"Demo at Hope Town 2015 3" --- Sold

It is inevitable to painting plein air on this beautiful island. This is my 3rd demo on the workshop. I remembered I have said before that there are two kinds of artists. The first kind is really interested the subject matter with well defined 3D forms, like portrait, figure, and still lives. Then gradually expand their ability to cover landscape and even abstracts. I may call this kind of artist "form based" artists. I am belong to this kind. However the other kind is really interested in color patterns so they paint mainly landscapes and latter on expand into still life, figure, and portrait. I may call the second kind the "pattern based" artists. In both groups, there are many excellent masters, but very few can master both. I am very curious why there is this kind of differences.

"Demo at Hope Town 2015 2" --- Sold

Second demo at Hope Town. Silver and Fruit.

"Demo at Hope Town 2015 1" --- Sold

It is my second time coming to the beautiful Bahamas. I want to thank the Humming Bird Art Center, Christy Young, and Robbie Bethel for inviting me again to teach here and thanks to all the artists for coming a long way to attend my class, even though many people having difficult issues in travel this time.

It is super beautiful here. Hope Town is on a very small island. The population here is about four or five hundreds. It is a super quiet and has not been polluted by the commercialism. I have enjoyed so much the beautiful scenes here. I know it is odd of painting still lives here. It gives me more motivation to improve my landscape (or seascape) painting skills.

"Head Study 020415"

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Life is a roll of toilet paper. When it close to the end, it goes really fast. I don't know why I become so inefficient nowadays. Coming back from San Miguel for about a week now, but I have not got any chance to paint. I have been so busy all the time, but busy for what, I have no idea. Our life has been invaded by so many junks. I look at my roll of toilet paper. It gets thiner and thiner everyday. I feel anxious every time when I go to the bathroom.

This study was done right before I went to Mexico. I really need to work on my portrait and figures. I have some workshops this year, I need to teach portrait painting. If I don't practice, I don't think I can do a good job.

Nancy Tankersley Workshop Reminder

This painting was done by the Maryland artist: Nancy Tankersley. On March 26 - 29, Nancy will teach a workshop in Austin. I announced this workshop a while ago, and we got full house very quickly. Recently, a few people have to cancel due to personal reasons. So we got a few openings at this moment. If you are interested in learning Nancy's painterly approaches toward figurative painting, please check: Nancy Tankersley Workshop on my website, and sign up. In addition, latter part of March is the best time to visit Austin and Texas Hill Country. You will see beautiful blue bonnet and other wild flowers all over.

"Demo at San Miguel 2015 4" --- Sold

For the 2nd plein air demo, I decided to paint a window. In San Miguel, there are so many beautifully decorated windows with flower pots. They are very painterly. I picked up one at Casa Gibson, where the workshop was hosted. It was all in shadow, so the variation in light was very subtle. I did very few window paintings before, and this is the first time I did in front of people as a demo. Many people think I am already a developed painter, but I know so well that I am still a beginner, because so many subjects I have never painted.  Now I get challenged more and more to paint something the very first time in front of many enthusiastic artists. I try to act that I am calm, but in my mind, I know I am walking on thin ice. I used a lot of palette knife work on this painting. It turned out much better than I thought.

"Demo at San Miguel 2015 3" --- Sold

My workshop at San Miguel had four days: two days of still life and two days of plein air. I did this demo right at the center square. We have mainly talked about how to manage the perspective for cityscape paintings. This was a new experience to me, teaching at a busy touristy spot and doing a plein air painting. Many people have watched during this demo, my students and quite a few local people and tourists. I was surprised that three people on the street told me they know who I am. They read my blog, or follow me on Facebook. The world is so small now.

"Demo at San Miguel 2015 2" --- Sold

These a few days I had too much fun. The food were so delicious; the music was so wonderful; the city was overwhelmingly beautiful; and the time was too short. Jean Ann is a superb event organizer, the people in San Miguel are so nice. The artists in my workshop and I have enjoyed so much.

This is my second demo painting in San Miguel. I feel I have gained more confidence in my high key approaches. Even though my colors are still too plain, but the drama level has improved a little.

"Demo at San Miguel 2015 1" --- Sold

Hola! I am at San Miguel De Allende teaching an workshop. I want to thank Jean Ann Fenneis for organizing this workshop, and thank all artists form US and Mexico for attending. Very different from my other workshops, the one is conduced completely outdoors. My usual way of low key painting will not work well under the bright day light. So I must paint high key. I have adapted the condition here, and this is my first demo.

San Miguel is so beautiful. No wonder so many artists live here. I spent whole day yesterday touring this old mountain city, and later on I will do a few plein air paintings here. I am so happy being here. I think my cityscape painting will progress even further.

Plein Air Painting in China 2015

I am very excited to announce my "Plein Air Painting in China 2015" trip officially. This coming September 10 to 24 I will go to China again, and I would like to cordially invite you to join me this two-week long painting and sightseeing trip. If you are interested in this trip, please visit China 2015 webpages for detailed itinerary and registration information. In 2013, fifteen artists from America, Australia, and Philippines joined me, and we traveled in 4 different locations in China. We had a fabulous time. I am sure this year's trip will be equally or more exciting. I hope this event can offer you great opportunity of seeing and painting in this exotic culturally rich country in an comfortable, safe, and enthusiastic atmosphere.

"Bamboo and Tangerine" --- Sold

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I did this painting on my Austin mentoring class today. My student Kyle set up this composition. He is 15, but his paintings have been already accepted by a major gallery. I am so happy to see talented young people like Kyle interested in representational art. He is very passionate about painting. I am sure he will be very successful in the near future.

This painting is relatively high key. The bamboo is from my back yard, and the half of tangerine is in an irregular shape. I am testing how far I can go with this high key approach.