How are you? Have you had a happy New Year's Day and a wonderful Christmas?

I do hope you have and you will be happier, luckier, healthier and more successful in the new year.

When you get this letter, I have come back Shenzhen from Beijing for 10 days.

Compare with the dripping (water) forms into ice and the narrow living room as a student in Chinese National Academy of Arts in Beijing, the most directly feeling at the moment that I went out of the airplane and came back to my home was " Happiness " for I would be able to see the green and flowers everywhere, to spend my winter vacation in a wide and comfortable living environment, so that I could not help thinking that the definition of Happiness may be just some good or better feeling that human being has gotten by making some comparison ? I am not sure about it on the level of the psychology, but, I would really like to cherish the wonderful life condition at home in Shenzhen, concentrate myself on my art learning and creating, book writing and editing, health checking and treatment… :- )

So, in the short 10 days, I have checked all of my music creations, the comprehensive art works and made notes to think and to decide how to improve them one by one.

Meanwhile, I have skimmed 7 big books that have collected all the paintings in Palace Museum and in Xian Academy of Fine Arts, another big book ? The Good Paintings in Song Dynasty that I could not refrain from the huge attraction and bought it with a high price at the Beijing Airport ( I had sent 9 boxes of books from China Center Academy of Fine Arts to Shenzhen in July, 2011, then I took 6 boxes of the books with me to study in Chinese National Academy of Arts in Oct, 2011, then I carried 3 of them to Shenzhen for my work in the winter vacation) and I have made over 100 pages reading notes for each painting that I had feelings on it.

Every day, I read, think or create for about 15 hours. I spent my Christmas and the New Year’s Day in the enjoyment in the artistic sea. Even though I feel ache or uncomfortable here or there on my body, I had to take some painkillers sometimes, I have deeply involved myself into my art work already. The good thing is that without any treatment, the chapped skin on my face and hands have gone in the warm climate in Shenzhen already ( I can open all of the windows to live and to work at home).

I have also applied and gotten my new driving license for another 10 years, paid the penalty for I had covered the real lines in July in my summer vacation. :- )

However, no matter how busy I was, I did not forget my family members, my professors, teachers, bosses, colleagues, classmates and friends who have helped me and gave me warm in China, USA, Australia and the other 30 countries. So, spent an afternoon, I went to China National Art Gallery to buy 50 little boxes that includes some beautiful Chinese art works inside since I wanted to send them to my professors, tutors and friends who taught, directed or helped me when I was a student abroad in Missouri State University in Springfield, MO, USA as their Christmas Gifts. However, after paying for them, I just felt that I had done a so foolish thing for the little boxes that seemed like light, they have changed so heavy when they were collected together, so that I did not think it is possible for me to send then over the Ocean. Then, Now, they are still sleeping there and waiting for me to think of a good way to deal with them some day. :-) :-)

With a little pity but a grateful heart, on Christmas Eve / Day, spending for about 20 hours, I sent 7000 Christmas Cards to my registered readers who are from about 30 countries, over 50 emails to my American professors, tutors and friends, included a letter to my died first American painting and music teacher , more than 300 cell phone messages to my family members, Chinese professors, tutors, bosses, doctors, colleagues, classmates and friends, to thank them for their good help to me in the past time, to send my good wishes to them and to remember them in my heart forever...

A quite good thing in my life was that I have met my former cleaning lady Mrs. He (on the 8th photo) whom I had not met for more than 2 years and now she came back Shenzhen to see her daughter and grandchildren in the holiday season. With a so delight heart, I invited her to have a lunch, to buy a new overcoat and a pair of comfortable shoes (as same as I had bought for my mother in Australia) for her, to take photos with her together, to let her feel some modern life style, while to appreciate what she had done for me as a family member in the past 8 years.

Also, I have invited my work partner Charlie Zhang, his wife and son (on the 6th photo right), my art professor Mr. Tao Hui, his wife and son ( on the 5th photo right) to have lunches, attended the family dinner of one of my best friends and doctors Mrs Chang Qiu, Dr./Mr. Yin Haiquan and their son -- my former little friend(on the 7th photo) and today's clerk in a Hong Kong company with a master degree from a famous Hong Kong university. :-)

As a common Chinese art student, I often feel that I am one of the luckiest persons in the world.

Yes, except getting so many directions and much help from my art professors, tutors and the schoolfellows who are good or famous artists and majoring in landscape in their 2nd year in CNAA with me in the same classroom (on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th photo - Mr. Chen Baoliang,Li Zhongsheng, Peng Mingli, Liu Guangyu and Xu Zhiyong from left on the 2nd photo ) and CAFA in Beijing, I have gotten/ will get much actually help from my painting and music professors in Shenzhen in my minter vacation:

-- My first Chinese painting Prof. Tao Hui, his wife and younger son ( on the 5th photo) picked up me at the Shenzhen Airplane, then he checked my works as soon as I came back home, now he is decorating them for me in a company; he will also take my car for its Annual Survey tomorrow since I have paid the penalty already. : -)

-- My music Prof. Meng Weiye has checked the first part of my music creations. Except he was so surprise for my music feeling and melodizing, he will not only help me to improve both of my music writing and singing via accompanying for me, directing me to sing and to complete my recording work in a professional recording studio/room first time with a professional recording-engineer together, but also, he will help me to transform my music writing from Chinese numbered music note style into five-line staff style.

With so many appreciations, I am going to my best to study as much as possible, with what I have studied from both of the China and Western cultures, to help the teenagers who need help in the poor and disaster areas in China while to help the friends and teenagers who are interested in Chinese cultures, language and arts in the world in whole of the latter part of my life...

The future will be bright, the road will be hard and winding, I am going to study, think and making exploration down to earth, with a more positive and optimistic attitude to live and work in the new year.

The attached paintings and music works below are something I did in the past 10 days and hope you enjoy them and bring you a big smile.

How about you? Do you have anything to share in your Christmas season and in the New Year's Day?

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
Jan 3, 2012(Chinese Time)