It’s sketch+notes from my southwestern trip in May.Read it here. I wish I could have better English writing,I mean, to write like a writer.

P1180992, originally uploaded by rgmu11.

Al watching Pink Pantha in bed. I feel this drawing is a bit like Schiele’s style, one of my favorite artists.

I’m planning to take some figure painting course when I go to UK. Although I got the offer of University of Arts London, considered the big gap between their international students’ fee and home fee, which is £9,300 per year and £1,390 per year, I decided not to be account on taking a course in that university, at least not in the next three years. Because the reply I got from the university to my question “If I get a spouse visa, in what condition could I just pay the home status fee?” is- You have to stay in UK for at least three years to be accepted as a home student.

The answer was quite disppointing, thinking of the HUGE gap between the oversea’s and home’s fees. The tuition is going up year by year, while I am not sure whether the teaching quality would climb along with it. Think about it, what if I get pregnant and have a baby in one or two years, I will still be treated as an “international student” if I wanna go to college? I did feel quite excited when I got the offer.I did look forward to going there to study, very very much. And I did work much. But what a pity, facing my financial situation I don’t think I could accept loaning money for just one year foundation course for which British students will just pay nearly 1/7, and I even don’t want to wait for another three years to go to a foundation course. All what I feel is I wont make it unless they suddenly changed the policy to accept me as a home student then.

I just hope Al could get a good job where he feels fulfilled and joyful in career development. He thinks I should consider more about other ways to persue art, like short courses. I guess that’s a good idea. I would like to join several short courses to train myself more in traditional art technique which is helpful for me to get deeper in art.

P1180987, originally uploaded by rgmu11.

Monica Li, at lunch break time

Cindy Cong, at lunch break time

This post continues my previous post about my colleagues: http://robinwang.co.uk/?p=516

I was honoured and pleased to be invited by Mr Wang Shijun, an excellent teacher from School of Advertising of my university, to give a lecture to his students. I had total freedom to choose any topic in design. Eventually I decided to target on maintaining a sketchbook and the impact it has. The subject is called “Records of Your Creative Process”.

Mr Wang also post a “report” on his advertising class website. (click here)

26/11/09 Giving Lecture in DUFE, originally uploaded by rgmu11.

There were two reasons for me to set that subject.

- I think keeping sketchbooks is something missing in Chinese art school education. Till now, in the entrance exam to art colleges here, they still select promising students through technique test, i.e. sculpture sketches and still-life painting etc instead of appreciating the students’ personal portfolios and their interest in art shown from their sketchbooks. Moreover, keeping a sketchbook is so important for all designers.

- I have developed my thoughts in art and benefited myself from learning to use a sketchbook. I really want to share the experience with the students and hope they could be inspired as well.

Mr Wang suggested me to give it in English since this would be give the students a totally fresh experience. The two hours lecture went well. And it was indeed fresh to them.

I tried to guide them on how to accumulate the inspiration and knowledge. In the excise I gave them, I played some music clips and asked them to tell what image and colour they had on their mind from hearing. I know imagination is human’s gift. They just need to remember that moment’s vision with some idea journal  let’s say. The most important thing is I want them not just to see, not just to hear, but also to think. When I heard the students speaking out how they feel personally on the same music, I felt really happy. Some of them even made a story throughout the music. This is also a method I think useful: We need to practise from observing our surrounding life, and use our mind to think actively, then build up connection between the practical life and our own thoughts to convey that idea to the public, as a designer . Observe, Think and Connect.

We had some interaction in the Q & A section.I told them the importance and power to be true to their heart. I could see from their eyes that something they started to feel made them want to think about their life. Mr Wang has been supporting me since. He told the students that I am being in a hard time to save money for my tuition from my current job and even though they couldn’t help me but they would like to give me best wishes on this Thanksgiving day…I almost cried.

At the end of the lecture, he gave me a design magazine as a present and wrote his feeling on it-” The best student is also the best teacher of a teacher.”  I was flattered. We had a dinner  together and again he gave me some unforgettable advice- Many people like to spend time on making up for their weakness instead of enhancing their strength. They think getting rid of their shortcoming would lead to success but it is wrong.

art 020, originally uploaded by rgmu11.

Gilbert Che

Patric Jia

Jerry Gao

Li Yu

Haichen

Flickr was blocked for the past few days. I’m back to flickr now which means I can still post entries to blogger although it’s still blocked. I am gonna post three drawings in the a concert ( given by a famous French group ) Al and I went to couples of weeks ago. I drew these with the rhyme of music.

Flickr was blocked for the past few days. I’m back to flickr now which means I can still post entries to blogger although it’s still blocked. I am gonna post three drawings in the a concert ( given by a famous French group ) Al and I went to couples of weeks ago. I drew these with the rhyme of music.

Another sketch from the local activity. I couldn’t post more than one pics in one entry through flickr which is really not pleasant…

Thanks those readers who left comments on my blog. Since blogger is blocked in China currently, Ive no way to log in to reply to you.

Here is a sketch of an old woman drinking water and resting. Used charcoal on paper, and then brush water on when I returned home.

We went to see an local activity near our home yesterday morning which lasts from the 26th to 31st, May. A group of old people were dressed up doing Yangge Dance there. Al got much fun from seeing that and he even danced for a bit under a dancer’s invitation. I am hoping that he will upload his “dance video” onto his flickr. You can see some photos about the activity from his blog ( http://clarkalastair.blogspot.com/ ). There were also some art shows on in those Japanese houses along the street.

Here are some sketches I did.

Wendy at work