The Vienna Art Center, on Thursday, July 23, hosted a group of young Chinese art students, most from the Northern Virginia area but some from Beijing, as well. The children – who hit Orlando before making their way to Vienna – showed the techniques of using American paint markers and traditional Chinese ink and brushes at an early evening workshop sponsored by the Vienna Arts Society [VAS]. More than 15 children participated.
“Traditional Chinese painting uses a special medium of rice paper and ink from China,” said VAS artist and workshop organizer, Wei Lu. “The paper absorbs the ink and water very quickly. The strokes are permanent when you make them.
“You have to know your paint, ink and brush very well to do this.”
The Chinese brush-painting style is a thousand years old, Lu said.
The young artists and their parents from the Northern Virginia area streamed in throughout the evening.
“At one point, an 11-year-old boy who moved here from China when he was 9, was coaxed by his dad to sing a beautiful song in Chinese,” said publicity chair, Dore Skidmore. “Boy did he have a set of pipes. After the first stanza, the whole room joined in, except for those of us from Vienna.”
Lu invited Lily Xie and four Beijing art students to the workshop, along with students from Hope Chinese School Fairfax. Lu moved to the Fairfax area from China herself, and has been a VAS member for about one year. “I feel very comfortable here,” said Lu, adding that that contributed to her invitation of her friend Xie.
“I thought it would be great to merge local students and those from China,” said VAS facilitator, Grace Rooney. “They could see each other’s artwork and how they do it.” The participants each would have a memento take home ---- a puzzle piece they have painted, a piece of a large puzzle.
The 2015 American International Children’s Art Exhibition is sponsored locally by Workhouse Art Center, Vienna Art Center, Hope Chinese School Fairfax, Kidsnurture Art Center and George Mason University.