The North Carolina teacher stopped at the art gallery many times to savor one piece—"Autumn Fun." The watercolor, by China's premier watercolorist Guan Weixing, captivated him. As much as he wanted it, he could not afford to buy such a work on his teacher's salary. But lack of funds did not stop him. He mortgaged his home to acquire it. Gallery owner Jackson Mayshark shared this story with The Epoch Times to describe how Mr. Guan's watercolors affected gallery visitors.
Mr. Mayshark tells how he discovered this master watercolorist. He was bowled over when he happened to see a copy of a watercolor taped to a computer of an acquaintance. "When my eyes went to the painting, my jaw dropped." He asked who did it and was determined to bring Mr. Guan's work to the U.S.
The artist's Greensboro, North Carolina exhibit caused a sensation. People would shake his hand. Amazingly some visitors told this Chinese gentleman that he reminded them of their father. Others would stand in front of a piece crying.
The Epoch Times interviewed Mr. Guan on the last day of his exhibit at the National Art Club in New York to discuss his work and career. Mr. Guan was guided by a Romanian watercolor master who accepted very few students. Since his training, he has been offered opportunities to travel, and on those journeys took many photographs which he paints from.
The secret of his success might lie in his tools. The artist uses a brush that holds a large amount of water, which infuses each work with depth and life. The tough thick bristles are taken from a wolf-like creature in China that he could not name in English. With a laugh Mr. Guan says that, on a visit to Tunisia, admirers exclaimed that "he does so well because of his brushes" and so he left with fewer than he brought. He buys high-quality paints from England and paper from France.
Strolling through a huge room of the artist's watercolors one could not help but acknowledge a master at work. Not only did the pieces show a command of watercolor, each work demonstrated a deep respect and compassion for the subject, whether it was for a contented old farmer from Shanbei or a young Tajik bride.
His work surprises in pleasing ways. Many portraits of non-Asian subjects could have been painted by a skilled Westerner, so familiar was the artist with his subject. As this reporter ambled through the exhibit, it was astonishing to see the number of non-Chinese subjects presented with the same warmth as the common folk of the artist's native country.
Not only Western but other ethnic groups received the same respectful treatment. The subjects in ethnic dress, such as the "Girl from Miao" present technical mastery with an uncommon appreciation that one might see in a Rembrandt done not for money but for love.
The comparison to Rembrandt carries through in the delicate use of sunlight. The subjects appear bathed in light yet their faces, especially elderly Chinese peasants, display every wrinkle and fold of a well-lived life.
The combination of a mature technical skill and affection for his subjects makes Guan Weixing a singular artist whose art expresses the height of watercolor.
If you are interested in learning more about this master watercolorist, contact his representative, Jackson Mayshark, Ambleside Gallery at 336-275-9844 and jackson@ablesidearts.com.
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