Recognitions, Awards and Selected Exhibitions
Biography
Keming Chen was born in China, but raised in Taiwan. Chen got Master’s degree in the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1980. For about 35 years, Chen was an engineer related to image process in color television. He was fortunate enough to be able to marry his love of art with science by studying and working as a career. He enjoys art all the time and reads art books in his free time to know more about the theory and practice of color, value, and composition.
Chen selected watercolor because of the transparency and flexibility. He keeps on painting by using only transparent watercolors. He paints five to nine hours a day in studio to produce his intricately detailed works of watercolor art when he is not out to take photos for painting reference.
Mr. Chen paints in a number of art categories that include cityscapes, landscapes, animals, people, and gardens. He draws inspiration for his artwork from detailed records of his travels with thousands of photographs from many countries in North America and Asia.
Chen is a Signature Member of National Watercolor Society, a Signature/Life Member of Missouri Watercolor Society, a Signature Member of San Diego Watercolor Society, a Juried Member of Watercolor West, Life Member of Transparent Watercolor Society, and is active in a number of other watercolor societies.
Artist Statement
I am an award-winning artist. All my paintings are done with transparent watercolors. I force myself not use white and black pigments. I always create dark colors by mixing several different pigments, and reserve some paper areas for white. Use masking fluid, masking tapes, or paint around the objects to save the whites.
I take thousands of photos from travelling, modify the photos for better composition and paint them in my studio. I usually build my watercolor paintings in multiple carefully planned layers. Wait each layer till completely dry before adding the next. I like to work the values from light to dark.
2020 41th International Juried Exhibition of Pennsylvania Watercolor Society
2020 International Watercolor Society (IWS) Pan-American Watercolor Show
2020 11th Annual International Signature American Watermedia Exhibition at Fallbrook
2019 International Juried Exhibition of Missouri Watercolor Society
2019 39th International Exhibition of San Diego Watercolor Society
2019 Global Association of Watercolor Artists (GAWA) International Online Contest “Among Best 50”
2019 43rd International Exhibition of North East Watercolor Society
2019 Missouri Watercolor Society Signature member awarded
2019 San Diego Watercolor Society Signature member awarded
2018 78th International Open Exhibition of Northwest Watercolor Society
2018 International Juried Exhibition of Missouri Watercolor Society
2018 38th International Exhibition of San Diego Watercolor Society
2018 39th International Juried Exhibition of Pennsylvania Watercolor Society
2018 50th International Juried Exhibition of Watercolor West Society
2018 42nd International Exhibition of North East Watercolor Society
2017 8th Annual International Signature American Watermedia Exhibition at Fallbrook
2017 37th International Exhibition of San Diego Watercolor Society
2017 49th International Juried Exhibition of Watercolor West Society
2016 National Watercolor Society Signature member awarded
2016 96th National Watercolor International Exhibition