The Contemporary Artist of Classical Impressionism

 

Lin Zheng is the short name for his full name Lin Hua Zheng.  He was born in the beautiful ocean-side city called Shantou locating in Southern China.  At the age of 12, he became very passionate with the brush, oil, and canvas, and began to paint whenever he got a chance.  In his junior high and high school years, he often helped his schools to complete various art projects to promote a healthy and pleasant campus life.  At 19, one of his paintings entitled “New Paintings of Our Campus” was officially published by a Chinese cultural authority and widely printed in China.     

 

New Paintings of Our Campus (校园新画) 24X171/2 Gouache   Private Collection

 
In 1977, having excelled in a very competitive college entrance exam,  he was selected among thousands of highly qualified art school applicants to study oil painting in one of the most prestigious art schools in China -  Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, where he received rigorous fine art training both in theory and practice for four years.  With distinguished academic records, Lin obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Oil Painting in 1982.
 

After graduation, he worked as a professional artist with Shantou Literature & Art Association and instructed fine art classes on a part-time basis at Shantou University of China for about five years.  In 1987, Lin came to the United States to explore more opportunities for his art talents.

 

In the 1990’s, he was referred by his fellow artist to the Hollywood animation industry, where he has quickly established himself as the master of color, light, and shadow.  He was the Emmy Award Nominee in 1994 and 1995, respectively, and was the 1996 Emmy Award Winner for his participated show called, Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?

 

Lin enjoys sharing his talents with many Hollywood animation studios, which include Walt Disney, Universal Studios, Sony Pictures, Film Roman, Imagi, MLG, Mike Young, and DIC Entertainment, in various capacity from Background Artist to Art Director on numerous shows such as Mulan II, Tazan II, Tinker Bell, Cinderella Stories, Pepper Ann, The Mighty Ducks, Nightmare Ned, Gargoyles, Hellboy, Gatchaman, and Astro Boy. 

 

Yet, Lin’s true passion with oil paintings has never been changed since he began to paint at the age of twelve.  For many years, he has been maintaining regular studies on live models in his home studio and keeps on producing quality oil paintings, which are influenced by his special zeal for color, light, and shadow. 

 

His loose and impressionistic brushstrokes stimulate the eye and pleasantly guide a viewer to the focal point of his painting, often a dancer enjoying the steps at the dance arena or a ballerina preparing for the stage.  The strong tones of light and dark also lead to the focus and add the sense of drama.  Lin’s capable draftsmanship and keen eye for composition allow him to build a strong foundation for every painting.  Over the years, hundreds of his paintings have been collected by individuals, fine art galleries, museums, and universities from the United States, Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Thailand. 

 

Lin Zheng currently lives with his wife, Yvonne; son, Wilson; and dog, Tommy in Southern California.

 

Tommy & Yvonne (我的狗女人) 22X46 Oil   Private Collection