Cheng-Khee Chee demonstrates saturated wet technique (below).
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Cheng-Khee Chee works on a koi painting using the saturated wet technique.

Cheng-Khee Chee Watercolor Workshop

Thanks to a Mid-Faculty Professional Development Grant from Dean Thomas Nelson, Arts & Sciences, at Southern Polytechnic State University, I was able to attend a 5-day watercolor with internationally acclaimed artist Cheng-Khee Chee in Boone, N.C., at the Cheap Joe's workshop facility. Cheng-Khee, born in China and raised in Malaysia, is Associate Professor Emeritus of the University of Minnesota at Duluth. Successfully combining both Eastern and Western techniques in his paintings, he is an internationally acclaimed Dolphin Fellow and signature member of the American Watercolor Society and signature member with Master Status of the Transparent Watercolor Society of America, along with hundreds of other honors. In 2007 Cheng-Khee Chee and the Jiangsu Watercolor Research Institute in Nanjing, China, organized the first Invitational Exhibition of Contemporary International Watermedia Masters in Nanjing. Thirteen countries and 68 countries were represented in this show. Chee continues to paint, teach workshops, and, in his spare time, illustrate children's books.
1. Saturated wet technique (above), the first technique explored in the workshop, was introduced by Cheng-Khee's opening painting demonstration. Here are the steps in the process:
1. Dilute tube pigments in pans, thoroughly saturate paper with water, mount paper on board, and sponge off excess water
2. Paint an abstract background, alternating warm & cool colors, light
& dark values, and smooth & rough textures, while letting colors run. 3. When the sheen disappears from the paper, begin lifting shapes from the wet paper. As long as the paper remains wet, shapes can be lifted easily.
4. Finally, apply details.
NOTE: This technique is great for painting fish and flowers.
2. Improvisational Splash Color Technique (above), the second technique introduced, uses a glossy gel medium on illustration board (Strathmore 500 series hot pressed #240-5). A 1:1 solution of glossy gel medium and water is applied to board with a 2" squirrel brush. When dry, abstract shapes are quickly added using premixed pigments.
As shapes begin to suggest subject, additional shapes are carved out using lifting, and details are applied. This technique is great for painting rocks, water, mountainscapes.

Photos to the right are my painting, before and after Cheng-Khee's critique and re-do.
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My painting BEFORE Cheng-Khee's critique and design redo.
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My painting AFTER Cheng-Khee's redo. And yes, it looks much better!
3. Crinkling technique with Oriental paper (above), the third technique introduced, uses wet Masa or sized Xuan paper that has been wadded up and then mounted on watercolor sheet with paste. The crinkles in the paper provide textural effects when paint is applied.
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Watercolor on Masa paper by Betty Oliver.
The image at left is my attempt at the crinkling technique on Masa paper with watercolor. The texture of the paper suggested an old tree with many branching limbs. The image at right: my black/white image on crinkled Masa paper.
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Ink on Masa paper by Betty Oliver.
4. Marbleizing technique (above), the fourth technique introduced, originated in China. Liquid Oriental ink is floated on water and swirled to form patterns. Dry rice paper placed over the surface picks up the ink. Watercolors are added to the resulting image to create an abstract image of swirling patterns and shapes. The last image (above) is Cheng-Khee Chi's work.
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My attempt at marbleizing.
The image to the left is my attempt at marbleizing Masa paper. The shapes suggest ocean and breaking waves. I will add watercolor eventually--blues and greens--to create an abstract image of waves breaking on the shore.
5. Monoprinting combined with painting (above), the last technique introduced in the workshop, begins with watercolors and inks splashed on enameled masonite board. Colors and inks are encouraged to run and blend with each other. Rice paper is placed on top of the board, and watercolors and inks are absorbed onto the rice paper. After the rice paper dries, the artist develops the printed background into a painting.
Cheng-Khee is shown working on the resulting monoprint (extreme right image). He will develop this into a painting later in his studio.

My attempt at monoprinting is no longer available (it's filed under "trash"), but I look forward to trying it again!
And finally, Cheng-Khee Chee demonstrated Chinese calligraphy, writing for us his feelings upon visiting his Chinese hometown after many years of absence:
"Spring Breezes warm up my feelings toward hometown.
Oceans cannot separate the wanderer's life"