February 10, 2022
Chinese Watercolor Brush Painting
with Paul Tong and Siu-ching Lui
7 - 8:30pm ET
online via Zoom
with Paul Tong and Siu-ching Lui
7 - 8:30pm ET
online via Zoom
$10 is suggested but any amount is appreciated.
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About the Program
Chinese brush painting has an allure all its own. It has a long history, over a thousand years, evolving but maintaining a special aesthetics. Landscape paintings, an important part of the mainstream, show scenery which seem to extend forever. It is imbued with a subtle and subdued beauty, with no dazzling bright color to draw upon. There is a spare and austere feel, with an almost abstract quality to it.
Instilled with the philosophy of the East, with attention to emptiness and serenity, it carries an atmosphere of tranquility and harmony. Its depiction of space can be intimate or grandiose, but always quiet and ethereal, with an air of poetic mystery. When the brush is used on everyday objects such as flowers and fish, each brush stroke is tasked with both shapes, and lively ink-color tones. (More Information – click here.)
Paul and Siu-ching have just finished showing their work at an art exhibition in NJ. In this talk, they will cover the techniques, tools and materials involved in creating a brush painting. The characteristics of the Chinese brush pen and how to create lively lines and shapes – the aesthetics of the brush strokes – will be demonstrated. Their own paintings will be used to illustrate these techniques, followed by a live demonstration of a simple landscape picture. A brief scan of historical and contemporary paintings, traditional painting formats, the role of calligraphy and seal-carving will also be presented.
About Paul and Siu-ching
Paul and Siu-ching have been practicing Chinese Watercolor Brush Painting for over 20 years, having studied under renowned artist Hsu Dan in New Jersey. While both of their professional backgrounds are in engineering, they were attracted to the imaginative, spiritual and atmospheric perspective of Chinese brush painting.
Over the years their work has been exhibited at the local libraries and art centers, with their most recent works (January 2022) exhibited at the Jewish community center at Bridgewater, NJ. Previously, Paul has taught Chinese Brush Painting at the New Jersey Center for the Visual Arts, Morris and Somerset County Artist Associations, and currently serves as president of the New Jersey Sumi-e group. Recently, in light of the Pandemic, they have been conducting classes online via Zoom.
Another important part of their life is international folk dancing. They dance regularly with several recreational folk dance groups in New Jersey, and share their favorite dances by teaching.