Cool Clear Water

 

Waterlilies is always my favorite subject to paint in San Angelo. I love the International Waterlily Garden. Waterlilies give me endless freedom to design. I don't need to follow specific pads or flower to obtain the realistic presentation. I was looking for all the opportunities to combine multiple kinds of pad distribution patterns and involve different types of texture to create my composition. This painting has won two awards: the Waterlily Award and the 3rd Place of EPAT competition. I feel so fortunate and happy. I have made a video to document this painting endeavor. 

Calmness

 

Did another boat painting. The scene was at Lake Martin, Alabama. I did a plein air demo at the site. Now at home, I used a photo and did a studio one. I enjoyed painting the water. It reflects so many colors. 

Water Lilies for Helen

 

I did this relative large painting a few days ago. As a matter of fact, I was not feeling well that day. Partially it was because I had some reactions after my medical treatment, and the other part was my mood was unstable with all the challenges I have been facing lately. I started to paint without think about the results, I decided to surrender my self conscious mind to the flow of my body movement and what ever my heart leading me. During the painting time, I have bad body sensations and negative thoughts coming and going. I aware of them but tried not react to them. I was very surprised to find that my body is a way stronger than my mind. The best way to live is just let the body lead and do not think.

This painting was done for a friend of mine. I am so grateful that so many friends around me have helped me, and encourage me to come out this hard time, and became more mature as a human being.

"Richard Schmid's Roses"

 

I have spent quite a few days to copy a painting from The Master Artist Richard Schmid. I admire this exceptional great artist, and learned a lot from his teaching. My copy will have no commercial value. I will keep it at home to remind me how beautiful oil pigments can generate. 

Now I have started to review my journey as an artist. I feel all good paintings are manifestation of the great Universe. The artists are the vehicles to carry out or reveal the greatness of the Cosmic Devine. We, as individuals, are in this world for only a short time, and can do very limited things. However, the appreciation of the Super Creation will last throughout the entire mankind.

Once Upon a Time

 

I finished another painting. About a year ago, I attended the "En Plein Air Texas" competition in San Angelo Texas. I did a plein air sketch of this old truck. to show the feeling of the old time, I thought I would use a monochromatic approach. But the result was not ideal. I came back, and the painting went directly to the storage, started its own hibernation into the forgotten past, just like the old truck... Recently, I pull it out. Since I am in the mode of working on colors, I decided to paint on the top of the monochrome, I turned it into a true color painting. 

In order to adapt the new way of living in the isolation of the pandemic, I started to pay more attention to the Internet. I have been ignoring using Youtube for a long time, but now I want to develop my channel. After I posted my instructional video on using my "Painter's Guide" app, I am happy of seeing my subscribers increased from 55 to 118 in about a day.  Thank you all so much for your support. I felt deeply the connection between us. Now I am learning to make time lapse videos. I have documented when painting this old truck. Please go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAGW64xhYbA to watch my painting process (for Instagram users, please search: "Qiang Huang" on Youtube). I appreciate you subscribe my channel.

"Once Upon a Time"

I have decided to do this painting with a monochromatic color scheme. I felt this approach is rather suitable to the subject. The monochromatic scheme is not using one color and white. In order to keep the color harmony I need to use quite a few colors. I want to research more into this color scheme.

"Block One in the Rain" --- Sold

This is my first "Artists' Choice" award from a major plein air painting competition. I am so happy I have reached this milestone. It is a great honor to be recognized by my fellow artists. I began painting about 20 years ago. At that time, I consider art just as an hobby. I have received so many peoples' support. On my art journey, I did run into difficulties, but so many peoples warmed my heart with encouragement. Thank you, my fellow artists, from the bottom of my heart.

"Concho Jewels" --- Sold

I am very happy to receive the "West Texas Precious Water Award" on the recent En Plein Air Texas competition. Water is such an important resource, but most of us take for granted. So many water ways in the world are severely polluted. We all should put our effort into protect  this precious resource we rely on to survive.

"St Michaels Jazz" --- Sold

I think this is the best painting I did during the Plein Air Easton. I submitted it as one of my two competitions pieces. I thought it may won something, but it didn't. However, it was sold within minutes after the show opened. I deliberately kept the painting very abstract. Only one boat in the center is barely identifiable. It looks it is the way to go.

"Quiet Beauty" --- Sold

I did another water lily painting in San Angelo. You probably have realized that my painting posts have been way out of date. I was at San Angelo in latter part of October, now it has been already latter part of November. Since San Angelo, I have done two workshops but I have not posted any paintings there. I don't know why I am so busy all the time, but I am behind of so many things always. I used to like the rabbit in "Alice in Wonderland" anxious of being late. Now my mind likes the still water in this water lily pond. Everything seems have stopped. Time is an obsolete concept. You think I am enlightened? No, I am just simply being lazy.

"A Rainy Day in San Angelo" --- Sold

It was a cold day, rainy and windy. I was painting at the corner of Concho Ave and Oakes St. The scene was iconic for San Angelo. I like the old building of Miss Hattie's Restaurant and the sheep figure as well. A Dodge Ram was passing by. The scenery was so typically West Texas. I decided keep my color rustic. It was a long day and I suffered through, but it surely worth the effort.

"Docking Peacefully" --- Sold

This painting was done at Oxford MD during the Plein Air Easton Festival. I felt very peaceful when I painted them. Nowadays, the world is getting more and more chaotic. We really have no peace of mind when we are bombarded with the information of what are happening. Art is my sanctuary, where I can forget the reality temporarily.  Just like those boats, I want to dock peacefully.

"A hot day on the Strand" --- Sold

This is another plein air painting on PAE. It was at Oxford MD. I realized during painting this one that I really do not have enough know-how knowledge about landscape painting. I don't know how to paint trees, I don't know how to paint rocks, I don't know how to paint water, and I don't know how to paint small figures in the scene...  I was wondering why I was there for. When I was trying to put the blue umbrella on the painting panel, a gust of wind came suddenly, and my painting umbrella flue off to the lake, it was dancing and spinning, made a spectacular show, before sunk into the bottom of the water. I was in awe of such beautiful performance, regret I wasn't  quick enough to snap a video clip with my phone. That was a True Art.

"Country Tranquility" --- Sold

This is 2nd plein air painting at Easton. It is a relatively large painting (12" x 24"). I have used a 3" wide brush for the background. It was so much fun.

PAE 2017 2 and 4 --- Sold

Plein Air Easton 2017 ended yesterday. I painted 10 paintings and sold 9 of them. I did not get any awards. That is all right. I surely enjoyed very much this 9 days festival. These are two 12" x 24" I painted at Oxford and St. Michaels. This was my first time painting large paintings live at the sites. It was quite challenging. I have stepped into many unknown zones of plein air painting. I have learned a lot from many experienced plein air painters this time.

"St Michaels Exercise 2" --- Sold

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I have applied my "new daily painting discipline" for a week. I have done 6 paintings so far. This is the second one. Compared to my old daily painting practice, there are two major differences (as matter of fact, they are two opposites of traditional daily painting): (1) PAINTING BIG. The size of painting can not be smaller than 12"x12". The current one is 12"x 24". (2) DO NOT PAINT FOR MARKET. The only purpose of these exercises is simply improve the art. If the painting sells, it is good. If the painting does not sell, it is OK too. Although the painting size is bigger, I still force myself to "finish" the painting within a few hours. I won't touch the same painting any more in the second day.