Reveal

The world "reveal" can mean lots of things for me, and it always connects to the world "conceal". As something is conceal and has been revealed. Or trying to reveal something so as to figure out the answer...

During Thanksgiving holiday, my friends and I went to mission peak for a hike. It is a pretty decent day for hiking, not burn and not windy. Views are pleasant. Mounts and mounts are overlay. Colors are dissolved as it is covered by light mist.

I used to hike because I want to see the nice, sunny and clear view at the top of the mountain, but I think my perspective changes these years. Views are not that important to me, it's more about being in that environment and feel it. I used to hike in bright and sunny day when you can see everything just like those fancy pictures online. But now, I appreciate every situation, they all have their own beauty, in the rain, in the could, in the fog, as part of the journey. 

BESTOW

I wonder where this word could take me and at first I don't really know what I can do for this week. I usually don't think about how or what to paint, I would rather wait until that 'Aha' moment when I feel like this is how it should be. So I also wait this time.

On Friday, we went on a hike in Mount Diablo after a rain. I knew there was probably no views at the top of the mountain and it might be foggy and windy. But I still wanna go, who wants to always hike in sunny day? We went to top of the hill. Everything was in the mist and you could feel the moisture in the air but it was quite beautiful and mysterious. It was such a pleasant time for me. To me it doesn't really matter whether I can see San Francisco or not but more about being in the landscape and feel it. 

SHARE

When Tony told us the word for this week last time, one moment came to my mind immediately. It is dated back to last Thanksgiving. Me and some of my friends went on a road trip from Berkeley through Arizona to Utah. We rent a mini van and camp for ten days in different national parks and State park.

We stayed in a sand dune State park for one night. It was such a great experience that we were in the middle of nowhere. No service, no electrical light and we are in wild. We set up a bonfire and stayed in our sleeping bag next to it. We sat in circle and started to share our stories one after one.

I appreciate that I could have friends to go on a journey with me and these becomes unforgettable memories.

VEIL

I went to Horseshoe Cover, northern side of golden gate bridge. It is our final site for studio. It is such a beautiful place and the city is right across the ocean. It was sunny, windy and foggy. Thick fog covers the entire city and you can't even see any building outlines. Huge ship drives by with loud alarm. You can barely see the color and the details of it. The only think you can see is the large dark shadow moving through the fog, it looks like a ghost ship from the pirates of Caribbean.

I quite like the moment when everything seems to blend into each other. There is no clarity at all, which is the beauty of it.

Regain

A group of students in out studio went to LA for the ASLA Conference this weekend. Most of us came back on Sunday, but I wanna stay for the party so I came home last night.
My friend and I drove back yesterday, we took 101 instead of 5 so we could see the ocean. The views were so beautiful as the transitions form urban grids to hills, the shining ocean the golden grasses and stars and lights at night.
On the way back we stopped by Santa Monica to visit a friend and later we stopped at Madonna Inn for dinner. It was quite a long trip, but it was a good chance to catch up with my friend. We have been so busy this semester and never had a chance to sit down and talk about our life. Road trip gives us these precious moments to think and talk. We talked about people that we met at the conference, we discussed our future plans, we gave suggestions to each other. We enjoy this eight-hour road trip that bring us home. As we talk, time flies, landscape changes and we are home again.


(I am still working on my pieces, but I think it will be nice to write about it first...Painting will come tonight:)

FREE

Not sure whether this painting fits well for this week's word - FREE. It could have lots of explanation behind the word. I try to raise the question, like what does "free" represent or can something be free?  I guess I am trying to interpret the word in my mind, and I think last week drawing might also fit in this word.

I did the painting when I don't think about too much. I don't really know what could be or how it will look like but just let the brush move back and forth. But I feel delight inside and I like the set.

Save

I don't really know how I feel about this painting, every time when I look at it, I feel that there some power in it. There are some subtle feelings in there, no striking form or colors but some passion.

He used to play piano for almost fifteen years but stop after coming to Berkeley. It has been a while for him to play again. Once he enters the piano room, he doesn't wanna leave. I am sure he miss it. The art that is built in your soul can't be taken by any others. Interestingly, after he saw the painting this weekend, he ended up having a dream, dated back to ten years ago when he was in a school band with a bunch of friends, playing piano.

MEET

It is from the old memory that dated back almost 20 years ago. Here is the park that I always go with my parents during weekend. It is a pretty big park that has zoo, kids' playground, hiking trails, BBQ, and the city main reservoirs. Every fall, the park has an exhibition of chrysanthemum, where you can see different variety.  The photo was taken during one of the chrysanthemum exhibitions. All my best memories were in this park, especially the children's playground.  Even the color already faded out, I can still see all the happiness in there. However, the children's playground is going to be redevelop into a commercial area due to the fact that it might bring more money to the park. I don't think I will have a chance to visit before all the construction happen, but I do miss it.

HOLD

The world "hold" make me think about another word - "balance". Like trying to hold water within hands, if you hold it too tight you will lose all the amount. However, if you loosely hold it, you might able to hold some. So the crucial point for the balance is hard to find.

Seeking the balance in life is a task. We are always trying to adjust ourselves to life so as to reach a point that we are comfortable with.

Here is a painting that shows the sunset of pacific ocean. It was a cloudy day and the sunset was gentle. I can barley see the sun in the cloud. The ocean and the sky are almost the same color.  I quite like the moment when everything comes together.

REACH

There are some moments in life when you feel it is difficult to reach even you know it is so closed to you.
You reach out for support but you don't know whether it will there.
You reach out for love but you don't know whether the person is also waiting for you.

Here is the moment that I tried to capture and represent.

It is a sunny afternoon, we are sitting on the stone stairs outside his house, waiting for his friend and chatting. I can see the city in distance, covered by mist. Stones are rough, grasses are soft, flower smells sweet and he is there.

Memory becomes blurry, colors pop out in mind. They are there.

As he asked me, where do you wanna hang it. It should be in the dinning room, I think, with a glass wine and I remember the feeling.

LONG

WHAT AM I LONGING FOR?

WEEK 1 - TOUCH

I was on a road trip last weekend. We were driving through California into Oregon. I was able to go back to Crater Lake and Fern Canyon again. 

I was driving and saw all the green aside the road. It was so different from winter when we were lost in snow and helpless. But this time, everything was filled with hope, I felt. The entire trip was exciting and inspiring. Image above is a moment when we were at the Fern  Canyon, stepping in the river while a tiny water fall came from somewhere under the fern.  Image below is a moment on our way back home. Moonlight is gentle and soft, it guides us home.

THE NEW START

My mom always tells me that I should paint more, and I agree. However, it was difficult for me to paint because I don't know what to paint. I want it to become my habit, my life but I couldn't. It was a long struggle for me to figure out what to paint, more specifically, what I want. This semester is a good start for me and I really appreciate it. The words given by Tony was really helpful for guidance. Now this finally can be part of my habit.

I probably can not paint everyday but I want to paint now and I am doing this every week. I would like to explore more during this summer and see what I can come up with. Updating my blog is another interesting tool that I never used before. This makes me keep track of myself. 

CENTER/SOAR

This street lead to my primary school, I have seen its development through six years. At first, the street is narrow and muddy, it is always difficult to get to school during storm. After two years, the construction started, asphalt, concrete and sand piled up. The last two years, there were even stores at both sides. I am glad to experience all these changes through years.

When I think about it, the vivid memory was the muddy road. As a kid, it was so much fun to be there and never worry about being dirty. Time flies, all these rocks and sand are replaced by concrete, asphalt. All this cool materials take out all the fun that was on the street.

SEEM

The painting is a gift for someone, which tries to capture my feeling when I travel and visit different people. I started this painting three weeks ago, because I want the texture to overlay and mix with each other but still can have its unique color. So it takes a while to dry and apply another layer. It turns out to become the feeling I want, but it could be more refine, when I try to do another one but using the same technic..

TONIC/BLESS

Tonic could mean a medicinal substance taken to give a feeling of vigor or well-being, but it could just mean sort of water.
I found out that water played an important role in my life. Since I grew up, I always live along the coast. Water could be gentle and smooth but could also become violent and turbulent. I love both of them. But deep in my memory, I obsessed with the Kanas Lake. I went on a hike eight years ago but the memory was still fresh to me. The lake is fabulous and it is the first time for me to feel that the lake is not 'real'. It is just too pretty to actually see and feel it. Besides, there is the story that there is a monster that live in the lake, sometimes it will show up but not quiet often.

OVERSEE

I was lucky to be on a trip to Norway during Spring break. Before we left, none of us can picture how Norway looks like. It seems like we seldom hear anything from news or report. This is country that is mysterious and charming.
We stayed in Oslo for five days, so as to finish our research. After that we took a train to go to Bergen and did a short hike. It was foggy and raining during our hike, which made the mountain mysterious and extremely pretty. Everything was in the mist and we could just get lost in the nature.
The trip was relaxing. It feels like we were absorbing the energy and calming our soul, after that we are so ready for the rest of the semester.

Of course, always the trolls. :)

NIGHT/DARK

Night is fascinated. Moonlight is reflected, cities are lightened. It is the end of some people's life however, it is the beginning of other people's time.

Night brings fear. You have dreams, you fell lonely and you lost yourself. The endless darkness embrace you, while you asking where is the light. As a Chinese poet wrote before, "I was given dark eyes by the dark night. Yet I use them to search for light."

Night is private. There is a zone only belongs to yourself. You seek, you hide and you smile. The mixture feelings of struggle and happiness make you strong.

When the night comes, the moment comes. 

WIND/TREE/LEAN

I think i will never forget those days when I was in Dalian. The heavy snow, the shriveled tree and the gentle light in the morning. When the wind your face, you feel like you can even taste the moisture in the air. You hold your coat tight but still walking toward the wind. Who doesn't love wind.

TURE

I always want to do a drawing of my name, and I like the meaning that I gave my name. My last name is TIAN: 田. It is the character to describe field in the old days. It is called pictogram, and the character has the same format until now. My first name is QING: 青 which means cyan. Using the word to describe the color that is not exactly blue but has blue within it. As for me, I would like to say that's grass in the field.

In my drawing, it is cover by grass and it is mixed with blue and green marker to represent cyan. The narrow path that goes through the image represents the field boundary that people can walk on it. The top of the drawing is the sea and beach with a tiny pink house at the edge.

This is probably my fantasy that I can own a house right next to the sea also with a large field behind me.

GUIDE

Sometimes I don't know what I am drawing but I do enjoy the process that I can dive in and think about nothing. There is too much to deal with in life, once I start drawing everything become simple.

I guess, in this drawing I can see my confusion of my studio work right now. I am trying to design a habitat for fish but everything seems not clear. There is something that is leading me but I don't know where it ends and what is the goal. That probably the reason why I make the fish blind so as to force me to step back and not to think about the fish for a second.

Story will come, it will come to us.

TRACE

My friends and I went to Lava bed last weekend. The desert is amazingly pretty. Rough rocks and the softness of plants create an interested combination. Even people normally feel the desperation when they see the desert, I feel the opposite way. When wind blows, fine sand can sneak into your heart. It is vivid and gentle. 

We had an interesting exploration in the cave. We were lost and got to an dead end in a cave. Everyone was in silence. The fear of dark, the desire for light push us to find our way back to the entrance. After another journey, when we turned at a corner. "There is the light!" The branches are coming out from the rock, a linear path is brighten by narrow light. 

"Here comes the Spring and we find it."

REACH

I had a moment last week when I sat down and thought about what have I been through within a week. Asking myself questions "How do I feel?" "What do I want?" There were peaceful moments, exciting feelings and delight thoughts. I tried to capture it and represent it in my drawing.

The mountain represent my peaceful moment, while the wave implies the exciting ideas that running into my mind and finally come up with the results that I want, so the flowers bloom.

SHORE AND TIDE

FACING THE SEA, WITH SPRING BLOSSOM

One of my favorite poet from China, who writes beautiful poem. This is one of his famous poems which includes happiness but also pain. After writing this poem, he went to a peaceful world where he couldn't feel the pain anymore.

OPEN

OPEN YOUR HEART

READ YOUR MIND

It's always difficult to understand a person, it is even hard for people to understand themselves. This might be the process of how I understand my mind steps by steps or how I would let other people to read my thoughts by times.

The process of letting people know you is an interesting experience. Sometimes you try to protect yourself from hurting. Sometimes you share your secrets because you want to be heard. Sometimes you hesitate to speak out.

How do you want other people to read you?

TOUCH

Sandpaper,01/24/2017

Quote from my professor "How many time have you ever touched the material in landscape?" 

As I walk around the campus, I realize that I never touch a building or a brick. I don't even know how they feel and what's the message that they try to say. Therefore, I spent half day walking around the campus and trying to read those material in my daily life.

They are smooth, they are warm, they have smell, they finally become part of my life. Now they can evoke my memory of Berkeley.

ME!

This is Linda, from Shenzhen,China. I did my bachelor degree in law back in China, however, I switched my major to landscape architecture. Because I love nature and I have the passion to work with nature, and I can't stay with all the rules I learnt, which limits my thoughts and inventions. 

I always want to try different types of art in order to form my own styles. Therefore, hopefully, you can be part of my audience during my journey of inventions, and enjoy it.