0:00

The paintings I

0:00

make are not only a sample; not

0:05

only Laguna Beach, it's a Calvin

0:05

Liang eyes' sample. It's a

0:11

"Calvin Liang's eyes Laguna

0:11

Beach." Yeah, that's the major

0:15

thing I learned from animation

0:15

the design oh! the idea. So,

0:23

basically with my paintings when

0:23

I teach a workshop I tell the

0:26

painting is not painting

0:26

the subject, it's painting the

0:33

idea; you put your idea inside

0:33

the painting to let people know

0:40

about the mood, and thinking

0:40

that's a major thing I learned

0:45

from animation.

0:46

Welcome to

0:46

BoldBrush show, where we believe

0:49

that fortune favors the bold

0:49

brush. My name is Laura Arango

0:52

Baier, and I'm your host. For

0:52

those of you who are new to the

0:55

podcast. We are a podcast that

0:55

covers art marketing techniques,

0:58

and all sorts of business tips

0:58

specifically to help artists

1:01

learn to better sell their work.

1:01

We interview artists at all

1:03

stages of their careers as well

1:03

as others are in careers tied to

1:06

the art world in order to hear

1:06

their advice and insights. To

1:10

kick off season seven, we sat

1:10

down with Calvin Liang, a

1:13

successful landscape artist from

1:13

China based in Southern

1:15

California. He tells us all

1:15

about his youth starting with

1:19

going to one of the most

1:19

prestigious art academies in

1:21

China. So when he moved to the

1:21

US and began a career as an

1:24

illustrator for projects such as

1:24

The Little Mermaid and SpongeBob

1:27

SquarePants, to finally being

1:27

able to live full time from his

1:30

paintings. Calvin reminds us of

1:30

the importance of always keeping

1:33

a high quality level for your

1:33

work, and why that would help

1:36

galleries and collectors trust

1:36

you more. He also advises that

1:40

your work should always speak to

1:40

you first, before putting it out

1:43

into the world. And also that it

1:43

should show your own personal

1:47

vision and not just be a copy of

1:47

reality. Finally, he tells us

1:51

about the pieces he will be

1:51

sending to a show at Pepperdine

1:54

University in Malibu with the

1:54

California art club this month,

1:57

and his upcoming workshop in

1:57

October. Welcome Calvin to the

2:02

BoldBrush show. How are you today?

2:05

Yeah, really good!

2:05

Thank you so much. I'm so

2:07

excited, I can interview and I

2:07

can talk. You're in Norway!

2:12

Yes, I'm all

2:12

the way in Norway and then

2:14

you're all the way in? I believe

2:14

California, right.

2:17

Yeah, I'm in,

2:17

Southern California. Right

2:20

between San Diego and Los

2:20

Angeles. Right in the middle.

2:26

Wow. That's

2:28

a beautiful

2:28

area. It's really nice.

2:31

Yeah, yeah. Sunny

2:31

on most days. Sunshine.

2:36

Yeah, a lot

2:36

of sun. And it's nice and fresh,

2:38

which is good. Yeah, I'm really

2:38

excited to have you on because

2:43

your career is a fascinating one

2:43

to me. And also because of

2:48

course, I grew up watching

2:48

Spongebob and The Little

2:51

Mermaid, which you worked on

2:51

both of those projects, which is

2:55

so awesome. And then of course

2:55

your work right now. Your

2:59

paintings are absolutely

2:59

breathtaking. They are gorgeous.

3:02

I love the colors. You're

3:02

welcome. Yeah, I love the way

3:06

that you capture scenery. And

3:06

it's very interesting because

3:10

whenever I look at your

3:10

paintings, I do see the bit of

3:15

you that was in patchy the

3:15

pirate right in the painting

3:17

that you did for SpongeBob. I do

3:17

see the colors and I love it. I

3:22

love it so much. But before we

3:22

talk more about your career, do

3:26

you mind telling us a little bit

3:26

about who you are and what you

3:29

do?

3:31

Yeah. And I think

3:31

from the beginning, from

3:39

childhood talking about that.

3:39

And when I was very young, about

3:45

five or six years old I was

3:45

really interested to draw, to

3:50

draw the little cartoon

3:50

everything and I kept drawing

3:54

all the time. And I was really

3:54

interested in painting too and

4:00

then since I was about 8 about

4:00

13 to 12 Then I started the

4:07

watercolor and acrylic so no,

4:07

gouache at the time no acrylic

4:13

only gouache. I'll show you a

4:13

photo there was

4:19

oh my gosh

4:21

it was a long time

4:21

ago, I was 13 years old. This

4:26

here. The way I'm still

4:26

painting. Yeah. I painted in oil

4:36

I think at about 12 or 13 then

4:36

started with the oil to paint.

4:41

Then after I graduated from high

4:41

school, then I go to the north

4:47

China to the Shanghai Academy of

4:47

Fine Art to study set design. I

4:53

was a set designer, you see for

4:53

the opera, then after that I

5:00

went back to Canton I worked on

5:00

the Canton Opera Institute and

5:08

as head of set design I paint

5:08

the big paintings you see, Yeah,

5:13

so, and I worked for several

5:13

years at the Canton Opera

5:18

Institute, then I got the

5:18

foreign student visa from China

5:24

Canton, China. Then moved to San

5:24

Francisco because I get a

5:30

student visa in Academy of Art

5:30

College in San Francisco. Yeah,

5:36

and so after that, and I met my

5:36

wife in San Francisco. And we

5:44

got married in San Francisco. So

5:44

I stayed, I came to California

5:52

from China in 1987. Long time

5:52

ago. Yeah. And after I got

6:00

married and had to get a job. So

6:00

finally I think at that time

6:06

cartoons were really popular.

6:06

You see the Lion King? Yes, it

6:10

was really popular at the time,

6:10

even still didn't know about it

6:15

yet at the time really popular.

6:15

Then I moved all the way from

6:21

San Francisco to Los Angeles.

6:21

And because I was looking for a

6:26

job in animation, they said

6:26

animation is really good and

6:31

they pay really good. And so

6:31

then I come to Los Angeles. Then

6:37

I take a one semester, the

6:37

quarter to study the animation.

6:44

Learn the technique, how to

6:44

paint the background they use

6:48

air brushes to learn. Then

6:48

finally I get a job in Disney.

6:53

The first project I worked on in

6:53

Disney animation: The Little

6:57

Mermaid. Yes, underwater. So I'm

6:57

working for Disney and after The

7:04

Little Mermaid I saw that

7:04

Nickelodeon's SpongeBob

7:08

Squarepants started to hire

7:08

people. So then I moved from

7:14

Disney to Nickelodeon. I worked

7:14

on the beginning as the

7:18

background painter. And saw the

7:18

were maybe very happy about it

7:23

and so you see the pirate I show

7:23

you Yeah, want me to show it

7:28

again?

7:28

Yeah you can show it again and then I can add the image later.

7:32

The pirate gives

7:32

me really good memories when

7:35

working on? Yeah. Yeah, the

7:35

people see it. Yeah. Yeah, now

7:47

they use it for every beginning

7:47

from the show they see Yeah,

7:51

maybe really good memory. So I

7:51

was working for five years in

7:57

SpongeBob. And because they

7:57

wouldn't work along the

8:02

animation or the for the whole

8:02

life, and never, ever stop

8:08

drawing and painting. And even

8:08

when working on the Disney or

8:14

working on Nickelodeon, every

8:14

weekend, evening, holiday,

8:22

vacation, I try to keep painting

8:22

all the time. Then I submitted a

8:26

painting into the gallery at the

8:26

time my painting in the market

8:34

was selling really good. They

8:34

wanted more paintings, they sold

8:40

and made me really really busy.

8:40

And I remember at the time in

8:47

the first one man show is in

8:47

2000. I did a one man's show for

8:56

the gallery. Finally, more and

8:56

more galleries they want me to

9:01

join them in the gallery then at

9:01

that time the Trailside Gallery

9:06

in Scottsdale and in Wyoming

9:06

have two location then they are

9:14

really good galleries. And they

9:14

gave me a one man show also and

9:19

Greenhouse Gallery in San

9:19

Antonio, Texas and became a one

9:22

man show each year, two one man

9:22

shows is a whole lot for each

9:25

year, then I think I can hold it

9:25

for two one man shows for the

9:30

galleries and SpongeBob.

9:30

Finally, I quit SpongeBob the

9:36

animation. Yeah, because the

9:36

time will be 24 hour every day

9:41

for people. So I don't have too

9:41

much time to handle those three

9:45

things. That's why I dropped the

9:45

SpongeBob and I worked on fine

9:52

art because basically, when I

9:52

was child, when I was young, I

9:57

really wanted to be at an

9:57

artist, that's a painter thing I

10:02

want. Yeah, because when I'm

10:02

working on the animation, you

10:07

kind of follow the idea, you see

10:07

the script and everything, yeah.

10:11

But a fine art painting all the

10:11

painting ideas, I can make my

10:16

own, I can control everything

10:16

100% This is the way I wanted

10:21

it, that's why I quit animation,

10:21

then I do the fine art. And I do

10:27

it now. So I, how many years in

10:27

2002, full time, in 2002. That

10:37

was my final day, I quit

10:37

SpongeBob and it's more than 20

10:41

years now, then build that and

10:41

do fine art. And sometimes I

10:46

teach a warkshop too, because

10:46

basically, I love the teaching.

10:51

And because of when I'm

10:51

teaching, I can lead the people

10:55

also, I learn a lot from the

10:55

people. Yeah, because the other

11:00

thing is really good when doing

11:00

a workshop where I can get a

11:04

very good balance. And most of

11:04

the time, I was in my studio, my

11:08

wife and my kid is videotape is

11:08

very busy, most of the time to

11:13

stay by myself. And when I'm

11:13

doing a workshop, then I can

11:18

balance some alone time in my

11:18

studio. So that's another thing.

11:22

Yeah. So yeah, basically that's

11:22

the, from the beginning to now

11:29

so

11:29

yes, wow,

11:29

that is quite a journey, because

11:33

you've been doing it for very

11:33

long time. And your work is

11:37

again, it's absolutely gorgeous.

11:37

And it's, you're welcome. I

11:42

think it's, it's amazing how,

11:42

you know, you really never put

11:47

the paintbrush down. And you can

11:47

tell because like I can tell

11:51

that in your work. There's a lot

11:51

of love. There's a lot of joy

11:54

that goes into it. And you're

11:54

welcome. Yeah. And then of

11:59

course, having gone to one of

11:59

the most, I think it's one of

12:02

the most prestigious schools in

12:02

China actually, for fine art.

12:05

That's also really awesome to

12:05

have worked on opera and like on

12:10

these theater sets. Do you think

12:10

that the work you did in theater

12:15

sets? Has it affected how you

12:15

work and also like your

12:20

illustration?

12:21

That's what a good

12:21

question. You see where they're

12:25

working on the animation, they

12:25

really want to get the idea put

12:32

into the painting. So that's a

12:32

good thing that helped me

12:37

because every, basically the

12:37

painting, they make it up by the

12:42

shape, color, value, edges, and

12:42

to put that kind of stuff, you

12:49

got to have the idea. That's a

12:49

really major thing I learned

12:54

from animation, because every

12:54

painting, you're gonna follow

12:58

the layout, you got to follow

12:58

the idea how the Scripture

13:02

leader, you can think the thing

13:02

you want and you got to follow

13:07

the idea. Now when I'm working

13:07

on my own my painting, the thing

13:13

I learned, oh that's a better

13:13

way I can put my idea in my

13:18

painting, like the way I paint

13:18

the sample, or the landscape

13:23

like I go to Laguna Beach and I

13:23

paint, the painting I make is

13:28

not only the sample, not only

13:28

the Laguna Beach it's a Calvin

13:35

Liang's eyes sample, it's a

13:35

Calvin Liang's eyes Laguna

13:40

Beach. That's the major thing. I

13:40

learn from the animation, the

13:47

design oh the idea. So,

13:47

basically with my paintings when

13:52

I teach a workshop I tell the

13:52

people: painting is not painting

13:58

the subject, it's painting the

13:58

idea; you put your idea inside

14:05

the painting to let people know

14:05

about the mood, and thinking

14:11

that's a major thing I learned

14:11

from animation.

14:14

Yeah, yeah,

14:14

that makes perfect sense.

14:16

Because you know, it's a little

14:16

bit boring to just copy

14:20

something. It is much nicer to

14:20

enhance it right to have that

14:25

idea, like you're saying and

14:25

really translate it on the

14:28

canvas and capture that idea

14:28

instead of just copy which is

14:34

it's okay to copy. But the the

14:34

idea is more exciting,

14:38

Yeah it's more

14:38

exciting, more interesting for

14:41

me. Yeah. So that's why when the

14:41

magazine the interview made a

14:48

long time ago and finally, and

14:48

most of the people that

14:52

interviewed me and the editor

14:52

they asked me the last question.

14:57

Calvin, could you tell me who is

14:57

the artist in the world, you

15:02

favor. The first word that pops

15:02

in my head is Sorolla, the

15:05

Spanish painter, Sorolla.

15:05

Sorolla is a really good painter

15:10

and not only the technique, not

15:10

only the shape, the color,

15:15

everything is perfect for him.

15:15

But the amazing thing, Sorolla's

15:20

paintings speak to me because of

15:20

the happy mood. Every painting I

15:24

see is really happy. That's the

15:24

happy mood I really want to put

15:30

into my paintings. And I want to

15:30

people see my painting feel

15:34

happy. That's the reason why.

15:34

Yeah,

15:38

I think you

15:38

definitely accomplished that.

15:41

Because I look at your paintings

15:41

and the colors make me smile, it

15:44

makes me feel like I'm in, in

15:44

the painting. And I'm viewing a

15:49

beautiful, you know, maybe it's

15:49

the beach, or beautiful

15:52

landscape. Or I saw your

15:52

painting of the church at I

15:59

think it's I can't remember

15:59

where but there was, it was a

16:03

church that you painted. And the

16:03

front of it is it has all these

16:06

beautiful architecture. Do you

16:06

remember which one it is? Yeah,

16:11

That one's in San

16:11

Antonio, San Jose Mission. Yeah,

16:17

the people and the sunbathing

16:21

Gorgeous.

16:21

Gorgeous. I love the high chroma

16:25

orange. That's just seeping

16:25

underneath. It's glorious. I

16:29

love it. Of course,

16:33

I've really

16:33

enjoyed what a refreshing warm

16:36

light with a brown. Thank you.

16:36

Yes, it's my favorite painting

16:41

too. Yeah.

16:44

So I wanted

16:44

to ask you also, what advice

16:47

would you give to an artist who

16:47

wants to improve at painting?

16:52

Like what's a tip that you think

16:52

would really help?

16:55

I think basically,

16:55

and I want the people, who want

17:02

to be artists, you got to keep

17:02

studying, all the whole life.

17:08

Because if you don't study, you

17:08

don;'t know. That's, why you

17:15

gotta stay interested, and you

17:15

gotta keep studying. And you've

17:21

got to... Maybe you've got to go

17:21

to school, maybe you've got to

17:24

pick different people's

17:24

workshops to learn the

17:28

technique. And to enjoy the

17:28

process of painting. Yeah,

17:35

that's it, everything, you've

17:35

got to enjoy. And also you got

17:39

to keep studying, because if you

17:39

don't study, you don't know the

17:45

thing. Yeah, like at a drawing.

17:45

When you draw the figure, most

17:51

of the things are inside out, if

17:51

you don't start inside out

17:54

technique, everything you don't

17:54

know how to handle the figure.

17:58

So that's why everything if you

17:58

don't study, it's hard to look

18:02

at a thing you want to Yeah,

18:02

that's why one thing that I

18:07

suggest to people when I'm

18:07

teaching a workshop, you gotta

18:11

keep studying all the time.

18:11

Yeah, that's the basic important

18:16

idea for the artists. Yeah.

18:16

Yeah,

18:19

I completely

18:19

agree. I think, you know, it's,

18:22

it's very easy to stop studying.

18:22

I think that's, for a lot of

18:28

people, you know, you paint and

18:28

you're, you're satisfied. But I

18:31

think for sure, you know, to

18:31

improve, I completely agree. You

18:35

have to keep studying and you

18:35

have to, you know, there's so

18:38

much to learn. There's so much

18:38

about painting, even just, you

18:41

know, transparent versus opaque

18:41

pigments and how they behave in

18:45

a painting or anatomy, like how

18:45

you were saying with the figure,

18:49

right, and understanding more

18:49

anatomy because that helps

18:52

inform the painting better. Like

18:52

there's so much even brushwork,

18:56

you know, like, wet into wet

18:56

versus painting in layers, like,

18:59

so much that has to be learned.

18:59

I completely entirely agree.

19:03

Yeah, um,

19:06

that's why

19:06

sometimes when people ask me

19:09

when I taught a workshop with

19:09

Calvin when you think about a

19:14

painting is finished, I think

19:14

basically for me, the painting

19:20

never, ever finish. Because why?

19:20

Because when you study you can

19:26

improve when you can improve the

19:26

see the PowerPro see, the

19:31

dependent never ever finished,

19:31

because keep studying. Yeah,

19:37

that's the important thing.

19:38

Yeah. Yes,

19:38

definitely. I agree. I think no

19:44

painting is ever finished. It's

19:44

just abandoned or you reach a

19:47

point where I don't know how to

19:47

improve this anymore in this

19:50

moment, like how you're saying,

19:50

and then you know, in the

19:53

future, you see it again, you're

19:53

like, Ah ha, yes, that's right.

19:57

Could have improved, but I

19:57

didn't know. So It becomes like

20:00

a memory of the things you knew

20:00

and how you know you've improved

20:05

after. Yeah. Which is really

20:05

great. Yeah.

20:08

Because if you

20:08

don't learn, you don't know, you

20:11

can see. Yeah, see, when I go to

20:11

outdoor the premiere, so many

20:17

information. So which

20:17

information you're going to

20:21

capture to make a painting? You

20:21

got to learn. Yeah, we don't

20:27

learn. You don't know what kind

20:27

of thing you got to capture on a

20:31

painting. That's why don't keep

20:31

practicing. Yeah

20:35

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That's s a s o.com. Forward

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slash podcast. Yeah, and plein

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because I'm terrified.

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You know, the

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premiere and really important

22:31

why? Because even the people

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that think about the painting in

22:36

the studio, and the people that

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really enjoy the painting, the

22:40

color, everything look like

22:40

outdoor. That's why you gotta

22:45

understand the color

22:45

relationship from the nature.

22:50

That's why you gotta go out to

22:50

paint. So even me now, all the

22:57

time, sometimes when I got out

22:57

of the pain, if you don't go out

23:02

of the paint, pretty soon you

23:02

lose everything. They let you

23:07

out and in, out and in. Yeah, so

23:07

outdoors very important.

23:14

Yeah, yeah,

23:14

yeah, especially for painting

23:16

those nice landscapes. You know,

23:16

like I've seen a lot of painters

23:20

who they'll do a plein air study

23:20

and like you're saying they'll

23:22

come back into the studio and

23:22

they'll do the bigger version

23:25

and then they'll go back out and

23:25

they'll come back Yeah, and and

23:27

continue and maybe change a few

23:27

things. But yeah, I think plein

23:32

air for sure. It's something I'm

23:32

considering trying but I'm very

23:36

scared. Very scared. Yeah, um,

23:36

by the way, since you work

23:43

mostly with galleries, right?

23:43

And it seems like that's the way

23:47

that has been the easiest for

23:47

you. I wanted to know what are

23:51

some of the ways that you have

23:51

been able to maintain a

23:55

relationship with galleries like

23:55

how has that been for you? Yeah,

24:01

and I think it's a

24:01

really good question. When a

24:06

gallery want to work along for

24:06

the gallery for a long time for

24:09

many years and I have basically

24:09

the idea, you've got to paint

24:15

one thing you got to keep the

24:15

high quality painting, do the

24:21

best you can so make it up every

24:21

good painting you You see you

24:28

cannot be really lousy when

24:28

sending to galleries think the

24:33

gallery not only not only the

24:33

gallery happy even the the

24:38

client, the collector, they

24:38

don't like it. That's why. The

24:43

first thing is you gotta keep

24:43

the high quality painting,

24:46

because if you can do high

24:46

quality painting, you enjoy it

24:50

too. You got to enjoy yourself

24:50

first. Then you send it to the

24:54

gallery. The first thing the

24:54

second thing I think with

25:00

galleries is the connection if

25:00

they have a show they have a

25:07

group show, everything if they

25:07

want you to join them in, you

25:12

gotta agree. Don't say no.

25:12

Because, like if the gallery has

25:17

a group show, and you said, Oh,

25:17

no, I don't want to do it. I

25:20

think that's not a good idea and

25:20

have to follow. Yeah. Listen,

25:24

some idea that gallery, oh, they

25:24

have a group show, and they have

25:28

the ta ta ta that you gather to

25:28

build a good relationship with

25:33

them, then you get the idea. And

25:33

also, you gotta make up your own

25:39

style. Your own idea, just have

25:39

to way like, so many, like a

25:44

canyon in a gallery. So many

25:44

artists that bring the canyon

25:49

you gotta paint your Calvin

25:49

Liang's eyes canyon? Yes. That's

25:55

the important thing for the

25:55

gallery because I call the icon.

26:00

You're going to pick up your own

26:00

icon in the gallery. That that's

26:04

an important thing for the

26:04

gallery too. Because the gallery

26:08

they say, Even so like with a

26:08

gallery in the show too, they

26:11

want your signature style.

26:11

That's an important thing for

26:18

the soul and for the gallery.

26:18

Yeah. The major thing?

26:22

Yeah, that's

26:22

that's a very good point. Yeah,

26:24

it's, I mean, I see your work

26:24

and I know it's your work,

26:27

right. I can look at a painting

26:27

I've never seen before. That is

26:31

yours. And I know it's yours. So

26:31

because it has that Calvin

26:34

Liang's eyes as you're saying,

26:34

like it has yeah,

26:37

those are signature style you want to create and even if I don't say

26:38

the name. They're going to see

26:43

the painting. Oh, that's who.

26:43

That's who. Yeah. Do you

26:46

recognize the artists? Yeah.

26:46

This way? Yeah. Yes. That's the

26:51

way, a really good way for the

26:51

for the soul for the for the

26:56

gallery. Yes. Yes.

26:59

Definitely.

26:59

Do you have any tips for someone

27:01

who wants to find their own

27:01

style? Or their voice? Like how

27:05

can they find it?

27:07

Yeah, I think

27:07

basically, when I teach a

27:12

workshop, I tell the people,

27:12

you're going to train your eye,

27:16

about how normal people look at

27:16

the nature look at the thing,

27:19

you gotta train it to have

27:19

artists eyes, what else are they

27:23

gonna paint? You're gonna paint,

27:23

keep the eye on the shape,

27:28

color, value, the edge. Because

27:28

those four elements to make a

27:35

painting just like a music, the

27:35

music, every music they got do

27:39

re mi fa so right, do re mi fa

27:39

so then, every music, and in

27:43

painting it's the same thing,

27:43

shape, color, value, edges and

27:47

make the portrait, still life,

27:47

seascape, landscape. Everything

27:54

this way, you get a process that

27:54

I got to keep thinking about

28:00

those four elements. Yeah,

28:00

that's a really important thing

28:05

to keep to learn how the way to

28:05

be artist.Yeah. So also, they

28:13

can go to the musem and take a

28:13

workshop for the people get a

28:18

different idea. Just like a

28:18

building a house, you're going

28:22

to learn the different people

28:22

the different way to pick up

28:26

their own house to finally you

28:26

kept it that way. You're

28:32

interesting. You can handle it

28:32

that way you can build up your

28:35

own house. That's the way to

28:35

work along. The whole life or

28:41

the style, that's the icon.

28:41

Yeah. Do you like your own

28:46

icons? Very important, I think

28:46

even in your marketing, in the

28:51

show in a gallery everything if

28:51

even for you, by your own. This

28:57

feel more happy about it.

28:57

Because there's my eyes the

29:00

world, my eyes and nature.

29:00

There's the interesting part to

29:05

be the artist. Yeah.

29:08

That's very

29:08

true. It's definitely like, a

29:11

lot of exploration that you have

29:11

to do a lot of experimenting and

29:18

learning like you were saying,

29:18

like you have to continue

29:21

studying and you really have to

29:21

take into account those, you

29:24

know, those things, those

29:24

elements that make up a

29:26

beautiful painting. And that's a

29:26

great point. Yes. Wow. Yeah, I

29:31

love it because it's so simple.

29:31

But it's so difficult at the

29:35

same time. You know, it's very

29:35

simple. It like set of things,

29:40

you know, in the way that we say

29:40

them, but then when you do it,

29:43

it's a whole other thing. Okay, that's easy, but what a do

29:46

it it's really difficult.

29:52

it's easy to see got it? Yeah.

29:52

Oh, that's so funny. But yeah,

30:01

um, I wanted to ask you though

30:01

because you mentioned you know,

30:03

in your marketing, how have you,

30:03

you know, tried to use your

30:09

personal vision and your brand

30:09

and put that into your marketing

30:13

um, most because

30:13

most of my paintings, I have to

30:16

submit to the gallery and when a

30:16

painting is in marketing stuff,

30:21

the magazine when a magazine

30:21

interviewed me and depending on

30:26

the market, it's really good

30:26

chance for bigger promos by my

30:31

marketing. So see the more and

30:31

more during the show that the

30:36

gallery and some gallery some

30:36

the magazine interview me more

30:40

and more that day, the market

30:40

and the more clear the market,

30:45

what else they need and

30:45

everybody else is more

30:49

interested for their part can

30:49

make it easy to get into the

30:53

good marketing stuff for my

30:53

paintings. It's in the

30:57

experience gotta take time to

30:57

little by little to to learn so

31:02

it will have to take time, you

31:02

gotta to participate in for the

31:07

reception to see the whole

31:07

group, the people that see the

31:11

people more interested and

31:11

you're interesting, in your

31:16

stuff. So everything together

31:16

there's a little by little to

31:20

array. Yeah, the marketing is

31:20

really hard, because sometimes

31:25

the market changes a little bit

31:25

and it keeps changing. Yeah, so

31:30

you got to keep the eye on

31:30

everything. So some people

31:34

are... They love it a little bit

31:34

modern. And some people really

31:39

traditional and a different

31:39

market. You got to to get

31:44

different marketing knowledge

31:44

upon it. read a magazine, go to

31:48

the online computer reception,

31:48

talk to the people talk to the

31:53

collector other artists The only

31:53

thing you can do it. Yeah. So to

31:58

take all the chances you can so

31:58

you learn. Yeah,

32:02

yeah, it's

32:02

the same as how you were saying

32:05

with painting. It's a lot of

32:05

exploration, a lot of going out

32:09

there and asking and talking and

32:09

investigating. Because it is

32:14

definitely you know, a different

32:14

beast, right as, you know,

32:18

having to talk to complete

32:18

strangers and you know, ask them

32:22

hey, you know, what do you think

32:22

about this or, or even like you

32:25

said, you know, it's so

32:25

important to go to like shows

32:28

and receptions, especially the

32:28

very first day of the group

32:30

showed and meet other people

32:30

because you never know, who you

32:34

meet who might, you know, become

32:34

your next collector or they

32:37

might help you understand a

32:37

little bit how the market has

32:40

shifted. If there's a new sort

32:40

of interesting type of painting

32:45

that people are looking for,

32:45

like there's so much that goes

32:49

into the business of being a

32:49

painter. Yeah, so do you have

32:57

any advice for someone who maybe

32:57

wants to start working with a

33:01

gallery? who maybe doesn't know

33:01

how to approach a gallery like

33:07

how can they like do they just

33:07

show up? Or do they like what do

33:11

you recommend?

33:12

I think basically

33:12

I'm so lucky at the beginning

33:17

because when a participant for

33:17

the California art club show the

33:25

gallery they knew about me at

33:25

the show then they called me

33:30

Calvin do want to join the

33:30

gallery? then why not? Then

33:35

since I went into the gallery

33:35

and then they get me into the

33:39

first gallery in Pasadena

33:39

California, but now it's not

33:43

around anymoore because they're

33:43

gone and when I get into the

33:48

galleries a lot of big galleries

33:48

a lot of small galleries then

33:51

they call me and want me to

33:51

submit a painting to the gallery

33:55

and getting sales and that can

33:55

be really good promotion at the

34:00

time they continue for whole

34:00

years they put my stuff in the

34:07

American Art Review for the

34:07

magazine for whole year they

34:13

were promoting me then since

34:13

then, so better the better at

34:18

that gallery and then the other

34:18

gallery contacted me a lot of

34:22

galleries contacted me so they

34:22

made me so happy. Yeah. If I

34:29

suggest to the new people now to

34:29

work on the internet basically

34:34

the because now there is that

34:34

this is a different time than

34:36

before. Now you can go to your

34:36

own website or you can just from

34:44

the website contact the gallery.

34:44

So send the image of the

34:50

painting to the gallery to let

34:50

them to see if they feel

34:54

interested. You get a contact

34:54

them or maybe send a painting to

34:59

them to see it too. Try it. Yeah

34:59

this way but the way like, I am

35:04

so lucky I haven't contacted the

35:04

galleries but the gallery

35:07

contacted me. So then I can

35:07

basically I heard about a lot of

35:11

people they looking for

35:11

galleries now they just shoot

35:17

them an email. to the gallery

35:17

because every gallery has email,

35:22

so send via email to them email

35:22

then they can see if they're

35:26

interested then you get a

35:26

connection with them.

35:28

Yeah, yeah.

35:28

Oh, that's so awesome though

35:32

that they contacted you you know

35:32

that's the ideal situation

35:36

because that means the gallery

35:36

definitely loves your work and

35:40

definitely wants to promote it

35:40

you know, there's a big

35:42

difference you know, when it's a

35:42

gallery who you approach them

35:46

and maybe they're like a little

35:46

bit but when the gallery really

35:50

loves an artist's work it's so

35:50

much easier for them to sell it

35:53

because the gallery loves it you

35:53

know, it's so important Yeah, so

35:57

really great.

35:58

When a gallery

35:58

calls you then it's easier, then

36:01

you take Yeah, it's a lot

36:01

easier. Yeah. Yeah, I think in

36:05

the beginning I think when I was

36:05

in America a long time ago the

36:10

moment... the time was in

36:10

America in about one a couple of

36:15

years beginning I was looking

36:15

for a gallery too. I was looking

36:19

for a gallery, but it's not easy

36:19

because the people they don't

36:23

know you, they're not interested

36:23

in your painting. But finally, I

36:28

had one agent the contacted me

36:28

that because I get a show too

36:33

from that time a long time ago I

36:33

participated at a local show,

36:39

then a one agent with another

36:39

real agent. So the people they

36:43

want to represent a couple of

36:43

people they asked me Calvin, do

36:46

you want me to be your agent

36:46

will because I handled about

36:53

couple artists. Every one I can

36:53

be agent and I agree. Then they

36:58

get me some gallery. I got

36:58

before long time ago. Yeah, up

37:04

until I was doing the animation,

37:04

then I went into the fine art

37:10

gallery, then I got lucky

37:10

because the gallery contacted

37:13

me. Yeah, I did it a different

37:13

way and yeah, I knew that

37:18

looking for a gallery is not

37:18

easy. Yeah. Because the people

37:23

just see the gallery is the only

37:23

the wall. They still have a lot

37:27

of artists. Why I gotta get in?

37:27

Get you in because you gotta

37:33

think you're really good in a

37:33

gallery. That's why it's not

37:37

easy for the new galleries, the

37:37

new artists at this time and

37:41

your students you chance we're

37:41

gonna walk along, you have a

37:45

good painting against your

37:45

people. They want you. Yes,

37:49

yeah, definitely. That's the

37:49

quality paintings.

37:52

Yes,

37:52

exactly. The high quality work

37:54

keeping up, you know, the really

37:54

good, good work, because then

37:58

that's, you know, that's what

37:58

the gallery is going to expect

38:00

and want. And like you said, it

38:00

keeps the gallery happy, keeps

38:03

the collectors happy. And it

38:03

makes you feel a sense of pride

38:06

as well in your work that you're

38:06

always giving your best, which

38:09

is so important. And I agree,

38:09

you know, today it is a little

38:13

easier, I'd say to to find

38:13

galleries at least, also because

38:17

of social media, and you know,

38:17

having a website, all of that

38:20

makes it a lot easier. I think

38:20

back you know, even just 20

38:23

years ago, it was a lot harder

38:23

to get with a gallery because he

38:27

had to physically print out, you

38:27

know, maybe images or maybe if

38:31

you had like a CD with your

38:31

images in it, right? If if you

38:35

wanted to have a CD, and you'd

38:35

have to go and you know, it was

38:39

a lot more work. I think today

38:39

everything is so much easier

38:42

because of the internet for

38:42

sure. Yeah. Um, so do you have

38:48

any final advice for anyone who

38:48

wants to become a full time

38:52

artist?

38:53

Keep studying,

38:53

keep painting, practice, keep

38:59

the high quality stuff. That's

38:59

the only way to be the artist.

39:08

Keep studying the whole life.

39:08

Pick up the hype. Try to do the

39:13

best of you can get a high

39:13

quality stuff. Yeah, so the

39:19

painting, you want to speak to

39:19

the people, it needs to speak to

39:24

yourself first. You see if the

39:24

painting doesn't speak to

39:29

yourself, then it's hard for it

39:29

to speak to other people. Yeah,

39:33

so

39:34

yeah, that's

39:34

a great point. Yeah, you have to

39:37

like your work has to speak to

39:37

you too, right? Yes, it's where

39:40

you're even doing it. Yeah, or

39:40

else it's just a painting. Yeah.

39:47

It's missing the magic. It's

39:47

some assume the that vision like

39:51

you're saying that unique.

39:51

Insight is very true. Well,

39:58

Calvin, do you have a Do you

39:58

have any galleries that you want

40:01

to tell us about where people

40:01

can go see your work?

40:04

Oh yeah. And I

40:04

will show uh next month I will

40:08

be Sunday. There are two people

40:08

for the letters of the

40:14

California art club with the

40:14

Pepperdine University. They make

40:18

up a show and I'll be sending

40:18

two paintings for their show.

40:23

And next month I will drive all

40:23

the way to Santa Monica oh not

40:30

Santa Monica in Malibu. I'll

40:30

show you the painting. Yes.

40:36

Yeah, these two paintings this

40:36

one of of this painting. Yeah,

40:41

gorgeous That's in Malibu, local

40:41

in Malibu. Yeah. One. There's a

40:46

one of them. And the second one?

40:46

Yeah. This one?

40:54

Oh, that's so nice. Yes.

40:55

Yeah. So I will

40:55

submit those two paintings in

41:02

may to the Pepperdine

41:02

University. Yeah. For the show.

41:08

Yeah. So maybe the California

41:08

Art Club buys paintings for this

41:16

year in August. The California

41:16

art club every year they have

41:20

the annual show. Yeah, I don't

41:20

attend during the workshop. Yeah

41:26

we have three workshops that

41:26

comes out. One is in Malibu.

41:33

Yeah. One is in Carmel,

41:33

California. One is in

41:40

Scottsdale, Pasco. Yeah, you

41:40

want me to show the information?

41:45

Yeah. And I

41:45

will also include it though in

41:48

the in the video, and in the

41:48

show notes so that people can go

41:52

out and sign up. That's awesome.

41:52

And then where can people go

41:58

online to find your work?

42:00

Yeah, you go to my

42:00

website www.calvinliang.com Then

42:08

you can check it out my

42:08

workshop, workshop information.

42:12

And the gallery I show there the

42:12

gallery links you can see the

42:17

work in the gallery you can see

42:17

my stuff in the gallery. I have

42:21

so some gallery that represent

42:21

me, for every for every

42:26

information then go to my

42:26

website. And if you forget my

42:31

website, you just go to Google

42:31

look up Calvin Lang. Then you'll

42:37

see my information. Everything.

42:37

I think from Google, you can see

42:40

everything.

42:41

Yeah, Google

42:41

is easy. Yeah. Yeah. Well,

42:44

awesome. Thank you so much

42:44

Kelvin for sharing all of this

42:48

awesome information with us and

42:48

for telling us about your your

42:52

you know, your vision and how

42:52

you really enjoy making other

42:56

people happy with your work.

42:56

That's wonderful. Thank

42:58

you so much. Thank

42:58

you so much, Laura. Thank you.

43:01

You're welcome.

43:02

Thank you so nice

43:02

and have good evening. You.

43:07

Have a Good morning.

43:09

Thank you. Yeah,

43:09

pretty, pretty happy for the

43:14

interview. Thank you so much. Of

43:14

course.