Henry Wo Yue-Kee Mr. Wo was born in Quangdong, China.  Wo studied art in China and Hong Kong with Prof. Chao Shao-An.  The artist came to live in Hong Kong in his 20s.  After traveling and exhibiting widely in Asia, Australia, Canada and the U.S., in 1975 Mr. Wo moved to the United States.  Wo now lives in Virginia in the U.S. where he continues to teach, paint and exhibit.  Wo is an admirer of nature.  Every one of his paintings is a poem in praise of the wonders and beauty of nature.  His painting reflect his deep appreciation for the beauty of nature and for the beauty in all living things.  Among the more familiar themes of his paintings are birds, flowers, landscapes and animals and plants often represented in their natural surroundings.  Wo is particularly a master of the many forms of the lotus, which are often represented in his paintings. Enjoying The Pond, 1992  33x18 in.(84x46 cm) Mr. Wo is a master of strong brush strokes, which are softened by luxuriant use of color and numerous washes.  These combine to give his watercolors a dreamlike, eretheral quality which he achieves by detailing only the main subject matter in his paintings but leaving much of the composition loosely representational, a technique which combines eastern and western artistic elements.

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Zhixing Mountain, 1948 Huang Binhongmade frequent visits to Zhixing and other famous mountains.  Most of his landscapes were inspired by memories of these journeys.  Zhixing Mountain is in Souzhou.  In this painting the artist used a rather dry, scorched ink and dark ink tones with a slight addition of colors.

Huang Binhong (1864-1955) Huang Binhong was born in Zhejiang Province, the grandson of the well regarded artist Huang Fengliu.  Mr. Huang studied painting and then spent many years editing literary and art journals in Shanghai and teaching at fine arts colleges in Shanghai and Beijng.   In 1948, he moved to Hangzhou and taught at the West Lake Art College. Huang Binhong was a master of freehand landscape painting who was well versed in the works of the great masters of the past and followed many of their techniques.   Huang experimented with traditional techniques for the use of ink, including shading and layering.  For example, he achieved a simple yet profound effect in his landscapes by the use of thick dark ink over which he applied light or heavy coloring.  His work was also known for its powerful brushwork and its fresh approach to composition. In 1953 on his 90th birthday, Huang was awarded the title of “Outstanding Painter of the Chinese People.”  After his death in 1955, a Huang Binhong Museum was established in his home in Hangzhou.

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Plum Blossoms, 1963 He Xiangning loved to paint plum blossoms.  This painting of  plum blossoms depicts springing forth of the flowers from seemingly dead branches of the tree, bringing life and hope.

He Xiangning (1878-1972) He Xiangning was born in Hong Kong.  While still young she went to Japan, were she joined with the group led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen that was endeavoring to overthrow the Qing Dynasty.  Politics was an integral part of Ms. He’s life though art was always an overwhelming passion.  Ms. He studied art at the Ueno School of Art is Tokyo.  Throughout the remainder of her long life, Ms. He often used her paintings of pine trees, plum blossoms, lions, tigers and landscapes to convey many of her political views.  Ms. He particularly liked to paint plum blossoms whose blossoms are considered a symbol of purity and courage, which dared to challenge the snows and frosts of winter.  After returning to China, she came under the influence of the Lingnan School of painters where her earlier Japanese painting influences were replaced by more traditional Chinese forms.

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The Beauty, 1965 Lin Fengmian blended gentle brush strokes with a variety of colors.  The broad, curving lines of the body give the painting a soft sense of rhythm.

Lin Fengmian Lin Fengmian was born in Meixian County, Guangdong Province, in1900.  He went to Europe in 1918 and studied oil painting in France and Germany.  After his return to China in 1925, he became President of the National Art College in Beijing and later of the National Art College in Hangzhou.  In the early 1950s, he gave up all his administrative duties and concentrated on painting.  Ling Fengmian's work was effected both by his extensive study of traditional art forms in China and by his training and study in Europe.  His works combine Western and traditional Chinese techniques.  In his traditional Chinese paintings, he assimilates Western techniques of composition, delineation of form and application of color and light to achieve a style of his own.  He paints with powerful strokes and uses strong harmonious colors to create unique artistic elements.

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