Exploring artists and techniques from the 2nd Biennial International Watercolor Show, pt. 4- Cheng Chen-wen and Herman van Hoogdalem

After my series of posts on the watercolor show, (links here-- pt.1, pt. 2, pt. 3), I was posting some of my unshared photos on wetcanvas, and someone else was able to identify one of the (famous) watercolor artists whose name I couldn't find.  Cheng Chen-wen (or Chen Wen Cheng, depending on how you approach it).  I also had a series of close ups on Herman van Hoogdalen's work, and so wanted to show them both, now that I could identify them.

Cheng Chen-Wen-

Here's a link to his Facebook page.  Lots more great paintings there.

I feel like a dunce, but I didn't take a pic of this artist's name, and for the life of me I couldn't remember it. Thanks to that wetcanvas poster who shared it with me!!  Cheng Chen-Wen's quite famous, so I really ought to have known. This one was also very big (bigger than a standard full sheet, again), perhaps 4' x 4' or more. I was obviously drawn to these large pieces, as they were so impressive, but there were also quite small pieces as well.

 Here's a closeup of the eye. The literature said he was using some sort of traditional brush with tines (sort of like a comb??) for some of the work. You can see it here, when you get in close.  Of course, this area around the eye was still something like 8" square, so quite big. He's obviously building value with it. He did the same thing for some of the very fine hair curling at the back of her head, which you can see in the second pic (pardon the reflections!)

Then, just to show the astounding detail he accomplished, below is a small 6" x 6" closeup of her collar!! Crazy!  Is it done just with some rough, textural brushwork? or some sort of very detailed stippling??  Considering the detail in the rest of the piece, I'm assuming it's some sort of stippling or minute work, but I'm not sure.

I really liked this piece, but would never want to paint like this. It's not me, but I can appreciate his skill. Wow!!!

Herman van Hoogdalen-

 This person had only a single painting in the show, and it was actually a reprint of an original. Not sure why. This painting was HUGE. Perhaps 6 or 7' tall and 4' wide. They actually hung it like a poster. From the text I read next to the painting, it was reprinted at the original size. Wow! It is supposedly part of a series of paintings he did of people suffering from dementia. While that subject made it difficult to view for some, I found it fascinating and emotionally revealing. I also thought his technique was stellar.

If you got in close, you could see that the brush work was loose and full of life, but totally legible and very accurate when you stood back. Much like looking at a Monet.

This section of the eye might have been 1' x 1' or so, to give you a sense.

Thanks for stopping by again.  For me, lesson learned- see art live and in the flesh.