W. Jason Situ was born in Kaiping, China, where he was faced with the changes and challenges brought about by the country’s cultural revolution under Mao Tse Tung. His interest in art took hold, as he copied propaganda and slogan banners, before connecting with Szeto Lapa, who introduced him to plein air painting and, later, with Mian Situ, who became his mentor. Eventually, Situ was able to study at the Guanzhou Academy of Fine Arts, where his style evolved into impressionistic realism.

Fast forward to 1989. Situ left China and immigrated with his wife Lisa and their two children to the United States, where they made their home in Los Angeles, California. He worked at a warehouse and soon began to paint portraits and caricatures in his spare time, before earning a reputation as a talented landscapist, whose focus was—and still is—on light, color, and mood.

“After I got to California, it was so exciting,” Situ says of the natural beauty of the area. By 1997, he was painting full-time, enjoying the freedom to paint whatever he wanted whenever he wanted, wherever he wanted.

W. Jason Situ

A Vigorous Moment
Oil
24″x36″

“When possible, I like to watch the sunset over the lake in a small park next to my house. Although each day is different, it’s always an amazing moment. After years, the sunset has become one of my favorite subjects. I finished this large sunset painting in the studio for last year’s California Art Club (CAC) Gold Medal Show. It received the Irvine Museum Award for Best Landscape and was purchased by the CAC for its permanent collection.”

W. Jason Situ

A Quiet Afternoon
Oil
24″x36″

“For this this year’s California Art Club Gold Medal Exhibition, I did this painting in my studio. Find a beautiful spot, spend two to three hours painting what you see—it’s always my happy time.”