Early morning in West Lake Park, Hangzhou

Early every morning men gathered here to visit. Some carried cloth-covered bird cages. Suitable branches were quickly found to hang cages in trees near by. Once the coverings were rolled to the tops of the cages, the owners walked up this little path to join their friends. The air filled with the soft murmur of their conversations, mixed with frequent sounds of laughter and the singing birds. A delightful way to start the day.

Between the sketch above and the June 4th post, there was a large, square platform surrounded by short walls. Openings on each side allowed entry. People began to arrive around 6:45 a.m. They were all dressed for work in the business world.

By 7:00 a.m. loud speakers came on, blaring music from the West, and the people began to dance together, ballroom style. They danced for nearly an hour. Then suddenly the loud music ended. Once again the soft murmur of voices mixed with laughter could be heard, and the dancers stepped out onto the grass-covered ground. They left as they had come, some walking and some riding bicycles.

Painting in West Lake Park, Hongzhou, China

During our stay at the Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts, I walked to the lake early every morning to sketch and paint before breakfast. Here I am wearing one of the "fisherman" hats mentioned in yesterday's posting. Wondered why all the women who walk by would all smile and giggle . . . I later learned that women don't wear these, only the fishermen. Well, they worked so well in the mist and rain, all of us wore them. The image below is what I am painting in the photo above.

8 x 10

oil on gessoed museum board

On this morning one of the little boats was tied along the shore. Graceful branches from the tree above almost touched the water. The view took my breath away. I had to stop, take out my paintbox and  catch the moment. 

Sketching on the train . . .

I was looking through some of my travel sketchbooks yesterday. These are from a 1993 painting trip to China. We spent several weeks in the Yangtze River Delta area. Our train rides were in cars with little tables between seats that faced each other, and tea was served on each trip. A delightful way to travel with friends.

On our ride to Hangzhou, Darrell was seated at the table across from mine.  The sketch below is from a later ride to Shanghai. Roseanne sat with me. One of our new hats is on the table. The fishermen all wore these. The are made of very thick felt and the rain simply does not go thru them. We all liked them so much, our guide bought one for each of us.

NAWA 122nd Annual Exhibition in NYC NY

My Red Bow

10 x 8 oil

This little painting is from an early morning walk in West Lake Park, Hongzhou, Zhejiang, China. I went to the park between 5:30 - 6am every morning to sketch and paint before breakfast. I was amazed how many people, elderly to the very young, were out so early.

This little girl was walking with her grandmother. Her sweet face, big red bow and wonderful hair, just looked like a painting to me. Even though my visit to China was years ago, I am still using sketchbook and photo reference material in my work. There were so many beautiful moments.

My Red Bow will be in the National Association of Women Artists 122nd Anniversary Exhibition in New York.

May 3 - 31, 2010

Sylvia Wald and Po Kim Gallery

417 Lafayette Street, NYC NY

Opening Reception: May 19, 2011 6 - 8pm