Eight students clustered around the lion’s head sketched onto a piece of cream paper. Watercolor washes divided the kingly face between navy blue and gold. Dan Chen, wearing a gray buttoned shirt and faded jeans, sketched around the eyes and then held up his pastel pencil.
“Alright, who wants to try?” he asked.
There are few professional artists who use their Saturdays to give private lessons on pastels. Fewer give you hands-on experience with their demonstration piece. Dan Chen is not an average artist.
“The King,” made up of ink, watercolor, pastel, gold and silver on paper. Artist: Dan Chen
His Eugene studio, The Ark, is a refurbished grange. Both the upper gallery area and the workshop downstairs remain chilly even with the sun shining outside. But artistic energy sizzles through the sculptures, oil paintings, pastels and watercolors.
I glanced around during the demonstration and saw many unfamiliar pieces on display, new work since my visit last year. Nearby, a 3 by 6 foot pastel of bluebirds and oranges glowed off of the page. Pausing, Chen picked up a flattened cardboard box and explained that a California company had commissioned him to redesign their logo. Moving back to the lion, he finished explaining how to select quality pastel paper and how to layer the colors starting with firm pastel pencils to the buttery highlights of pigment-rich sticks.
A crew of college students slid in and out of my vision with cameras recording. Chen explained that they are beginning a year-long documentary on his work as an artist. The main piece they will follow is a redesign of one of the peacock paintings created when he was 17.
He brought us downstairs and pointed to the 21 blocks sketched out on an eight foot tall canvas. Each block will represent a different medium. The top left will be a drawing, followed by watercolor, pen and ink, pastel, watercolor on silk, fused glass, cast glass…I began to lose track as he continued down the canvas, ending with sculpture on the bottom. The ability to use 21 mediums awed me, much less the skill to fuse them together into a unified image.
Last year in chapel, Chen gave his testimony through a slideshow of his artistic journey. He then invited 20 students to caravan to his studio for a workshop. Over several Saturdays, he provided a reference library, pastel box, watercolor palate, ceramic tools, and years of experience to help us experiment with different art mediums. His casual manner put us at ease, and his humility only added to his reputation. As an artist, Chen points his skills back to God as the source of his inspiration. His artistic endeavors are always moving forward with an unquenchable delight and thirst for beauty.
As two more kids plan for college and his list of commissioned projects grows, Chen’s invitation for us to join him for a Saturday workshop amazed me. My own schedule bursts with deadlines and projects, barely leaving time to breathe.
The atmosphere of the Ark was a peaceful refuge, exhibiting enormous possibilities for life and creativity with the freedom to run towards them. Dan Chen is not only inspiring as an artist, but as a man who looks to God for strength. He loves to share himself with his church, youth groups, contemporary artists, and curious college students. Learning from him is a privilege; his secret is a process of contagious joy.
To see Chen’s work, visit his website.
