How are you? Are you enjoying your weekend? I do hope you are. :-)

Today is the 49th day of my second class year in Chinese National Academy of Arts in Beijing.

Saturday / yesterday morning, a clerk took 12 paintings and the foreword of the first group of my Vocal, Bilingual Poem and Painting Series to decorate and make them to be a long scroll in their company.

Since all of the pictures are flower and birds paintings and since the poems in my second series will relate to the landscape much more, as soon as I handed in my paintings, I started to learn landscape that I had wanted to work on it for a long time already.

So, last night, after I came back from the classroom in the cold rain, when I opened the thick and heavy art book on Mr. Gong Xian ( Qing Dynasty ) that I have been wishing to re-read it since last May (after coming back from the lessons of painting from the nature at China Central Academy of Fine Arts in Yimeng Mountains and Tai Mountains, I could not stand up and walk for a while, just for this reason, I had to choose to be major in flower and bird painting at the first in CNAA even though my tutor in CAFA and my first tutor in CNAA thought that I should study landscape), quickly, I felt that my heart was so quiet, it seemed like finally I come back to a beautiful, clean palace, with a totally peaceful heart, that was somewhere I had been looking forward to come back for a long time.

Therefore, today, I have drafted three new landscapes and I hope that I would be able to show you next week. Anyway, with this letter, I would like to share some paintings that I did in the past 9 days with you, hope to bring you a big smile. :-)

Finally, we were informed that the school will be moved to the new place on Nov 9. Tomorrow morning, a tutor will lead us to see our dormitory. Because it is raining and snowing, I have to attach 3 or 4 plasters on one of my legs, arms, shoulders and low back to keep working with the stomachache every day since the weather got cold, I have no any special request except I wish to have the internet connecting, instead of going there to see the house in person, I have entrusted our monitor to rent a room for me.

The other news: the manager of the Human Resource Department from our company informed me that the Shenzhen Social Insurance Bureau has confirmed my retired application. I have also gotten the phone call from the chairman of the union of the company, they would like to have a farewell party or meal for me.

Even though I have totally retired from the securities industry, I am starting a new “ Career ” in art fields, therefore, since I came to CNAA last Oct, I have not really rest for one day in fact. I would really like to complete my study plan and devote my limited life to the unlimited serve the people, motherland and the world with what I have learned and created, with something beautiful and meaningful...

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

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
Nov 4, 2012(Beijing Time)