Lian Quan Zhen

Lian Quan Zhen is a US based artist whose paintings are admired the world over for their luminous colour and astounding detail. His book ‘Chinese Landscape Painting’ is one of the more popular titles at Jacksonsart.com. He also has an international reputation as a great teacher of Chinese painting and watercolour technique. To welcome in the Chinese New Year, the Jackson’s Art Blog interviewed this esteemed painter.

Lisa: Have you always been artistic?

Lian: I guess so. I have enjoyed drawing a variety of objects with broken tiles on floors and enjoyed learning Chinese music instruments since childhood.

Lisa: You have both a scientific and an artistic educational background, having studied medicine in Canton Province, and then Architecture at MIT. Do you think the experience with medicine has aided your artistic journey in any way?

Lian: Yes. Studying and practicing medicine and architecture taught me a few important lessons. First of all, I learned to observe things carefully. For example, I analyzed animals and birds’ anatomy in order to catch their movements. Secondly, I became more patient in doing a whole painting from planning, sketching, masking and then other processes. Thirdly, I learned to understand the importance of paying attention to detail for important areas such as the focus points. Lastly, I learned to understand planning and organizing much better.

Lisa: You are also known as a very dedicated teacher of watercolour painting. What do you enjoy most about teaching?

Lian: I am happy to share my knowledge with others and to meet and know a variety of people and visit different places.

Lisa: What are your favourite subjects to paint and why?

Lian: This is a common question and my answer is not what my favourite is but what my least favourite is: figures!

Lisa: You have a wonderful colour sense. Many of your paintings are full of many different colours but they are sensitive enough to avoid being garish. Can an understanding of colour be developed or do you think it is something you either have or you don’t?

Lian: In watercolour I only use three primary colours while in Chinese painting I use about 8 pigments plus ink. A minimum colour palette makes it easy to keep a painting from becoming garish. I have never taken a colour use lesson but I believe one can understand and do better with colour if he or she studies it.

Lisa: Do you have a favourite brand of watercolour paint?

Lian: I use three brands most of time: Winsor and Newton, M.Graham & Co, and American Journey.

Lisa: How do you design your compositions?

Lian: First of all, I decide a focal point where I locate the most important subjects. Then I place other things around to improve it. In studio painting, I do not paint from one photo but combine several of them to organize a composition. When painting on location, I move objects and sometimes change their form and colours to suit my needs. Overall, I am not limited by what I see; instead I paint what I want to see.

Lisa: What to you are the essential ingredients of a successful painting?

Lian: They are 1. good composition 2. A mastering of the techniques of the media 3. A capturing of the essence of the objects and 4. Creativity with personality.

Lisa: What is the best piece of advice you have ever received with regard to your painting?

Lian: I am a self-taught artist and I do not get advice from art teachers. However, one sentence I read from an ancient Chinese painting master whose name is Shi-Tao can be the best advice for my painting: “Brushes strokes and Ink should follow the change of time”. It means just create!

www.lianspainting.com