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New Workshop Announcement

I am going to teach a 3-day workshop at Andreeva Portrait Academy (APA) in Salado, TX from February 21 to February 23, 2009. APA is a private painting atelier offering high level professional art workshops and classes. If you are interested in knowing my approach of still life oil painting, please contact APA by admissions@theportraitacademy.com for information and registration. Thanks.

"Halloween Is Coming" --- Sold

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Halloween is coming and I have a real ghost story to tell. You know I was in Mississippi about two weeks ago teaching a workshop. I stayed alone in a small cottage next to an old cemetery. The owner of the cottage has many antiques displaying in the room for decoration. I went to bed around 11:00 PM. I turned off the light…..and it was getting quiet. Well, I started to hear a faint noise. To be precise in the engineering terms, it was a low frequency, periodic buzzing noise –zzz---. Some one was breathing…. I jumped out of the bed and turned on the light. The noise was disappeared. I checked the refrigerator and bathroom, but nothing was looking suspicious. Maybe an animal was in or around the house. Maybe it was simply my imagination. I turned off the light and tried to sleep again. Well, the noise came back. It was REAL I swear. I felt a little scared, but I didn’t know what I could do. I thought about the tombs several yards from me and the spirits under the stones. The house must be HAUNTED…. I started talking to the “ghost”. I chose English for the obvious reason…. Of course, I hardly had any sleep that night. Next morning, I searched the house and inspected the antiques items as careful as I can. You know what, I found the “ghost”. Do you want to know what it was? It was an old electric clock. It has a motor constantly moving (not ticking). It makes a very faint noise just like someone was breathing…. I slept like a log ever after. The end.

"The Only Rose" --- Sold

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I have a rose bush in my yard, given me many beautiful flowers last year. I painted quite a few of them. But for some reason, it did bloom this year. It grew a lot of leaves and thorns but no flower. I almost give up on it.... But finally, I saw a small bud yesterday. This morning it turns into a beauty. I have to paint it. It is the ONLY rose. So here it is.

2008 is a difficult year to many people. Many suffered due to natural disasters, wars, and economical crisis. Life is full of thorns. But we shouldn't give up the hope. We will hang in there waiting the only rose blooming. It will come, and there will be many more to follow.

"Sew Much 4 U" --- Sold

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It took me three days to finish this small painting. After I returned from my Mississippi trip, I found my wife was in bed. She had a severe back pain and could hardly move. Our neighbor and some our friends helped her during my absent. I want to thank them for their kindness from the bottom of my heart. For more than a week. I had to take up all the chores in the house. In the mean time my daytime work had increased its load. We have a major deadline approaching. I don't even have time to unpack my painting stuff until about four days ago. My wife is getting better now, and I started painting again. However my painting time is still fragmented. I even can't finish a 5"x7" in one session. I said it before: being able to paint is a luxury. We should not take it for granted.

"Demo at Mississippi 2" --- Sold

This is my second demo painting at my Rolling Fork workshop. I was using a lighter background to show the transparency of the Ball Jar. The cool color of the glass strongly enhanced the warm color of the orange.

"Demo at Mississippi 1"

Hi You'l! I just came back from Deep South. I taught a 3-days workshop at Rolling Fork, Mississippi. I want thank Pat Walker-Field for organizing this workshop and all the artists for participating. Rolling Fork is a wonderful small town at the Mississippi Delta in mist of cotton fields. I enjoyed several days of the warm Southern hospitality, and tasted delicious grits. Now I know who "Muddy Waters" was and where the Teddy bear came from. I really learned a lot, and have more stories to tell.

This painting was the first demo I did at the workshop, showing how to achieve looseness on a painting.

"Mutual Support" --- Sold

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The shadow of the stem shows today's stock market. Red is THE color. I thought someday I could be a full time artist. Well, it looks like that I have to postpone my plan for a couple of more years. I guess we just have to hang in there, take the challenges. But, I believe there will be a rainbow after the storm.

"After Work" --- Sold

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I drink socially only. Usually a beer and a glass of wine will do it. But drink Tequila was absolutely new to me. This happened at the last day of my workshop at Ajijic, Mexico. We had a potluck party. I was told by one of the artists that I MUST drink Tequila. Well, here is Mexico, I got to follow the rules. So I did. I finished a 50 ml bottle in two gulps..... Wow!!! It was strong! But it tasked really sweet and it smelled really great too. It wasn't what I thought it was. "Now, I am ready for another painting" I thought. Of course, I didn't do it, but I really had a great time at the party afterwards. I took the empty tequila bottles back to my studio and did this tequila painting today. I hope you all like it. Be honest to you, I didn't drink before I paint this one.

"On Red Napkin" --- Sold

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I really enjoyed the shape variation of this setup. The fold on the napkin, the casting shadows, and of course the shape of the pears make the composition such a nice design...... You know sometime you need to pat your own shoulders, especially the depressing time of this a couple of days.

"Blue and Red" --- Sold

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I was listening the VP debate while I was painting this one last night. This election is so important to everybody this year. Blue and Red are the seasonal colors now. I hope all my American artist friends will vote this November. Do you want to know who I will vote for? I will vote for Change.