Hello, Have you had a wonderful Father’s Day or a good new week? I do hope you have.

On my side, after thinking of it for about 7 months and working on it for 3 weeks for over 250 hours, this afternoon, I completed the first preliminary design for my American State Birds which includes 102 birds and which is the first painting of Shirley’s American Cultural Map Series , while for the first book of a new book series.

Although it is a quite hard process for it is a creative job and there is no any air-condition in my new classroom in Beijing, it is a quite wonderful thinking and study process in the practice. Now I have not only studied much knowledge and skills on Chinese paintings, but also I have learned a lot of knowledge about American culture – especially birds, flowers and the geographical position of each state of the US.

I do have a feeling that maybe I have touched or maybe I have found a new method to combine American and Chinese culture phenomenon and I am trying to create my own art style? I am not sure about it 100% yet but I am thinking of publishing this book series in USA and in China, in English and in Chinese... ? What is your sugguestions to me?

Besides my own art creating work in Beijing, since the day I wrote to you on June 14, one of the biggest thing is that my former elementary school teacher Mrs. Cao Husheng who is my first music teacher when I was 8 years old came to see me. I led her to visit our classrooms, introduced her to my classmates and the office of Chinese Traditional Painting Academy and then I invited her to have a lunch.

I am so moved for she is still keeping a positive life attitude, sentimental tone and a young heart and feature even though she has been over 70. She plays piano and paints, also she is thinking of coming to my school to accept a professional art education. :-)

I am very happy to have a so nice teacher, therefore, as long as she sends her painting to me, I try to do my best to give her my commons and opinions. I am sure, she will certainly become a wonderful artist.

Tomorrow, I will start to correct something in my first design and think of how to do the design second time. At the interval, I have also painted some small paintings as my practices. They are with this letter below and hope to bring you a smile.

I am going to do my best to study and explore a special way which can help more people via a cross-cultural and comprehensive art style while improving myself...

How about you? Do you have anything special to share?

I am just a student on Arts of Painting, Music, English and Management, to work on the web site in my free time. I would really like to do somethings with what I have learned to make this little web site to be an Electronic Bridge of Cross - Culture and Comprehensive Arts, Language & Friendship. To help the others and this world while improving myself and realizing my own value of life.

I would really 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.

Sincerely,

Shirley Yiping Zhang
June 21, 2016 (Beijing Time)