“BEFOREI STARTAPAINTING,theabstractelements
andrepresentationalimagesalwaysappearinmymind,
repeatedly,”saysCaliforniaartistJianWu,ashereflects
uponcreatingpastelssuchashiscaptivatingRicheson
PastelSilverAward-winningDancingLight. “I’mplanning
thecompositioninmymindandthinkingaboutpoint,
lineandsurfaceaswellasstructure,colorandlighting.”
Portrait&FigureCategoryJurorCuongNguyensays,
“Thisexceptionalpiecewonmeoverwithitsvibrant
colorsandpowerfullighting.Theartisthassuccessfully
deliveredtheemotionofthesitterwithoutshowingher
face.I especiallylovethewayWupaintedthelighting,
whichtrulydancesaroundthemodelwithsoftbutpower-
fulstrokes.It’sclearlya winningpiece.”ADelicateBalance
“Ifwhatappearsina paintinghasa storytotell,”saysWu,
“thefigureinDancingLighttellsit withoutwords.”The
modelisstill,withherbacktowardtheviewer.“There’sno
facialexpression,nodeepthought.It’sjustaboutlightand
colorplayingharmoniouslyindelicatebalance,”hecon-
tinues.“Weallliveina crowdedworldandleadbusylives,ACONTEMPORARYREALISTWITHANIMPRESSIONISTIC
APPROACH,JIANWUCOMBINESALLURING COLOR
HARMONIESWITHDAZZLINGLIGHTEFFECTS.BY ROBERT K. CARSTENAbout Light
and Color
RICHESON PASTEL SILVER AWARD
Dancing Light
(24x18)“I think great paintings have
... qualities that evoke deep
emotional responses, touching
the viewer’s mind and heart.”
so I believe that a quiet scene with dancing light provides
a pleasing place to rest our minds.”
Cultivating balance between light and shadow, hard and
soft edges, bold and subtle color as well as descriptive detail
and suggestive elements has become a trademark of Wu’s
work. (See his award-winning still life, Glowing, on page 70).
“I believe that developing drawing skills forms the basis for
everything,” he says, explaining how he achieves these bal-
ances. “Drawing controls accuracy, composition and value
relationships. What I look for is sensitivity to tonal distribu-
tion and contrast, as well as depth of emotion. I think great
paintings have unique artistic characteristics that can stop a
viewer from walking away—qualities that evoke deep emo-
tional responses, touching the viewer’s mind and heart.”
To meet this high bar, Wu advocates the importance of
passion in one’s subject matter, noting that an artist who
feels strongly about his or her chosen subject will natu-
rally feel more compelled to better his or her technique.
It’s a way to find motivation and the drive toward contin-
ued self-improvement. Wu points to John Singer Sargent
(American, 1856–1925) and Nicolai Fechin (Russian,
1881–1955) as two artists who demonstrate this sort of
passion. “Sargent had such decisive brushstrokes and
the perfect balance between tight and loose rendering,”
he says, “while Fechin created flowing lines, bold brush-
strokes and heavy textures. Finding your own artistic
voice is imperative for every artist.”Capturing the Light
“To me, the touching part of Dancing Light is the light
and color,” says Wu, explaining that he has been payingArtistsNetwork.com 45