"Everyday Christmas"

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I should have been painting in my evening hours, but I didn’t get chance to do that lately. Instead, I have been learning QuickBooks and trying to get some bookkeeping going. Nowadays, people like me don’t have the luxury to concentrate on the art development. We have to take care of everything. Too bad we have only 24 hours and I spend the best part of it onto the boring stuff to make a living (a very interesting phase). The art projects always are the first bunch falling into cracks. Life is hard, and more and more complicated, but I am still optimistic. I can’t develop my art at the pace I wanted it to be, but it is at least progressing day by day. I felt the year went by so fast, and the holiday season is here again. I am satisfied. I have achieved a lot in my art with the meager time and energy I have.
In my today’s painting, I am still experimenting with what I learned from Sherrie. I will let the future decide weather or not I would keep this approach. The painting is a little larger (8” x 8”) and I put greens and reds on my setup. I hope our regular days will be as merry as Christmas. Happy holidays.

"Yellow Roses Under Cool Light" --- Sold

I did this painting for a friend. I am not going to talk too much today. Please enjoy.

"Orange Spiral" --- Sold

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After my previous post, I received many comments, and most of people disagreed with me this time. How big the object is too big is a very subjective matter. Since I was attending Sherrie’s (and David’s) workshop, I did not want to do what I usually do. I really want to sense their way of judgment. Painting objects relatively small is part of the secrecy of the David Leffel style. David is painting the void. Using the subtle and smooth background and less occupied foreground, he sets up the boundary of the void to generate the effect of spaciousness. That is why David’s and Sherrie’s paintings have impacted us so strongly. So I don’t mind to create similar effect on my painting as well. Now, since we are talking about learning from the masters, I want to share some my experiences. At the class, I hardly taking any notes, but I pay a real attention to their demos. The masters communicate with you using visual language. So you need to listen with your eyes instead of your ears. The verbal part of their teaching is quite secondary to me. I hardly remember any their words. However, if you get a good result or some light bulbs start to blinking, make sure you document it verbally so you can remember better and organize the good effects into your own system. Moreover, if I may say some words to our beloved master artists who teach as well, I will say: Teaching is very left-brain process. To help the students to grow and also not mislead them, the teacher needs to do massive amount of work to translate the visual language into a verbal one, and present it in a systematic way. If there is a short of vocabulary, please create some. I heard Eskimos could identify many more kinds of snows than most of us. We artists should be able to describe many different kinds of grays verbally and pass them on to our students.

"Frontyard Harvest" --- Sold

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We have an orange tree in the front yard. My son, Jonathan, picked one with leaves on it. I did many orange paintings, but I really like this one because the leaves provide more shape variation. After I talked in my blog about studying with Sherrie McGraw. I received quite a few emails and comments asking about what I really learned from her. Very simple, she said I painted my objects too big. This painting is good start for improvement. I made the orange relatively small and gave more space to the background, so the painting appears larger. When Sherrie mentioned that I painted my objects too big, I suddenly realized that David Leffel told me the same thing. Many years ago I took workshop with David. I was concentrated in painting and suddenly I heard several Chinese words: "Qiang Tai Da"(meaning: Qiang, it is too big). It was David. He knows quite many Chinese words. This time Sherrie pointed out same problem again. I realized that a problem can be so persistent. It is amazing that it takes so many years for me to understand a simple instruction like "too big", even it was in my native language.

"A Yellow Rose of Texas" --- Sold

Although I came to America more than twenty years ago, but I still do not know the culture well enough. I did this painting a couple of days ago and wanted to find a good name for it. I heard the term "yellow rose of Texas", but I did not know exactly what it meant. So I "googled" it. The "Wikipedia" says it is the title of a song. I clicked a video link and listened to it. Actually I heard this tune before, but just didn't know its title. I am learning everyday. Just at that moment, suddenly, my computer crashed. I couldn't get the screen to move. Coincidentally, our company IT person was passing my cube, I stopped him to asked him to check my machine. He stared at my screen and said: "You knew that "Yellow Rose of Texas" is a gentleman's club in Austin, didn't you?" .......Oh! ..........

"Enchant in Subtlety"

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At Sherrie's workshop, I only did two paintings. the one I posted previously took me relatively shorter time. However, this one took me almost two days. Remember I was talking about learning from her how to create drama. This one is my experiment. The setup was done completely by Sherrie. When I started to paint, I felt I was powerlessly disarmed. You know I like to use high chroma colors, high contrast value range, and expressive bush works. I had none of those with this project. The color and value of the pot is almost the same as those of the background. The shapes of the arrangement were complicated and irregular. The roses were dying (they withered and died completely on the second day). I almost ran away from it. Well, I am glad I did not. I suffered through. And I started to appreciate the subtlety of the setup. It gives more potential for me to express, and the painting quality will be elevated to the next level. It is so great to see the opportunities. Did I show more "drama" in this one?

"InSight Gallery Celebration"

Sherrie and I in the InSight Gallery

Sherrie scrutinizing my paintings in the show

Last Saturday night, the InSight Gallery has its Celebration Show. I had a great time there, enjoying wonderful images, chatting with old friends and meeting new friends. The high-light for me was that I had Sherrie McGraw looked at my gallery level paintings and listening her critiques. Her comment was enlightening. I started to realize some common issues in my art. She really showed me a new path for improving my work. I think the significance of taking workshops from masters is not mimicking their approaches, but getting your mind in tune with the teacher. Otherwise you would not able to understand what the teacher talking about even you know all the words.

"Quiet Whispering" --- Sold

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Hello World! I am back. It has been a wonderful break. Now I am recharged and ready to work again. As a matter of fact, I have resumed my busy life several days ago. Three days ago. I went to Fredericksburg, TX again attending a workshop by one of my most admired master artists: Sherrie McGraw. Without seeing her and David Leffel's masterpieces of still life paintings, I can't imagine I paint still life today. I am so excited that I can study with Sherrie again. My posting for today is one of paintings I did at her workshop. Can you see some of Sherrie's influence in it? I have a well defined intention when I attended her workshop: I want to know how she sets up and creates such a dramatic effect in her paintings. Here is what I have learned (I think): CONTRAST. Please contemplate on this word, your painting will be improved dramatically.

Coincidentally, This Sherrie's workshop has been documented by American Artist's Workshop Magazine. I don't know exactly when the article will be out, but you will see it in the near future.

Happy Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is the Thanksgiving. At this moment, I am so grateful to all of you who followed my blog, subscribed my painting email, supported my art, and gave me the opportunity to share. May all of you have an exceptionally happy time with your family and friends.

I am sorry I don’t have a painting for you to view today. I am sending this message to let you know that I will take a break and go away for a week. I will spend my Thanksgiving long weekend and several my personal off days to go to a retreat. In contrast to my complicated and fast paced daily routines, I will spend some time in complete silence, contemplating about life, future, and spirituality. There are many things we consider important in life: success, wealth, and good health. However, there is something more important than all those. I am sure you know what I am talking about. So, follow your heart. Follow your faith. Follow your path.

I will be back to my studio on December 3. All the paintings sold during the break time will be shipped after I return.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

"Ikebana in a Cup" --- Sold

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Ikebana is Japanese for "the Tao of flower arrangement". My wife Song is very good at it. Japanese culture emphasizes on the "Tao" of doing things. From drinking tea (chado) to sward fighting (kendo), almost everything has a "Do" of "Tao" to follow. "Tao" is usually translated as "the Way", but I prefer to translate it as "the Art". The state of art is the highest level of doing or performing.

"A Green Thingy" --- Sold

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I haven't done any small paintings for a while. So I did one last night. When I started the setup, my mind was completely blank. Our life is so complicated nowadays. We constantly jump from one project to another, which have no relationship what so ever in between. After I shoveled my engineering stuff away and pick up my art thingy, I felt really odd and empty. "You must have an art concept before you paint". That was what I learned and taught. But sometime, I really don't have any idea. I just paint.

"Old Tea Kettle"

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It surely was fun doing portrait for a change. Now I am back to my still life again. I did this one last weekend and it will be shown in the InSight Gallery at Fredericksburg, TX. The holiday season is coming. My eBay store is quite empty. I got a lot of catching up to do.

I got many feed backs on my cynical illustration of the corporation world. Oh boy, I shouldn't have "disturbed the sound of silence." Thank God that my boss has not seen my post. He could have cracked my skull open with that plastic trophy he just received.

"Study with Carolyn Anderson 3"

After I posted my portrait studies with Carolyn Anderson, I have received many great comments and encouragement. I am sorry I can't reply to all of you, but I really appreciate your support. Thank you very very much. This is my final one I did in her class. It is kind of mediocre I wish I could have the luxury of taking her class entirely, but unfortunately, I only stayed in the workshop for two days. I have to rush back to Austin to take care of my engineering job.

In my blog, I hardly mention anything about my daily engineering work. But I want to say something today. The company I worked with has developed very fast in spite of the current economic down-turn. Recently, it has been rewarded as one of the 50 fastest growing companies in Austin. At the ceremony night, I dressed up like a penguin, trying very hard to mingle with other penguins and peacocks. Wine glasses clanking, diamonds shimmering, people talking without speaking, people hearing without listening. I am humbled and mutated into a wallflower, watching the almighty Dollar dance fervently.

"Study with Carolyn Anderson 2"

This is the second portrait I did at the Carolyn Anderson's workshop. I think I like this one even better. This one is more accurate and solid. It is not as loose as the previous one, but the accuracy is more important. Don't you agree?

"Study with Carolyn Anderson 1"

Hello from Fredericksburg, TX. I am here taking Carolyn Anderson's portrait painting workshop. I like her style a lot. This is my first painting I did under her guidance. You have seen I painted many still lifes, but if you ask me what I like to paint the most, I will say portrait and figure. The reason I don't paint much human subjects is that I know it is too risky if I do that completely by myself at my current level. figurative painting has so many pitfalls if doing it incorrectly. Following the right teacher is crucially important. Carolyn is one of the best artists I want to follow. I have not decided if I will sell this painting. I will think about it.

"Seesaw" --- Sold

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Today is our anniversary. I took a half day off. My wife and I went to the Oasis, a beautiful restaurant on the side of Lake Travis at the west of Austin. I feel sooooo good, Man!!! (I try to sound like "Cheech and Chong"). You know what, I feel weird too, man. Today is Wednesday, but I am not at my cubicle typing technical gibberish. It surly feels strange, but it was a wonderful day.

Similar to the previous post, I put linear shapes and dots to give the composition more taste. I hope you like it.

"Shimmery" --- Sold

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This is a delicious one. I had so much fun painting it. I was working on shape variation. You may have heard "dots, lines, and areas". They are three basic shapes in a design. In most of my paintings I don't have enough "dots" and "lines". So those paintings are kind of plain. In this one, I deliberately placed some branches in the setup. I am glad I did.

"Happy Halloween"

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I hope all of you are happy today. This is the first Halloween that my son Jonathan does not want to go "trick-or-treating". He wants to show me he is a Man now. Jonathan will be thirteen in December. He is always a sweet kid to me, Oops, I hope he is not reading this. In case you do, Jonathan, I want you to know that mom and I love you very much.

"A Foggy Day" --- Sold

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Since I am in the mode of doing high key paintings, why don't I go a little further? This painting does not have much of dark areas. You know I love to use dark value and colors to enhance the contrast. Well this one is the opposite. The value range is rather limited. All colors are very similar in value. The reason I did this is that I got opportunity to have many soft and lost edges. Impressionistic painters did this kind of thing a lot. But some of them went too far, and the forms went away. I want to keep my forms as accurate as possible, but the edges can be as soft as possible.

"Autumn Colors" --- Sold

Based on my small study posted previously, I did this one. It is slightly larger and it will be showing in the InSight Gallery at Fredericksburg, TX. This is relatively new gallery, but they have wonderful wonderful art showing there. If you happen to in the Fredericksburg area, please check it out. Your time will be well spent. Guaranteed.

"Colors in October" --- Sold

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Above my head, mercury lights are buzzing out radiation, paled like a dead face. In front of my eyes, computer screens are flickering dazzling color, contentless information. Cubicals form a giant labyrinth, guiding the WiFi passing through. Engineers manipulate the invisible stricture, cranking photons into dollar bills. Caffeine drives the whole industry moving forward and one piece of junk barters multimillion.......This is my world. This is my October....... But sometime, I cheat. This is my painting. This is my October.

"Full of Emptiness" --- Sold

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I am back to still life painting again, and continuing my study on colors. With this simple white bowl on a piece of white clothe, I tried hard to find opportunities to use as much colors as possible. Man! It was hard. I was wondering if I really see colors or just hallucinating.
After I posted my turp container question. I got so many answers. I really appreciate all of you willing to help me. Now I want to feed back you the best answer I think. I created a new page in my website called "practical tips". Please check: http://www.qhart.com/Q_and_A/Turp_container.htm. If you have the similar problem, may this tip helps you as well. I will put more tips on this page in the future. I got it from you, so I would like to give it back to you.

"Fort Worth Botanical Garden"

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This one is another plein air I did at Fort Worth. Since my last post, many of you have commented and emailed. Your messages warm my heart. I really appreciate your support. I feel so lucky that I have so many friends "traveling" together with me. Thank you so much. Well today, I want to ask a piratical question to all my plein air painting friends. I am trying to find a sealed container to carry mineral spirit for my plein air trips. So far I have not found one that does not leak. What do you use to hold your turp or mineral spirit without leaking?

"Fort Worth Roses" --- Sold

This is another plein air I did at the Fort Worth Botanical Garden. Last Friday evening, I was traveling from Austin to Fort Worth. The traffic was horrible. Bumper to bumper, I was in traffic jams constantly. It took me more than five hours to travel 150 miles. When I was crawling on the high way, I thought about my career as an artist. It has been a rather difficult journey. I ran into limitations all the time. I wish I could paint more, I wish I could study with Richard Schmid and several other high caliper artists. I try to use every minutes I have, and I am in fatigue all the time. The frustration is exactly like the traffic I am in. My car can go 70 m/h easily, but I can only go 20 m/h now. I guess that is life. I should be content that I am still moving, because I am already very very lucky comparing with many others.

"What are you painting?" --- Sold

I went to the Ft. Worth Botanical Garden last weekend and participated in the Camp Fire USA paint-out. I really enjoyed two days plein air painting. This one is my quick draw piece. I have not fully developed my plein air skills yet, but I surely enjoyed this event. I met quite a few very good plein air artists this time and learned a lot. This painting is not bad, I started to have some feeling about plein air paintings. It is good to have a change.

"Demo at Duncan 2" --- Sold

This is the second demo I did. As a matter of fact, the workshop at Duncan, Oklahoma was my last one for 2009. I did nine this year, and I enjoyed every minutes of them. Teaching is different from painting. I tried hard to make sure my information is tangible. Philosophies are not always need to be esoteric. A teacher's job is making them down-to-earthly understandable. I believe that art can be taught and learned. Knowledge and skills are the wings of your creativity.

"Demo at Duncan 1" --- Sold

I just came back from Duncan, Oklahoma. I enjoyed so much teaching this 3-day workshop. Jolene Forbes was so wonderful organizing this one. Thank you very much. I appreciate so much that the Duncan Art Guild and Jolene for giving me this great opportunity. I want to thank all the Oklahoma artist friends who attended my workshop. I hope you all find my teaching useful, and hope to see you again in the future. This is my first demo at the workshop. Please enjoy.

"Blue and Gold" --- Sold

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This painting is rather simple. The main purpose I do this study is practicing color harmony. Believe it or not, I put lot cadmium orange into all colors I used for this painting, including the blue. The reason for that was I saw a lot of orange in my light. Does the painting look orange to you? Maybe not, but it definitely in orange harmony for sure.
Tomorrow, I will go to Duncan, Oklahoma to teach a workshop. I will share some of my demo paintings soon.

"Warm Up" --- Sold

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I received many positive comments on my color study. They make me more confidence that I am not "going to far". My today's painting is another example. This time I paid more attention in the casting shadows. Instead of making them very dark, I really examined the colors. I think life is the same way. In some part of our life, we are in darkness. We are long for light, but not always can get it. Why don't we examine more the shadows we are in. It gives us the richest experiences, and we become more mature.

"White Carnations" --- Sold

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I recently signed up "Facebook" and "Twitter". Be honest to you, I know nothing about them. I know many of you are experts of the social network thingys, so I need help from you. Could someone tell me how to synchronize blog, facebook, and twitter together? I googled, but have not found much help. Someone said using "Notes", well I don't see it on my facebook pages. I googled more and learned "Notes" is a type of "Application". Well I don't see any tab or link of "Applications" on mine. I googled for "facebook tutorials" and got tons of sites and videos, but their facebook seems different from mine. I finally learned there are something called the "NEW" facebook, and I haven't seen much help on the newface yet. ...... I looked at my watch, I gave up. I painted some flowers. Time was much better spent.