29 Jan '19

Oils from 威海

teaching

One of my academic responsibilities is teaching our ANU Computer Science programs into our various partner institutions overseas. One of these partner institutions is Shandong University WeiHai (SDUW).

On my trip to SDUW in May 2016, I was walking across the campus one bright spring morning when I was stopped by a professor from the SDUW School of Art. Through his limited English and my much more limited Mandarin, he told me that he wanted me to sit for a portrait session for his first-year painting class.

After a marathon 4hr sitting¹, here’s what the students came up with. As a bonus, I got to choose my favourite one and bring it home—can you guess which one I chose?

It’s now hanging on my wall at home, creepily looking down at my family and our guests. I love it.

1. that’s why I look so sullen—I smiled no-stop for the first hour (when they were painting the background) but by the time they were putting on the facial details 3hrs in I was way too tired to keep my smile up 😊 ↩