Stan Cao

"Member American Portrait Society"

Xiaoshan Cao, "Stan" to his friends in America, was born in Beijing in 1954. Stan's journey as an artist began many years ago in a country with among the richest traditions of arts and crafts in the world…China. When he was but a young boy he chanced upon a rare edition of Dante's Inferno, with its magnificent, vibrant, illustrations by Gustave Doré. The beautiful book fired his imagination and inspired him to take up pen and brush in pursuit of a dream to become a great artist. Due to the cultural and political forces that swept the China of Stan’s youth his path was not an easy one. Nonetheless, he never gave up on his dream and sought every available opportunity to express himself through his art and elevate his craft to ever-higher-levels. Among Stan’s early teachers and mentors were Siliang Ji and Weili Wang. Both were artists of repute in China (and in the case of Mr. Wang, subsequently, in the US) and they recognized Stan’s love of art and encouraged and nurtured his talent in a variety of ways; for which Stan is eternally grateful.

Upon arriving in America in the late nineteen-nineties Stan's passion for art bloomed anew and he continued his studies with Jiashan Mu. Mr. Mu is a well known Chinese artist, and President of the Asian Pacific Art Institute of America ("APAIA") who accepted Stan for a three-month apprenticeship at his workshop in Rockville, Maryland. Under Mr. Mu's able tutelage Stan enhanced his technique for pencil sketches and, as a result, was able to participate in his first art exhibit in America at the 8th annual APAIA Teachers' & Students' Work Show. This represented yet another pivotal development in Stan’s career as artist, as his sketch "Girl with Braids" won top honors at the Show. In August, 2005, Stan continued his studies with Jacqueline Saunders of the Art League School, in Alexandria, Virginia. This represented a wonderful experience for Stan that enabled him to strengthen his skills in both pen and ink drawings and watercolors. Later the same year he continued to build upon the lessons of Mr. Mu and Ms. Saunders by studying figure painting with respected artist Robert O'Bryant in Gaithersburg, MD. Mr. O'Bryant introduced Stan to the challenging and fascinating world of "oils", which enabled Stan to increase his range-of-expression in portraiture.

More recently, Stan was honored to continue his studies with Robert Liberace, the contemporary classicist, in July of 2006. Under Mr. Liberace's watchful and encouraging eye Stan continued to hone his craft and expanded his knowledge of figure-drawing and portraiture a great deal. Stan's good fortune continued in August, 2006 when his pastel drawing "End of the Day" won the Genius Artist Prize at the 9th annual Teachers and Students Works Show of APAIA in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Last -but certainly not least- Stan would like to acknowledge the personal friendship and mentorship of Mr. Min Xu. Mr. Xu is a talented Ceramic Artist who currently resides in Maryland and his father was among the early directors of animated films in China. Mr. Xu's classical training and skill continue to serve as a beacon for Stan in his never-ending quest for masterful artistic expression.

Stan’s journey in pursuit of his love of art has been a fascinating one. A journey that continues to this day...

Stan hopes that you, your family and friends will share in and become part of his journey. Rays of inspirational light in his art…

曹小山，1954生于北京。属马。英文名 Stanford (昵称Stan) 儿时喜画画。12岁偶得精装《神曲》，时值动荡年代，故慎藏不久便忍痛弃之。然尔古斯塔夫.多利那梦幻般的插图
却铭刻于心，成为永久的珍藏，及学习西方美术的最原始的“诱因”。

小山的艺术之途是不平坦的。动荡的10年（1966-1976）无学可上，拜师无门。然而，
机缘所致，小山有幸遇到两位恩师，60年代初毕业于中央美术学院的王维力
(80年代初旅居美国的著名雕塑艺术大师），和同期毕业于中央工艺美术学院的纪斯亮。
两位恩师的知遇之恩，是上苍赐予小山的最宝贵的艺术启迪。

80-90年代小山籍从事国际贸易之便，遍游欧美，汲取了丰富的艺术养分。98年旅居美国，2004年9月，金融危机骤起，生意渐淡，而幸运之神再次降临，一个无意的电话搭建了小山与著名旅居美国的华人美术大师穆家善的师徒缘。从此50岁的小山生平第一次正式学艺。身为美国亚太艺术研究院（APAIA）创始人及院长的穆大师在三个月的时间里倾其所有，悉心教诲，小山在素描基础上有了长足的进步，而且在美术理论方面有了较大的提升。2005年
小山的粉笔画《日末》（End of the Day) 容获第九届APAIA师生作品展的最高奖---天才奖。

2005年小山又先后学从大华府区(泛华盛顿区)的艺术家Jaqueline Saunders女士，及Robert O'Bryant先生，从而进一步研修肖像及人体绘画。

2006年8月，全美最年轻的实力派肖像绘画大师之一 Robert Liberace 的油画人体强化班在风景优美的马洲东岸水边别墅（Eastern Shore, Maryland)开课，此时“玩物丧志”的小山
弃生意而不顾，毅然报名参加。一周的强化，小山称之为“颠覆”。

同年，小山加入美国肖像艺术家协会 (Portrait Society of America), 从而有幸聆听和观摩当今国际著名大师们的教诲。Ray Kinstler, David Leffel, Michael Shane, Daniel Green
群星灿烂，照耀着小山向着神圣的艺术之颠攀登。

2005，2006 同为邻里，又同年的徐敏先生为小山提供了无私的艺术指导。出身于艺术世家，82年毕业于中央工艺美术学院，90年代到美国留学，工作的徐敏先生是成功的旅美华人雕塑艺术家。徐敏先生是小山的恩师，亦是好友。

小山以50年的积淀，于50岁启笔习画，寻仙追梦，生生不息，以艺术悦人，不亦乐乎。