|
(Maihwa) Frances Li
Frances Li was born in Shanghai, China and at the age of two her family moved to Taiwan. She was educated in Taiwan and as a young woman she came to the United States to study for an advanced degree.
As a girl in Taiwan, Frances studied painting for many years with traditional teachers, known as “masters.” They specialized in different subjects: one master painted bamboo, another painted plum blossoms, and a third painted landscapes. During her hour-long lessons each week, Frances was given samples of paintings to copy, progressing in size from small to large. After she completed her paintings, her teachers would critique her work. Today she uses this same traditional method to teach painting. Flower painting drew most of her interest and became her specialty, remaining so even today.
Frances also learned Chinese calligraphy in school and formally studied Ikebana. Her interest in flowers is two-fold: flowers from her garden act as subjects for paintings and for Ikebana arrangements. Because of her early training, skill, and interest in many art forms, Frances has become an accomplished artist who teaches and demonstrates painting, calligraphy, Ikebana, and Origami.
Frances was principal of the Triple Cities Chinese School in Endwell, New York where written and verbal Chinese, as well as arts, were taught. It was founded to preserve the Chinese heritage for generations of Chinese children born in the USA. Frances enriched that heritage through her practice and teaching of Oriental art forms.
In 1993, Frances moved to Austin, Texas with her family where she taught Chinese art at the Austin Chinese school and to private students.
Frances and her family moved to Portland in 1996. She is very active in The Japanese Garden Society of Oregon as a guide, performing various tasks for the garden and participating in their Geijutsu Sai Art Festival and Sale. She completed the Portland Art Museum docent training program in 1999 and is now a member of the Docent Council. In 2000, Frances also became a guide at the new Classical Chinese Garden in Portland.
|
