Peace, Happiness, Love, and Beauty are the nature of our being. They can not be gained externally. They are always here. If you still look for them, you are moving in the wrong direction, because they never leave you. The flowers bloom only for a short while, but the Beauty is timeless. Therefore, stop searching, because you are Perfect.
It is the last day of July today. I am so grateful that I have had a full month of painting time. It was so much fun to be lost in the wilderness and painting something that I don't have much experience with. I feel the last sentence of my previous post might have been misleading. I don't mean I want to destroy art or give up painting. I was trying to say that the process of creating art is actually impersonal. I should not label that I (Capitalized) created that painting. As a matter of fact, every time I stepped into my studio, I really don't know how that painting will turn out. The best approach is simply going with the flow. I often feel surprised when the painting happens. That is right: "Happening" is the word I am looking for. If you are an artist, have you had similar experience?
This is my second demo at Coppini. I selected a square shaped object to demonstrate how to manage the perspective and measurement. I felt good about those flowers and leaves. I also did the third demo in front of both the workshop artists and general members of Coppini Academy. The studio was so professionally built with large north light windows. I saw way much more colors on my setup than I use to. It was overwhelming. I did OK. The third demo painting was sold at the spot. I did not get a chance to take a photo of it. If you were at Coppini watching my demo and having a photo, would you mind send a copy to me? Thanks.
I was in Fredericksburg yesterday and did this demo for Die Kunstler Art Club. I hope you like it.
We have some roses blooming so beautifully in the back yard. Song cut some and arranged them in a wine glass. In this painting I experimented quite a bit. It is not my usual dark background low key approach, and it is not high key either. I painted these roses like the way I painted portraits. I left large area in the background the toned canvas. I don’t consider this experiment a successful one. I don’t have my spot light effect, and my grays are not clean. I wanted the leaves showing more, but it didn’t happen. Anyway it is another painting day. Tomorrow will be a new day.
Our 3-man show is coming up on April 29. Rusty Jones, Bob Rohm, and I will show our paintings at Riverbend Fine Art Gallery at Marble Falls, TX. Rusty made a wonderful Youtube video to promote the show. Please click here to see it.
This is a relatively large painting. I like that white blue pot. I got it from an antique store. I am not sure what it was for. Was it a soup container? Can someone tell me? It looks very old, and it makes a very good still life object. I like to paint old stuff. I know many (if it is not all) artists do. I am not very sure why the old stuff is better. Is it because old objects show effect of time or the timelessness. We are often nostalgic for our earlier lifes. Is it because our currently time so tasteless so we are long for the good old days. Anyway, the old stuff looks better to me.
After my Sacramento workshop, I went to the Bay Area and visited my friend Fongwei Liu. He is a wonderful figurative and portrait painter, and teaches the graduate level painting classes at Academy of Art University in San Francisco. If you are not familiar with his work, I highly recommend you check Fongwei's art blog. You will be amazed what this young artist can do. He has won an award last year at the 12th Annual International Portrait Competition hosted by the Portrait Society of American. In the near future, I will invite Fongwei coming to Austin and teaching a workshop. I will announce that when the workshop is confirmed. 
I spent all day yesterday and did this gallery painting. As matter of fact, I did this one on top of an old demo painting. I seldom work on my old paintings before because my mood has been changed from the early time. However, I think it is good exercise to paint the same painting twice. I can see what I did wrong earlier, and make the painting to the higher level.
Click Here for Purchase Information 
Now the holiday season is over. I am back to my cubicle babbling technical jargons. This is the last painting I did from my holiday break. It will be sent to a gallery show. I keep the background rough deliberately. Do you like it? My paintings recently are kind of tight. I am going back and forth, looking for my balance point. Sometimes, tight paintings are good, but I prefer looser styles.
Happy 2010! I opened my mailbox this morning and very excited to see a certificate from the Oil Painters of America. It is my OPA signature membership. Now I am allowed to put OPA after my name. What a wonderful new year gift I received. This is an import milestone. I did this gallery painting on the first day of the new year. I might send this one to this year's OPA national show.
I am in the process of generating several larger paintings for gallery shows. This is the first one. It is rather an abstract one. I was trying to create a flow of light and color. It is always fun painting flowers. After you have managed the anatomy of the flowers, you will feel much of freedom and creativity. Let's put all the hard times of 2009 behind us. Let this cascade of beauty make your New Year more exciting. 2010 is coming. I wish all of you good luck. Thank all of you for being with me and supporting me.
I am at Lacombe Louisiana now and just completed another workshop. The workshop was hosted in a Unitarian church. I am enjoyed learning the local culture. People are wonderful here. I want to sincerely thank Barbara, Carolyn, and Chris for put this workshop together. I had a great fun meeting new and old friends and talking about art. This is my first demo. I hope you like it. Tomorrow I am heading to New Orleans and expect to have some wonderful cajun food. I will be back to Austin Monday night.
