Ning Lee

A clean canvas is blank and two-dimensional. When I face this canvas, I wish for my brush to paint something dynamic and passionate. I want my viewers to be able to perceive an image from a distance, be it a landscape, still life, or seascape, but as they move closer I want them to appreciate the abstract beauty of the large and spontaneous brush strokes and interesting textures. When I paint, I am fascinated with the finality of each brush stroke. Instead of placing each stroke meticulously and carefully as one must do in realist painting, I prefer to let them happen spontaneously so that the image created on canvas is wholly unique. I believe a good painter understands where and when to stop painting so that their work is not smothered by excessive layers of paint but instead allowed to manifest in its most ideal form.