"On My Way to Becoming an Artist" / A Discussion with Jianqiao 'JQ' Luan - Watercolorist

Jianqiao Luan (JQ) is originally from northern part of Mainland China. Jianqiao has lived in Beijing and Chengde (a smaller town 2 hours away from Beijing) before moving to the US when he was 25. After completing his bachelor’s degree in Landscape Design from Beijing Forestry University, JQ started his master’s degree in Horticulture at Kansas State University in 2015, then moving to Kansas City in 2018.

JQ has always loved painting and drawing. His art practice started at a young age. JQ’s doodles on his family’s white clean condo walls, however cute, these efforts also made his parents a little upset. JQ never pursued any professional training in art until his undergraduate studies in landscape design, those classes were only taught for a few semesters. These few art classes, however, gave him the opportunity to really fall in love with watercolor and since that time he has been self-teaching and practicing over the last few years.

Now he is a declared ‘full time artist’.

Follow JQ on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jqwatercolor/