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.

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.