The Man of Good Fortune - by Mary Frankel

In ancient times the Baiyue ethnic group, the ancestor of today’s Dai ethnic minority, lived alongside with elephants in the south of Yunnan Province. Dai people and wild elephants dwelling in Yunnan’s tropical forests continue to get along very well with each other. 

Since the Dai Minority people regard elephants as the symbol of the mighty and the strong, the chaste and the steady, they treat elephants as the key topic in all forms of art and literature, and they pin their pursuit for "the true, the kind and the beautiful" on elephants. 

In Chinese, the phrase ‘elephant rider’ sounds similar to ‘auspicious’ or ‘fortunate’.  My latest painting is of this magnificent, but sadly, vanishing animal and her fortunate riders in Xishuangbanna, China.

"Elephant Rider"

By Mary Frankel

16" X 12" Oil on Linen

Happy New Year of the Horse!

What a blessing to be invited to speak about our China Minorities-American Perceptions Art Exhibition at the US-China Peoples Friendship Association 2014 Chinese New Year Celebration Dinner.  This is a non-profit, non-political organization whose purpose is friendship between individuals of each country.  

This is Consul Wang, the Consul for Cultural Affairs at the Chinese Consulate in Houston with Qiang Zeng the President of the local chapter of the US-China Peoples Friendship Association.

 Consul Wang is explaining that he lived in the area of the Short Skirt Miao people who are represented by the young lady in my painting “Tea For You”.  It was quite an honor for me to have him point out the various parts of the costume that he remembered from living there.  “Is she a real person?” I was asked.  Absolutely.  When she was finished serving, she could be found outside on her cell phone! 

Alice Shen and Fidelis Ngang are board members of the USCPFA in Houston. 

With board member, Cresali LaWell, I am wearing a top covered in sequins and gold stitching that was purchased in the market place of Lijiang, China.  

 

You won’t see me with a microphone very often!  I'm saying that we can’t help but bring our personal history with us when we look at the world.  This is why we wanted to have “American Perceptions” in the name of our show.  It’s the way we see things.  That’s the real beauty of art.  It comes through another person’s eyes and mind before it becomes a work of art.

I’d like to thank these two special men for being there in the audience.  My husband, Jerry has always been there for me.  He did a great job as photographer.  Willy Wang is my friend and art mentor.  He offers advice on drawing in his weekly drawing workshop and leads workshop members on travel tours.  I treasure his guidance.  

And a big xie xie (thank you!) to the very friendly folks in the US-China Peoples Friendship Association for inviting me to share our plans with them! 

The City of Bridges - by Mary Frankel

In the early morning sunshine, a farmer from the area brings his wares into the city market on eight hundred year old streets paved with slabs of fine-grained red breccia.  No cars are allowed – only bicycles.  The ebb and flow of the people in the old town of Lijiang has been going on since the thirteenth century.  In America, we go to ‘antique stores’ and look at things that are one hundred years old.  When people comment that ‘seeing the world’ will open up your eyes, open your horizons; this is what they are talking about.

"Morning Commute"

By Mary Frankel

12" X 16" Oil on Linen

Music in a Forest of Stone

Near the city of Kunming we found ourselves in the Stone Forest surrounded by monumental stone formations in a cultivated park setting.  Deep in between the tall towers we found local musicians and dancers performing traditional music on ancient style instruments.  

I chose to paint this musician with his stringed drum instrument when he took his break.  The music was enchanting as it echoed off the stone walls.  

Here are some images of my painting in progress.

Beginning sketch

Color block in

 "Kunming Interlude"

By Vicky Gooch

16" X 12"  Oil on Linen

The Long View

On the shores of Erhai Lake we got caught in the rain.  Even on the water some of the traditional architecture is on display in the form of a pier. 

Legend has it that Dali near Erhai Lake was once a swamp inhabited by dragons. The dragons were believed to deliberately create natural disasters to dispel human intruders.  The Three Pagodas were built to deter the dragons around 823-840 AD.  We had a look at the ancient Three Pagodas before continuing up the foothills to the main Chongsheng Temple.

The view of Erhai Lake below from the main temple is well worth the hike even on a cloudy day.

People of all faiths come to the temple for prayer or meditation.  One lady was patiently escorting an older man slowly up the many steps and steep pathways to the main temple.  I imagine this may have been her father and he may have escorted her through many a challenge in their younger days.

"Generations of Faith"

 By Vicky Gooch

18" x 24" Oil on Linen

From Dali to Kunming to see the Stone Forest and on to Guiyang

View Dali, Yunnan in a larger map

Beauty Seen and Unseen - Vicky Gooch

We were swallowed up by the clouds on our way to the top of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.  We imagined great vistas beyond but could not see them with our eyes.  The air was like a cool damp blanket insisting on our silence.  We could hear the moisture dripping from the trees below with the occasional resonant clinking of the lead Yak’s bell.

Atop the mountain sits the monastery and the keepers of the Yaks.  The clouds parted just long enough to give us a little glimpse into these lives of graceful solitude before making our way back down from the mountain to visit a very special school.

We were welcomed to the school for Baisha Handmade Embroidery of the Naxi People with signs in English and Chinese explaining the history of silk embroidery and the school's mission to preserve the art.  The individual silk threads are so thin as to be nearly invisible.  Yet put together with careful trained hands, they create beautiful shimmering images on fabric.   

This is my painting of a young embroidery school student.  

“Silk Stitches”

By Vicky Gooch

16" x 12"  Oil on Linen