I had just received an invitation to make prints at a newly opened international print center in Guanlan China. It had only been open for less than a year and I was one of three international artists and three Chinese artists that were invited to the print base to celebrate the city of Shenzhen. Artists were invited to come and work for up to 3 months with all expenses paid, a studio, living accommodations meals, and technical assistants to help with the making of the art. We were wined and dined and toured many beautiful sites of the city, a huge shipping port, gardens and places of commercial importance and Buddhist temples. At each location we were asked to do sketches. After the tours each artist was asked to make a commemorative print representing the city.
My image had many elements of the city. Shenzhen was a very new city. It was only about ten bears old. There was construction of high-rise buildings all across the city and each building had a crane. The buildings were wrapped in green bamboo tarps. in the center of the print was the print base and next to it there was a working farm growing variety of vegetables. I included the city center with its distinctive giant arch. There was a mountain, gardens and a world class golf course. The front was an image from the shipping port , a bull which was the emblem of the city and finally some ancient houses. I must have done something right because it was selected by the mayor to hang in his office. I really felt that was an honor and a privilege .
The City of Shenzhen China
