Tuesday, May 13, 2014

"Demo at Lindale 2014 3" --- Sold

This is my favorite demo painting so far, and all the students thought the same way, right? I usually push the envelop a little when I do my third demo for my workshops. I told all the artists that I have used two days to establish my rules, but on the third day I show how all the rules are made to be broken. I enjoyed very much painting the old clock and Moroccan tea pot. The brush washing container and some of my paint tubes gave me more color sense.

I have come back to Austin now, but can only be home for a couple of days. I have a very significant event I will participate soon. This trip is not for my art of painting, but more importantly it will be for my art of living. From May 15 to 26, I will be meditate in an isolated place experiencing my life (and pondering about my death as well). I have been trying to getting into this kind of meditation a few times but failed due to many reasons. Now this time, I get in. Am ready for this serious and painful spiritual exercise? Of course not. But I have made up my mind.

This world is mainly driven by human desires (mainly greed and ego). We learn all the tricks trying to survive. Sometimes we are forced to carrying on wrong deeds, but we have no choice. We are not able to communicate the most important issues, like religion and politics, except preaching to the choir.  Because we think our way is right, and other ways are wrong. To avoid arguments, we must rely on a compromised way we called democracy to balance, or (in many cases) simply beat the hick out of others if we consider we are stronger, richer or more privileged....  I will ponder all of these issues in the dark for ten days, and hope coming back as a better person. I have to say I don't recommend my spiritual path to everybody. It is a private journey. I don't remember where I heard this poem:

If you want to get the plain truth,
Be not concerned with right and wrong.
The conflict between right and wrong
Is the sickness of the mind.


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8 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 13, 2014 at 2:32 PM

    Qiang…Every person seeks answers to many questions over his lifetime about the nature of the universe and how to interpret the meaning of life and its creation. I hope you find your answers during your spiritual retreat. The answers you find may be universal truths or they may apply to your life alone. Perhaps ultimate TRUTH is not universal and differs for each individual according to time and place! We need to be searching in the right place for it. The scientist want proof, the mystic doesn’t need proof but relies on faith. Here are some other awesome quotes to ponder on the nature of Truth: http://www.informationphysics.com/truth. Good luck on this journey. Linda from Tucson.

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  2. D. MEYERMay 13, 2014 at 10:42 PM

    Love this piece..back ground not to dark this time.
    On your journey, this is big for you, I don't know if I could do it myself, it will be hard to do. Will you blog about it? I wish you luck and with this,you need a paint
    break. Take care, be well... ;}

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  3. Susan RouxMay 14, 2014 at 6:13 PM

    Hi Qiang. I would like to talk to you personally. Please contact me. susanrouxmc@gmail.com or call at 207-576-7787. Thank you.

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  4. Catherine JeffreyMay 18, 2014 at 6:06 AM

    As artists, I don't think we can separate the art of painting from the art of living. As artists, we are forced to create, recreate, and re-invent ourselves everyday. We are self driven and along the way we must make decisions about financial suppost, artistic integrity, and about being true to ourselves and to those around us. In a workplace job, we are mostly other-driven. Yes, we have the luxury (as artists) to question where we want to "be" in this world. But that also comes with some pain. My son recently had an article about an invention he made in Popular Science magazine and he is very happy and proud of it, but he said to me "Mom, I can help wondering if I suffer from "impostorism". This is a fairly new concept. I looked it up and its very interesting. I think we all feel like this from time to time. I'm envious of your journey and I'm sure you will come back more at peace with yourself.

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  5. MaureenMay 18, 2014 at 4:41 PM

    I love this piece and it looks pretty amazing on my wall!
    Enjoyed having you at my studio Qiang and look forward to august!

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  6. Theresa Grillo LairdMay 18, 2014 at 10:10 PM

    I wish you well in your spiritual endeavor.The issues you're meditating on are important ones.

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  7. Jo CastilloMay 21, 2014 at 12:47 PM

    Absolutely beautiful painting! Wishing you the best on your journey and retreat. Looking forward to your next painting.

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  8. Diane HoeptnerMay 24, 2014 at 8:58 PM

    I very much agree with Catherine about it being hard if not impossible to separate "life" from "painting." ...and I hope you'll share any personal revelations after your retreat! Beautiful work, as always.

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