definitely my brain and hands were not as coordinately as quick as before. After a while I was getting a little bit better. New model's poses were nice, and she was stable too. (August 16 2022)

After Plein Air at the Redwood City Port, I rushed to the art center for the drawing class. We had a new model, not sure her nationality, but she was pretty with darker skin tone. And her body shape is beautiful too. She is a nice stable model. But her poses were too similar. OK to me for practicing, other artists were complaining a bit.  (July 27 2022)

After a long day of Plein Air in Half Moon Bay, I drove back and bought a Mediterranean wrap for dinner and went to the studio for the short pose drawings.  It is one of my favorite things to do, though I was very tired at the end of this session.  A new professional model this night, she was very stable for each pose.  Got home it was almost ten pm, felt it was a productive day.  Actually spent almost three hours on the road, and at least one hour looking for inspiration... (July 19 2022 )

Tuesday always is my busy day of the week. I take two sessions of painting and drawing. As usual, long pose model in the afternoon for three hours, then after one and half an hour break, there was a short pose drawing session. I enjoy doing them both. Like many artists, of course I am struggling through each of them, and have been practicing since last September. I was quite happy to hear one of artists, she is an art educator, tell me that she could see I have made progress and am improving. Might be her encouragement, I did better drawings in the evening. We had very full studio, I wondered that our model she was a very professional one and very stable. It really helped me to draw her better. > Afternoon I painted the portrait of model, he was good model too. But I had difficult time to paint his red cloth, not only it was made of velvet, but the folds in the cloth changed after each break. One of my artist friends helped me at the end, she used one of my brushes, and we b

For some reason I had to force myself to go painting. After arriving, I felt much better just being inside the studio with others. My first time to paint her, beautiful black skin, and she is a good model. One of the artists tipped her a hundred dollar bill after this session. I regret that I didn't paint her on the first session, I won't able to finish it.  (July 7 2022)

One of the artists suggested to that I start a new painting of the model after the long pose session last week. So I changed the painting angle of the model for this session. A lady artist came to me and told me that my work looked like an impressionist French female artist's work, but she couldn't remember her name. I wonder who that was? I thought my work looked more like expressionism. And I recently switched back to my original style plus several month practice. Glad that several artists told me they liked it. We had two different female models worked for us during the evening figure drawings. The second one was new to me. One of my artist friend she brought a book teach how to draw to me, after she saw me struggling through the session last Tuesday. How sweet of her, she even instructed me how to go through the book during our break. Always treasure friendship, who doesn't?  (June 14 2022)

A formal ballerina was our long post live model today.  She brought a three sit chair with her and her point shoes on her feet.  I was a little bit earlier, but it was hard to get a good painting spot.  Her position was lying down, very beautiful and elegant, but difficult.  Painting through with struggle for the form and corrected the figure through, three hours wasn't long enough.  Not sure I should continue to correct this one, or start over again next session. (June 16 2022)

Arrived at the studio on time, there were a lot of people there already.  But different artists had different opinions about the model's pose.  Of course they had their reasons, color, lighting, a good angle to see the model, or to avoid being blocked by someone in front.  It took more than 10 minutes before the model was settled.  She wasn't a new model, but it was my first time to study on her.  I was trying my own way to paint, which was new to me.  I stopped painting this way for a while, just because of influence from others in the studio.  I never had classical art training, but I have my own way to be creative.  There is never  enough time, I realized that my work had a little proportion issue after the session was over.  Shall I correct it next session, or shall I start a new one? Always like the short pose session, even if it is in the evening.  Tonight's model was an Indian American guy.  he was a good model.  We all love his poses, not sure why I had a difficult

Learned from previous sessions, I brought two canvas panels to the art center, one was 12"x16", the other was 16"x20". After a short hesitation, I chose the smaller size. Matt was a new model for me, he looked like an American Indian, I guessed but didn't ask. Interesting lighting on his body, I barely saw his face, almost completely dark from the angle I painted. I do not usually paint so small, don't even have the smallest brushes.  I could not manage to have his whole body fit on the canvas, otherwise I would have a difficult time to paint it without smaller brushes. He is a good model, but I am not sure if I will attend the second session next week. Usually the pose of the model and lighting are never quite the same.  ( June 2 2022)

Not sure why I could not get myself motivated, the laziness was all over my mind and body. Some of my works are half way done, I keep reminding myself that I should fix or finish them... Day by day I sink into the sofa, barely move around, and found all kinds of excuses for myself to do nothing. Till I noticed that I had gained a couple pounds again. It makes a big difference for me - each time I gain weight, I loose motivation. After Memorial Day, I started doing exercise again, dragged myself to the art center studio and took the second long pose session of the same live model to finish this portraiture. And I continued on to the evening short pose session. Found my arm even hard to reach where I wanted to draw. Unbelievable that only few ponds could cause so much unwillingness all over me. But glad I did it! (May 31 2022)

Our first time to paint this new model Melisa today. I started with a used 12"x16" canvas.  One artist friend mentioned to me that she would be confused working on uncovered used canvas.  I felt OK, and tried to paint with new style after not working at the studio about two weeks. My speed and correction were not as good as two weeks ago.  The painting wasn't near finished after 3-hour-session.  (May 10 2022)  Spent two or three hours or more fixing this portrait.  Tried to work like expressionist with black outlines, sometimes using a palette knife.  Hard to paint with consistency, in the studio and at home.  I had to stop before I changed too much from my original idea.  That was challenging working at home without a model, I decided to leave the arm area the way it was, lucky it was used canvas, the colors  matched well...

I was away for eight nights in May, missed several portraiture practice sessions in the studio. We were quite lucky to have Leigh back for our afternoon long post and evening short pose model. She dressed up in an evening gown with matching jewelry for the long pose - turquoise, my favorite color. And her hair was "twisted" up. It was a crowded in the studio, I painted behind two other artists, there was only a small area I could peek through to see the model. I complained a couple of times, just because those two artists moved a little bit and blocked my view. After our afternoon session was done, I realized that the colors I used were too saturated. And several artists stayed for the evening session. We brought our dinner boxes for a simple meal. There was full house in the evening session too, her ballerina posses were lovely. And she looked tired. Enjoyed painting and drawing her.  (May 24 2022)

One 3-hour session portrait study in oil. Our new model was Polish , She told us that she looked like her Russian grandmother. Working on a used 12"x16" panel. The 1st picture was taken outdoors. I continued to use duotone for the portrait, and my first time to feel happy for the result surprisingly. (April 12 2022)

  We all love this model, she was fun and happy. Most of models look sleepy or tired after an hour or two, she was always smile or laughing. If we weren't struggling painting, might want to know what she was thinking of. She must be a very positive person. (March 24 and March 31 2022) I knew that I should highlight a little bit after the 2 sessions. This 16"x20" figurative panel sat on a stool in my kitchen for weeks.  Finally I did a little retouch, though it might be need more, but I thought it could be finished up right now...  (April 11 2022)

April 5 happened to be Tomb Sweeping Day on the Chinese Calendar. In our culture, people usually go to visit their ancestors' tomb with flowers and clean off the dust. No one can get visas to travel home, and our visas were no longer valid in China because of COVID 19. I haven't visited my in family almost three years. I decided to paint at Hakone Gardens Japanese Garden in Saratoga.  There were many cars already parked at the entry to the place next to the Big Basin Way.  Quickly I parked my car at the last available space, because there was limited parking near by the entrance. My instinct was right, but I had to roll my painting stuff up the hill to the entrance.  My legs felt sore and I felt short of breath for walking up there with all my painting stuff.  There were so many people, more than 95% of them were Asian, I guessed that it was free day, and many people could not go to sweep their ancestors' tombs.  Not sure how my ancestors thought about me and rest of overse

We painted our favorite model Grace outdoors today. It was warm in the morning, she was dressed up and cover up like traveling back in the centuries. Less than 3 hours, I painted as fast I could, my work station fell down, my brush, oil media and terpenoid were all over the ground. I knew that our painting time was limited, so I picked up the brushes, continued to paint the impressionist style in duotone It was a good study! (March 30 2022)