I hope that everyone had a good weekend. I suppose to write this yesterday, but I had a few meetings and was busy with my trip plan to Japan. Some very exciting projects will come up this year. I will tell more when it happens.

Tuesday again, how was your weekend? I had a wonderful one. Saturday I painted and meanwhile I started my polymer clay project. This is something new to me, I never made shape with polymer clay before, I expected it will be more difficult. But it turned out to be just fine.

I realized that if you want to make anything or any new project, do not be afraid to try. Gathering information, do some researches, and make a little plan, then you will know how easy or how difficult it will turn out. Yes, some of us like to make things which we are familiar with, but there are many things out there which will be new to many people. We are in the new world of technology, we are in a kind of global village. You can experience some new projects with just a few click away.

What I did?

I love owl, they looks so awfully cute. Here in Amsterdam is very chilli these few days, I thought we will be nice to do in the weekend. Here it goes. I started to make the figure for the owl. I made two owls, I named one “Sam”, and the other one “Bob”. Same is a bigger than Bob. After half of pinch and shape, I had these two little friends.

On Sunday, Sam and Bob want to have a nice Sun Baving. It was chilli whole weekend, however it was sunny, how nice to see them settle down here in my little studo in Amsterdam. They feel at home here. hehe

I know many of us love weekend. Who don’t. Some of us love to make crafts, and others love to read. What is your weekend favorite activities?

Hi everyone, it has been a very exciting week for me. Hope you too. It was exactly one week after my operation, and one week of my art journey blog writing, and one week of thinking and making. I was so confused before about what I want and want I don’t want. I am so glad on the way, I opened my eyes, ears and heart to everything. I mean I tried to see things in different angles, I listened very well what other people want to say and take actions immediately after I think they are right. I followed my heart, and listened very carefully. I know if there is some voice over there to tell me that’s not right, I will immediately stop it. It refers to work, relationship, friendship and creation.

I love Holland, why? Not only because I have a Dutch husband who I dated for almost 9 years before we married. Because I love its flowers culture and its beautiful landscape. If you have chance come to the Netherlands, you should take a train and visit some nice local villages. Do not only go to some very touristic places or cities only.

I used to travel with train and took my foldable bike plus 5 kilos heavy bags full of samples of my scented candles and fragrance to everywhere in the Netherlands. It was such a great experience for me even to think back today. Before I came to the Netherlands, I know that Dutch people are living under the sea level, and most of the lands claimed from the sea. They don’t have high mountains at all. It is a flat country. But they do have a lot of water (dijk) and many flower growers.  I remember that almost everyone in a village I used to live in Diemen has flowers at home in the weekend (yes, I love to peek through open window, and most Dutch people open their curtain to let you see what their home looks like). Some people spent a lot of time during the weekend in their garden to plant new flowers or make it look nice. I am so impressed with their idyllic life.

Till 11 Feb, 2012, I will exactly 12 years in the Netherlands, last few weeks, I was busy making my ceramic collection, they are not in the oven yet, I still need to put twice in the oven and put colors on. For now I just show you what I have made so far, get a sneak peek what I was up to.

image via: dickblick

Yesterday I spent sometime online as well as in the city to search for art craft supplies. Yes I am preparing my project for easy clay making with kids. It will be so fun to do it. Most of friends are now in their 30′s, and many of them has kids, or are expecting a kid. So I am very excited about it. I came to Knutsel Frutsel near my home to get some polymer clay or DAS air drying clay, I was lucky enough to find what I was looking. Plus I found a little owl, it is so cute.

I just start to make things with polymer clay, I am so looking forward to the projects. You can find my other projects here, here, here, here and here.

Time flies when you are doing the things you love, it is almost 20:30pm, I haven’t finished my painting for today, but I did something yesterday. I will show you just now.

I have been living in the Netherlands for almost 12 years, yes till 11 Feb, 2012, I am here for exactly 12 years. That’s something to celebrate. Indeed. I still recall my first week, I cried a lot, then I lived in a village called Diemen where my school is located. I did not have much friends back then. I was very much home sick. Slowly I got to know more friends from school and from my part-time job in the flower auction or Mango. I really started to enjoy my life then. I was still laughing about my silly decision when I almost flied back to Shanghai in Week Three. Yes, I did not give up, I learn to appreciate the difference between two cultures, I tried to eat the local food, learned the Dutch language, followed the news on tv and participated all the activities.

I think I learned to be brave and patient then, I learned to live with positive attitude and learn to be independent. I moved 10 times houses in 12 years. One time I even ran up and down 15 times on my little holdable bike to move all my belongings. Learned to appreciate people who really care about me because who I am and my personality.

Actually it is really difficult to integrate into the Dutch culture if you don’t speak the language. If you do speak a bit, you really have to learn to understand the Dutch mentality as well, they are open, kind and straight forward. Sometime it is difficult to manage as I came from the culture background where things are not said are more important than what are said. You have to feel it. Most of things are in the grey field in China, there is no clear black or white lines to draw when dealing with relations and managing the layers of networks. Here in the Netherlands is different.

When I came to the Netherlands, I noticed that little kids here love the rabbit a lot, it is called konijn, they even have them as pets at home. I can not imagine that will happen in Shanghai. I love the idea so much, I used to visit my friend Gert, his 10-year-old son has three rabbits, each has different colors. Love to see them running freely around on the grass in the spring time. I was thinking yesterday about what I want to paint, then the rabbit came into my mind, so I used illustrator program I learned recently to do it. Here is the three hours work result.

Then I want to see how it will look like if I used it as my mobile phone screen saver, it looks fine.

If you want to make your creativity work, only you need to do is: pick it up, don’t think anything else, and make time for it. I am sure many of you love to make something with your hand in your spare time. Just do it, and I am sure after a while, you will get used to create stuff and will never want to stop.

image by ping he, silkscreen print on textile in Amsterdam

I wish everyone a very good Chinese New Year, today is the second day of the dragon’s year. I am glad that I am in full speed of recovery. My friend Rainbow and her husband George came to pick me up with a group of other friends Jennifer, Linda, Casper, Minnie and Patrick. We enjoyed a very nice New Year’s Dim Sum in Sea Palace. the day before yesterday, yesterday I had a walk with my other friend Iman along near the Sloterkade to stretch my numb legs and get some fresh air.

I tried to understand a lot about what is going on, and to be honest, no matter how strong you are, you always needs friends and family who can help you to go through some difficult moment in your life.

This morning I woke up, and first thing first, I wen to kitchen to grab a cup of nice Longjing green tea, I boiled the water and wait a while till it cool down a bit, I really love its sweet and bitter taste on the tip of my tongue. When I was drinking my tea, I remembered that I made some designs with illustrator (I will mix all the techniques I learned into my creation), I would like to share with you. I once tried to silkscreen printed it, I don’t know why I choose this color eventually, I normally not a PINKY person. Maybe had many influence from my friend Merrie, she is 100% pinky, everything she touches turned out to be pink.

image by ping he, silkscreen print on textile in Amsterdam

Life sometimes hits you in a very unexpected way, sometime like a storm, sweep away all in a sudden, when you are not prepared for it. My life was suffered in such a storm since last June. Last November I lost my mum who was fighting for a rare kind of cancer for six months. During that period, silence was all what I can bear.

When I am writing this post, I was just out of hospital for three days, yes indeed two days before the Chinese New Year, I had my operation in OLVG in Amsterdam, I am so determined to get well soon and so looking forward to be back to my normal life again. It gave me so much strength from my family and friends from their sweet messages and phone calls. John is taking great care of me since the operation, you know what? I am recovering in full speed actually.

As in my previous blog, I did my floral water color painting, it was a gift that I suddenly picked up my drawing skills and make some art out of it. It is a kind of ritual for me to paint, I try to paint every day if I can. It gives me space to get ready for what ever comes next. It is kind of healing process for me, it is a way for me to meditate and clear my mind.

In the past thirty-some years, I try to find inner-self, I try to be a mature person, I have changed myself from an incapable artist to be a more experience ones through all the workshops and classes, learning basic watercolor skills, basic figure drawings. I picked up my brushes to learn what is the best way to draw shapes. I participated many clay making workshops to learn my hand feeling for shapes, I did my try and error silkscreen printings, My first letterpress printing cost me five hours to print my first name card with hundred years old typeface.

I went online courses to learn illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign and digital photography, I went to many perfume making courses in France, I went to many galleries and museums to learn what I missed from the book. I feel awful at first when I saw my work is not up to the level I wanted, I made mistakes along the way, but all these mistakes add so much valuable experience for my growth. I admire people who can work in consistent manner, I am really lack of it. When I love something, I just dive into it, then when I lost interest, I will desert it. I learned from many great artists about their persistence and patience.

In the past few months when I was in silence mood, I have more time to think. I realized that the best way is to incorporate art practice into daily life. I know that I still have a long way to go, but I promise myself to make it work, one step a day. I have experienced myself with the busy business world – visiting clients, making contacts with suppliers, distribution agencies, exhibition/fair organizers, editorial/magazine editors etc etc, I did not have enough time to grow myself as an artist, I think I will regret that if I do not make time for myself to learn more now.

2012 is here, this year I would love to shine through my creativity mind, through my brush, I will make my watercolor paintings as a good start, I want to be a true crafter/artist. I will feel insulted when people name me as a businesswoman. (just joking). ping living is still running in a full speed, I will incorporate my artwork more into my ping living online shop in the future.

Do not afraid that you do not go to the art school to study art history, do not afraid when others laugh at your childish drawing of fishes or birds, the door creativity is open from your heart. There are many artists like you out there who will appreciate you as they have experienced same, not all of them have been to the art school, but making some amazing works.

When I am writing this blog article, I heard outside my window in Amsterdam Oud-Zuid many big bangs from the firework for the New Year celebration. That’s it, the 2011 door is going to be closed and 2012 is going to be open. I love the time that I can sit quiet and do some reflection of what have been like in 2011. I love to be back to the blog where I find tranquility and peace, a place I retreat myself and here my mind would be free to flourish. All my thoughts would be pure, It felt like a pure jasmine opens up in the spring, it grows up and up, never stops.

During this time of the year, I looked back what had happened. There were a lots of positive things and some less positive things.
1) I promised to make a cooking workshop project in May 2011, since the day I decided till November, within half year, we had six very interesting cooking workshops taken place. We met many new people who are crazy about cooking and enjoy new culture and cuisine.

2) 2011 taught me to appreciate more what I have. It is not easy to live in a country which is not my own home town, even though I can speak its language and sometimes I found still very difficult to integrate fully into the local culture. You don’t know what is expected to say and to do and what is not. I am glad that there are so many my dear friends and family who gave me the courage to look things beyond. Thank you Irene, Esther, Ai, Jacquelien, Rainbow, Minnie, Linda, Jennifer, Kiki, Henry, James, Iman, Claudia, Ciaran, Michel, Tammie, Eva, John, Robin, Georgina, Carien, Angelique, Emma, Widay, Sohpie, Kay, Yiyi, Ching, Chris, Merrie, Edith, Therese, Mingli, Francisca, Ying and more friends who are there to support me and my work. I am far away from my family and I haven’t been able to see them every year. Your friendship lights for me through the dark and cool winter. This year taught me lessons in my life – appreciate who is true friend, be patience and have faith. I learned to make Amsterdam as my third hometown. (Yes, throughout my life, I moved a lot, I can say every a few years, I make a big move, sometimes even move to another country).

I lost my mum last month, I asked myself what is wrong with this world. Sometimes I still can not face the reality. I learned to stay positive in my life and I know mother nature has its own turn, things are not so ideal what I would love to face. I went through the tragedy with my tears and my drawings, I learned to treasure family and friends who are close to me, especially my dear sister Jacquelien, and my mother-in-law Robin who are always there for me.

3) The support of the facebook and blogging community has been incredible throughout 2011. Blogging has become such a big part of my life (apology for a long break since breakout news of my mum’s illness), and I would like to make it better with every single creative thought in my mind. It will be a great adventure with my projects in 2012.

Talking about my adventures in 2011, I did travel to very nice perfume land Grasse, met a wonderful perfumer Laurence, and many future great perfume creators such as Aurore, Babett, Merrie, Céline, Chris, Malvin, Brigitte, Lydia, Angel, and Marian. That was the best thing I could have done to leave Holland for two weeks and went to the land of perfume, created with and smell many aromas, met new people and practiced my perfume making skills and got opportunities to see what I didn’t see here.

I know that many of your are celebrating your New Year’s eve now, I am going to do so as well. Before you come back for the next blog post, I wish you a very happy, healthy, loving, peaceful 2012. What was your 2011 review, drop my some thoughts with us.

I was not thinking much when I wrote this as today’s topic, “year 2011 review”, it sounds very difficult. As soon as I type these letter, I realize that I have much thinking going on.

Time flies, another 11 days, 2012 will knock on our door. What I have been doing in 2011? I did many things like everyone else, and the most important things I have listed here, I hope I can do more review of 2011 before the end of this year:

top five things in year 2011 review

1) I change myself, not for the sake of what other people will think about me, I change myself because I like the way it is.

2) I work harder and smarter. As a freelancer, I used to take all the responsibilities for everything. Now I learned to enjoy lose the control and trust other people to finish the job with set standard. I learned first thing first, prioritize all the tasks/projects and learn to relax and get recharged for next projects.

3) I learned to share with people how I feel, be honest to myself and to other people. If I am stressed, I just take a break, not pretending I am not. If I am sad, I just say it, don’t hold back and put on smile on the face, but bleeding inside of my heart.

4) I learned to be ambitious and set a timeline for myself, meanwhile encourage myself to take a steady little step each time to reach my goal. I remembered one client used to tell me, many small drops of water will turn to be a pond, many ponds come together will turn to be a river, many rivers combined will turn to be a sea, many seas combined will turn to an ocean. Every big act starts from small. Each step forward counts.

5)  I learned to have the end in mind. What ever I do, I want to know what end results I can expect from myself. Or I see it is pure an entertainment, then there is no expectation at all, I will feel more relieved .

I think those are what I came up in mind for now. What is your reflection of the year 2011? I am sure that you have thought about it, if not, maybe it is time to start, and share with us.

image via wedding bee

Pink flowers are not always my favorite ones. It changed a few years ago. You know why? I have a Western name called “Maggie” and I used it for my Dutch friends when I was studying in Hogeschool InHolland. When I moved to Rotterdam in 2004 for my study in Erasmus University, my friend in Rotterdam suggested to call my Chinese name “Ping”. The changes went all perfectly. I started my own company in 2006, when I introduced myself on the phone, I heard many clients from other side of line pronounced my name PINK. I tried to correct them many times, now they call me Ping Pink. I don’t know where did that come from, slowly I am kind of get used to PINK. And if some of you follow my blog for a while probably notice that I am crazy about flowers. Today I am going to talk about flowers, yes PINK flowers.

粉红色的花并不是我的最爱, 前几年才有改变。你知道为什么吗？ 我有一个西方的名字叫“玛姬”, 那时在荷兰高等专业大学InHolland学习时，我的荷兰朋友称呼我这个名字。当2004年我搬到鹿特丹的伊拉斯谟大学学习时，在鹿特丹的朋友建议我称呼我原来的中国名字“娉”。这一切改变都很完美。 我于2006年成立了自己的公司, 当我介绍在电话里介绍我自己, 听到电话那头许多客户称呼我“粉红”。 我试图纠正他们很多次，现在他们叫我“娉”粉红色。 我不知道这个称呼从哪儿来，慢慢地我就习惯粉红色的叫法。如果你们当中有些人读我地博客一段时间，可能注意到我很有点花狂。今天我要谈论鲜花。而且是粉红色的鲜花。

While pink flowers are considered feminine, romantic and sensational. Many Asian friends are familiar Cherry Blossom, Peach Blossom, Pink Phalaenopsis, Magnolia, Peonies, and Apricot Blossoms, now it is time to learn more about other flowers which are pink: Hot-pink ranunculus, nerine, and double tulips.

虽然粉红色的花被视为女性化，浪漫和煽情。很多亚洲的朋友很熟悉樱花，桃花，粉红蝴蝶兰，玉兰，牡丹以及杏花。 现在让我们了解更多其他粉红色的花：洋牡丹，納麗石蒜，重瓣郁金香。

image via costafarms

I know some of you may have more nice lists of PINK Flowers, share with our readers here if you like, and let’s enjoy our days and evenings with our beautiful pink flowers.

It has been busy past two weeks, as the holiday season approaches here, we had many celebrations. Because Dutch has its own Sante Clause holiday besides Christmas, we often met the family and friends,

I like the most about the season is that the family feeling, just like Chinese New Year when all family members gathered together from every corner of the country . I remembered in 2002, it was the last day of the class before the holiday in Hogeschool InHolland, we were sitting in the school canteen, we were all surrounded by Christmas decoration with  nice Christmas music in the air, The music, the smell and the cozy atmosphere made me very home sick. It was my second year in the Netherlands then. By the end of the afternoon, all my Dutch friends left one by one and wished me a Merry Christmas, when everyone was gone, I was sitting alone there, listening to the music,  I could not help getting very sad.  I told myself, enjoy the Christmas as much as you can, even though for Chinese it is not an official holiday, but now you are living here, you should learn Dutch’s tradition. I started to make a wish list, it is a long wish list. DO YOU MAKE A WISH LIST TOO?

在过去的两个星期，因为假日季节的临近，我们有许多庆祝活动，忙的不亦乐乎。经常与家人和朋友聚在一起，因为荷兰除了圣诞节之外， 有自己的 Santa Claus。
我喜爱本季因为它给我带来一个家庭的感觉， 就像中国新年时，所有家庭成员来自全国的每一个角落聚集在一起。我记得在2002年，那是InHolland大学的假期前的最后一天，我们坐在学校食堂，我们周围有圣诞节的装饰，在空中弥漫着圣诞音乐。

圣诞音乐，圣诞气味和舒适的氛围让我非常恋家。这是我住荷兰的第二年。快到午后，所有我的荷兰朋友（同学逐个离开， 并祝我圣诞快乐。 当所有人都走了，我独自坐在那里，听着那个音乐，我无法抵制我的伤感的情绪。我告诉自己，你可以尽可能享受圣诞，即使对中国人来说，这不是一个法定假日，但现在你住在这里，就要学会人家的习俗。我开始做一个愿望清单，这是一个很长的愿望清单。您使一个愿望清单吗？

Looking back all the things happened all the years, I can always remember all the celebrations and enjoying making the list. This year, I don’t make list any more. You know why? because I just started to do the things I wish for. In the past few weeks, I painted a lot. Because of my childhood, I love the nature a lot, landscapes, flora and little animals are my favorite. For this blog, I will share with you some of my floral water color paintings. Painting is so much fun. I have more surprise to come.

回想往事，这么多年来发生了很多的事，我一直记得所有的庆祝活动，享受制作每一份愿望清单。今年，我再制作愿望清单了。你知道为什么吗？因为我开始做我想要做的事。在过去几周中，我画了很多。因为在我的童年里，山水风景，大自然和小动物是我的最爱。在这个博客里，我想和你共享一些我的画 – 这是我的花卉系列一。以后我有更多的惊喜。