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that he didn’t mean “photorealistic.” Rather, he meant “real”
as a representational work of art—so that someone who stands
in front of the painting will feel as though he or she is actually
experiencing the war shield ceremony. Z.S. completed his
explanation by saying that while he realized it would not be
possible to truly make the painting artistically perfect, he was
nonetheless working to make it perfect.
This memorable experience that I had of shadowing
Z.S. over a several month period was both enjoyable and
enlightening. And, more importantly, it gave me, as a
collector, a much better understanding of and a far greater
appreciation of the serious amount of work and the dedicated
effort that not only Z.S. puts into his paintings, but also it
gave me the same understanding and appreciation for the
amount of work and dedicated effort that I know all great
artists put into their exceptional works of art.
And as collectors, I believe that we all owe a huge debt
of gratitude to today’s many great Western artists whose
passion, devotion and “integrity” for their subject matter and
for their work makes each of our lives more fulfilling every
time that we add one of their masterful creations to our own
personal collections.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dan Corazzi is a retired public school superintendent and
software company CFO. He is on the board of the National
Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. He and
his wife, Maryann, reside in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. They
began collecting Western art a decade ago and their collection
now includes works by Bill Anton, Carrie Ballantyne, Greg
Beecham, Tom Browning, G. Russell Case, John Coleman, Logan
Maxwell Hagege, Z.S. Liang, Paul Moore, Bill Nebeker, Tim
Shinabarger and Curt Walters.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Z.S. Liang was born in China and raised in a family of artists.
He studied at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing and
Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in Guangzhou. Liang furthered
his art study in the United States in 1982. He earned his BFA in
painting at Massachusetts College of Arts in 1986 and his MFA in
Painting at Boston University in 1989.
Liang received his great inspiration in this country while
studying and painting the Wampanoag Indian culture at the
outdoor Museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts. This newfound
interest fired his imagination, and he began to focus his painting
primarily on Native American Indian cultures and their traditional
ways of life. During the ensuring years of field research, he has
made many connections and friends among Native tribes from
the East coast to the West coast. Liang’s obvious passion for the
Indians as a people, coupled with his emphasis on historical
accuracy, adds strength and truth to his portrayals.
Among the many awards Liang has received are: the David
P. Usher Patrons’ Choice Award, Master of the American West,
2009; the President’s Award for Excellence, Oil Painters of
America, 2005; Best of Show Award and People’s Choice Award,
the American Society of Portrait Artists, 1998; the Arthur Ross
Award for Painting, Classical America, New York, 1992; and
the Lila Acheson Award for Painting, the Society of American
Illustrators, 1986. Liang’s works are in the permanent collections
of Autry National Center, West Point Museum of United States
Military Academy and Harvard University.
Liang is represented by Trailside Galleries in Jackson,
Wyoming. Gicleé reproductions of his work are available through
Greenwich Workshop dealers.
PAINTING BEGINS
“I started from the left upper corner and continued to the right
and lower to finish. This way I can keep the paints wed in the daily
connection,” says Liang.
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