Artist Stuck

Feeling stuck like the one in the painting I just did.

Tulip Field- Quick Digital Painting

We have had very bad spring weather. Just drizzle and drizzle. Saturday was the only clear day for a long time. And the forecast for the next week is again, rain. Cathleen suggested that we drive up to Mt. Vernon to see the tulip field. We started around 10 a.m. The freeway was jam packed. There were too many like minded people. It took us more than 2 hours, normally 50 minutes, to get to the freeway exit. even when we got there, we were lining up a mile away to get off the exit. We decided to drive one more exit and to find a place for lunch. After lunch we made another attempt with equally unsuccessful outcome. We gave up and drove home, never saw a single tulip.

Today, it rains again as the weatherman promised. So, I sat on my computer and paint this picture using my painting software, just to mentally seeing the tulip field. It is kind of fun. it took me about one hour to do it.

Digital Drawings

Got a bad cold and cannot do much. Just thought I would draw whatever come automatically using Artrage software in my computer.
The first one is "The fish that got away". The second one is untitled. Some images are related to the vegetable gardening work I had to do in grade school. I try to find a new way to draw in the third one.
These drawings take less than an hour each. It is kind of fun.

Cow with A Mornful Eye (3)

Seen Picasso Show at Seattle Art Museum twice. Aside from marveling at his genius, I learned a few things. In a painting, gesture is much more important than accuracy. And, linear element is such a powerful tool that I should exploit it more than what I had been doing.

It is cold in my garage where I paint. So, I keep working on digital painting on my computer. This is the latest version.

Cow with Mornful Eyes (2)

Continue working on the painting on computer.

Cow with a Mournful Eye

Please click the pictures to enlarge.

When I was growing up, our home was near a slaughter house. When a working cow got old and could no longer work, the owner would take it to the slaughter house. These are "yellow cows". Or Huang Niu in Chinese. They mostly tow heavy loads of coal or other stuff. These cows are very intelligent. They know that they are being led to be slaughtered. I saw them mowing and crying. I believe I had seen their tear drops. It was hard to watch. That image has such a strong imprint in my brain.

I use my computer painting software to come up with these two drafts. I will paint them on canvases later. I think the first one may need a large canvas to get the psychological impacts. I may do a few more versions of these seemingly comical yet dark paintings.

Remember Joan Baez's song Donna, Donna, Donna...? It goes "There's a wagon bound for market, and a cow with a mournful eye..."

Jin Temple - 晉祠 （3）

Please click on the Figures to Enlarge 請點圖片放大
TIE (iron) Figures
Nearby Xian Hall, there is a patio with four figures cast in iron. These are supposedly guards to protect the compound. A few of them were cast in early 20th century, and with poor design and workmanship. But, this one in Figure 9 was built in Song Dynasty. The facial features are definitely not ethnic Han. The weapon in his hands is missing. Both the posture and the facial expression of the figure are very well modeled. Although it is one thousand year old, there is no rust on it. It seems that stainless steel was already being manufactured 1000 years ago!

鐵人
獻殿附近的平台上有4尊鐵人。他們是護祠的武士。 其中幾尊是民國時補鑄的。 造型不佳， 作工粗糙。 圖9這一尊是原來宋朝鑄的。不但造型生動，威武，而且歷久不銹。 至今仍然保持得金光閃閃。令人不知1000年前， 他們是否已經知道怎樣鑄造不銹鋼。
Zhi-Bo Ditch
Winding in front of Xian Hall is this un-assuming ditch (Figure10) that has the longest history in the whole compound. It was dug in Chun-Qiu Era (BC 5th Century) some 2500 years ago. At the time, the nation of Jin was dominated by 3 war lords. They warred against each other. One of them linked up with the other in an attempt to eliminate the third. This third war lord walled themselves up well, and the siege continued for a long time. There was this strategist by the name of Zhi-Bo (meaning wise old man) who suggested that they dug a ditch to divert the water from Jin Creek to flood the besieged city. However, before they were able to subdue the third war lord, the coalition fell apart. Instead, the first initiator of the conflict was eliminated. This ditch remains as the reminder of that ancient conflict.

智伯渠
獻殿的前面繞了圖10顯示的這道小渠。不要看它不起眼。 它是整個祠園中最古的人工修築物。據說2500年前的春秋時代，晉世卿智伯為了久攻越國不下， 要引晉水來淹攻敵人。 後來沒有成功， 自己就被‘三家分晉’了。這個渠道就是他挖掘留下來的。

Shui-Jing Performing Stage
This is a building (Figure 11) that provides a stage for performing opera. This is actually the back side of the stage. The stage is on the other side facing a courtyard. The audiences sit or stand outdoors to enjoy the performance. It was built in Ming Dynasty (17th Century). The ornate style of the building is the hall mark of Ming-Qing architecture.

水鏡台
圖11的建築是水鏡台。是演戲的舞台。照片是面對晉祠入口拍的， 演戲的舞台在另一面， 面對院子。這是明初造的。 它明顯的華麗裝飾性和宋朝造的聖母殿形成對比。