How are you? Are you enjoying your new week?

On my side, there is some good news for you:

-- I have come back Beijing from the lesson of painting from the nature in Jiangyin City and Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province on June 26 and re-started the normal study at Chinese National Academy of Arts.

According to the directions of my supervisor, I am working on reading, painting and preparing the thesis proposal for my dissertation.

-- July 2, 2017, I went to a graduation art exhibition of the Master and Doctoral students and heard more than 20 top experts from Chinese National Academy of Arts, China Central Academy of Fine Arts, Chinese Academy of Fine Arts, Chinese National Academy of Painting … at the academic conference for 4 hours and 40 munities. Because my supervisor thought that I should learn from them and know what level I should meet in 2 years.

Yes, I am lucky enough for being able to hear so many wonderful speeches from these best experts in Chinese art field and re-met 6 professors who had taught me face to face, even though I had no any time to say hello and thank you respectively to all of them.

Anyway, Professor/Dr. Pan Ying who had taught me and is my referee of becoming a candidate for my MFA at Chinese National Academy of Arts and I had a short talking. She is on the last photo.

-- I had gotten a big Red Bag from my Supervisor – Professor Mu Jiashan ( he is in the yellow T-shirt on the photos), who does not only help us on improving our acdamic level with his 120% effort, but also, has done his best to help every student on life. As same as a student said, he is just like a big hen, to protect each of her chicken seriously -- During the lesson of painting from the nature, he painted so much, so that we could live and eat at a 5-star hotel for free. Unexpectedly, when we finished the lesson, he gave each of us a “Red Bag” with the money which can support our tuition for more than one class-year

To be honest, when I saw a few of my paintings were changed so much money which was more than whole of the income (which was donated already) from all of my art exhibitions in the USA in the past 8 years, I was so moved indeed.

I knew clearly, it was the heart of our supervisor -- he would really like to help each of us to make our dreams to be true. If there were no Professor Mu Jiashan and his effort, our paintings could not be accepted this way.

As a student who has travelled among Beijing, Shenzhen, America and Australia for 9 years and has to be delayed to graduate later for one year, I have really started feeling some finical pressure, so that I had to rent out of my home in Shenzhen before I came back to Beijing. However, since the money is from my supervisor’s grace, I should certainly do something to repay him and his kindness. Therefore, following him, I donated 50% of the money to the team as a fund for our future study.

Anyway, I knew the best return to the supervisor is to study better and to make a better acdamic result via working harder. So, since I came back Beijing on June 26, I have created 5 paintings and wrote 4 calligraphy. I am working harder and more seriously than any past time.

-- I have unpacked 22 boxes from Shenzhen and my former colleague’s company in Beijing and created a good study environment for myself in Beijing. Also, I have carried more than 250 books, 84 DVDs and more than 100 tapes with me, I am trying to make redouble effort in Beijing, to fill up myself with the best part of Chinese culture, arts and theory…

-- I am now living in a quite friendly team and among good fiends. No matter my tenants, agents and friends who look after my car in Shenzhen, my landlord, former classmates, housing management office and the worker who made the painting wall for me and the taxi drivers in Beijing, the placemen who helped me to catch a taxi and the engineers who quickly fixed my internet ( within 5 hours) and the clerks who sent the commodity I bought to my home … are all so nice and so helpful…

The bad news is:

-- I suffered a serious cold for 3 days after I came back from the lesson of painting from the nature.

-- The government has closed my web site www.ebridge.cn and my email @ebridge.cn since July 1.

-- My formal work partner on the DVD of our publication told me that he would not be able to work on it as he had promised since he itself is facing a lot of problems as a new immigrant somewhere...

-- I can hardly sit, stand up or walk since I came back from the art exhibition and conference, July 2, I have been suffering the sharp ache on my low back once more so that I am writing to you with the computer on my chest right now.

I know my health has reached the limit after the long distance travel between America and China with a wounded low back and then worked hard on renting out of my apartment in Shenzhen and fixed a new home in Beijing and had a lesson in Jiangsu...

However, I must solve all of these problems and I must complete my work and perform my responsibilities and promises...

So, even though I could not sit up or stand up, I asked help among my friends, work partners and formal colleague yesterday via my cell phone.

You cannot imagine what a luck person I am!

-- Because of the good arrangement of the President Xu Yixiong of Jinan University Press, a department director – Mrs. Liang Yueqiu will replace me to make the record of the new words of our book after the publishing house completing their final check.

-- A formal colleague and subordinate Mr. Liu Jinyou who is an excellent software engineer has stood up the duty to develop the new DVD of the blication and he has envolved himself into this jobs already.

-- Two of my formal colleagues Ms. Liao Xiaoqun and Mr. Zhang Quan have helped me to open the new web site with my another domain name www.ebridge.com.cn and email @ebridge.com.cn after my normal web site www.ebridge.cn and email @ebridge.cn were closed by the government.


Now I am trying to do my best to fight with the sickness while reading and thinking as much as possible.


I am looking forward to re-standing up as soon as possible and envolve my limited life into the unlimited cross-cultural and comprehensive art career, to help more people and this world...

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


If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, you are welcome to write to shirley@ebridge.com.cn or leave your message on Message Board.

Sincerely,

Shirley Yiping Zhang
July 6, 2017 (Beijing Time)