I was born into a medical family in China where every child was
expected to go to medical school. Both of my parents were
medical doctors. But I was never
crazy about pills or surgical knives. Fascinated by
traditional Chinese medicine, I learned herbs and acupuncture from a
herb master in a far away village. My dream to become one
was over soon, however, after a patient passed out under my needles and
broke his nose. Following my parents' advice "do no harm," I
studied physics instead.
After completing my formal education in United States and later becoming a
licensed attorney in Missouri, however, I found my passion in art and
fell in love with painting brushes and pallet knives.
Inspired by
the efficient brush strokes of the Chinese Abstract ink painting and the
brilliant color and interesting texture of impressionist painting, I am
searching for my own expressive style, marked by my signature expressive
palette knife marks or brush strokes, a wide range of true colors and heavy
impasto painterly surface.
A compulsive
painter, I experiment with various media and methods. I love oil,
watercolor and pastel, and acrylic. I paint on canvas, acrylic
sheet, or glass. Some of my
favorite paintings were painted on glass or Plexiglas. The endless ways of reflection, refraction and deflection
of glass fascinate me.
My works have been collected by galleries and collectors in United
States, Canada, UK, Singapore and China. I demonstrated painting
techniques on Pepper and Friends, a popular Missouri TV show, several
times. The Gallery of Fine
Art, Hannibal, Missouri had hosted many of my paintings exclusively for two years
before it closed in 2008.
After painting in evenings and weekends while practicing law for several years,
I closed my law office and moved to Denver. I set up a studio, bought 300
canvases, pounds of oil paints and a dozen pallet knives, and began to paint
like crazy. Within a few months, I had to order more panting supplies.
When I first read Picasso's statement that he could fill up an art museum
with his paintings I thought he was exaggerating, but now I can see the
probability.
Painting has changed my life. The
distinction between day and night, between weekday and weekend is blurred. Time
has become the interval between two paintings. The first motion that starts my
day is to grab my painting knife. The last action I take before going to bed is
to sign my name on the last painting made on that day.
For me, painting has
become life itself.
Painting makes me very happy. I am grateful
for the gift given to me by God and my parents. I am grateful for the enormous
encouragement and support received from my family and friends. I am content for
being able to do what I truly love- to create, to seek truth and beauty, and to
share with others.
