Continued

Intangible ideas and intriguing philosophy

      I thought a lot about this philosophy while painting on our trip, and wondered how it might affect my paintings in the future. These sorts of intangible ideas — nearly unconscious accumulations of experiences and insights into unknown areas — are what makes each of us grow as artists and people. More than almost anything else, they're the reason I like taking trips.
      My experience in China impressed upon me that the important thing is to constantly strive for openness in both painting and life to allow for change and growth. So often, I'm saddened by the sight of an artist or person who has shut himself or herself off from the world and has stagnated into a repetitious circle. These people don't see that real-life experience and honesty is what separates a painting done from the heart and one which is merely a safe, technical rendering. 
      For me, the first-hand experience is what enables me to paint from my photographs. As much as I love the pictures I brought back, I wouldn't have wanted to paint any of them if I hadn't taken them myself because they would lack that emotional tie that comes from having been there. When I look through the photos I took myself, however, I relive the excitement, sadness or other emotions I felt at the time. This connection is what will make each scene resonate as a painting.

    
Scott Burdick, "Weighing Apples", oil, 30" by 12"
Scott cropped and simplified this scene to create a more interesting design

Scott Burdick, "Companions"  charcoal  30" by 40"

Scott Burdick, "Tobacco Harvest"  Charcoal  20" by 30"

A moment of transformation

      While Susan and I were resting by a river on one of our last days in China, we met a man I've often thought about since. In talking to him, I realized how idealized his view of America was. I didn't have the heart to tell him that even in the US, there were such things as poverty, corruption and prejudice — and I doubt he would have believed me anyway. In a way, I envied him since we in America are often so jaded and disillusioned that few symbols remain to inspire us. 
      This one man summed up a lot of what I took back from our trip to China. I'd expected to find a country far behind the rest of the world, and in a lot of ways it is. But what I also found was that a lot of things that have been lost or forgotten by us are still alive there, at least for the time being. Our month in China made feel grateful for my life as an artist, but also reminded me of why it is I began painting in the first place -- of the simple joy of creation beyond gallery shows, monetary concerns and all the rest. 
      Although I'm happy that China is making strides against hunger, health care and all the difficulties that go with switching to a market economy, I'm also saddened to think that in another decade, much of what makes China so interesting to me as an artist will no doubt be lost. Already you can see the younger generation being more influenced by MTV than by their local traditions and I guess this is the inevitable trend that will mark the next century as we become more and more of a global culture. Perhaps this is why I feel lucky to have seen this great civilization while some of the ancient traditions are still in place. China definitely has much to offer.

Scott Burdick, "Sewing at Butterfly Spring"  oil  20" by 16"

Scott Burdick, "In the Park with Grandchild" oil - 14" by 11"

Pack light

      Even the fewest art materials can seem pretty heavy when carried in a backpack all day, so I make my set-up as light as possible. I limit myself to a pochade box and smaller panels, usually 6 x 8" up to 9 x 12", and take only a couple of basic colors. With a red, yellow, blue and white, I can mix just about anything. I also opted for water-soluble oils because mineral spirits aren't allowed on airplane flights. Not only did this save me a lot of weight in my pack, it saved me the time trying to find paint thinner. It was lucky that I did pack light since, to my surprise, Chinese airlines only allow you to check one-fourth the weight of a normal airline.

Scott Burdick, "Mountains of Lijiang". oil, 8" by 6"

Hints for traveling in China

      If you're planning on doing any on-the-spot painting while on a trip, leave yourself several extra days in each place you visit. On all of our trips, I've rarely done a painting on my first day in a new location. There's simply too much to see, and you need time to settle in and find the spots that most interest you. 
      For our trip to China, we booked a standard, 12-day private tour (through a place that specializes in Asian tours) and then added on days in each stop until we'd extended the trip to a full month. Those additional days without a guide and driver cost us only the price of the hotel, which is very cheap in China, so that to double the length of the trip cost us only one-tenth the price of the original package. (If you're really adventurous and think you can do without a private bathroom and CNN — alas, our days of roughing it are over — you can get a private room for about $2 to $4! 
      Food cost almost nothing since you can get a large bowl of noodles with chicken for about 25 cents. Even though eating at the numerous street stalls is a bit intimidating at first, I enjoyed these simple meals far more than the "gourmand" meals included in the tour package.

Scott Burdick, "Afternoon at the Stone Forest"  oil  18" by 24"

Places to see in China

     Our month in China felt more like a trip to half a dozen countries. Each area was so distinct in its history, architecture and most especially the vastly different minority groups who not only looked completely unique, but even had their own languages. Here's a very brief synopsis of the places we visited and some of the highlights:

      Beijing was the most notable from a historical and architectural perspective. Tiennamen Square, the Forbidden City, the Winter and Summer Palaces, the Ming tombs and the Great Wall are all part of the standard tour and were spectacular. The non-tourist parks within the city were also beautiful and a great place to spend the day painting. Liulichahang Culture Street is the best place to find art books on Chinese artists (we had to buy an extra suitcase just to carry all the ones we bought!).

Xi'an's awe-inspiring main attraction is the Terra Cotta Warriors — a vast excavation of the individually sculpted, full length portraits of 2,000 of Qui Shi Huang's (China's first emperor) warriors and horses. Right out of the Middle Ages, the side streets of Xi'an are a must to explore.

In Kunming, the Gates of Heaven high up in the mountains reminded us what fresh air is like! Here, we got our first taste of some of the ethnic minorities and their wondrous, hand-made costumes. 

At the "Butterfly Spring" in Dali, our local guide was very puzzled that Susan and I preferred to spend most of our time outside, where all the woman were sewing their costumes, rather than in the museum itself. Erhai Lake is worth the hour-long bus ride, and there's a huge traditional market on the side of a hill that would make any painter's mouth water.

The mountainous drive from Dali to Lijiang is around three hours, depending on how many rockslides have blocked the road, and is gorgeous, though the air can get quite thin if you aren't used to it.

In Guilin, we were put together with several hundred tourists for a sanitized and air-conditioned cruise down the Li River. The picturesque scenery of the cruise was right out of traditional Chinese paintings — misty hills and all — and I enjoyed watching the fisherman using Cormorant birds to catch fish. It was our one and only taste of what it must be like to take a group tour, and we were glad to be on our own!

About Susan Lyon

     A native of Oak Park, Illinois, Susan Lyon was inspired to take up art by a television show about Georgia O'Keeffe. She went on to study painting at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, and became an active participant in Chicago's 100 year-old Palette and Chisel Club where she first began exhibiting and selling her work. At age 23, she was the youngest winner of the prestigious Gold Medal, which she won in the annual oil painting show for two consecutive years. A gifted painter who works in a variety of media, Susan also won the Silver Medal in the watercolor show. 
     Stylistically, Susan draws much inspiration from painters such as Zorn, Fechin, Sorolla and Celia Beaux. Yet many of her ideas come from the everyday objects that surround her, such as stuffed animals, dolls or the occasional curious kitten playfully exploring her studio. "When I started out as an artist, I struggled against my own more feminine tastes. I feared people would not take my subjects seriously," says the artist. Once I overcame this self-consciousness, I was happy to find that what I enjoy looking at day after day also re3aches others". Even when she's painting fairly traditional things, Susan's greatest joy is figuring out original ways of setting up the most common of still life objects so that they appear dynamic. 
     Currently, Susan lives in a rural area of North Carolina with her husband, Scott Burdick. Surrounded by nature, Susan's studio allows her the space and privacy to grow as an artist. It also serves as a perfect home base for her painting trips and travels, which have included Ireland, England, Spain, Turkey, Italy, Greece, Mexico, Canada and China. "The excitement of traveling and seeing so many new sights and incredible works in museums, combined with the challenge of painting on the spot have made me a travel addict! Even before I go on a trip, I'm planning the next one." When home, Susan enjoys being a member of the Northwest Rendezvous Group.
     Susan's work has been featured in magazines, and Limited edition prints of her work have been produced by Somerset House Publishing.