Bio
My name is Shirley Chen
Born in 1942 in Czechoslovakia, a village then called Tetchen, to a Chinese father and German mother.
When I was about 5 we moved to Italy, then years later to Taiwan which was my father's wish to be closer to his roots. I spent most of my grown up life there until I moved in 1993 to Los Angeles , became a citizen and lived here until now.
My family was poor while I was young , at 18 I got my first job at the US Navy Exchange where I started to speak English. I remember my first pay check was $700 NT dollars (Taiwan dollars), I felt rich, and started to support my family. I worked in that company for 13 years until I got a job at a company that handled various overseas department stores including May Co. (now Macy's) their buying business.
Until I retired I was solely working for the fashion industry.
My life probably was the same as most of the parents in those days....making a living, be a responsible parent, very little personal life.
As you probably can guess I had no chance to get higher education, but , I was actually blessed to be accepted for high positions with my poor educational background, and, most of what I know now I learned from those wonderful companies.
My parents were quite talented, my father painted, carved, wrote books played instruments, my mother played Zitter (a stringed instrument), and was good at other instruments too.
I guess I inherited their talent. Looking back, I received compliments during the years of my career for my eye for colors, textures and clothing designs. I remember at school my teacher would volunteer teach me how to paint, and complimented me that I have "talent" , I guess he saw something in me and the seed was planted .... to be good on my art journey one day. For me TALENT/ARTIST should only describe the great artists of the past.
But, thanks to my mom and dad and my teacher.
So, about 12 years ago I started to paint, experimenting for a year , found where my strength was and continued with it until now.
I am someone who has to feel free, guess that I have to be grateful for not having the chance for formal Art training, because I need freedom to paint whatever I feel...no rules, unfettered, and can combine my knowledge learned in the fashion field , and the nitche that I found into my art - which became an unique, original personal style ....I believe it is an extra gift for me.
Thank you for your time reading my unpolished short story that came straight from my brain . Hope that it was not too boring.
Let me end with this quote :
Be grateful for all the things that have made life beautiful, always remember a grateful life is a beautiful life.
Born in 1942 in Czechoslovakia, a village then called Tetchen, to a Chinese father and German mother.
When I was about 5 we moved to Italy, then years later to Taiwan which was my father's wish to be closer to his roots. I spent most of my grown up life there until I moved in 1993 to Los Angeles , became a citizen and lived here until now.
My family was poor while I was young , at 18 I got my first job at the US Navy Exchange where I started to speak English. I remember my first pay check was $700 NT dollars (Taiwan dollars), I felt rich, and started to support my family. I worked in that company for 13 years until I got a job at a company that handled various overseas department stores including May Co. (now Macy's) their buying business.
Until I retired I was solely working for the fashion industry.
My life probably was the same as most of the parents in those days....making a living, be a responsible parent, very little personal life.
As you probably can guess I had no chance to get higher education, but , I was actually blessed to be accepted for high positions with my poor educational background, and, most of what I know now I learned from those wonderful companies.
My parents were quite talented, my father painted, carved, wrote books played instruments, my mother played Zitter (a stringed instrument), and was good at other instruments too.
I guess I inherited their talent. Looking back, I received compliments during the years of my career for my eye for colors, textures and clothing designs. I remember at school my teacher would volunteer teach me how to paint, and complimented me that I have "talent" , I guess he saw something in me and the seed was planted .... to be good on my art journey one day. For me TALENT/ARTIST should only describe the great artists of the past.
But, thanks to my mom and dad and my teacher.
So, about 12 years ago I started to paint, experimenting for a year , found where my strength was and continued with it until now.
I am someone who has to feel free, guess that I have to be grateful for not having the chance for formal Art training, because I need freedom to paint whatever I feel...no rules, unfettered, and can combine my knowledge learned in the fashion field , and the nitche that I found into my art - which became an unique, original personal style ....I believe it is an extra gift for me.
Thank you for your time reading my unpolished short story that came straight from my brain . Hope that it was not too boring.
Let me end with this quote :
Be grateful for all the things that have made life beautiful, always remember a grateful life is a beautiful life.