Qin Theory: STUDY OF ART

Earth Hour 2012

One Earth,

One hour,

Our future.

It is just awesome to see people ALL AROUND THE WORLD turn off their lights on this day for one purpose:

To save our planet.

This is my third year participating in the Earth Hour.

Every year I was amazed and touched by the images taken in different parts of all the world during the hour. They make me feel so proud and feel like we are one big FAMILY.

Earth Hour tells us that saving the planet requires the cooperation of the entire world.

Exactly, keeping the light or all electronics off for a few hours is not a hard task, however, to do it every day is not a easy thing.

Let's bring the spirit of Earth Hour to our daily life. Little by little every day.

Take this challenge, will you?

I made a poster for my Facebook profile picture. It's not professionally done cause i'm not a photoshop expert. Oh well, hope you think it's a good perspective.

I just went on a field trip for my earth and space science class to the University of Toronto yesterday.

That's where my inspiration comes from haha.

A movement that ties us as a family.

How to Make a Sister

The greatest challenge in my life is when 3 years ago, moving to Canada, and learning English.

The second greatest challenge is this painting.

That was in my grade 12 painting class last semester. Our culminating assignment was a typical high school art project, self-portrait. I've done many self-portraits in various styles, but I had never painted a full-body portrait. In fact, I almost had no experience on drawing human body.

I got my canvas a week before Christmas. It was 30 by 60 in, almost my height and almost $50.

$50 for a plain canvas for a school project is pretty expensive.

I told myself it was a Christmas treat for me in order to make myself feel less guilty, haha.

So before I started my painting, on my sketch book, I explored many compositions and poses.

Like I said, I never really drew much full-body figures before. Everything just come naturally from daily observation.

We also did a few quick practice paintings on self-portraits in class.

It was for practising using complimentary and analogous colours.

I did it in front of a mirror for maybe half an hour each. It doesn't look like me that much, but the face always reminds me of another friend haha.

After Christmas break, I started on my painting.

It was a lot of work to do. I started to realize 30 by 60 is a really big size.

I spent nights and weekends on it because I just couldn't concentrate fast and well enough in a 20-people class during 40 min only session.

I changed the background from purple to green and then to yellow.

After a few plastic surgeries on my "face"....

Yeah, it really looked like myself!!

haha, she became my best friend and came to annoy me every day....

In the end, I change my background to blue and it looked so different.

The figure just feels pop out more and the colour matches the colour i used for the figure; and the nice blue really represent my personality.

The sweater is my favourite part of my painting.

It really brings me lots of tears and joy.

Just like having sibling or childhood friend, lots of fights and good time. LOL

Sisters

Hey there!

I want to introduce my twin sister. Her name is ChaoChao.

Left: My twin sister ChaoChao

Right: Me ChaoYing HAHA

I had trouble getting a good picture of her because this "girl" is 60 by 30 just by sitting there.

My parents didn't give me a sister so, fine, I created my own.
Haha joking... This is a self-portrait assignment I did in visual art class.

This is my first full-body portrait and it's my human-sized!

More information about my "sister" and the creating progress will be posted this weekend.

I really enjoy her company. :)

Still-Life Romance

This is a still-life project done in a high school painting class at York Mills.

After I finished this painting, I was told that there somehow seem to be a romantic story between the two mannequins. Ha, I guess that is mainly because of the powerfully used colours in this painting. And then somebody suggested names for my painting, "Romance of Mannequins" and "Star-cross'd Dummies". That's cute, isn't it ;).

Happy Valentine's Day. <3

This assignment was started after a long long lesson on colour theory, and it gave me the opportunity to carry out my understanding of colour theory and put it into practice. I explored various colour combinations, light effects and brush strokes. Lots of fun playing!

Original Size: 40* 28

Time: Nov 2011

For more fun, I'm posting my creating process again:

Figure 1. Practice still-life paintings on stone-paper:

I actually love the angle on the right, however, that spot had been taken over--- that is a really popular spot in the studio.

Figure 2. The "Palette"

In my class, students are asked to do a "palette" which includes colours they plan to use for the painting before starting on the actual canvas. This palette thing allows students to plan out their paintings before hand, just like an essay outline!

HOWEVER, it didn't work for me at all because I don't make plans before hands for what I am creating; I paint bravely, fearless about making mistakes, and then I discover my colours in the process. My "REAL palette" was built up gradually throughout the painting process.

Figure 3: Processing ■■■■□□□

So this is what happens to me most of the time when I do paintings:

Although I had a big picture in mind before hand such as the composition and a general palette, still, the painting I am working on is always a mystery to me. Every new discovery of colour and light effect is like a surprise and it delights my process of creating. That's an advantage of not using a "palette", not an excuse for my laziness XD.

If you are interested in my classmates' work, welcome to visit the blog of York Mills Art Council (http://ymartcouncil.blogspot.com/)

York Mills Art Council: This is How We See The World

I am the co-head of York Mills Art Council since last September.
Here I want to introduce the Art Council in York Mills Collegiate Institute(YMCI) and its blog : YMArtCouncil.blogspot.com.

Art council is a group of art lovers who are actively involved in the art programs at YMCI. This club is great opportunity for us, the art students in YMCI, to meet other artists in this school.

The Art Council blog is written by multiple authors from the council. Through this art blog, we make connections with students outside the club by sharing our artistic thoughts and art work. The blog is also a site for communication as we use it to keep track of our club events and activities.

A logo design for York Mills Art Council (YMAC) by ChaoYing Qin (me:)

Shared via

YMAC (http://ymartcouncil.blogspot.com/)

York Mills Art Council: This is How We See The World:

This is an still-life acrylic painting assignment students from Visual Art - Painting class did last November and December.

Taking a look at these paintings, isn't it amazing to see paintings on the same subjects done by artists from different perspectives and with various styles?

Yes, York Mills' got many art talents. ;)

Artist: ChaoYing....(CONTINUE TO READ)

Happy Lantern Festival

Today is Lantern Festival, the end of Chinese New Year (Spring Festival).

A rice ball for you :)

Yum yum, enjoy it!

Hands (Photography)

These wrinkled hands used to hold my tiny hands inside and protect me from the outer world.
These debilitated hands are expert ones that made me beautiful summer dresses and stuffed animals.
These shaky hands embrace me tight, every time when I have to say goodbye....

Hands-- my great-grandmother's hands in mine.

Today I can hold your hands the way you did when I was eight.
I had not looked at it this carefully since then.
I see the trace of time.
I see the sign of a great-grandmother's pride.
And I see the peace that lives in you when you wait for me to come home.

I miss you, great-grand mother.

Taken on 31 Dec, 2011.
With my 91-year-old great grandmother.

Clare:P

My first tablet painting.

This is my friend Clare.

She was beside me for the most of the time when I did this painting.

I am so happy to have a sweet friend like her.

@China~ An ODD self portrait

It is an exaggerated self-portrait.

I tried to free the brush in my hand.

I am melting there,

in between fire and ice...

@China~ "ME WALL"

I did a series of self-portraits in the summer.
My mom hung them on a wall and make it a "ME WALL" XD!

Let's look at these paintings one by one. I put them in time order:).

1. This is the first self-portrait I did with acrylics on canvas.

And then after this painting's existent, purple-yellow tone started to be call my "signature colour".

2. Haha, it is from one of my pictures in grade ten. I was 15.

I've got a crooked smile there.

3. My first oil painting:).

I was kind of chubby at that time....

4. Got the motivation after watching "Transformers III" 8D!

I want gold skin!

5. This is a "sketch painting".

it looks kind of like a sketch but it is actually an acrylic painting and I made my eyes LOL red...

I got Monkey King's "火眼金睛".

or if you say I look like a vampire, I will accept that too.

This is where it is located, on the wall above my piano at home in China.

@China~ Got a "Tulip Garden" at home

I did a few paintings of tulips for commitments (from family friends) this summer. I put assemble them a tulip garden in my house^_^.

(this is my TV...)

Aha, new style.

raining? reflection? near sight? I leave the imagination to you!

I enjoy the rich colour of its.

The last one is an old painting I did at the beginning of 2010 for my mom.

An additional one that is not included. Done it in 2009.

First acrylic painting ever!

@China~ Mama's Birthday Gift

This is the birthday card I designed and made for my mom's birthday on September 4th.;)

HAPPY 35 TH BIRTHDAY

MAMA!

YOUR ID: wanhong@1966.0904

PASSWORD: 1. moms are happy to be 10 years younger.

2. mama, you are the shortest.

DO YOU GET THE JOKE?

Hahaa! It was a family joke~

ANOTHER COOL VERSION OF IT

@CHINA~ My paintings eaten by bugs

This is a heartbreaking story :"(.

Do you remember these paintings from my old posts?
(Click the images to read their stories)

If you are a new visitor to my blog, these are my two textured paintings I made with edible flour.

Well well well.... If this didn't actually happened to me, I would never take note to imagine, such frigging oddity, that my paintings one day became a meal for bugs.

Bugs are savage this summer, especially in my house! I never find out the major reason or any clue of insect nests, although I'd considered about plants we had at home and food we sometimes left outside the fridge.
Anyways, two days ago, I looked close to a painting and I saw a line made up of powder on the counter at the bottom of the canvas.
At first I thought it was paints getting melt because of its poor quality somehow, but as I look closer, I realize that the powder is mixture of acrylic paints and RED BUGS!

GOD! I FOUND THE NESTS!!

The black holes on the figures are the hunks eaten by bugs. They ate the flour and left acrylics behind.

The dark line is left-over acrylic powder after the bugs finished up their "food".

what I circled are two fleshy bugs. you can see how well-fed they had been to grew this buff!

Of course I am VERY, VERY grossed out!!

The first thing I did was SCREAMING, although nobody was home to help. Fine, with my eyes closed tight, I immediately removed it and exposed it in the ruthless Chinese sun, and then I got some camphor balls from super market...

I swear I will take better care of my paintings from now on.

Oh AND! I will remind Shirley about bug prevention!

@CHINA~ DIY: Eco Shirt

So proud to wear a self-designed shirt and spread words of environment.

A. 2$ (12RMB) cost for a white T-shirt

B. Writing with acrylic paints

RECYCLE

PLEASE!

C. Handprint-- MY PLEDGE

Thinking about my direction of future, I want to do something practical with my art. Yes, ENVIRONMENT.

In the next year, I aim to apply my art and creativity to promoting environmental practice.

For next step, I’ll get some fabric paints and use this idea for fundraising at school.

@CHINA~ Taking a break from study

It would be my failure if you couldn't tell who she was...

I was about to take a break from study, but by the time I finished this portrait, the entire afternoon had elapsed...

It's been three days home. Nothing is too exciting but this life is perfect, simple and relaxing, like in paradise... so lucky of me to lead a life like this so slow and low-pressured in this country while everyone else is on the run.

What I've been doing these days:

1. Studying for a mandatory English test called TOEFL(Test of English as a Foreign Language) for my university next year. That is what I meant by "study" in the tittle and it's my only pressure this summer. I have a lot to work on my vocabulary and reading, and maybe listening and writing too... okay, that's actually everything... Well, my test is on July 23rd. I really have to work as hard as in the past few months even though it's in summer:(.

2. Family time. I get to spend lots of time with my parents and everyday after dinner we go out for walk, swimming or drive to the mountain for some climbing; I will be visiting my grandparents and other relatives in another city this weekend.

3. Eating watermelons. To my surprise, the temperature here is not unbearable, but I'm sure it's gonna be boiling hot in a few days... WATERMELONS, MY SAVIOR!

4. China is a "party" country, with numerous places and huge variety way for entertainment, just like one of my friends says "there's nothing you can't find, but things out of your imagination." China is a delicious country, but I've lost my appetite since I got here:(.

I always prefer to stay home for meals because my mom is a very very amazing cook!

5. I did some shopping online and the price and transportation are cheap and things are delivered very fast.

6. Reading Bible. I have a goal to finish the entire new testament over the summer.

7. Sleep very bad these days because I don't get used to live with constructions. They start so early every day and wakes me up at 7:00 every morning. By working so hard with so many workers, buildings rise abruptly out of the ground in China. :( it's crazy.

7. Foreign websites are supposed to be blocked in China, but lots of people use a special browser, a proxy server called Freegate to get through it. That's why I'm still facebooking and blogging everyday. So crafty.

8. Drawing and "showing off" my works to visitors to my houseXD.

Too bad my friends

I am thinking about making some money by drawing portraits for my old friends or schoolmates (free to my close friends:)), but it will be after my English test.

I hope I will meet my painting teacher soon:DDD. Excited now!

Well, about this drawing, Audrey Hepburn, I'm not a big fan but what a great actress.

@CHINA~~ First Time Playing with Oil Paints

I'm currently in Hefei, China.
Guess what was the first thing I did on my first day home?

TRYING OUT MY OIL PAINTS, haha~

Recent craziness, dizziness, busYness...

Wow, my first post in June is on June 24th. What a slacking blogger....

I finish school and exams this week, and you know what, I am leaving for my home city, Hefei, China on Sunday, which is about 36 hours from now. I will be staying there for tow month and a half, coming back on September 11th.

I've been working on a couple of projects during this super busy month. Sadly, i don't get them finish on time, and I have to leave them here in Toronto and continue to work on them after coming back in September.

Anyhow, this post is just to let you get a glimpse, and I'm not taking a break from blogging or painting. So stay tuned, cause you are going to see my achievements in Chinese painting.

Oh, well, I've been working on thist painting since April, however, it's only about 80% complete. This project is a great challenge, and it's also my first time doing a painting with palette knives.