"Demo at Nashville 2017 1" --- Sold

I keep on posting my out of date workshop demo images. This one is what I did in Nashville TN last November. I want to thank Jeanie Smith for organizing the workshop and thanks to all the artists for attending.

2018 will be a critical and challenging year for my art. The future is mysterious. As matter of facts, the mystery is all over. I must admit that I am a control freak.  I don't like uncertainties. However, the world is impermanent, My art will be a part of it. I am learning to be equanimous to everything. I should not worry too much about the winter. The spring will come, and the grasses will grow by themselves.

"Derek Penix workshop"

I am happy to announce that Derek Penix will come back to Austin and teach a 3-day painting workshop. The title of Derek's workshop is "Loosen UP!" His style of painting is very powerful. I met Derek a few years ago and fell in love with his work immediately. I took his workshop two years ago and have learned a lot. You probably can see some of his influence in my paintings. If you want to really energize your art, I think Derek can help you. Please visit Derek Penix workshop webpage for detailed information and sign up.

“Demo at Gainesville 2017 3" --- Sold

I haven't had enough 2017, but now 2018 has begun. I don't have a specific resolution for the new year. In general, I hope I can live my every day fully, intentionally, and sincerely. We are in an era of information, too much information I think. It may not be a good thing, just like we mix all the colors  together, we get mud. We are in this information mud. We must be careful. Holiday season is over, Let's work.

"Venice Impression (in process)"

Sometime, letting what in your mind out can motivate you in a positive direction. After my last blog post, I have received so much encouragement from many friends on the Internet. Like a dead car battery connected to a powerful engine, I was jump started and running again. Thank you sincerely from the bottom of my heart. I am so happy that I have so many friends supporting me. Now this is the 36x36 painting I was talking about in my last post. It is from a photo I took in Italy in May. I have worked on it a few hours today. It is not done yet, but it is at a lovely abstract color stage. 

"Demo at Gainesville 2017 2"

I hope all of you have had a great Christmas. Life moves on and now the New Year is coming. During this holiday break, I did not paint. Somehow I have had a guilty feeling. I must be honest with you. For a long time I have been suffering a terrible burnt out. Earlier this month, I started a 36x36 . The painting just had a rough block in. I have tried many times to pick up a brush to continue, but I just can't. I don't know what exactly prevents me to paint. Maybe the lack of inspiration is the reason. If I don't feel I want to do it, I am afraid that the painting will turn out badly. I kept myself busy with other things. My recent acquired camper is a can of worms, It forced me spending a lot of money in Amazon. I did so many projects on this old toy, and it seems more and more to come. What should I do? Am I still a painter, or not?

“Demo at Gainesville GA 2017 1" --- Sold

It has been a while I have not posted any still life paintings. However the fact is that I have taught 3 still life workshops after I came back from Sedona. I am so behind in posting. Well, this one was done on my workshop at Gainesville Georgia in November.

Now I have finished all my planned art activities in 2017. I am long for a break. I will have a relatively quiet holiday season this year. Pardon me, I will put art aside for a few days. This a couple of days, I have been modifying the electric system of my recently acquired camper trailer. I was surprised that I still can use Ohm's law and upgraded my system without spending a fortune.

"Demo at Sedona 2017 3"

Demo 3 on Sedona workshop was at a state park north east of the town. There are a few nice looking old buildings. I have forgotten what they were used for. Vaguely in my mind, they did something with apples. Anyway, no matter what, they were fascinating to paint.

"Demo at Sedona 2017 2" --- Sold

After the Plein Air Festival in Sedona in October, I taught a three day plein air painting workshop. This is the second demo I did. This year is really my landscape year. I have done much more plein air paintings than I have ever done. However, I just start to realize how immature I am as a landscape painter. A long learning curve is right in front of me.

"My 2018 Art Calendar"

I know I am a little late this year, but I made it now. Here is my 2018 Art Calendars. I have made two formats: wall and desk. If you are interested in ordering my 2018 calendar, please visit my website and click "Store" tab or click on "2018 Art Calendar" banner on my blog and my painting email newsletter.  Happy New Year in advance.

"Demo at Florence TX 2017 3"

This is demo 3 at my Florence workshop. Painting an old tractor was a lot of fun. I used this machine to teach perspectives. I like mechanical things. As a matter of facts, these a few days, my mind was not in painting. I bought an old camp trailer, so all my mind was all mechanical. I want to put the trailer on a off-grid land. Of course, it has opened a can of worms.

"Demo at Florence TX 2017 2"

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This is my 2nd demo on my Florence TX workshop. I have enjoyed very much painting the water lily pads.

"Demo at Florence TX 2017 1"

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Three days after I came back from China, I started teaching a plein air workshop at Florence TX. It was a raining day. Water fell on my painting formed perfect pearl like beads. I was heavily jet-lagged,  mesmerized in the cool mist. But I like what I did that day. I want to thank Kirk Witmer and his wife for organizing this workshop and thanks to all the artists for coming and painting with me.

"Demo at Hinckley 2017 3"

My Hinckley workshop was arranged uniquely. First day still life, second day landscape, and third day portrait. This is my portrait demo. These a few years, I have not concentrated on developing my portrait skills. However, painting human is my true love. I hope someday I can have time working on anatomy systematically. I am confident I can be a good figurative painter, but I much across my own learning curve.

"Demo at Hinckley 2017 2"

I am behind in posting my workshop demos. So I need some time to catching up. Before I went to China in September, I taught a workshop at Hinkley OH. I have posted my first demo in August. This one was my 2nd demo on that workshop. I did this one from a photo I took at Easton. You might have remembered my plein air piece at this location. It was done almost all with a palette knife.

Jove Wang will come to Austin in June 2018

My dear artist friends,

I am very excited to announce that the well know artist Jove Wang will come to Austin next year. He will teach a 5-day portrait painting workshop on June 5 - 9, 2018. Jove and I met two years ago in Tucson. I saw his portrait demonstration on the Plein Air Convention. I really like his impressionistic style and his confident calligraphic brush work. Jove teaches intensively at his studio in California. It is a rare opportunity to learn from him is Texas. Please check Jove Wang workshop in Austin for detailed information, and sign up.

"Palms in Ponte Vedra" --- Sold

After came back from Sedona, I have spent 5 painting sessions on this commissioned work. It is a 24"x24" from a photo I took in January at Ponte Vedra Beach FL. I am trying to paint more relatively large paintings. Recall a few years ago when I just started, I did so many 6"x6"s and 5"x7"s. It has taken me a few years to grow bigger.

"Uptown Sedona"

This painting was my last one on the Sedona Plein Air Festival. Instead of painting red rocks, I painted a group of yellow umbrellas. Sedona Plein Air was my 2nd time participating plein air painting festivals. I sold 3 paintings, and got two awards. I felt very satisfied. Most important, I have met quite a few wonderful plein air artists.

Painting in Paris with me in May 2018

I am super happy to announce that I will teach a painting workshop in Paris next May. It will be a new milestone to achieve. You may have seen that I did so many landscape paintings this year. Within the landscape genre, my true love is cityscape. So I am so looking forward to this trip. If you like to paint building as well, please travel with me. We will have a wonderful painting trip together. For detailed information, Please check: http://www.1worldarttravel.com/paris-with-qiang-huang.html.

"Rachel's Knoll under the afternoon sun" --- Sold

It was a windy day. We were painting at the Seven Canyons in Sedona. I painted at a location call "Rachel's Knoll". I did my under painting wash with a very large brush. When I mass in my colors, I really like the transparency at foreground and did not want to disturb it. I touched a few small trees in the near field on the two huge transparent brush strokes, and left the painting alone. Very often, doing less is much better than doing more.

"L'Auberge by the water"

This plein air was done at the same location I did my previous water painting. I felt a little more confident I can paint this kind of landscape now. The painting is 9" x 12". It is another good exercise for me to practice painting rocks, tree and water. To appreciate my hosting family, Larry and Marcia Swearinggen for their hospitality and generosity, I give the painting to them as a gift.

“Court House Rock"

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This painting was done near my hosting family's house.  I went there around 6:30 AM to catch the morning light. However after I massed in the main colors, the light has changed so much. I went back the second day at the same time, and put on finish touches.  I think it is a good way to do 2-session plein air if you want to capture the dramatic light in the early morning.

I have returned to Austin now.  I have a few workshop reminders I want to get your attention. From Nov 2 to 5, well known artist, Nancy Tankersley will teaching a "Painting figure from photo" workshop at Austin. From Nov 9 to 11,  I will teach a still life painting workshop at Gainesville, GA. Both those workshops still have a few openings. If you are interested in these workshops, please click the above links to sign up. Thank you.

"By the water" --- Sold

I am at the Phoenix Airport now. Finally, I have found both wi-fi and some time. Now I am able to show you some paintings I did on the Sedona Plein Air Festival. I did this 12"x 16" on the side of a creek near a resort. I don't know how to pronouns its name just remembered it started with letter "L". Anyway that is not important. The important thing is that it was my first time painting water castcating plein air. When I got there, my mind was completely blank. But I still remembered the water is light, the rocks have some very dark shadows, and far ground trees and light surface of the rocks have mid value. I followed my value design and did this one.

"Cathedral Rock"

This is another plein air piece at Sedona. It takes a few days for me to adapt the color here. I use to use a lot of grey, but at Sedona, the red rocks have forced me to use a lot of orange and red. I have been hesitating to do so. Well, I am learning. I have not done enough to establish a style for plein air yet.

"Good Morning Sedona"

I have arrived at Sedona AZ two days ago. I am so happy coming back to the Red Rock country and participating the Plein Air Festival. I got up really early to catch the morning light. I like how this one turn out.

After the PAF, I will stay here for a few more days and teach a plein air workshop. So far we still have a few openings. If you are interested in painting the beautiful Sedona with me, please check: http://sedonaartscenter.com/School/Faculty/qianghuang.html and sign up. Thanks.

"Demo at Lijiang 2017"

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After left Shaxi, we have moved on to a famous city in Yunnan: Lijiang. The city has been commercialized too much. There are too many shops and too many people. This painting was done at a park call the Helongtan Park. I forgot to bring any mineral spirit, and I had to paint directly with out of tube colors. So I was not able to use my wipe-out technique. With many dry marks, the painting has an unusual look. Plein air painting is just like life, we try to be prepared, but there is always something unexpected will happen. We are out of control, but have to deal with whatever happens as much as we can, The result can be surprising, but not always bad.

"Demo at Stone Forest Yunnan China"

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As matter of fact, this is my very first demo painting in Yunnan China. The Stone Forest is a very special geological formation. The rocks there have extraordinary shapes. I took many photos, I will paint them in the future.

"Demo at Shaxi 2017 2" --- Sold

I found this group of old houses under the sun. It was a good example to demonstrate how I dealt with perspectives. So I did this demo, and our artists painted with me. In the middle of our plein air event, a movie director passing by. Well in the afternoon, a few of our artists have been selected as actors for a movie. You will never know what can happen when you paint outside.

"Demo at Shaxi 2017 1" --- Sold

I had just come back from China a few hours ago. I am sorry I was not very active in posting my activities when I was there. I was too busy and had no time to adapt the Internet situation there. Anyway I had a great time in China with 11 artists from USA, South Africa, Brazil, and New Zealand. We have spent most our time in the Yunnan Province. We enjoyed so much, I will post more photos for you to see and tell you more latter on.

This is one of my demo paintings. I have fell in love with the architecture in the villages. I wish I could have more time stay there.

Shaxi Yunnan, China

I think I have found an ideal plein painting place. Shaxi is a small town in the mountains of Yunnan  Province, China. All members of my China Painting trip consider this is a ideal painting location. Very few people know this place. The hotel is luxurious, The place is clean. Very little tourists. The scenery is fantastic. We are having a super time here. Here are some photos I took. I will post my paintings later.

"Demo at Hinckley 2017 1" --- Sold

Hinckley is a small town south of Cleveland, OH. I want to thank Sara Kass for organizing this workshop, and thanks to all the artists for coming and painting with me. This workshop is different from most of my other workshop. We painted still life, landscape, and portrait. This is my still life demo.