I’ve pretty much settled into my studio by now, and am finding my way to the stores and eateries in Feijiacun that carry the odd supplies, fruit and Chinese food that I enjoy. I have a bicycle – one speed, and with a low seat that means I must pedal with my knees high. Usually that is uncomfortable and annoys my arthritic knee, but bikes move slowly here and so it isn’t a problem.
Part of the shopping center – really, a long corridor
One of several markets where you can buy just about anything
One of several right angles in the warren of streets here – usually very crowded
The other artists in the program are good company, and we share many meals, trips, and activities. Here we are at the MAAN Café in Beijing to plan for our Open Studio event on March 29th. The MAAN is fabulous, specializing in fancy sweets and breakfasts, a sometimes welcome break from the local fare.
My choice at the MAAN was the French Toast Platter
Anna is Australian and has been a very active oil painter here since January.
Tiyan is Malasian and specializes in Video and Photography.
Tomash is from Austria, working on an application for his PhD
Mika is an another painter, from the US by way of the UK.
Matthew and I continue to stay in touch and hang out with each other.
Matt, at work in Beijing
Taking Snoopy to play ball in the park
It has taken me much longer that I anticipated to get any art work underway. One of the big problems initially was just that I was not sure how I wanted to start or what to do. And then, the art supply stores are about 45min to an hour away, using public transportation which is a challenge in itself. My list of essential supplies has been substantially modified as I find new ways and work-arounds that I can use to adapt the way I usually work and make them mesh with my situation here. Still, a workable paint medium is essential, and on my first trip to the supply stores, I got a set of supplies that don’t work and I can’t use. The problem is that most of the materials and their labels are Chinese with only a few cryptic words in English, and the terms don’t correspond to what I’m used to back home. Some supplies just aren’t available. I wanted a big pad of cheap Newsprint, but big pads of paper, cheap or otherwise, don’t seem to exist here. Neither do tablets of canas pads, or disposable paper pallets.
Fortunately, on my second expedition I did find materials that will work for me. Whew! And I’ve gotten back into the swing of painting again. Have completed a couple of initial paintings, and am working on several more, now.
I found some essential products that work for me, made in Netherlands
