Hsi-Mei Yates    

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Hsi-Mei Yates follows the Chinese philosophy, which encourages students to use their inner Chi.  She teaches them to manipulate the paintbrush as an extension of the hand, encouraging them to look at nature and study it in its natural cycle of live to bring out their love of art for the creative process.
 
“The brush strokes are very important in the development of the image.  The power comes from inside the artist and flows onto the rice paper.  The goal is to achieve inner peace with oneself through the act of creating.  The artist draws energy from the inner tranquility and translates it to the paper.”
 
Hsi-Mei’s style includes Sumi-e ink and watercolor, with unique oriental brush strokes.  Her reverence for different landscapes, flowers, birds, insects, and fish have inspired her painting and have resulted in many awards from the local communities where she has lived.  Her love of nature is evident in all of her art projects.
 
Hsi-Mei Yates was born and raised in and around Taipei, Taiwan.  Since early childhood she showed a fascination and talent for art and won many awards for her artwork during her school years.  She showed an increased aptitude for painting as she grew older and upon graduation she was hired as an artist by the China Art Company, a company known internationally for its exquisite hand painted ceramic products.  At the China Art Company, Hsi-Mei further developed and refined her techniques and painting skills through individual study and many renowned Chinese artists.  She studied the brush strokes of bamboo with Chung Shou-Jen, flowers and birds with Chao Sung-Ch’uan and Tu Teng-Yin, landscapes with Shu Feng-Nan and Yow She-Ching.
 
In 1983 Hsi-Mei entered the United States and continued her art endeavors.  She has taught oriental watercolor painting in Washington, North Carolina, and Virginia for the past  20 years.  While visiting family members in the United States, she meet her husband, Vincent Yates and has traveled with him as his career has taken them to various locations throughout the United States until finally settling at Stafford, Virginia.
 
​Hsi-Mei loves teaching as much as painting and since opening her studio in 2003 she has been actively teaching at the Liberty Town Arts Workshop as well at the Lorton Workhouse.