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 I loved art of painting since my childhood and I could imagine a flower, a tree, a cat, or an old lady via connect the natural lines on a marble on the floor, or a piece of water on the land and I often "painted" a picture in my mind. One of my dreams was to be an artist after growing up.
The Culture Revolution in China that started when I was 9 years old destroyed my childhood dream.
Fortunately, China has made a tremendous change since the tragedy was finished. I have become a senior manager in the multimedia financial, securities information industry; I have completed my responsibility to raise my son; work has also changed to be an "art" of management.
So, in March 17, 2003, I took out of my painting brushes that had rest for about 20 years and I completed my first Gouache painting. Since then, I have been keeping painting and I have not stopped for one week. :-)
I often think, it's a pity that I could not learn painting in my golden times. But, the work and life experience for a long time has given me the other kind of knowledge and accumulation. As my cherish wealth, they are bringing me endless creative motivation and creative source.
The more I learn it, the more I love it. Painting has become a part of my life that is bringing me so much positive inspiration, happiness and enjoyment. Art of Painting will accompany me for whole of my rest life... :-)
In the past 5 years, I have learned three kinds of paintings: Gouache, Chinese Xie Yi ( Freehand Brushwork in traditional Chinese painting), and Chinese Gongbi (traditional Chinese Realistic Painting). Also, I have started to try to combine them and Chinese calligraphy, Chinese poems and poem lyrics together, to create my own art style and my own Combined Painting.
Gouache -- A method of painting with opaque watercolors mixed with a preparation of gum. I started to learn it in March, 2003 informally. Then, in November, 2007, I started to learn it formally. :-) Now, I have painted 119 ones. :-)
Chinese Xie Yi -- Freehand Brushworks, to characterize things by vivid expression and bold outline. It asks artists to paint with brushes and colors directly instead of making a draft at the first. So, we have to pay more attention to its artistic conception instead of the feature itself. I started to learn it in November, 2003 and I have painted 163 ones.
Chinese Gongbi -- Traditional Chinese Realistic Painting, to express something that we are painting with a very detail and realistic style. It asks us to make a draft by pencil carefully, then to color it at least 9 times. Usually, it needs a long time to work with a very elaborate way. So, we have to pay more attention to the feature itself and the skills. I learned Gong Bi first time in 2004 for 2 months. Then, in September, 2005, I really started to learn it. Now, I have painted 24 ones.
Combined Painting -- To combine my own painting, calligraphy, music creating works and Chinese Classical Poemsand Chinese Classical Poem Lyrics learning together, to create my own painting style. I started this trying in June, 2007. Now I have created 14 ones. I would like to make painting as a single art, while, to be one of the combined art? :-) I am still thinking of and exploring it while I am trying... :-)
I am learning paint in my free time. So, I have not learned oil even though I had bought all of the tools of oil in 2003. I will try it someday when I have time enough. :-)
I enjoyed painting flowers and birds at the first while I tried few character painting. Righr now, I have enlarged my field into the landscape. Maybe later, I will enlarge much more? :-)
 As a learner, I do hope to bring you a positive enjoyment via my paintings, while to get your help and directions. If you have any suggestions, comments and questions, you are welcomed to write to shirley@ebridge.cn . I will be happy to hear from you.
-- Shirley Zhang
Feb 24, 2008
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