This is my 15th Chinese Gongbi painting. I drafted it 2 months ago, but I had not been having time to correct it or color it before my Spring Festival Holiday. So, since Eve of Chinese New Year's Day, as soon as I sent my last newsletter to you, I started to correct the draft while heard the Celebration Program Yearly by China Center Television Station --CCTV. :-) Every day, I worked for about 10 to 15 hours. Then, I completed it on Wednesday.
Since I started to learn to paint, I seldom painted a character. Anyway, I have painted 2 water lily girls.
My first Water Lily Girl was completed in May Day Holiday in 2004. That is a gouache.
For I did not know how to color the girl’s face and also I was not sure how to color the water lilies via Chinese Gongbi Style, so, I had read a lot of art books and I taught myself -- I did not want to trouble any teachers in the most important national holiday.
Do you know what was my biggest gain from the reading? I found that I had not observed water lily enough even though it is one of my favorite flower that I have painted at least 100 ones. So, I tried to read and saw its photos as many as possible and I was smiling for it was first time, I realized that I should paint some thin lines on every leaves of flowers and to express the detail parts with more refined way…
My Chinese art teacher was so surprised that thought this picture can be considered a landmark on my art learning road and would like to introduce me and my pictures to some art businessmen/women, while to start to think of painting my Chinese Gonbi pictures on some silk cloth to improve its quality.
I am not very interested in the first thing at this time, because I do not think that I have really mastered the way to paint a character. So, as soon as I completed this picture, I started to create my next Water Lily Girl. I wanted to create a group of Chinese girls and make my flowers, birds that I have learned to be their background. :-) Try to combine what I have learned together, to create something new…
My happiness is the creating process, I more enjoy imagining a picture in my mind, then to paint it out via lines and colors ? maybe I will try to paint on a silk cloth? What I most needing at this time is some directions from some professional ones. So, an old dream has jumped into my mind once more ? try to learn painting in an art college or at home as a full time art student. : - )
Dream is dream and reality is reality.It is not a bad thing to have a dream in heart. So, tomorrow, I have to start my work in the office once more. : - )
