Original Art Stories - Xueling Zou

I really did not want to stay indoors on such a gorgeous autumn day. A new location I just discovered on Skyline Blvd in Woodside was on my mind, and had to give it a try. It was challenging and fun driving on the winding Moody and Skyline roads. A couple of sharp turns were about 300 degrees. Tasting room was closed on Tuesday, but that special deep dry grape smell was with me while I was painting in a very peaceful spot in front of the pond. Just love this harvest season! Will be back to paint again!  (November 5 2019)

Sunday I went to support all the Plein Aire Artists in Capitola. Saw old artist friends and met new ones. Many beautiful artworks painted at that location in the past few days. I got inspired, especially listening to the judge Paul Kratter's educational speech when awarded the winning artists. He shared his rich art knowledge with us on each winning piece and why it was the best of his choice in the category. I was so happy that a couple of my friends had won the awards, and some artworks were sold! Monday was warm, painted the front landscape of the Santa Clara City Hall. The bronze statue of St. Clare was sculpted by Ann Van Kleeck in the 1960's. I didn't need to use my tripod, put my easel on the decorative low garden wall in front of a restaurant since the restaurant wasn't opened yet. I think I would like to paint locally instead of spending hours driving on the road. Once in a while is OK. Plein Air should become visual artist's life style. What do you think?

I caught a real live spider inside my house on Halloween morning, and released it to outside in natural. Having learned my lesson yesterday, I painted at the nearby location today. Easy day, leaves have started changing colors, noon still felt hot in the sun. Got to love the weather, but we do need rain to save more families🙏, stop the fires and for the agriculture as well.

A few sketches I did when traveling on the train in Spain weeks ago. I really enjoyed people watching there, wish everyone could be my model. Today I planned to paint at the San Mateo Memorial Park. My car GPS didn't give the location, I only could follow Google maps, started all in red on the high way 280. Turned on the route 84, everything looked so beautiful through the dappled sunlight, especially all the tall redwoods. I enjoyed driving on the winding roads, thought that my driving skill has definitely improved since I had started doing Plein Air. An accidentally-killed dead deer's half body was left on the roadside. Inside the mountains, Google maps asked to make U turns a couple times, I knew I hadn't arrived, didn't follow. It was my first time to be at this location and I finally arrived to a sign announcing that the park was closed due to a high fire situation. Bummer... Of course it was reasonable since the Sonoma big fire hasn't been put down yet.

Drove to Guglielmo Winery in Morgan Hill this morning. The air was chilled, temperature suddenly dropped down 20 plus degrees, though felt the summer only the day before. Excited to try my birthday present Escoda brushes bought in Barcelona. Said "Hola" to a worker looked like a Mexican guy, he responded in English. I laughed at myself to use one of the few words I knew in Spanish not to the right person. Did two quick watercolor sketches, and if possible to take a longer time to get to used to the new brushes I believe. Left around noon, it was still feeling dry and hot in the sun.  (October 28 2019)

Gorgeous day came to Los Altos History Museum to paint, spent a lot of time to find a parking spot. A quick work, then I was invited to an artist/architect's beautiful house for a lunch party near by. So much food in a lovely and well designed home. She designed her own home, how cool it was! Enjoyed the rest of day!

My first time to paint this gorgeous hidden winery. After the owner Vivian showed us around with her friendly, four-year old super active border collie dog, I decided to paint grapes hanging on the vines, actually left on the vines. It was quite hot in the sun, I had to use my umbrella though it was only 45 degrees before I left home in the morning. This cute dog was sitting not far from me, one of his paws sat on small sticks. Of course I understood all he wanted was to find a way to play. I tried focusing to my painting. After a while, he lost his patience and started barking. Couldn't stop at the moment, watercolors dried on paper so fast, I had to continue... Roughly finished, on the way back to my car, I saw him was all wet, just swam or did something fun in the pond I guessed. I picked up a small tree branch from the ground, didn't throw away very far, than I found a small piece of wood chips to throw. He was so happy to pick it up, and carried it inside his mouth runni

It was beautiful in the mountains, moistness in the distance felt connected with the dramatic clouds. The temperature suddenly dropped down overnight from a hot Indian summer to winter, under 60 degrees. Luckily I brought my winter jacket, didn't feel even a little bit hot after I put it and while painting till 1pm. After the first painting, I noticed that there was a composition problem so I had to paint the second one. I didn't bring extra water, using the dirty water to paint my second wasn't easy in watercolors. I painted directly on the paper with with a brush and the left over dirty water, thought it would help me paint loosely. But it ended up another painting with a compositional issue... Time to go home, I drove the wrong direction in the mountains, but my car GPS and Google map didn't mention to me, only the time and miles showed me the extra minutes and extra miles. Maybe I should start hibernating, lol...

Planned to paint at the The New Almaden quicksilver mine. Curious about the location when I was driving by the Casa Grande, a historic building dating back to 1824. Turned around and found a perfect shady spot to paint. It was very quiet, saw a couple cars parking there. The museum was closed. Only birds were singing loud...Saw a huge green pine cone. I had to take a selfie to compare it with my head. Still felt hot near noon...

Add caption Another interesting new place I went to paint that used to be a horse ranch owed by the McClellan family in the 1930s, and still preserves the original ranch house, a working milk barn, livestock barn, and a replica blacksmiths shop, along with a natural reserve in the middle of the park. So many new ideas for painting, could not manage all in one small outdoor work. My inspiration is from nature, painting outdoors helps me feeling meditative and alive, though I usually am exhausted after it all.

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