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Friends

Friends--0015: Mr.Charlie K -- My American Art and Music Teacher and Guide, Will Be Alive In My Heart...

This week, the saddest thing in my life is that my most respected American art and music teacher, my guide who has led me re-going on the art and music learning road, the most important tutor and a best friend who has affected my life in the past 5 years and has helped me become a new person who is optimistic, positive, full of the creative ideals and an opened mind as you have seen via the little web site, Mr. Charlie K has passed away after struggling with the illness for 44 months on Thursday night, August 9, 2007, my time...

I feel that my heart has been cut a hole and my tears can not been stopped as soon as I see the pictures and music that I have created there. After all, my teacher has not seen them with his own eyes yet...

Since I started to paint on March 17, 2003, I have been keeping painting while learning music in my free time. Until now, I have painted or created over 700 pictures (282 colored paintings and 500 sketches). Include 101 Gouaches, 149 Chinese Xieyi Painting and 23 Chinese Gongbi Paintingand 9 Combinative Painting.

Meanwhile, I have created 80 piece of music, learned to sing 106 Songs . I have had the ability to play piano and electronic organ, too.

I have been waiting for Mr. Charlie K getting better and let him see what his student has created in art of painting field and in the art of music field in person and let him feel proud as my teacher.

It is lucky that in the 3rd year after he was ill, with the nice help from his dear brother and sister in law, Mr. Charlie K heard some of my songs via a CD. He has also seen the photos of my paintings in the sickbed.

The last direction from him is to wish me to learn the singing style from a great Italian Musician Andrea Boccelli The last words of his is "to say 'Hello' to Shirley as 'a good family'..."

With the huge sadness, it was difficult for me to work on the weekend. However, except I could not drive to have a music lesson, I kept completing everything I should do. I have completed my new painting and I have translated and sung a new song.

I know the wish of Mr. Charlie K to me. I am going to do my best to live, to work and to learn, with my best creative works to continue the art life of my teacher.

I do wish the soul of Mr. Charlie K happy and peaceful in the heaven. Mr. Charlie K will be alive in my heart.

-- Shirley Yiping Zhang
Sun, August 12, 2007

Monumentalize Mr. Charlie K. via Paintings:

Shirley's Art Works-1372-Chinese Xieyi 812--My 651st Assignments of CNAA & the 242nd One of the Second Phase- August 8, 2018
Shirley's Art Works-1373-Chinese Xieyi 813--My 653rd Assignments of CNAA & the 243rd One of the Second Phase- August 8, 2018
Shirley's Art Works-1374-Chinese Xieyi 814--My 654th Assignments of CNAA & the 244th One of the Second Phase- August 8 , 2018
Shirley's Art Work 1208 -- Xieyi 699 - Shirley's 504th Assignment - the 94th One in the 2nd Phase of Chinese National Academy of Arts Dec 23, 2016
Shirley's Art Works 1090 - Integrated Art 104: Bailin Si Nan Wang- Look Over the South From the Bailin Temple-- March 22,2016
Gouache 99: Painting from the Nature--Nov, 2003/ March 17, 2015
Chinese Xieyi 364-A51: No Title -- March 14, 2012
Chinese Xieyi 332: Moon Night - July 25-27, 2011
Chinese Xieyi -293: Miss - August 7, 2010
Chinese Xieyi -0235: Meditation - August 7, 2009
Gouache --0122(Landscape):   Early Autumn - March 20, 2008
Chinese Gongbi -- 017: Painting From the Nature - March 4,2006
Gouache -- 089(Flower & Bird): The Peace,friendship & Love -March 17, 2005
Gouache -- 068(Flower & Bird): Waiting For - Feb 8,2004
Gouache 001(Flower & Bird): Butterfly and Flower - March 17, 2003

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Friends--001: Mr. Charlie K--My American Art and Music Teacher & A Best Friend

Charlie K, is my American Art and Music Teacher. It was him that helped me re-go on the painting and singing road.

Mr. Charlie K. became my teacher and friend after my old brother was dead. Every day, I got a beutiful picture from him; every day, I got some patient directions from the other side of the Ocean, even though when he was in a trip, I could still get a painting or a photo by some great artists or photographyiers with a short note to explain it. That was him had chosen them and had written the notes for them before he left for his travel, then, entrusted a photography studie to send me one day one picture plused one note...   

After seeing more than 100 pieces of pictures, after reading many things about art and music,I started to have a feeling that I wanted to paint a picture in person; I started to enter the art stores to read art books and re-buy brushes, colors and other art tools; I also started to learn something about Impressionism and Monet, about James Audubon and his Birds of America...

After preparing for a long time, finally, on March,17, 2003, I first time took up my brushers and to paint my first picture after stopping painting for 20 years...

Can you imagine? In the past 2 years and 7 months, I have painted 97 gouaches, over 50 kinds of Chinese Xieyi painting and 10 Chinese Gongbi Paintings, about 500 quick sketch in my limited free time. Every morning, I painted and play piano before going to my office, no matter how long time, even though I have only 5 munites, I wanted to paint a piece of leaves or play a short music; every evening, I enjoy the delight from the painting...

From a single flower to a completed picture, from one style to many styles, from learning to paint the other’s works to create my own style...

Also, with the good help from Mr. Charlie K., I started to know something about Beatles, B.B.King, Billy Joel and Eric Clapton... I started to listen to and to learn something about Western music and music history... I re-start to go on the stage on some important days...

Via Mr. Charlie K., I started to know many excellent qualities as a Western gentleman, a real teacher and a friend.

Unfortunately, Mr. Charlie K. has been in the hospital for over 23 months, he has not been able to hear from his student and to see the painting of his student's since he was sick. Even, he has not checked my web site yet...

Anyway, as a student and friend whom has got so much benefit and help from him, I would really to write the first short article to remember and to appreciate Mr.   Charlie K., my great American art and music teacher, best friend who has led me go back on the art and music road, who has affected my last a half life.

I do hope Mr. Charlie K. can overcome the illness and recover his health as soon as possible...


--Shirley Yiping Zhang
Written on July, 9, 2005
Edited on Oct., 16, 2005


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