Thursday, March 31, 2016

Sketche at Wesley Church

8.9cm x 12.7cm
Pencil on paper
I did these sketches while waiting for my girls' orchestra rehearsal at the Wesley Church at Belize City tonight. I do feel a little guilty that I haven't post any new work of mine for almost a week. It's still Easter holiday here in Belize. Although I can't wait to start to work again, I do try to spend time with my kids and maybe a bit of time off for myself too. 






Thursday, March 24, 2016

Poem Morning Sun

Morning Sun
By Yaoling

Woke up with
Golden ray of morning sun,
I showered into it.
Feeling your hundred hands touching my body,
Your lips kissing mine softly...

Chelsea with her Violin in progress

37cm x 52cm
Oil on canvas
It's the second time that Chelsea poses for me. I thought I could finish this work within three hours this morning but no. Tomorrow we'll continue for another probably 2 to 3 hours. I really want to get her skin tone right but I don't want to overwork either...

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

25 yrs ago Nude Study

57cm x 76cm
Oil on canvas
This is one of my old work back to 1991 or 1992 when I was living in Paris, France. I stayed 4 years there and most of the time I worked on nude drawings at L'Académie de La Grande Chaumière. This is a studio work based on my life drawings. There were three individual drawings. I put them together and did this oil color study. Including several pieces of my sculptures, most of my work from that period of time were lost.

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Sketches

Duties call and I couldn't paint for 4 days. Here are some of my sketches I did at the 501 Spoken Words night laterly. (501 is a special space that has been developing by Margaret Reynolds where writers can share their voices and visions.) I love to go thete. Not only share my words but I can draw these wonderful people whenever I feel like to. 



I did this sketche at my daughter's orchestra practice. I love these talented young musicians. Feeling so home!  When I was living in Europe, except nude studies, I was basically only working with Jazz musicians. Oh! I do miss my Jazz friends and their wonderful music!

Friday, March 18, 2016

A group show "Woman in Art"

Last night was the opening night of the group show of Woman in Art. I have 3 work participated along with other artists. Gayla Ann Mercedes is this year's curator. She is a great person and a very fine artist herself. The picture here is me with my model friend, Sheryl in front of her portrait i did.

Me again, with my model friends, Maryam and Naomi. Great friends support each other!!~

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Tuesday, March 15, 2016

A quick sketch in the afternoon

27cm x 35cm
Charcoal pencil on paper
I have no idea the name of this street. I do know the tall building is called the Renaissance. I drive through this place everyday to my girl's school. Everyday!!! This afternoon, while listening to heavy metal that my daughter gave me, I parked my car, sitting comfortably inside of my car sketching this familiar scenery. 

Ms. Fahima in progress

49.5cm x 60cm
Oil on canvas
I told my sitter that if I left this half finished work too long. I maybe want to recycle it. I usually reuse my canvas whenever I'm not happy with them. I should see her soon otherwise I'm afraid that this will be the next one! I know, I should be more patient!

Saturday, March 12, 2016

Portrait Marisol in Progress

45cm x 35cm
Oil on canvas
What a beautiful name! Marisol, "El Mar y el Sol" is my sitter's name. This morning I did enjoy working with my sitter enormously and I like how the portrait looks now. Skin tone is still a big issue for me but I do like its mood I caught.

Thursday, March 10, 2016

A Corner of Hotel's garden

15.5cm x 27.5cm
Oil on panel
Ramada Hotel is the most convenient place to paint before I pick up my girls in the afternoon.


Nude study with orange drapery

33cm x 45.5cm
Oil on canvas
It wasn't a wise decision to have orange as background color. It took away the spot light of her skin tone. Guess next one I will try white background with light green or light purple until I find the right color to match her skin color. Now that I'm looking at it, I like it! Its full of colors! Feeling relaxing...

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Nude study

33cm x 46cm
Oil on canvas
Many thanks to my friend who posed for me this morning. It's hard to find models here in Belize. People are so conservative and most of them don't recognize the value of nude paintings, art work. By the way, after I finished this morning's work, I went out and ran into a friend of mine. He told me that he finally got the time to check my work from my blog and that he was impressed by them which he usually didn't. I was flattered but I kept calm. It's so encouraging to hear that!

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Stormy Clouds

22.5cm x 35.5cm
Oil on canvas
This morning I went to the same spot where I had 3 paintings done but feeling a little agitated because I  forgot my palette knife and small brush at my studio. I spent one and half an hour to do this piece. I think it needs less time.... now it looks a bit overwhelming but its color tone pleased me.


Sunday, March 6, 2016

Quick sketch of Steven

22.5cm x 30.5cm
Oil on canvas
This was a quick sketch of Steven. Ill see him in 3 weeks.

Portrait Steven

45cm x 53cm
Oil on canvas
Still have problem with skin tone. I think the biggest problem is that I am not patient enough. I did like very much its mood but I also have to fix the problem so I can move on... I know its getting better. Well, I need to be patient with myself too...


Saturday, March 5, 2016

Portrait Steven in Progress

45cm x 53cm
Oil on canvas
I'm quite satisfied with this morning two hours work with Steven. Steven is a natural model although he never did this before. He sit on the whole two hours session without taking any breaks...( I kept asking him if he was fine. Maybe I should insist him to take a break tomorrow morning. I shouldn't torture my sitter ; ) There's something about him that I really like. I did capture its mood on my canvas that I loved it very much. Tomorrow we'll add more details such as his shirt and his long all tied up hair. Cannot wait to see when its completed!

Friday, March 4, 2016

Raining Promenade

27cm x 41cm
Oil on canvas
Raining! Yes. Well, it was a little more than drizzling. I worked with my umbrella this afternoon. It wasn't raining the first hour when I just began to work, but the sky darkened first, followed with wind then the water came. I did a quick sketch this morning that I wasn't very satisfied with. So, here I was, painting the same scenery again. I wasn't able to create the dimension I wanted because there were several spot lights. They confused me completely. There was a moment I was very frustrated. Then I told myself, "hey, paint the vision I had in my mind! Create my own spot light!" 


Thursday, March 3, 2016

A quick sketch at the Promenade

15.5cm x 22.5cm
Oil on panel
This was a quick sketch since I didn't have much time this afternoon. Not much details but I certainly enjoy painting here. I was sitting on a big flat rock, under a big tree. Who didn't like it! But, seriously, I should go back there and do another painting, a better one. I do like this view very much.


Men at Work

27cm x 41cm
Oil on canvas
This morning I was thinking go to Baccab, Ladyville to do a painting of trees but I ended up here. Now I'm looking at it and I think the color of the dark shade of building was not varie enough. It needs cold and warm shadows.


Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Afternoon Breeze

27cm x 41cm
Oil on canvas
This afternoon I sit comfortably painting these clouds and sea. There were nice cool breeze. So nice that I felt that this was paradise compared to this morning's heat. There were so much vivid colors because of the sunlight. Besides clouds themselves, the reflections of the clouds, the corrent of the sea, they all changed constantly. It was challenge but at the same time, it was exciting because I was actually painting something full of energy in front of me. I had to do it fast. Long before I finished this piece, the sun went away and almost all of the clouds were gone. Blue, green sea became gray. It wasn't the same anymore!


Wreath of Life

27cm x 41cm
Oil on canvas
Now, I don't remember how many times I painted here. I'm obsessed with the things I love. There's no way to get ride of them. They stock in my mind and I'm not sure if this is fine. Well, guess I just have to love them until I had enough! One of the reasons that I came back to work here is because I though my last work done here wasn't good enough. I rarely satisfied with my own work. I always think I would try one more time and make it better. Mmm...this theory doesn't work out everything in our life but at least, it works for my art. Its fully under my control. I just need to work harder and harder every time.  And its worth to try. "Full of surprises!" is just one of the reward. Bitter sweet is today's feeling though!


Tuesday, March 1, 2016

A Quiet Afternoon

22cm x 27cm
Oil on panel
Yes. It was a quiet afternoon. Besides the noise of cleaning the swimming pool, this definitely was one of my favorite places to paint at noon. This was a ok study. I should have done better with color value. I cheated with knifes of colors. I wasn't concentrated enough!


Morning light

41cm x 27cm
Oil on canvas
The sun was on fire this morning! I was working here too yesterday morning but somehow the light was totally different. Today's light looked whiter and brighter but it was definitely hotter. I had to work with umbrella, hat, my long sleeves shirt covered my both knees since I was sitting on the bench, and of course my sun glasses. This was the first time I surrendered to the sun. But, because of this light, the entire image was incredibly beautiful! By the way, not like yesterdays work, I used palette knife; today's work I only worked with brushes.