Jericho resident Wen Xin’s journey as a painter has been one of self-discovery. When the 42-year-old mother of two teenage boys first picked up a paintbrush several years ago, she had “zero background” in the craft, she said, as well as zero illusions about where the craft might take her.
“In the beginning, I was just looking to kill time honestly, and when a friend suggested trying painting, I figured why not,” Xin said. “But the more I worked on painting, I began to find my confidence. I started seeing things I hadn’t done before, and finding out new things about myself.”
Through her painstaking dedication to painting, Xin’s confidence and craft blossomed to such a degree that she is now featured in “Between Us,” a new exhibit at the Jericho Library showcasing nine women artists from Syosset and Jericho. The exhibit runs through March 30.
“It’s a big honor to be in the show,” she said. “And to be featured with these artists, who are like a big family to me.”
That sense of connection helped shape the exhibit’s theme, Xin explained.
“‘Between Us’ is about relationships,” Xin said. “The time we spend together as classmates painting, talking and sharing food and experiences has given us deep emotional connections.” She added that the theme expands to explore relationships between family, friends, teachers, and students.
One of the artists in their group, Xue Qi Li, is Xin’s former colleague from years ago back in China who coincidentally ended up in the same community upon moving to the United States.
“It’s magic,” Xin said, about reconnecting with her old friend and sharing a new passion together.
But even with the support of her artistic tribe, Xin said it took time to find her voice and rhythm as a painter.
After studying painting for two years with instructor Sally Feng at the Sally Studio Art Center in Syosset, Xin returned to China for five years and lost touch with painting.
“When I returned to the U.S. and reconnected with Sally and picked up the brush again, it felt like coming home,” Xin said. “As a teacher, Sally helps build your confidence from the ground up,” Xin said. “She sees the artist in you before you see it yourself. For me, having paintings in this exhibit wouldn’t be possible without her.”
Xin said the task of creating a self-portrait for the exhibit was so daunting that at times it made her feel like she “didn’t know how to paint.”
Ultimately, she persevered to create three new pieces, drawing inspiration for two of them from some of her favorite photographs. She based her self-portrait on a studio image taken by her photography teacher, and created a second painting from a photo of her two sons together at sunset.
“The warm orange glow of the setting sun represents the peaceful love between them,” Xin said. “It’s a beautiful moment frozen in time.”
For her third piece, she experimented with a vivid color palette of crimson, cobalt, and tangerine to paint what she described as “a cute girl in an outstanding red hat.”
“I still can’t believe I can do this,” Xin said, reflecting on having her artworks displayed. “Art taught me the courage to face myself. It taught me that as long as I have the passion I can become whoever I want to be.”
Up next, Xin said she is keen to try her hand at painting some “window view seascapes,” while continuing to develop her technique.
“I’ll keep painting as long as I can,” she said. “And I hope my art brings warmth and connection to everyone who sees it.”
