Three modern masters come together for a new exhibition at Broadmoor Galleries in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Masters of Classical Painting features the works of Mian Situ, Benjamin Wu and Zhaoming Wu, all of whom are Asian-American artists skillfully capturing the aesthetic of the Wild West. “From classically trained structure and composition to intuitive and expressive brushstrokes, their works convey sensitivity, emotion and thoughtfulness through their exploration of their personal history and culture as it relates to the American West,” the gallery notes.
Zhaoming Wu, Evening Symphony, oil on board, 12 x 16"
One of Zhaoming Wu’s paintings in the upcoming show, Evening Symphony, depicts a desert scene with dense, cumulus clouds billowing over a vast sky. The palette of warm pinks and deep blues suggests a dusky time of day, made more dramatic by the desert landscape. “I see the clouds as the silent notes to compose a visual symphony, carrying my experience from that moment and expressing my emotional feeling,” says Wu. “The [inspiration] specific to Evening Symphony came from a fantastic giant cloud in the evening; I saw it before the night storm came at the Lido Key Beach in Sarasota, Florida. It [was a] mind-blowing moment. I combined the back hill landscape for the bottom part of the painting, which was [where] I took the photo from right behind my house in California.”
Benjamin Wu, Morning on the Ranch, oil on linen, 40 x 40"
Mian Situ, Ready for a New Day, oil, 20 x 28"
Another painting in the exhibition is Benjamin Wu’s Morning on the Ranch. Effortlessly capturing the misty fog of a chilly morning, where all of the colors are slightly muted, Wu paints a group of cowboys ready to begin the day’s work (likely before anyone else has even considered stepping out of bed). Not only does the painting exude a sense of masterful skill, it also transports you directly into the moment, from the single cowboy preparing to mount his horse to the cattle dog awaiting his next set of instructions. 
Zhaoming Wu, Stormy Sky, oil on board, 12 x 12"Situ’s impressionist painting Ready for a New Day takes on a warmer palette. The scene depicts two trappers at their base camp in the backcountry, looking off to the left of the composition.
The Masters of Classical Painting exhibition and sale begins on Thursday, February 16, with an opening reception from 4 to 8 p.m., and runs through March 16. The show is in conjunction with a workshop course at Broadmoor Galleries Art Academy, called “Masters of Classical Painting – Painterly and Technical – A Painting Course,” in which the three artists lend their classical training to students over the course of six days, from February 12 to 17. —
Powered by Froala Editor
