Richard Wong is an artist, and no one is more surprised by it than the artist himself.
Now 58, he picked up a paint brush for the first time in early 2011. B次元官网网址淢y partner Jackie (Swan) asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I said, B次元官网网址榤aybe a sketch pad.B次元官网网址� I donB次元官网网址檛 know why I even said that.B次元官网网址�
The water colour kit sat unopened for a while, then Wong registered for an art class at the Esquimalt Recreation Centre. B次元官网网址淥ne of the first water colours I painted was a hut. Then when I painted behind it, I just touched the hut with the water and it disappeared. It was very frustrating. I almost quit,B次元官网网址� he said.
Instead, he signed up for Chinese brush lessons with Kileasa Wong, the foremost teacher of traditional Chinese painting in Victoria. At the end of his second session of classes the instructor told him his work was B次元官网网址済ood enough to sell.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭hat just planted a seed in me,B次元官网网址� he said.
From there Wong, who has lived in Esquimalt for seven years, dove into the art world, expanding his horizons with Western brush technique and showing his work at the Victoria Look Show. B次元官网网址淚 was very apprehensive about it,B次元官网网址� said Wong. B次元官网网址淚 was not quite sure I was ready.B次元官网网址�
During the show he was approached by Greater Victoria Community Arts Council president Bob Williams, who asked him to join the board. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 like: B次元官网网址榮ay what?B次元官网网址� Those things donB次元官网网址檛 happen to me.B次元官网网址�
Wong joined the board in May. He was resident artist at Abkhazi Gardens and artist in residence at Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites in July where he taught an introduction to Chinese Brush Painting workshop.
B次元官网网址淚t was fun. It was over capacity with people who wanted to take the class. I was taken by surprise. I thought, IB次元官网网址檝e just started to learn and here I am standing in front of a crowd,B次元官网网址� he said with awe in his voice.
After a 25-year career in the ministry of environment, Wong retired in 2009. Up until his unusual request for a sketch pad he B次元官网网址渄idnB次元官网网址檛 have an artistic boneB次元官网网址� in his body, but now gets great pleasure from creating his fusion of eastern and western methods.
B次元官网网址淎s long as IB次元官网网址檓 painting and I continue to be enjoying it and satisfied, IB次元官网网址檒l keep going,B次元官网网址� said Wong. The public can meet Wong and see him work at the Esquimalt Arts Festival on Aug. 12. The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the English Inn and Resort, 429 Lampson St.
Painters, photographers, musicians, carvers and other local artists will be displaying and demonstrating their art. There will be creation stations where families can participate in free art projects. Learn more about Wong at richardwong
watercolors.ca.
