"Compared with other undertakings in life, artistic creation requires more tenacious persistence. There is a long, bumpy way to go before an artist finds his or her own form of expression." Although the road to artistic creation is by no means smooth, Chen Yang-chun says he has never regretted embarking on the journey. He is

Despite his fame and success, the artist is easygoing and gracious. It may have to do with his motto: "Be selfless when dealing with others, but be self-assertive when creating art." In real life he may be flexible and accommodating, but in art he insists on his views and relentlessly pursues perfection. "Whatever you do, be the best." This was the advice given to him by Lan Yin-ting, who was named one of the ten great watercolorists in the world. Following this advice, Chen constantly spurs himself to achieve excellence.

The formative years

Chen developed an interest in art early in his life. When he was seven years old, his father gave him a work of calligraphy to copy. Afraid of staining the calligraphy, he wrapped it in a piece of cellophane and copied it every day with a primitive but firm hand. He must have had an intuitive grasp of the art form because when he was in first grade, he garnered first prize in a school calligraphy competition. After that, he became a constant winner in calligraphy contests both in and out of school.

His love for painting was not inspired until much later. When he was a junior high school student, he passed a framing shop every day on his way home from school. The owner of the framing shop, Wang Chia-liang, liked to paint, and Chen always stopped by to watch him. Seeing how interested the teenager was, Wang offered to teach him to paint. Young Chen was thus introduced to a world of colors that has never ceased to fascinate him. He is very grateful to Wang for helping him lay the foundation for painting. Years later, after Chen had made a name for himself in art circles, he was invited back to his hometown to give a speech. He especially invited Wang to be a guest of honor and expressed his gratitude to him in public. "Without Teacher Wang, there would be no Chen Yang-chun, as I am, today." The words moved the teacher to tears.

After painting watercolors under the tutelage of Wang for more than a year, Chen had to stop because he needed to concentrate on his studies to get into a good school. But the painting sessions had left in his mouth a taste for the joy of artistic creation, and he found it hard to stop thinking about it. Therefore, after he graduated from high school, he decided to apply for admission to the National College of Art [now the National Institute of the Arts]. His score on the entrance exam was not high enough for him to cross the threshold of the fine arts department, and so he entered the school's graphic design department.

While studying at the college, he also received private lessons from Fu Chuan-fu, a celebrated painter who taught at the school. Fu’s specialty was traditional Chinese painting. Chen found that among the other students, there was no lack of aspiring artists who had studied under the famous teacher for five or even ten years. "How can I possibly compete with them when they all had such an early head start?" thought Chen. "I must combine my knowledge of watercolors with the art of Chinese ink painting so that what I learned from Teacher Wang won't go to waste." He doesn't know if what he thought at that time was right, but that was how he came to integrate the essence of Chinese ink painting into the art of Western watercolors. Thus he began to develop his own approach, gradually forming a style that was to captivate many watercolor lovers.

Because Chen didn't have enough money, he stopped going to Fu's classes after one year. But the diligent student often went to secondhand bookstores to shop for painting albums by outstanding artists. Whenever he found any work to his liking, he would cut it out and pore over it from morning till night. Even in bed, he would still be studying the cut-out pages. He derived inspiration from the styles, technical aspects, and compositions of the paintings and applied them to his own artistic creations. Chen never missed a chance to learn. He reminisced about a time when he went to the fine arts department of his school and asked to audit a painting course. The teacher conducting the course turned him down, but Chen was not at all discouraged. He waited outside the classroom. When the teacher was painting and showing the students certain techniques, he immediately snuck back in. "I chose that particular time to go in because the teacher was surrounded by a circle of students, who would block me from his view. Since he couldn't see me, I could watch him paint at ease," said Chen, recalling his eagerness to learn as a young lad.

In addition to learning from others, Chen also painted assiduously on his own to refine his skills. He spent a lot of time mastering all the basics of painting. Today people are often amazed at how proficiently he controls his brushwork, colors, and composition when he demonstrates his painting techniques in public; however, they tend to overlook the strenuous efforts he has made in perfecting his art. "There is no short cut to artistic accomplishment. No one can become an expert in one's art without constantly striving to do better," Chen succinctly put it.

When Chen was a junior in college, Teacher Fu happened to see him painting one day. After observing him for a while, the teacher said, "Paint the way you do. You don't need to learn from me anymore." Apparently the teacher thought that Chen had found his way, his own unique style. These words filled Chen with joy, but at the same time he was doubtful. Did the teacher really mean what he said? Later, a teacher at the graphic design department also praised Chen for his painting skills. He said, "You paint very well. Can I trade one of my paintings for yours?" Assured and greatly encouraged, Chen became more confident of his approach.

Striking out on his own

After graduating from college and completing his compulsory stint in the military, Chen worked as a staff artist at an advertising company. In the daytime he made a living, and at night he devoted himself to painting. In this way, he managed to put together a couple of exhibitions to showcase his works. Four years later, he realized that if he wanted to make something of himself in the art world, he had to pay full, undivided attention to artistic creation. Despite the burden of supporting his family (he was married by that time), he quit his job, determined to test his mettle in the art market.

Looking back on those early years, Chen said he was grateful to the people who helped him along the way, especially when he was still a struggling artist. He mentioned a friend that he had become acquainted with in the army. This friend later went to the United States. Once when he came back to Taiwan, he learned that Chen was holding an exhibition. The friend went to the exhibition to buy paintings from Chen, and he said that he would continue to buy his works every month for a year. "I almost burst into tears upon hearing that," said Chen. Yet curiously the friend never came to fetch the paintings he purchased. Years later, when Chen urged him to do so, the friend said, "I heard that you're doing well now. You can just return the money I paid you for those paintings. But if you're having any difficulties, there's no need to return it now." Chen considers himself lucky because whenever he was in need, someone would always come to his side to give him a helping hand.

Fortunately, Chen's time as a struggling artist did not last long. By and by, his name began to be mentioned in the art community and his paintings sold well. His increasing popularity secured him a regular income and thus an economic basis for his artistic output. At first he focused on painting landscapes, especially rustic country scenes, fields, and small towns because he had grown up in the countryside and had an ingrained affection for bucolic scenery. But gradually he also began to paint female portraits. He talks about how he began to expand his repertoire to include portraits of women. "At each of my exhibitions, I always saw beautiful women admiring my works. Looking at them, I would ask myself why I didn't paint these pretty ladies. When I look for suitable landscapes to paint, I always have to carry heavy painting gear over mountains and valleys. Even then, I don't necessarily find a view to my liking. But look at these beautiful women; they're a godsend."

In Chen's opinion, watercolor is the most suitable medium to portray female beauty. "We Chinese people always say figuratively that women are made of water. If so, isn't it most appropriate to depict them with watercolors?" Chen excels at capturing the delicate, graceful beauty of women. In fact, he has become so good at it that many beautiful women go to him and ask to be his models. He does not aim at simply rendering the likeness of a model, however. He attempts to represent the essence and attractiveness of a person. In order to do so, he always spends time talking to a model before painting her so as to get to know her better and to capture her defining characteristics. People tend to imagine that it is easy for painters to strike up a romantic relationship with their models, so he is often asked whether he has ever been attracted to any of his models. "If I have any feelings for my sitters, they are all transformed into a creative force." He says that if painters cannot resist temptation or withstand disturbances while creating art, they cannot be called successful artists. "Actually, the creation of a painting requires full concentration. My mind is set on bringing out a satisfactory piece of work. How can I possibly be distracted by anything?"

Chen's paintings are pleasing to the eye and greatly popular with the general public, and they command a rather good price on the market. But what wins him admiration also brings him criticism. Some critics hold that his works are overly beautified and that he puts too much emphasis on the decorative aspect of painting; they consequently question the value of his oeuvre as serious works of art. Chen defends himself by saying, "The works of Pai Chu-yi [Chinese poet, 772-846] are easy to understand; both the young and the old can enjoy reading his poems. But it does not undermine the literary value of his compositions."

Chen does not think that artists should live in their own world and immerse themselves in artistic creation without regard to reactions from the outside world. Nor does he agree with those who put too much emphasis on the market and ignore their own voice. He has tried hard to strike a balance between the two extremes. "What I demand of my work is that I should be satisfied with it, that experts should acclaim it, and that amateurs should like it."

Actually, there is no lack of professionals who commend his talent. Tseng Ching-wen, a famed watercolorist, once expressed his views on Chen's works. "Chen is good at capturing the quintessence of his subject matters, at separating the essential from the superficial. He has created a unique style that dexterously combines the techniques of Western watercolor and the spirit of Chinese ink-and-wash paintings. Through a fluent manipulation of water, he captures the lively spontaneity of a moment with light, delicate touches of the brush.... Actually, no matter in what style watercolor is executed, what is essential is for the painter to have his own thoughts and feelings and to be able to strike a chord in the viewer. Chen's watercolors obviously have the necessary prerequisites."

Cultural exchange

About ten years ago, Chen was invited to the University of Tennessee to teach as a visiting professor and to hold exhibitions. Since then, he has been invited to more than 20 countries to display his works and demonstrate his painting skills. His life has entered upon a new phase--a phase of cultural exchange. He hopes that by teaching and holding exhibitions abroad, he can help promote and disseminate the beauty of Taiwanese culture. "The power of art is amazingly great. Through appreciating a painting, a foreign viewer is imperceptibly introduced to your culture and country." As many of his landscapes depict scenery in Taiwan, they are a most apt medium for introducing the beauty of the island. His teaching sessions and exhibitions abroad have all met with success and acclaim. Because of this, he has even been lauded as a "cultural ambassador" of Taiwan.

Chen remembers that when his courses at the University of Tennessee came to an end, he donated all the remuneration he had received to the school. Touched, the university president gave him a big hug and kissed him. Chen said to him, "I came here not to earn money, but to introduce Asian art, especially Taiwanese culture, to more people." He says that his goal for the latter part of his life is to continue this mission of cultural exchange. He also hopes to promote the appreciation of art in the countryside so that not only city residents but also those who live in rural areas can enjoy art. "Not everyone can be trained to become an artist, but everyone can be taught to appreciate art." He values the power of art to beautify life and to soothe every unsettled mind.

From a 14-year-old boy who first came in contact with painting to an acclaimed watercolorist, Chen Yang-chun has come a long way. His incessant efforts have not only secured him an international reputation but have also helped him find value in his existence. Although the road to artistic creation is by no means smooth, he says he has never regretted embarking on the journey. He is addicted to and infatuated with the creation of beauty, which he has made his lifelong commitment. The pursuit of art knows no boundaries, and the 57-year-old painter is still in the prime of his creativity. He is sure to delight our eyes with ever more enchanting colors.