Born in China, trained by a Chinese artist in the Classical French style, and later influenced by Armin Hansen, Yuan ultimately made indelible contributions to Carmel’s art history. Though a first-born son, he was rejected by his family; he, in turn, abandoned his country. Leaving a politically-unstable China in 1949, Yuan made his way to California and soon joined the Carmel Art Association, working feverishly at his easel on the Monterey Peninsula for the next 25 years. His bold, thick application of paint and his broad, expressive brushstrokes in a subdued palette reflected the artist's wide-ranging moods and unique personality, from exuberant and energetic to despondent and withdrawn. His studio was always in disarray, he didn’t clean his brushes, and he used paint sludge to start each new canvas. By 1955 Yuan’s wife Jen-Chi became the family’s only stable breadwinner. His extravagant lifestyle and erratic behavior led to divorce in 1972. In September 1974 he installed his last show at the Carmel Art Association. Two days later he killed himself with a bullet to the head. After three days of shock and mourning, his fellow artists bought out the entire exhibition.