"Demo at Easton 2019 3" --- Sold

With more than 10 quiet days on the cyber world, I have been so busy and exhausted in the real world. Many workshops have passed since I painted at Wayne, and Plein Air Easton competition has ended. There are so many things worth to talk about, but I simply have no time and energy to talked about. Our house has not been sold. Our new house has not been rented out. I have been traveling far away from home painting rich people's yachts and sail boats, but complete forget that I am current deadly broke.

"Anne and Phil's Barn"

This is a small painting I did for my host family Anne and Phil Graham. I really appreciate they offered their lovely home for us to stay during the Wayne Plein Air Festival. Anne is a excellent portrait artist. Please check her website: http://www.annegrahamportraits.com. You will be amazed what you see.

"Peonies at Chanticleer Garden" --- Sold

Let me finish the story of my misfortunate painting day first. I almost had a panic attack when I found my classes were "gone with the wind", because that was my only pair and I needed a new prescription from an optometrist to get a new prescription. I was not home and two days later I needed to go to Michigan to teach another workshop. I had no idea if I could have another pair of glasses made within 48 hours. After, my heart sunk into the bottom, my situation started turning around. First of all, I felt so grateful about having a wonderful family and so many wonderful friends around me. My wife Song was with me when all of those misfortune happened, She took over the driving part. We arrived at Wayne Art Center about an hour later, the center director Nancy Campbell immediately made calls to all the eye doctors in the vicinity of Wayne. It happened to be a Friday afternoon. She made more than 10 calls, but all the optometrists were not available in Wayne. Finally she found an eye doctor in another town. So we went to see this very doctor. The optometrist was very nice. She measured my eyes, and helped me calling to see if anyone can make my classes quickly, and she found one. We went to nearby shopping mall, and visited a "Lens Crafter". They made a new pair of glasses for me within ONE HOUR. Well the story ended happily. I then painted those happy peonies the day after.

"Lost Tugboat" --- Sold

I have an amazing story to tell about this painting. One of those Wayne Plein Air days, I went to a ship yard near Philly. I saw a few beautiful tugboats. The best view of them was from a bridge across the water. I set up my easel right away and started to paint. When I just layed out of my composition, I noticed that boat (I used for my center of focus) started to move. Quickly it turned. I saw a guy on the stern waved to me, seemed to say "Bye-bye". Then it disappeared. I was so disappointed, but I did not give up. I started to observe the second tugboat. It was not attractive as the first one, but It looked ok. So I altered my composition and kept on painting. Well, just when I blocked in my colors and ready for details, the second boat started to move. It turned mischievously, and disappeared. I was so frustrated. Only one tugboat left, but it was rather uninteresting. Well. I had no choice, and kept on painting. I removed my eye glasses and put it to the pocket of the apron I was wearing, and concentrated to develop a design to make the painting work. I painted, and painted I did not know for how long. I wanted to observe the painting from afar, and tried to reach my glasses. Suddenly I discovered my apron has mutated into a piece of string on my neck. The body of the apron had been blown away by wind. You know I was painted on a bridge. I looked into the water, and there is no trace of the apron and my glasses. Without glasses, I am literally blind. I may paint loosely, but I can not drive. That was the end of this lost tugboat painting. rest of the story is about how to get back to Wayne, and how to be able to see again. I will tell you later.

My "Off-the-Grid" Haven

Happy 4th July my friends! It was also on 4th July, Henry David Thoreau moved into his small house by Walden Pond. Although so many people around me considered my effort of building this Off-the-Grid shelter is so idiotically unnecessary, but as an artist, I feel it is my responsibility to demonstrate my American spirit: Fighting for the Freedom and Independence. I believe we can use our own hands and brains to build our beautiful life and librate ourselves from the shackles of the merciless commercialism. The photo shows the status of some of my projects. So far I have 6 100V solar panels (cost $81 each) giving power to a small window AC so I can stay comfortably indoors agains the brutal Texas summer heat. I also put up a deck, and installed the awning above the window. Today I don't show a painting. Maybe I can call this piece my sculpture or my performance art.