How are you? Have you had a good weekend?

This week is relatively uncomplicated. Except for having meals and sleeping, I stayed in the classroom to take lessons, paint, read and communicate with my classmates. Sometimes, I am so tired that I do not feel that my health can support me. However, I take my medicine with me and keep going to the classroom as soon as I can. After all, I had been waiting for this opportunity for thirty years. I do want to cherish it and learn as much as possible.

Monday morning, Professor Qinghe Liu taught us how to paint people from live models in the Chinese Xieyi style with Chinese ink and brush. With his good direction, I have painted seven new paintings, five of them painted from live models and two others were painted by learning from Mr. Huang Zhou.

Thursday morning, our tutor, Mr. Gang Li, started to teach us how to paint landscapes in the Chinese traditional style, such as Xian Gong’s ink, Tao Shi’s lines and Kuan Fan’s structure. Following his instructions, I am learning to paint stones with Chinese ink and millions of points of the ink. : -)

In the one short week, I have painted nine new paintings and have some new feelings about the study and life.

First of all, I feel that an actual action is better than a hundred dreams. This not only applies to painting, but also to many other situations in life and study.

Secondly, I have a new understanding of the famous remark by Confucius ? “San Ren Xing Bi You Wu Shi -- Two heads are always better then one”. Since I came to the class in CAFA, I have learned so much, not only from the professors and instructors, but also from my classmates. For example, from my discussion with Mr. Enquan Bai, who is a landscape artist, I have new feelings about the rhythm of the lines, ink and colors; from talking with a young girl, Ms. Pei Chen, I know how to turn a Chinese brush to create a change in the lines and from talking with Mrs.Hui Wang, I have learned so much new knowledge about Buddhism, landscape painting, paper and Chinese ink. In the seventeen short days, I have known all my classmates, invited them or joined their gatherings 8 times. Through these meetings, working dinners and discussions with my classmates as well as my instructors, my knowledge, skills and art culture is improved naturally.

Thirdly, the good directions and teaching from the instructors of Chinese Painting College of CAFA, not only helped me catch up on the lessons that I have missed, but also helped me learn how to become a true artist. Our tutor, Mr. Gang Li, not only shows us how to paint, but also he teaches us how to treat life and art through his own excellent work. Mr. Guo in the office of School of Chinese Painting of the CAFA not only helped me to enrol when I was in the hospital, but also he called me and asked about my health after I became a formal student of the CAFA. Professor Li Tiesheng did not discriminate against me for joining the class late and not being from an art college, but he specially told me where I should start to catch up on my lesson in Chinese landscape.

Through the sincere help and directions of the professors and instructors, I am confident in myself. I am sure that I will certainly catch up on my missed lessons and to make a good study achievement in the near future, to return the faculty of CAFA and their good work for their students.

With this letter, I would like to share 2 of my 9 paintings this week with you. Hope to bring you a smile and hear your comments.

How about your life and work? Do you have anything special this 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
Sunday, Dec 12, 2010