How are you?

This is the 5th week that I have been in my new term in Chinese National Academy of Arts in Beijing.

Except attending 2 lessons by Mr. Pan Ying who is a famous artist on Chinese Mo Gu painting and a tutor of Master Students showed us how to paint people and flowers with Mo Gu skills, how to use the Chinese mineral colors and so on.

Even though she offered the lessons for my school-followers who are majored in figure painting, be lucky for the school encouraged us to attend the lessons cross - classes, therefore, I became the only student who kept listening to all of her 4 lessons from the Chinese flower and bird painting class since last week.

I did feel, as the other 8 professors and instructors who have offered the lessons for the three different classes on flower and birds painting, landscape and figure painting in the new term, Ms. Pan Ying has not only offered us so much new knowledge, but also, she has opened my mind and it is something more important for me.

First of all, on the art theory, I have really accepted her views:

-- When we study Chinese painting via learning ancient artists and nature, we should also open our eyes to learn from the Western arts at the same time.

Secondly, as a former visiting scholar in Japan, I did feel that Ms. Pan Ying has opened another window about the eastern arts after Dr./Prof. Lin Ruoxi told us that Chinese painting is a superimposed art - to be added layer and layer, but it cannot be reduced because of its material limitation:

-- The biggest characteristic of Japanese painting is an art of the multi ? layers. It is similar to Chinese painting but it is different at all.

Thirdly and most practicable knowledge and skills that I have learned from the lessons by Ms. Pan is:

-- A part of Chinese colors can be replaced by Watercolors. Then we must bring some of Chinese colors with us when we go abroad and many kinds of Chinese colors can be replaced and be bought in Western counties. Wow, then I will not need to carry all of the Chinese colors with me when I have my new international travels in the future and it will reduce the rate that I am punished by the airports because the overweight luggage almost in every travel. :- )

-- The contrasting colors usually are the best colors to be used together. Usually, they can create some most beautiful Chinese Mogu paintings.

Yes, after seeing the demonstration by her, I did believe it and I did also have an idea that maybe this is a good road for me to create my own style someday ? When I was in CAFA, my classmates thought I should develop myself on Chinese Mogu paintings and in CNAA, after the famous artist Mr. Han Xuezhong who also offered his lessons for my school-followers who are majored in figure painting checked my first painting in the winter vocation, he said “ It seemed like you had the nature and the natural feeling on Chinese Mogu painting. ” :- )

I am thinking, since Chinese Mogu painting is an art between Chinese Gongbi and Xieyi and it is the art that nearest Western paintings, compare with Chinese Gongbi and Xieyi, few Chinese artists are working on this kind of paintings, maybe it is just the most suitable painting style for me?

In another words, what I have learned from Mr. Pan Ying not only the painting knowledge and skills, the most important thing is her opened mind and thinking style, to learn from Western artists, oil artists, but also try anything can help us to create with a bravely, freely, playing psychology but scientific style.

Meanwhile, the good teaching of Ms. Pan, led me recall the lessons by Prof. Li Yang, Dr/Prof. Bi Jianxun, Prof. Yao Mindjin and many the other professors in CAFA, and the lessons by Dr./Prof. Lin Ruoxi, Dr. Liu Bo in CNAA. What I have found is that all of these famous artists and wonderful professors are learning from the tradition, nature and Western cultures at the same time, then they have made the great achievement in both of China and in Western world.

I am thinking, today, when both of the Internet and the modern science have made the huge world as a little digital village, no matter what we are doing, if we would like to be successful, we have to open our eyes to say the history, nature and foreign cultures. Then we can avoid the sadness that go forward as a snail after working hard with the effort of 100% or 120%.

After all, our root and character is from our own traditional culture; the essence of the subjects that we are learning and want to express is from the nature; and in any of the other foreign civilization certainly there are something best and most advanced.

How do you think of my idea? Do you agree with me?


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
March 18, 2012(Chinese Time)