Journey in Life

by Lily Lihting Li Kostrzewa

I started with five canvases and painted them all in washed yellow background.... I looked at each of them with many long hours until we come to the common understanding of each journey...

Journey in Life - Mystery

Journey in Life - Courage

Journey in Life - Celebration

Journey in Life - Curiosity

Journey in Life - Two of Us

One day while in church, I listened to Father Loren give a homily on the “Journey in Life”. The homily centered on one’s journey in life and the understanding and acceptance of the full experience of good and bad; without sorrow we would not fully understand joy, and without pain we would not fully understand happiness.

In the homily I caused a picture in my mind of people walking through a tunnel of trees, the tunnel of life. Sometimes the tunnel appears full of glamour and excitement, and at the other times it is full of sorrow and pain. Sometimes we all walk together, and sometimes a person has to walk alone until he reaches the end. I thought about King David talking about life in Psalms 103 “As for us, our life is like grass. We grow and flourish like a wild flower; then the wind blows on it, and it is gone – no one sees it again.” I cherish the many experiences that life has given me and wish to catch the experiences of life in colors.

When I started working on these five canvases, I thought about all my dear friends that have gone through the journey before me and all the young and energetic those come after me. We all have one thing in common - we are all walking through this journey in life.

The above five paintings are my depiction of the journey in life series; it will open public to preview locally from 12/21/2010 to 1/31/2011 at Café American, 1525 Washington St., Midland Town Center, Midland, Michigan (corner of Patrick Rd. and Washington St.) and will travel to New York City from 3/25/2011 to 3/27/2011 at Pier 94 on the Hudson River (between 55^th St. and 12^th Ave.) for the International Art Expo New York City, Solo Gallery.

I don't have a voice but you have

During the B.P. oil spill in the southern gulf coast regions, I was travelling to Asia with my three children. Everyday I would get on a computer to follow more about this man made disaster. The ocean rescue images surrounding birds were so moving to my heart. I feel I can not get away from their voice in my conscious. After kids went back school and I returned to my art studio. My heart still leads me to the voice. Here are some of the images that came to me. When these birds face the ecological damage and continually pay the price of their lives and wellbeing, I know they would like to say to human: STOP! Stop the deep water drilling. Let the sea and its animal above and below have a safe environment. Although they do not have a voice of power, can we hear their sigh? Partial of these artworks will be displayed at Coleman Senior Center, 415 E. Webster St., Coleman, Michigan from Oct. 6 to Nov. 17, 2010, and partial of the digital artworks will be displayed at Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, 107 W. Fifth St., Los Angeles, California from Nov. 11 to Dec. 4, 2010.

Blue Sky

“Blue sky smiling at me, nothing but blue sky do I see. Bluebirds singing a song, nothing but bluebirds all day long…” a tune was first sung by Louis Armstrong. The words are upbeat and always seem to put a pleasant thought in my mind. I and my husband even chose it as our first wedding dance song. After a almost 5 month long winter, we suddenly see tree blossoms in all shades of pink with blue sky and blue birds everywhere. It makes our heart just want to sing. Below you are welcome to preview my “Blue Sky” cross-cultural art exhibition:

#1. “Blue Sky Spring Blossoms”

#2. “From the East to the West – Blue Sky Spring Blossoms”

#3. Close up of #2.

#4. Oriental – Blue Sky Spring Blossoms

#5. Western – Blue Sky Spring Blossoms

#6. Passion

Above original paintings are on display in downtown Midland from 5/26 until 7/7, 2010, at “Espresso Milano”, 137 Ashman St., Midland, Michigan (next to congressman Dave camp office), this summer when you visit  Midland “tridge” or downtown don’t forget to stop by to view my art. I will greatly appreciate any  comment left on my blog.

Twenty Years in America

Twenty years in America - great lakes cherry blossom

By Lihting Li Kostrzewa

This is the year I celebrate my twentieth year in America. I have thought that the best way to celebrate is to design an art exhibition with a theme that combines my Chinese background and my adopted home – the great lakes region. Growing up in Taiwan the “plum blossom” is not only our national flower but also the most depicted flower through Chinese culture. A cherry blossom looks almost like a plum blossom however the cherry requires a colder climate. Growing up in the semi-tropical island of Taiwan, I learned how to paint the plum blossom since I was a young girl. However, I had not seen the cherry blossom until I came to northern Michigan. The northern Michigan cherry blossoms are equally beautiful for artistic purposes.

Followings are seven paintings with title “Great Lakes Cherry Blossom#1 - #7” to depict seven different natural themes of great lakes; cloudy, foggy, frosty, rainy, evening, sunset and snow.

Great Lakes Cherry Blossom #1 - cloudy

Great Lakes Cherry Blossom #2 - foggy

Great Lakes Cherry Blossom #3 - frosty

Great Lakes Cherry Blossom #4 - rainy

Great Lakes Cherry Blossom #5 - evening

Great Lakes Cherry Blossom #6 - sunset

Great Lakes Cherry Blossom #7 - snow

Twenty years ago I was a public school art teacher, and served as an art education director for the thirteen junior high schools of my school district. I held a tenure job, bought a four story condo near a beautiful beach harbor and looked to retirement as most teachers in my school did. However, I was twenty-five years old, longing for the adventure of a life experience, desiring to be an artist and seeing the world in full. One day the opportunity came. A letter from Ohio State University invited me to be a student in its American language program. I packed two suitcases with only two sentences of English I started my new adventure in life.

Going through the ups and downs of life in a foreign country, I was not only learning a different language and a different culture, but also a different logic of thinking. All by God’s grace I received two more advanced art degrees, MA and MFA. After finding all kinds of pay jobs, I have moved around Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Texas and Pennsylvania, and eventually settled in Michigan. For a short period of time I was living on a $20 per week food budget and understanding what its mean to be a starving artist. I thought about giving up my art many times. Especially during the time I had three babies in four years. Through a straight seven years of day and night changing diapers and feeding bottles I thought the art world has been far forgotten. But a voice for making art keeps coming back to me. I guess the calling to be an artist since I was nine years old has buried in my sub consciousness. I just need to believe myself. Today I am pleased to announce my new cross-cultural art exhibition – great lakes cherry blossom. From March 10 to April 21, 2010, 7am to 2:30pm, Mon-Sun, at Stacker’s Grill, 4132 N. Saginaw Rd., Midland, Michigan. (across from Dow High School, a breakfast place for locals)
Art Exhibit Video

Cross-cultural artist Lihting Li Kostrzewa

L. K. is an artist who specializes in contemporary oil and acrylic painting. A cross-cultural artist from Taiwan, artwork has been exhibited in Taiwan, Austria and many states of USA.

Through a lifetime of learning in different art medium, she has much academic training and education, such as a MFA degree in Modern Painting, a MA degree in Computer Graphics, a BFA degree in Chinese Art. She utilizes many techniques to enrich her art. She also has a deep concern for humanity and through her senses she creates art to express human struggles as well as the love of mankind. Her color is expressive from the influence of study in German Expressionism, and her ink-like brush strokes on her painting is deep rooted in her Chinese culture and the years of training in Chinese Art.

She loves nature and spends much time in northern Michigan where she enjoys her cottage by the water. She also shows special interest in the study of Clinical Psychology and its unique relationship with Art. She sees Art with healing power in human emotion as well as neurological function. She would like using her art to bring healing to those with a broken world.

Kostrzewa's original artworks now are available for public to collect at
Gallery-Worldwide.com - expressionism
ArtWanted.com - orientalism
World Wide Art Resources Corporation - cross-cultural art