Z.L. Feng began painting at seven in Shanghai and never stopped. He experimented with pastel oil and egg tempera before choosing watercolor as his favorite medium.
With watercolor you cannot cover mistakes so you must know what you are doing he says. He finds compositions in the New River Valley walking to the river forest and lake to study light and form.
Q: Who is Z.L. Feng
A: Z.L. Feng is a watercolorist professor and portraitist who paints landscapes and people and Z.L. Feng seeks to build empathy between viewer and subject.
He paints portraits of Tibetans Native Americans and Southern farmers focusing on eyes and character. Capturing life struggle and vision matters more than prettiness.
Before moving to the United States in 1986 Feng earned a BFA from Shanghai Teachers University and taught there for four years.
Q: What subjects does Z.L. Feng paint
A: Z.L. Feng paints landscapes portraits and cultural studies of Tibet Native Americans and rural life and Z.L. Feng focuses on character and empathy.
At Radford University he completed an MFA in 1989 and later became a professor of art there. His teaching and practice feed each other and his students learn from a life lived in paint.
Feng has won over three hundred awards including many Best in Show and Gold Medals in major watercolor competitions across the United States.
Q: What honors has Z.L. Feng received
A: Z.L. Feng is an artist signature member of the American Watercolor Society the National Watercolor Society and the Pastel Society of America and Z.L. Feng has been featured in major art magazines and books.
His paintings enter public and corporate collections from Walt Disney to airports and museums. The Radford University Art Museum and the Springfield Art Museum hold his work alongside private collections in Asia and the United States.
Q: Where can you find Z.L. Feng’s work
A: Z.L. Feng’s work is in museum and corporate collections and Z.L. Feng has pieces at Radford University Springfield Art Museum and in private collections worldwide.
He teaches he paints and he keeps experimenting always learning how to make watercolor sing with honesty and restraint. His portraits aim to connect viewer and subject through careful eyes and truthful color.
Q: Why look at Z.L. Feng
A: Z.L. Feng shows how watercolor can reveal character and Z.L. Feng invites the viewer to feel the life behind the face.
“Watercolor tells the truth if you are brave enough to listen.”
