Marilyn Monroe Painting

My name is Peijuan (like Page One). I'm a lover of all things artsy. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve drawn every chance I could get (even all over the attic staircase!). Back then, I already knew I wanted to do something creative with my life. I was born in Shanghai, but I have worked as a Creative Director/Principal Designer/Multimedia Designer and Illustrator for over 25 years in New York City after I earned my MFA with Highest Honors from Savannah College of Art & Design. While continuing to work as VP of Design in a tech firm for many years, I've been stretching my comfort zone to pursue marketing my abstract paintings, ink/watercolor paintings, and ceramics. My subject matter is nature and fashion, whether it is a landscape or a bird and flower painting. I use color, ink, and brush on canvas or ceramics to capture movement and life - making the brush dance and the ink sing. I am fascinated by East Asian Calligraphy and Abstract painting referred to as "xieyi" (寫意) which is is not simply to reproduce the appearance of the subject, but to capture its spirit. To paint a flower, there is no need to perfectly match its petals and colors, but it is essential to convey its liveliness and fragrance. It is also particularly associated with the 禪 Chán or Zen sect of Buddhism. Everything is captured in the spontaneous dance and movement of the brush as it meets the canvas. There is no going back and correcting when painting with ink on canvas. My art is a journey of self-discovery and self-expression. It is the process by which I choose to explore the people, things and world around me. I am interested by the subjective nature of events, how two people can have exactly the same encounter and have radically different interpretations and place different values on them. My experiences are both a source of pain and joy – my source of inquiry and inspiration. They are what I tap into when creating my art. I'm into keeping fit, socializing, art and traveling to see landscapes and architecture from small town quaintness to large city ornateness; Asian and Italian cooking; dance as exercise.