2002 was my milestone. July, I sent my only family whom I had depended on each other for survival to go to abroad. August, I got my doctoral degree. October, I puclished my first translated series with 4 books. November, my elder brother was dead. December, the company that I had been working for about 10 years was sold to the other one...

All of these happened in a too short time so that I didnot feel that I could respond. Anyway, I also asked myself, since life was so weak and short, whether I had any dreams was not be true?

During I was thinking, I started to working on my childhood's dreams...

Painting and music were just like some special medicine that made me calm down and comfortable... For painting, I had to touch the Great Nature. During the process that touch and observe the Natural Mother, I started to see the world with a totally new view. The more touching nature, the more I feel that life is beautiful. I suddenly realized that there are so many beautiful things in the world. No matter a flower or a grass, a tree or a bird, they are all so wonderful with their natural qualities. They all have lives. They all need to be looked after by human being... :-)

Since I started to touch the Great Natural, my heart started to get wider, tolerance and happy more and more... I am making my dreams from childhood to be true...

In the past 3 years, I painted 99 Gouache pictures and 79 Chinese pictures, over 500 sketched. I have had my own thoughts about Gouache learning. I would like to learn the Western painting way via learn Gouache, and also I want to learn Chinese painting style and combine both of them together to create my own painting style.

Painting is a hard work; painting is also a happy enjoyment; painting will accompany whole of my rest life...

As a learner who teach myself in most of my time, I do hope to get your support, direction and help. If you have any questions, comments and suggestions, please write to shirley@ebridge.cn or shirleyz004@yahoo.com, or publish your opinions in Forum For Friends. You are welcomed.

--Shirley
Mon. Feb, 20, 2006