MPR’s Stephanie Hemphill reports on Cheng-Khee Chee, one of Minnesota's best-known watercolor artists, who has published a book for children. It's called "Noel," and it's a free-flowing poem by Tony Johnston about the sights and sounds of an old-fashioned Christmas. Hemphill talked with the artist about the technique he used to convey the magic of an evening full of snow and Christmas bells.

This file was digitized with the help of a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

Transcript:

(00:00:02) Cheng chi chi has been developing watercolor techniques for decades. He regularly wins Top honors in National shows a few years ago. He agreed to illustrate old Turtle which became an instant classic since then. He says he's had dozens of requests to illustrate more books, but he's been very picky. No well is about a Christmas Bell that calls people out of their homes to sing and dance. He says this book spoke to

(00:00:28) him because of the sounds and scenes. And joys and the spirits of Christmas is all there in vividly Express in the poems. So I could immediately I can identify the type of feeling because living in another us for 43 years and certainly, you know, raising four children. I mean going to Christmas all kind of activities and this remind me of all these type of things. So I said, Yeah, well, how about do it because you know, everything activities seem to be very

(00:01:07) colorful but she doesn't usually include human figures as Central themes and his

(00:01:13) paintings so it would be a challenge to me, but I said, oh, well, it's about time that I do something different. So I took the challenge

(00:01:22) she says the snowy night is a perfect subject for his saturated wet paper technique

(00:01:28) before a pin that I soak the paper saturated with water. Impending wet really wet, you know because then I can make changes very easily so I can I can wipe out and then repaint it white power and repin it. Now. This is quite contrary to The Stereotype of watercolor people think of what a color once you put a ping on paper, then you cannot move, you know, and you cannot make changes and that type of thing to me. It's not true anymore. You see provided you soak the paper.

(00:02:03) Says he usually uses this wet paper technique when he paints

(00:02:06) improvisationally when I paint fish, you know, because years and years study of the face and this is the Chinese way, you know, you memorized know every move every all the colors shapes and all that and then when you come to painting you don't have to look at the fish to pain. I mean, how are you going to ask the fish to stay still in a tank not so so you are rely on memory because you You observe and you you know, every aspect of the

(00:02:37) fish she says that kind of painting creates a powerful emotional connection between the artist and his subject he says children deserve art where the feeling is clear he says he did the illustrations in Noel just as he would any work of Fine Art

(00:02:54) children, they are just a blend piece of people there was soaked up anything Why not give them the best story the best literary work and the finest

(00:03:11) paintings Noel with poetry by Tony Johnston and art by Cheng chi chi is published by Carroll wrote a books a division of learner publishing in Minneapolis reporting from Duluth. I'm Stephanie, Hemphill, Minnesota Public Radio news.