My inspiration for this artwork comes from the Chinese city Jiang Nan, a city like Venice where towns are built on top of the water. This painting took place around Chinese New Year, hence the red lantern hanging below the roof. In my art-making process, I intentionally exaggerated the fading of the background and emphasized the details of the foreground. I chose a cool color scheme to represent the cloudy weather.
Austin Li is a junior at Los Altos High School in California. As an artist, he enjoys using dry medium to express himself. Recently, he co-founded the Multi-Media Housing Club at this school. The club focuses on creating therapeutic art, and crafting and building miniature houses to assemble a miniature city. Two of his favorite artists are Salvador Dali for his wild choice of subject matters, and Claude Monet for his simple brushstrokes. Outside of art, he enjoys reading and weightlifting in his backyard.
This year, the Chinese Lunar New Year is on February 16. This is a special occasion when families get together, eat delicate food, and decorate their houses with Red Lanterns, which are symbols of prosperity and hope for a happy and prosperous year ahead.
Gong Xi Fa Cai (Happy New Year)!