It has been 21 days since I wrote to you last time. How are you? Have you had a good time in the past 3 weeks?

On my side, I have completed my draft second time for a Chinese Baimiao Painting -- the second step of a Chinese Gongbi painting or a Chinese Mogu Painting or a single art works for the first painting of my American Cultural Map Series.

In this draft, there are 113 birds based on 11,460 photos of American birds and flowers which I have collected since Nov, 2015, with the size 227cm x 145cm ( 89.37 inches x 57.08inches).

As soon as I completed the design of the last picture, I made 6 models with 4 sizes for I would like to see what size is the best suitable one for my works.

Now I have made sure to use both of the smallest size 227cm x 145cm ( 89.37 inches x 57.08inches) and the biggest size 648cm x 414cm ( 255inches x 162.99inches ) to create two kinds of paintings. The small one will tend the functionality and the big one will tend the artistic quality. Both of them will be created with Chinese Gongbi, Mogu and Xieyi three kinds of techniques.

My plan is to complete it within 1 year, includes one big painting and 50 small paintings. :-)

I am going to complete 3 or 4 maps and 3 art albums with 150 paintings base on my current jobs in the upcoming 3 years.

Until now, the main purpose of the travel to come to Beijing has been met already. So, I am thinking whether I should go back Shenzhen earlier or I should complete the second painting which I had started in 2015, but carried with me to the USA and then carried with me back China. :-)

In Beijing, during the working process, I have gotten so much good help and directions from my tutors, professors and classmates in Chinese Traditional Academy. 4 of my tutors Mr. Wu Tong (he is on the 3rd photo) -- Teaching Department Dean of the school, Mr. Ma Shenzhengli (he is on the 4th photo) -- Head of the Flower and Bird Research Section of the Teaching Department, Mr. Sun Qi(he is on the 5th photo)-- Associate Dean of the Teaching Department, Mr. Ren Ming. Just from June 1 to July 10, I have met my tutors and got their direction face to face 10 times.

With a grateful heart, I attended the art exhibition and forum on July 8. It was lucky enough I met the president of Chinese Traditional Painting Academy and the former Deputy Dean of Chinese Painting School at Chinese National Academy of Arts -- Professor Man Wei Qi (he is on the 1st photo) and the Head of Teaching Department of Chinese Painting School -- Professor Liu Xuanrang(he is on the second photo), who were my tutors face to face in the past 4 years. Also, I have met so many former classmates...

I would like to cherish the last 2 weeks in the school and try to complete my work as much as possible... And hope to bring something beautiful and helpful to my American students as much as possible in the near future.

How about you? Do you have anything special to share in the past 3 weeks? 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
July 12, 2016 (Beijing Time)