Our new book - the 7th collection of students' art works has been published formally at the same time. Three of my paintings for Chinese classical poems and my own music that I created for the poems have been collected in it.

The best news at the exhibition was that the Dean of the Teaching Department of Chinese Painting School at CNAA – Professor Hai Xuezhong ( he was in the 7th photo)told me that Ms. Gao Xianli (she was in the second photo)enjoyed my paintings very much, and he itself figured out that according to the my current situation, I should become a good Chinese Painting Artist in another class year. Professor Man Weiqi(he was in the 6th photo) gave me a quite positive comment on my new work at the exhibition and my progress that I had made in CNAA, meanwhile, he encouraged me to work hard continuously, try to create something better in the new class year.

After the ceremony, the Chinese Painting School treated all of the students who came from 18 provinces a delicious lunch. On Sunday, July 21, the art exhibition was finished and we moved our classrooms into some new places in the same building.

Then the summer vacation started from Monday, July 22.

I was so happy that I have had the best classroom since I came to Beijing, as soon as I went into it, I felt comfortable for its wonderful painting conditions, bright but stable light and the quiet atmosphere, so that I kept painting until the last minute that the carriers went into the old classroom and left from the new classroom.

Then, an interesting story happened to me in the same night:

At 10:15pm,Sunday night, I went out of the long aisle in the weak light of my mobile phone (there are lamps in the aisle, but I did not realized that I should turn on them with the switches since the original style to turn on the lamps in the aisle in our former area was with induction /sounds ), then I heard some surprised sounds when I was still on the stairs, three people ( a classmate, a tutor and a gatekeeper) were carrying something from the teaching building to a car, they were so surprised when they saw me, because the teaching building had been locked before they came, just for the tutor needed to carry something from the building, they called the gatekeeper to open the gate... :- )

I am now the only student who is still working in the classroom – I am lucky enough that the school has appointed a classroom to be opened for us in the vacation, it is just mine and there is still some tutor to keep watching in the summer vacation.

At the same time, my landlord has fixed my new and the best apartment I have had since I came to Beijing. Almost every time, I rented a place to live in a hurry - on the same day I got off a plane or the last day I moved into a new place, therefore, I had no choices, only this time, can I arrange my life ahead for my new class year. :-)

I cannot go back to Shenzhen before I have done three or four things: To complete the new painting that I have worked on it for 23 days. I will need additional 3 or 5 days; to take back my long scroll that I handed in to take part in an event somewhere; to meet someone from some media; to move into my new apartment. In Shenzhen, I will have to live at the hospital according to my doctors' advice in April; to upgrade my web site, And then to have a long distance travel before I go back my new class year in CNAA in Sep.

The strongest feeling that I have had since I wrote to you last time can be summarized by a phrase “Angle of View”. I do feel that every thing can be seen, thought and understood from different angles of views. If we see it from a positive angle, we will get a very good feeling and positive conclusion, accordingly, we will have a delight heart, emotion and a positive life attitude, otherwise, things will be opposite.

At the same time last year, a friend suggested and recommended me to take part in an event by a media and a Cultural Development Foundation. I worked on it for 4 months and handed in my works (1.8 meters x 10 meters) in Nov, 2012. I guessed that maybe I would be able to get an originality reward? :-)

Then I was fail in the event. :-)

Just felt a little bit frustration for about two hours, I felt so nice in my heart, so that it is full of the appreciation to the event, the sponsors and the friends who recommended me and helped me in whole of the process.

I am thinking:

-- Just because there was this event, I had an opportunity to re-think and re-organize my own thoughts and art works in the past 10 years and summarized a part of my comprehensive art works to be the first Voiced, Bilingual, Poetry and Painting Series in China.

-- Just because I wanted to get a reward in the event, I made my paintings for the classical poetry and music in the same height and made them to be a long scroll (10 meters x 1.8meters), with the same style to work, it has really brought me a creditable exhibition and good reputation in the places I have been in USA recently.

-- Just also because I did the thought and re-painting jobs for taking part in the event, it has really improved my work quality and directly pushed my project forward, then both of my book and DVD were published by Jinan University this May.

I am sure that the meaning of this publication is:

-- It has endowed the ancient Chinese painting a new function: base on the foundation that Chinese painting itself as a culture phenomena, to make it to be a new media to deliver more Chinese culture abroad, and made a good try on the topic: how to develop and to use Chinese Painting in the new, internet times.

-- It is the first assistant textbook that bases on the Chinese painting, and has combined poetry, painting, music, singing, translation(from Chinese to English), elocnte, article and recording together, created a new subject in the field of Chinese as a Foreign Language. Similar as Travel Chinese, Daily Chinese, I have created a Comprehensive Art Chinese, to help foreign people to learn Chinese culture and language more naturally, easily and conveniently.

When I look at the fail from the new angle of view, I do feel: I am fail in the event surface; I am winning in fact. :- ) With an appreciated and sincere heart, I sent messages to the leaders and the friends who have helped during the process, I have really had more and more very good and helpful new friends...

Anyway, I know clear, I am just a Chinese painting student now and in whole of my future life, I have just gone into the palace of Chinese painting and the other arts. No matter on the skills or the culture, I am just a beginner. Therefore, the fail is really a good thing for me, it will encourage me to study and to work harder.

So, I am also thinking, if we do not think of the elements of war or disaster, to live in a happiness or sadness, does not because of the life itself, but it is decided by the angle of view and the psychology of us. If we can think of things from the positive angle, we will be in happiness, otherwise, we will be in the sadness. From this meaning, a person is happy or sad will not be decided by the others and the environment, but the person itself's inside. How do you think of my idea? Do you agree with me?

Before I send this letter to you, I got a letter from Mr. Lin Min from Shenzhen Daily, with an open mind, good news sensitivity and far-sight of Shenzhen people have, as soon as got my new books and DVDs, Mr. Lin Min who is the News Desk Director, Shenzhen Daily, wrote an article names English Book Combines Chinese Painting and Music and published it in the today's Shenzhen Daily Page 15.

This is the second time that Shenzhen Daily reports something about me, here is the first report names An Ambassador for the Chinese Arts that was published on May 14, when I was in USA to have an art exhibition in Missouri State University while to look at my doctor for my eye problem in 2010.

As one of the lucky builders of Shenzhen City, I has gotten so much good help and support from my own city on my dream seeking road... I would really like to cherish my luck and to return the city and my fourthly hometown with a more creative work...

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 Exchange, Chinese Culture and 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
July 23, 2013(American Time)