Today we’d like to introduce you to Yan Lee.
Yan, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I came to American 20 years ago from China. I never saw an oak tree there. When I saw the Century Tree in the campus of Texas A&M at College Station, I was really moved by the beauty and the size of the tree. It looked like that I found a new world, tree world. I considered doing a pen-ink drawing for it, but I am busing on purchase degree of geophysics. After I finished my desperation, I started to draw the century tree.
It is 2013. Then, I show my drawing to my friends and guys worked in Texas Forest Service in College Station, they encouraged me to continue to draw more big trees in Texas. After reading a book and traveling in Texas, I found more trees that so amazing that I fell in love with those trees. I spent more than ten years and drew about 70 historic and famous trees of Texas. I sell prints of my drawings to share them with more people. Drawing trees brought pleasure to me.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I take minimalism. I only use one pen, one size of marker pen, the finest one I can find, I only draw one tree in one paper in the past ten years. Black and white only. I try to show that simple toll still can make beautiful art. The lower can be the higher. I think my trees are like people, a group of people, even whole people in the world. In the beginning, I tried to combine science and into my art. Later, I input anything I know. But I mainly use Chinese painting and calligraphy technique for western pen&ink drawing.
What responsibility, if any, do you think artists have to use their art to help alleviate problems faced by others? Has your art been affected by issues you’ve concerned about?
There a saying is that nobody is affected by trees. I plant trees in people’ s home. I often see people who see my tree cry. I do not think I can change something but they really are moved, as I am moved by both real trees and drawings. I learn drawing tree directly from trees. Trees are my teacher. Some trees lovers often call me or email me to protect the trees that have rick to be move by developer.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I attend art shows and sell prints there. I get information from Zapplication.org.
Contact Info:
- Address: 9110 Memorial Trail Dr. Spring, Texas 77379
- Website: www.bigtreestudio.com
- Phone: 281-251-9453
- Email: yanlee@bigtreestudio.com
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