ArtistStatement:
I do not recall when and how I was addictedto fine art painting, but I still remember my joyful feelings derived bylooking at good paintings when I was a child. For a long time, I was not ableto define the attributes that give me those joyful feeling about painting. Itis my curiosity about the source of the joyful feeling prompted me to study artand to start painting that has turned out to be perpetual commitment and sourceof joyfulness. To me, painting is absolutely a thinking business, which takes medecade to realize and appreciate it. However, painting is primarily differentfrom other thinking business such as science in that painting requirescraftsmanship to achieve its goal. It takes painter many years to learn thecraftmenship through trial and error, and takes life-long commitment ofbecoming perfection. That is very different from other types of art such asmusic, famous painters are usually much older. Relaxation is not normally apart of my painting experience. The excitement is derived from each encounterof painting process. Watching the color mixing right on canvas or on paper togenerate moody, sophisticated, luminosity colors and value gradations in asemi-controlled way is a sheer joy. To me, color is the most dominant factor inmy style of art design. All other painting factors such as composition, value,shape, line, texture and space are designed and employed to accomplish acolor-dominant unity in my paintings. Mr. Lei Zhang has been in professionalart practice for over twenty years. Most of his paintings are acrylic orwatercolor on canvas and watercolor paper.
Award
-Dick Blick and Cash Award: 2002 LouisianaWatercolor Society National Annual Juried Exhibition.
-Merit award: 2001 Northeast WatercolorSociety (NEWS) National Annual Juried Exhibition.
-North Light Books Award: 1999 WatercolorSociety of Alabama (WSA) National Annual Juried Exhibition.
-Real Estate Award: 1999 NortheastWatercolor Society National Annual Juried Exhibition of 1999.
-People‘s Choice Award: 1999 West Virginia Watercolor Society SoutheastRegional Annual Juried Exhibition.
-Honorable Mention: 1999 Texas WatercolorSociety National Annual Juried Exhibition.
-Was Signature member of Alabama WatercolorSociety (3 times juried into Alabama Watercolor Society Annual Exhibitionwithin 3 years period)
Juriedinto National and Regional Annual Exhibitions
-2002 National Annual Exhibition ofLouisiana Watercolor Society.
-2001 National Annual Exhibition ofAdironduck Watercolor Society (Selected for Travel Show).
-2001 National Annual Exhibition of AlabamaWatercolor Society.
-2001 National Annual Exhibition ofNortheast Watercolor Society.
-2001 Regional (southeast) AnnualExhibition of Pittsburgh Watercolor Society.
-2001 National Annual Exhibition of GeorgiaWatercolor Society.
-2001 National Annual Exhibition of RedRiver Watercolor Society.
-2000 National Annual Exhibition ofWatercolor Association of Texas, Houston.
-2000 Regional Annual Exhibition ofPittsburgh Watercolor Society.
-2000 National Annual Exhibition of KansasWatercolor Society.