How are you? How is your new week doing?

On my side, besides attending the lesson by Professor Han Xuezhong (he is on the right in the 11st photo ) – Head of Teaching Department of Chinese Painting School at Chinese National Academy of Arts, a Judge for Senior Professional Title at CNAA. A Member of the Council of the Research Society of Chinese Gongbi Zhong Cai (Painting with Exact Delineation and Enriched Colors) of the Chinese Artists Association, listened to him commenting my paintings from the nature, and got his good directions how to paint out of the door face to face, April 23 - 29, more than 70 schoolfellows (they are in the last photo) went to Taihang Mountains to attend a lesson of painting from the nature. Because of the healthy problem, I went to Jingshan Park by a taxi in Beijing, to paint alone for 7 days. Each day I started at 7:00a.m. or 6:30a.m., came back at 7:00p.m.or 6:30 p.m. Then I worked in the classroom for about 2 hours in the evenings.

Until now, I have completed the required time of the school 300%, gotten back the time that I had missed because of my travel in the U.S.A in 2013 class year ( Sep, 2013 to July, 2014), plus the painting time I did in America, I have completed much more than 300%.

It is a pity I missed the directions from the professors in the painting scenes. But, in the short 7 days, I have painted the flowers I most wanted to paint in 2014. I have also taken photos and video about 15 GB and painted 3 new paintings in the Park in the day time, one of them is 60cm x 180cm (23.52 inches x 70.86 inches) for matching a new classical Chinese poem, a new little Chinese Mogu Painting in the classroom in the evenings.

As a person who was born in Beijing, I have not only gotten so many inspirations, much knowledge from the nature, but also, I have known more about Beijing people and the local culture.

-- First of all, I am agree with the opinion: peony is really the King of the flowers indeed. Meanwhile, I do find: each stem of peony has only one flower, but there are 7 branches and about 49 leaves to prop the flower in the underside or cover it as an umbrella or encircle it in the middle... That really touched me so much so that I thought: every successor can be successful because of his or her effort and luck, then more, because he or she has gotten so much help and support from too many people behind her or him, they are in fact the true heroes.

So, one hand, people who are successful should not forget those nameless heroes when they are under the flashing lights. The other hand, media, society should pay attention to those people behind the successor when they are praising the stars. :- ) As artists, we should also do something beautiful, to deliver some inspiration for our audiences from what we have seen, have thought and have done.

Here is a story I have experienced April 28 in the Jingshan Park, Beijing:

When I painted while thought of the idea over in the morning, April 28, an elder lady with white hair -- Mrs. Zheng Peisan (she is on the 5th photo) walked to me to see how I painted. When she saw me sitting on the ground so difficultly ( after painting for 5 days out of the door, I had met my purpose and complete a big size draft for matching a Chinese classical poem, so, I wanted to stop the painting out of the door since April 28 since I had no any time to study English for many days already. Therefore, I took back my folk-chare from the trunk of the taxi -- I hired the taxi to pick up me between my home to the park since April 22 to Spril 29. But, when I thought the peony would be wither soon and I wished to prepare some small size Chinese Baimiao drafts from the nature for my publication of Baimiao painting for my foreign students in America, Australia or in the other places, so, I called the taxi driver in the early morning, then in a hurry, I forgot to take the fold- chair with me. When I had to sit on my raincoat on the ground, I felt too cold to keep for a long time. I worried about my bones since I could not walk for 45 days after I came back from the painting from the nature in Yimeng Mountains and in Tai Mountains in April, 2011 and I wanted to go back home as soon as I finished just one little painting ), she said, you could take your bag against the stone, you itself could touch against your bag, then you would be a little bit comfortable. Then I felt much better after she helped me to do that. When she knew it was the 6th day and each day I was on the road for 2 or more hours, she asked me whether I wanted to drink some hot tea or eat some hot food, since her home just near the park and she could go back home to take them for me. Wow! It sounds like God was looking after me and sent her to me to help me! I said, I had taken water and cake with me, if it was convenient with her, to find something for me to sit, that would be the biggest help. She asked me: how about a campstool? I said yes.

Then, in about 30 or 20 minutes, I had a little campstool. Then I completed 2 little size paintings from the nature – I will work base on the pen drafts, paint some Chinese Baimiao paintings for my students to learn Chinese line drawing, then, to show them how to work out of a Chinese Gongbi Paintings since some of them have touched some Song Dynasty Paintings in my former classes in the U.S.A. Of course, I would do the jobs in Chinese National Academy of Arts, by the good directions of my tutors and professors and carry the first Volume One of my third series formal publications by an artistic or academic publishing house, to go back to Ozarks Technical Community College, Seymour R-II School and my Alma Mater -- Missouri State University in Springfield area, MO, U.S.A. in 2015; and go to Sydney, Australia in 2014.

Can you imagine? Except I had a little campstool, some chocolate from Mrs. Zheng Peisan, also, I had the 4th new student ( I have gotten 6 new lady art students who were beginners in the park, they wanted to paint, but did not dare to paint out of the door or they did not know how to paint from the nature, then I taught them something I had learned earlier than them, then we painted together for a day or a half day ). In fact, she also painted, but she had no courage to paint in the public. After taking with me and looking at me to paint, she took out of her paintings and asked me to comment them, and also she said she wanted to see and keep some of my paintings to learn from me.

After checking her former paintings, I did find she had a very good imagination, the problem was that she had not gotten any formal professional directions at all. So, I gave her first "lesson" , encouraged her to learn from her first art teacher – the great nature. Then I asked her mail address, I would certainly like to buy some essential art books for her and to do my best to help her to learn Chinese art free.

Do you know? Two of my new “ students ”Mrs. Chen Chunlan, Mr. Dong Xiouyun who are the bigginners and their children in Canada and in Spain have invited me to teach them in their classroom in their community each Friday for 2 hours. I said since I am just a student and I will finish my study 2013 class year in July, so, I will give them some help free at the time they need.

-- Secondly, I do feel the deep cultural reserve of Beijing. On the weekend, in the so small park, but the middle of Beijinb, and the imperial garden of the emperors in the ancient China, there were so many groups of people inside to sing art songs, folk songs and Beijing operas; to do different exercises; to play so many music instruments; to paint pictures with pen, pencil, water color or Chinese color... among the green trees, red walls and colorful flowers, I did feel that I was painting in a wonderland. :-)

The good news: Along with the work in the Jingshan Park, since the 5th day, my stomachache went away. I am thinking, in case I keep touching the great nature, sunshine and those kind people, my sicknesses will go certainly some day. Do you think so?

-- Thirdly, I do find that Beijing people quite love and miss Chairman Mao Zedong, there are deep feelings to him. Can you imagine? Carrying a national flag, the biggest group (they are in the 6th photo ) sang so many excellent songs that were created in 30s to 70s by the accompaniment of accordion, formal conductor and with a very professional style for about 3 or 4 hours. I was attracted there and took much video for them, then I found surprisedly they were all common city residents, but they were so seriously when they sang those songs that I had not heard for many years, such as Dongfang Hong -- East Is Red, Changzheng Zuge -- Group of Songs about Long March ,Gechang Zuguo - Sing in Praise of Our Motherland my eyes were wet and I could not help singing with them together. Just for I needed to paint, otherwise, I would really like to join in them.

I really found, most of people in the groups in the park are the common residents, they accompanied the dancers, singers with harmonicas, accordions,traditional Chinese instruments or Western instruments. Even thought many people are not professional, they were enjoying themselves happily...

In the short 7 days in the little park in the middle point of Beijing. I did see a part of the happiness, kindness and harmoniousness of Beijing people, felt much more hope to my own motherland.

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


Shirley Yiping Zhang
April 29, 2014 (Beijing Time)