Susan's Garden

 

I did this painting for my friend Susan. I used a photo she provided. I examined the photo and found the elements to make the painting work. I documented my approaches and share the process with you via a YouTube video. I hope you like it.

My Neighborhood

 

I live in a typical Texas subdivision. Every morning, I like to take a walk in the neighborhood. It happens it is the time when the light is fantastic. I snapshot quite a few photos. Now I start to use them as references for painting. For this one, I emphasize the warm and cool color relationship. I hardly used green and any other local colors. The entire color scheme is dominated by the light source colors. This project helps me to develop a practical strategy for landscape paintings. I have documented my approach and made a video to share it. 

Bull Creek Plein Air

 I did this small plein air painting a week ago. A week has passed without being noticed. It seems I  did a lot this week, but it also seems I did not do much. Painting is easy, but life is much more complicated.

Small Figure Study

 

I did many landscape paintings, but I have not put figures in them very often. Now I want to study more and make myself comfortable of using figures. I post this recent small figure study combined with a video showing my step-by-step approached to do this painting. Please let me know if this video is helpful. Thanks.

Gallery Verde

 Painting figures has been my dream, and it is still my dream. I hope my life is long enough and this dream can be fulfilled. I am taking baby steps. First I want paint figures as a part of landscapes. I don't have to work on details. I just need to suggest and let viewers to fill the blanks. 

Gallery Verde is located in downtown San Angelo, Texas. It is the meeting place of the En Plein Air Texas painting competition. I am very fortunate to attend this event. I am looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new friends. 

Gardener's Storage

 Continuing the exploration of shape designs. painting looks realistic enough, but my attention was on the geometric shapes. I used to use abstractness to enhance realism. Now my way of thinking is the other way around. This "other way around" thinking will take us closer to the truth. 

New Youtube Video: Painter's Guide App Tutorial

 

I have just uploaded a new video on Youtube. It gives a comprehensive overview on how to use our Painter's Guide App. Two years have passed since our engineers and I created this app, and many people has used this app to assist their painting projects. However, I have not updated you a detailed information on the functions of this app until today.

I have used Youtube as a teaching tool for more than a decade, but I was so stupid and didn't know I can make some money from it. For So many years I posted so many videos and got so many people subscribed my channels. Do you know how much money I have made so far? The answer is ----- a big fat ZERO.... I really did not know how to set my Youtube correctly. Recently, I really learned Youtube from Youtube. So, wish me luck this time. In addition, if you can like what I did and subscribe my channel, I will really appreciate your help. 

Tuscany Geometry

 I am testing new ideas using geometric shapes to create a design. Although you may still recognize the scene as Tuscany rolling hills, but I have minimized the realistic presentation as much as possible. So the abstract geometric design was my goal. However, the color relationship I try to be as realistically correct as possible so people can see this is still a landscape painting. Since I am so new for this idea, and I will not consider this design is a really good one, but it is a good start. I have enjoyed using knifes for this painting. I hope I can push this approach to get some good paintings.

Download "Painter's Guide" app on iPad/iPhone

 

You probably already know that I have an app called the "Painter's Guide" running on my website to help artists paint better. Now I want to announce that this app can be downloaded freely to iPad and iPhone. If you go to my website > Apps > Painter's Guide (or http://www.qh-art.com/painter-s-guide-app.html), you will see the download buttons on the upper right corner. I have given detailed instructions on how to download this app on your Apple devices. We are not using Apple Store. I hope the download process is not too challenging. If it is for you, please do not hesitate to contact me. Maybe we should bite the bullet and put our apps on the Apple Store. What do you think?

Positiveness of Covid

 

Positive means bad, and negative means good. Isn't that ironic. Recently, I was tested positive for Covid 19. I have to cancel the recent OPA event, which have been planned a while ago. I sincerely apologize to OPA for the problem I have caused. This painting was planned as my demo for OPA. Now, I have done it during my isolation.

I try to look into the positive side of being Covid positive. It is a good learning experience. Humans are invincible only in the movies. The Nature (or ourselves) can destroy our "long term" civilization so easily. The purpose that we come to (or come out of, to be more exact) the world is not to prove "I am better than you", but to witness the miracles around us. So be humble, respectful, and egoless. 

Demo 2 and 3 at SLC

 

I just came back from Salt Lake City. The workshop went well. Here are all the demos I have done. I feel very grateful that I have the opportunity of teaching. I tried my best to provide tangible information when I painted my demos. 

Demo at Salt Lake City

 

I am teaching a still life painting at Salt Lake City, and this is my first demo. I hardly have any colored objects in the setup, so it is good exercise of using colorful grays. 

Specular Quartet

I usually do not paint tight paintings, and many people in my workshops expressed that they want to learn to be "painterly". However, this one is an exception. I worked on the details intensively. I have learned that a specific painting "style" is actually the limitation of the artist. If you don't mind to be "nobody", you have opened the possibility of being anybody.

Timeless Beauty

 

Peace, Happiness, Love, and Beauty are the nature of our being. They can not be gained externally. They are always here. If you still look for them, you are moving in the wrong direction, because they never leave you. The flowers bloom only for a short while, but the Beauty is timeless. Therefore, stop searching, because you are Perfect.

Silver Prismatics

 

"Silver Prismatics", 11" x 14". After exploring the unknown art world for a while, I came back to my comfort zone. I am painting still life again. As an old dog, I have had a hard time to learn new tricks. Now I am at home, enjoying my own cup of tea, laying back in the homey coziness. We love the world, but we should love ourselves first.

Backyard Apples

 

We planted an apple tree in our backyard about 15 years ago. For more than a decade, it did not bear any fruit. Finally, we saw a few apples in the summer of 2019. I took 2 photos of them and waited for them to ripe. But we are not lucky, The squirrels got them first. For then on, we have not got any apples from that tree. Our only harvest was two photos. 

I decided to paint from one of the photos. The result was not bad. I like the color opportunities and the shadow patterns casted on the fruit. I must admit this kind of heavy texture painting is not my cup of tea.  The true expert is Derek Penix. I announced Derek's Workshop in Austin recently. The registration has been very active. Now we have only 5 openings still available. So please take your action as quick as possible. 

New workshop announcement: Derek Penix 2023

 

Now we have adapted to the new norm, and I will gradually resume my usual art activities. Before Covid, I had invited well known artists to my studio to teach painting workshops. Now I am going to do that again. I am very happy to announce that Derek Penix will come and teach a 3-day workshop in Austin. Derek is such a phenomenal artist that his expressive brushwork has inspired so many people. I have been so amazed to see how he can paint so freely and abstractly but still be able to represent whatever subjects he paints so accurately, vividly, and dramatically.  I wish I could have that kind of skills in my art. So this will be a great opportunity we can learn from the master. If you are interested in taking Derek's workshop, please check: http://www.qh-art.com/derek-penix-2023.html for detailed information and sign up. I know the time is still early, but this workshop will be full in a very short time. So please take an action quickly. 

Sunset at a campground

 

It is the last day of July today. I am so grateful that I have had a full month of painting time. It was so much fun to be lost in the wilderness and painting something that I don't have much experience with. I feel the last sentence of my previous post might have been misleading. I don't mean I want to destroy art or give up painting.  I was trying to say that the process of creating art is actually impersonal. I should not label that I (Capitalized) created that painting. As a matter of fact, every time I stepped into my studio, I really don't know how that painting will turn out. The best approach is simply going with the flow. I often feel surprised when the painting happens. That is right: "Happening" is the word I am looking for. If you are an artist, have you had similar experience? 

The last piece of sunshine

I am still wandering in the Texas wilderness. With this painting I played the game of two light sources, one warm and one cool. Many people who have seen my recent paintings made this general comment: "Qiang, that does not look like your paintings any more". I agree absolutely. It is what I mean that I have lost my identity. I often ask myself why I paint. The reason is very simple: I want to be recognized. I feel good if I have got recognized. I feel I have accomplished something. That makes my life meaningful. Painting is the second face of mine, and the paint on it is the makeup. I want to my paintings look good so I can hide my weakness in other part of my life. However, I have understood now that my ego is the biggest trap of my life. I have lost my freedom with it, and I feel the hesitation to come out of my comfort zoon. I am suffering because of all the limitations I have. I have made my art. Now it is the time to destroy it.

Two Trees

 After I give up my identity, I feel I am lost in the woods. The senses of freedom and lack of security combined, my art path has led me to the big unknown. I suddenly realized I genuinely know nothing. Having a brain is a serious disease. If you let it go, you will get it.

Hot Summer in Palo Duro Canyon

 The purpose of this painting was for me to learn and practice on how to paint shrubbery and grass. I used to use random brush works to hide my lack of knowhows when encountering brushy and grassy area. Then I will say I just want the area abstract so it will not compete with the center of focus. This time is different. I selected a ref photo which has a large area of shrubbery and I spent about 7 days on this painting and most of the time I have worked on those green areas. I will not say I have got those shrubs nailed, but I have gained some experiences. This is a relatively large painting. My green colors are still a little boring. As a piece for learning, I feel content. 

Workshop Reminder

 

I will teach a 3-day still life painting workshop at Salt Lake City, Utah from August 26 to August 28.  This workshop is almost full, but we still have 3 openings. If you are interested in the way I paint, Please check: https://www.workshopslc.com/schedule/still-life-painting-with-qiang-huang for information and sign up.

"Rock Solid"

 

This is a painting I created recently. You might have noticed from my recent paintings that I have gradually lost my style and even identity. The painterly brush works and the dramatical ways of using light are disappearing.

Here is the reason. I reviewed my art career and found that I have been spending more time as a teacher than as a student. I have found that so many things in art I don't know. The month of July is very special for me. I have not arranged any outside activities. The only thing I want to do is to paint and learn. You have seen I painted so many new things the first time recently: lotus, detailed trees, aspens, and rocks. I will keep on trying new things.

Since my sickness, I have realized that all things related to my ego, like reputation and so called "success" are actually meaningless. Moreover, It is not only meaningless, but a stronger ego is more harmful. Because the ego is the source of all suffering. Most of us live our lives based on a false belief that we are individuals separated from each other, and have a limited time on this planet. We are not perfect, so we need to work hard to improve ourselves. So our ego grows day-by-day. We feel that is the major motivation and that is the meaning of our lives. Now I don't believe this anymore.

Cool Breeze Through Aspen

 

First time painting aspen. I have enjoyed it very much. The photo was taken last year in Utah. It was a cloudy day after a storm. The color temperature distribution had cooler light and warmer shadow. I like the color purple. It reminds me the cool weather in the parks. Austin was 107 F yesterday. It will be similar today. It is just another hot day in Texas.

Calmness

 

Did another boat painting. The scene was at Lake Martin, Alabama. I did a plein air demo at the site. Now at home, I used a photo and did a studio one. I enjoyed painting the water. It reflects so many colors. 

Nature's Way

 

Painting a tree in detail is my first time. I usually paint trees as background to support a center of focus, but this time I just want to do a tree painting. I thought painting a tree is not as interesting as painting a building or a figure, but the result makes me want to paint more trees. The scene was at the Lake Summerville State Park in Texas.

Afternoon at Tilghman Island

 

Happy 4th of July to all of you. The month of July is the time of Plein Air Easton, which is the event marked the starting point of my plein air painting journey a few years ago. Unfortunately, I am not attending Plein Air Easton this year. I did this small boat painting based on a photo I took from one of the previous Easton events. I really enjoy painting boats. The graceful curvatures, the color echoing of the water reflections, the illusive foreshortening of the perspective, and the vertical and horizontal rhythms of masts, posts, and the horizontal structure in the far field, are a few aesthetical elements of the marine paintings. 

Lotus at Mayfield

 First time painting lotus leaves. The green is intense. I have to use Cad unfortunately. I have tried to tackle the color of green, but so far I still have not got it completely. Of course I can say: I go with the flow, or I painted intuitively, but .... I will continue to work on it until someday.

Wild West

 

As an artist living in Texas, I need to paint cactus. I was at San Angelo State Park in June last year. It was the season that cactus bloomed wildly. I am glad I took a few photos with my phone. Now I have this studio painting done. By the way, I am preparing for a solo show in this December. This one will be shown in Fredericksburg, TX.

Demo at Dahlonega GA

 

It has been more than two months since I posted previously on my blog, Facebook, and my painting email. I have received emails from my art friends asking if I am doing OK. I am so sorry I have not been up to the date on the Internet. I have to admit that I have been slowing down since my health issue last fall. Besides that I also have some IT challenges. I am in a transition time of moving out of Mac and going into the PC system. Without adequate know-how in computers, I am having a hard time to manage my online activities. In any event, I sincerely apologize my delay of keeping you posted. I have been busy in art. Since March to now, I have taught 4 in-person workshops, and attended two Plein air competitions. The painting image I posted here was one of my demos at the Dahlonega workshop. BTW, I do maintain active on Instagram because it is much easier to post with a smart phone. If you have missed my posts, I highly recommend you following my on Instagram. My Instagram ID is: qiang.huang. In a nutshell, I am doing fine. I am learning about life every single day, and hope someday I will reach maturity.