Doorways to Art in Spanish Village

"Sunflowers and Chicadees" by watercolorist, LUCY WANG
IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED

Hello All,

It has been awhile since my last post. I took a little hiatus to manage life's little "happenings", and mulled over the subject for my next blog. Periodically, I will feature articles on the events in Spanish Village Art Center in my news flash
column, "Around the Village". As you will remember, we are located at 1770 Village Place, San Diego California in beautiful Balboa Park. The 37 studios are open daily, featuring some 100 plus artists and fine crafts persons.

Last blog, I featured the Woodcarvers Guild in Studio 38.  I would like to dedicate this blog to the Spanish Village artists, themselves. In fact, this will be a feature that I will run, periodically, introducing one of our finest artists and crafts persons each time.

Among our many advertisements, here in the Village, there has been a postcard favorite entitled, "Doorways to Art".  Indeed, our colorful doors have been a particular draw and of continued interest to visitors in Balboa Park for years.  Now, let me enhance that fondness and interest by, individually, introducing you to our artists "beyond the doorways"...through the "Doorways to Art" in Spanish Village Art Center.

My first feature will be on watercolorist and calligrapher, Lucy Wang in Studio 4. Lucy's 3-Dimensional Watercolors on Silk are a legend unto themselves, and her original technique is unmatched by any other that I have seen.  Her subject matter is whimsical, lyrical, folkloric.  Each painting telling a story.  Her silk stretching technique is her own creation, giving the spectator a layered vision of finely painted folklore and nature's bounty.


"Flute Player", by LUCY WANG
IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHTED



The beauty of her painting reflects her love of nature and demonstrates her exquisite mastery of the brush.  Lucy has uniquely blended her Chinese painting background with the influence of Western painting techniques to develop an innovative style of watercolor painting on silk in a 3-D layout.  This technique that she created was so unique and groundbreaking that it was featured nationwide on the "Lynette Jennings Design" show on Discovery Channel, and "Our Place" on Home Garden TV.  (Uhh, excuse me folks, but, "How about those Props"?)  I'd call Lucy Wang..."Fierce"!

Studying with master artists in Taiwan, Lucy graduated from the National Taiwan College of Arts.  She has taught for more than 20 years at her studio in Spanish Village Art Center, as well as at the University of California San Diego Crafts Center.  Teaching workshops throughout the United States, she has also written four books on Chinese brush painting, and co-authored a fifth on drawing and watercolor techniques.  She, also, has several informative animation and teaching videos currently posted on youtube.com.

Lucy sponsors a student show each year at Gallery 21, here in Spanish Village, featuring the calligraphy and Chinese brush paintings of her students.  In her "spare" time, Lucy exhibits annually at the Laguna Beach "Art-A-Fair" during the summer.  Her artwork has, understandably, been selected by National Audubon Society, National Geographic Society, Smithsonian and UNICEF for holiday gift cards.  (Can I say, one more time..."Props", people)!!!  And, guess what, folks?  We are just "bursting at the seams" with pride to boast that Lucy is an integral and valued member of Spanish Village Art Center!!!

Well, that's Lucy Wang, in a nutshell (Ouch! Poor nutshell...it's so crowded in there).  Lucy is an amazingly accomplished artist, and a delightful person.  Her demure persona and welcome smile will greet you as you enter her blue and lavender door.  Positioned just outside the studio, colorful umbrellas give shade to visitors and her myriad selection of giclee prints and cards.  A visit to Studio 4 (to meet Lucy) is a journey into the mystical folkloric realm of the Orient.  And, remember...Lucy's quiet and easy aura is waiting there to bid you welcome to her world.

Hold that thought.  Imagine a cornflower blue and lavender door through which the visitor can see beautiful maidens dressed in flowing silks, cranes dancing in wintry wonderlands, beautifully rendered Chinese brush paintings of any and all subject matter, and you will just begin to visualize the mastery... mystery of Lucy Wang's art.

Not unlike, "Snow Falling on Cedars".

"Dancing Cranes" by watercolorist, LUCY WANG
IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED


You may find additional information on Lucy Wang and her 3-Dimensional Watercolors on Silk at her website:  http://www.lucywang.com/

Enjoy Lucy's animation videos at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI4vPNsBzcU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVqeycDKjDo&feature=mfuinorder&list=UL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnHe5TLFAUU&feature=mfuinorder&list=UL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI0kNyFaonw&feature=mfuinorder&list=UL



Written and posted by Cassandra Shepard, Studio 32
text and content copyrighted, 2011, all rights reserved