EMBRACE

Last week was long and exhausted. There are still a lot of work to finish but I do think I need to take a break and relax for a little bit.

I took a break yesterday night after studio work. I did a quick sketch on canvas. It is memory from a trip. I miss those mountains and the sky. Once the semester is over, I can't wait to go on trips again!

MEND

I barely do painting of people, so I think I might try this time.

Not quite sure how to write about these two paintings but I like them.

REDISCOVER

This is a painting about dream.

The floating tulips
The lighting of the ocean
The reaching to somewhere

Dreams are vague and difficult to capture.

Anyhow, I am trying to like it after painting it.

ENCHANT

I have a chance to talk to one of my high school friends this week. We haven't talked to each other for almost 7 years. Now he is working in China, while I am studying in US. The phone call lasted for 3 hours, we talked about memories from high school, we talked about our life. He can remember so many stories that I can barely recall.

"There are too many things that I have to deal with now, but thinking those memories from the past make me happy." He said. He escapes to past when he doesn't want to face the reality. I feel his struggle but I can't help. The only thing I can do is to listen.

ROUND

The first one is my color palette that I use to mix and organize my colors. I have been using it for almost a year and half. I am waiting to a point when it can actually become a painting.

When I paint for this week, I am thinking the time when I went to the beach in Shenzhen. The coolness of water, the heat wave and the crowd. Even though, everything stays calm and chill.  

HOLD (ADMIRE)

I thought about water at first.

And the memory of learning swimming comes into my mind. When I was under the water, I see different shapes and all the reflections. They are fluctuating, even I don't know what they could be and I could barely hear sound underwater, I enjoy the randomness of that beauty.

After I finish this painting, I heard that the movie - The shape of water - is the big winner for Oscar. I look at my painting, and I think, this could be the shape of water.

At this point, I can hear Tony say to me, everything has connection.

ANSWER (RESPOND)

I think this music : 远方 - Distance responds well with this painting.

Last week my friends tell me that I am always really calm when I am working, they never feel that I could be possibly stress. That's not true, however, I also know that sometimes being emotionally doesn't help me to solve the problem. My parents never make decisions for me, so I have to deal with everything by myself since I grow up. Years after years, I start to know myself and I practice planning my life, so I might look calm but I can better control myself I guess.

SHADOW

The painting was as thick as usual before, but I don't like it so I scratch all the paints on the. And it turns out to be the one I like.

I am still sticking to the "ocean" theme, as well as combing the word that Tony gives us every week The painting is initially inspired by a gift that has various colors. All the colors remind me the sunrise by the ocean. The sun coming out slowly from the other side of the earth and it starts enlightening the water, the sand, the rock and the tree. If everything on earth have life, they are waking up slowly....

JOURNEY

I make something this week. I really enjoy the process and happy with this final product. I am taking Galen's class and our first assignment is making a pair of shoes. 

I am not quite sure what's the idea behind these shoes, but I guess my inspiration dates back to the history of making shoes. When we are lacking of material but we still need to protect our feet, we find material from our nature. It is an old technique, there are still some people use this method to make shoes or bags. In a artistic way, I added lots of pom-pom on the shoes, they represent all the dirt or earth or snow that this shoes will pick up when walking.

OPEN

School has been started for almost a month, but I don't feel I am ready. It has been couple weeks after different reviews and deadlines, however, I don't think I am in good pace. I probably need more time to adjust myself. Maybe life is like this sailboat, not sure whether it is the right metaphor or not. There might be land in distance and the way to get there will need lots of effort. It might encounter storm, or could lead to treasure, but who knows what will happen in the future. Whatever it comes,  it doesn't matter because everything will become parts of the journey.

TOUCH

The semester just started, and I feel I am not ready for it yet. But the music and the paint make me calm down and find inner peace. For this week, I was inspired by Swan Lake - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. I watched the ballet when I was a kid, and it was fresh memory when I heard the song again. It reminds me the beauty of the ballerina and the sadness of the story. After the performance, I told my mum that I wanted to walk like the ballerina because she was so pretty and elegant. However, I am not flexible enough to do it and this piece of memory is buried somewhere in my mind. I am glad that the music awake the story and it's a nice feeling.