Artist demonstrates calligraphy as part of ongoing exhibit

Zhiyuan Cong stands with his eyebrows arched and his hand raised with a brush angled, ready to dive into the paper. After a slight hesitation, he sweeps his brush across the page, forming black lines that look like a waterfall. After adding a mixture of blues, greens and grays, the picture is complete.\nCong, an art professor at William Paterson University, holds up his finished Chinese ink painting with calligraphy.\nThe painting depicts a red flower emerging from a dark background. Jaws drop as members of the audience marvel at the creation. \nOn Saturday, Cong conducted a lecture and demonstration on Chinese ink painting and calligraphy at the Thomas T. Solley Atrium in the IU Art Museum. \nCong's lecture was one of many special programs organized by the IU Art Museum as part of the exhibition "Conspiring With Tradition: Contemporary Painting from the Guilin Chinese Painting Academy." Since the special exhibit opened Sept. 29, the museum has presented ink painting demonstrations, teacher workshops and family days -- all related to the art of Chinese painting. A special Chinese language lecture will take place at 1 p.m. Sunday in the IU Art Museum's Special Exhibition Gallery.\nSaturday's special program was conducted by Cong, who graduated from IU with a master's of fine arts in printmaking in 1994. Throughout his career, he has practiced and studied Chinese ink painting and calligraphy -- types of art, he explained during the lecture, that are not very easy to master.\nMore than 60 people attended the session.\nFreshman Melissa Dittmann, one of the few IU students in the crowd, said she attended the session hoping to learn more about a culture she has been interested in for a long time.\n"My interest in Asia and the arts in Asia brought me here," she said. \nDittmann, who plans to study abroad in China during her junior year, said she was excited to hear about the ongoing "Conspiring with Tradition" exhibit and decided to check out the event.\nCong began his lecture behind a table with all his brushes, paper and inks in front of him. He had an easel behind him, and during his lecture, he drew pictures or symbols to enhance the meaning of what he was explaining. \nSymbolism is very prominent in the art form, with Cong using the example of bamboo to illustrate this point. He said that when bamboo is used in calligraphy, the long leaves mean long life and long friendship.\nCong drew two ink paintings, one without color and one with color, noting that color must be used very carefully because it can sometimes ruin a painting.\nEach artist has a preconception of what he or she wants the painting to transform into beginning the drawing, Cong explained. \nMembers of the audience hovered around Cong for the second part of his demonstration, some standing on chairs or in the stairway. \n"It was interesting to hear a background about this art form and then see it in practice," Dittmann said, "and to also watch the techniques and contrast with Western traditional art."\nDittman said she thought the most interesting part of the lecture was watching Cong's vibrant figures emerge from a blank piece of paper.\n"At first, it seemed to be random lines, but the painting progressed, and, in completion, everything emerged to form an image that would pop out at you," she said. "It was cool to watch that"