reviews on new book a gift: "Combined with his luscious watercolors, evokes a vivid portrait of rural Chinese culture. Children will find much to notice and discuss in the illustrations, both in the pictures of Amy's home ... and those of China. This is an uncomplicated introduction to the holiday and a lovely addition to most collections." — School Library Journal. Read more

Vlog: Video demonstrations "vlog: A Moment with Yong" now is a new addition to our online Learning Center. Click here to enjoy our Video Logs.

Yong Chen is an artist deeply interested in art. He is a painter, teacher, illustrator ... Yong has been devoted himself to teach art since age of 13. He taught five year high school in China, and three year college watercolor and portraiture workshops in the United States. Since he designed his personal Web site in 1994, Yong has been giving free online watercolor lessons through this online learning center. With step-by-step demonstrations, Yong Chen and his friends demonstrate their unique watercolor painting methods and techniques on how to paint from start to finish. Yong Chen is working with more accomplished artists, together to contribute to the education of art worldwide.

Through history and across the world, watercolor has been a very attractive art medium to most fine artists. Yong Chen has been studied different mediums and forms of paintings, include traditional oriental Chinese brush painting, oil painting, acrylic, and watercolor painting. The subject matters in his paintings include people, cat, dog, bird (click here to view his beautiful Bird Alphabets poster), butterfly, and flowers.

Besides teach college watercolors and illustrations, and exhibit his artworks through New England, Yong Chen is also a published illustrator of a few children's books. His publishing children's books include picture book "Finding Joy" (written by Marion Coste, published by Boyds Mills Press, a Highlights Company in October 2006), picture book "Miz Fannie Mae's Fine New Easter Hat" (written by Melissa Milich, published by Little, Brown and Company in 1997), chapter book "Starfish Summer" (written by Ona Gritz-Gilbert, published by HarperCollins Publishers in the Summer of 1998), and "Swimming with Sharks" (written by Twig C. George, published by HarperCollins Publishers in the Summer of 1999) and his early watercolor illustrations for picture book "Maria's Loose Tooth".

This Web site is only a corner for Yong Chen to share his passion for art, water color and teaching. He will post more demonstrations in the watercolor learning corner demonstration area. Yong Chen will present his demonstration not only with images and text, but will be in video, audio, and will be on DVD media, too. If you have any thoughts, or if you would like to contribute your demonstrations to this Web site, to share with other artist friends around the world, please contact us. Your credit line and link, or even a personal page will be awarded. Thank you for your participation.