How are you? Are you enjoying your weekend? I do hope you are. :-)

This week, I did many things, but, the biggest lesson in my study and life should be Haste Makes waste. :-)

I was worrying the flowers in the garden would be withered since there would rain on Friday, therefore, instead of painting from the nature twice for about 3 hours each day, I worked in the strong sunshine for about 5 or 6 hours continuously often. Also, for I worked alone in the garden, it was inconvenient with me to have a break, therefore, even though I brought a bottle of water in my bag, I did not really drink once...

Then, until Friday, when it rained, I was extremely sleepy and tired so that I had to have a long sleep for 11 hours once while I was in a quite low working efficiency ? I could not work in the classroom for 3 hours continuously. When the weather changed very well on Saturday and Sunday, I had no any physical energy to work out of the door again.

So, the final result after I painted from the nature for 5 or 6 hours continuously for days, I could not work on it for any hours for whole of the 2 days while I could not work normally for I has been in the sleepy... :-)

So, when I am writing to you right now, I could not help smiling with a big idiom in my mind: Yu Su Ze Du Da -- Haste Makes Waste.

I would really remember the big lesson and re-arrange my time with a more scientific style.

Anyway there are some good news:

-- In the lesson on Monday, our dean -- Prof. Man Weiqi checked my paintings on the wall and the pen sketches in my sketch book. Except pointing out some problems in my works, he gave me some good comments and he said: “ As a study result, you can think of publishing a part of your pen drawing. ” While, he encouraged me that: “You are going on a right road and your paintings have reached the level to enter the market now... ” :-)

-- Also, Prof. Man told us that our class will be continued to recruit students. If we wish to study here continuously, we are welcome.

I am so happy for the good news and I have applied to continue to study here -- Chinese Painting School & Graduated School at Chinese National Academy of Arts for another at least one year according to my original plan. Because, the more I study, the more I feel that on many hands, I have not entered the gates yet. I do need more knowledge and skills to support my comprehensive art dream.

Anyway, I am not sure what I should be major in next year yet: Landscape or Flower and Bird Painting?

What is your suggestion to me?

Do you have anything special to share in the week?

I am just a student on Art of Painting, Music, English and Management, to work on the web site in my free time. I would really like to do a few things with what I have learned to make this little web site to be an Electronic Bridge of Inter-Art & Cross - Culture Exchange, Chinese Language Learning & Friendship Making. To help the others while to improve myself.

I would like to appreciate you for your understanding, directions, supports and help.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, you are welcome to write to shirley@ebridge.cn or leave your message on Message Board.

Shirley Yiping Zhang
May 13, 2012(Chinese Time)