Translating Sumi-e/Chinese brush painting onto another medium

As a multi-media painter, I enjoy the privilege of being able to switch to different media and sometimes even borrow one and apply it to another. 

Sumi-e or Chinese brush painting techniques now come so naturally to me that they surface onto my canvas as I'm painting with acrylics, oils, gouache, etc.

From top to bottom: Lotus in oil, Sunflowers in watercolor on watercolor paper, Lotus in gouache on yupo, and Bamboos in acrylics on canvas.  Also see blogs:  "I love bamboos", "Spring is here" and "The Four Seasons".

I Love Bamboos

Chinese brush painting, known in Japan as Sumi-e, was the first art form I learned.  I always appreciated the elegance and simplicity of this art.  The motto "Less is More" appeals to me tremendously.  It has helped me to paint fast and achieve a great deal of detail work, quickly and effortlessly by using different techniques I learned.  And of course, the design and composition is never boring, even as "Subject Matter" referring to painting something as portrait, centering it in the middle of the surface, whatever it may be.

I learned this art under a wonderful teacher, Master Lim Opas, in Thailand.  I remember the first day I was at his studio, he asked me to paint a bamboo leaf.  He loaded his brush with ink and handed it to me, pointing at a piece of rice paper laying on the table.  I must have looked puzzled thinking how on earth am I supposed to paint that leaf, holding the brush the way he held it in his hand, awkward indeed.  But I took it anyways and painted a bamboo leaf for him.  He then asked me how long had I been painting?

He knew it was my first day and I knew then that I was invited to take lessons from him.

Master Lim once told me that I have a bamboo personality, tough but flexible!  How he figured it out, I have no idea but he was right.  Love you Master Lim, miss you a lot!

These bamboos are painted in ink on rice paper watercolor on watercolor paper, acrylics and oil on canvas.

Today's paintings

My art class got canceled today so I got up really early in the morning and started to paint these two paintings.  They seem to be good conversational pieces.  Vibrant colors, lots of energy to compensate for the linear composition, still enough resting areas for those keen eyes.


PS:  I am flattered to see how some local artists (Houston) became inspired by my artwork (the diptych above in particular) to create theirs.  As a teacher at heart and by education and upbringing, I'm willing to share and am proud to be a good influence on others.

Playful contemporaries

Depending on how I feel that morning, my paintings show their own personalities.

The painting above is called "Back of My Mind".

The painting above is called "Calico Falls"

The painting above is called "Morning after Ike".

Ornate paintings

Some subject matters are so interestingly adorable that I tend to overdecorate them.  I call those my "candy store paintings."

Still life

Gather a few props, find yourself a light source, shine it on your props and you're ready to go.  Even the process of setting up can be fun.  The trick is the more time and thought spent on the set up, the easier is the process of painting.
Still life paintings are so popular that they disappear from your possession before you get a chance to name them or photograph them.

Snowscapes

Although I now prefer living in places with a warmer climate, I still appreciate the purity of snow.  There is a certain neatness about it, isn't there?

I call the painting above "warm inside", hoping that the viewer will feel the warmth by just looking at the red cabin on the left, even though the painting relays that wintery cold feeling.

The painting on top was painted to prove that the color blue does not always recede.  There's a saying among landscape painters, "blue in the background gives depth" or "when in doubt, use purple to achieve depth."  In this painting I have my water (blue) in the foreground as well as some purple and it works, doesn't it?  So the lesson is: "know your rules and learn how to break them."

Seascapes

Water when it's calm can be my best companion -- but I would never want to see the rough side of this friend of mine.

landscapes

My love and appreciation of nature has led me to paint a variety of landscapes in different media: Chinese brush on rice paper, gouache on paper or yupo, acrylics on paper or canvas, and oils on canvas.

From top to bottom, left to right:  Pines and Cranes, Santa Fe River, Twin Falls, Pavilion, Gazebo, Just an Inspiration, The Cricket Frogs of the Bunkhouse, Tina's commission, A Cloudy Day, Feel Good.

Below from top to bottom, left to right:  Durango Orchard Cottage, Iguazu, Taos Plum Tree cabin, Lockraven Park, Lake Winona.







At the beginning I used to pencil draw my thumbnail sketches to gather my thoughts whether I worked from a picture or plain air or from memory.  As time goes by, my mind is trained to draw my sketches in my mind and start painting.

Some paintings of animals

There's nothing like coming home to that warm and sincere welcome from your dog, is there?
As a tribute to my nonverbal friends I painted a few.  Here are Mimi and Shishi.

These paintings are in oils.  I, of course, being a colorist, exaggerate the colors that I see.  Believe me they're there!

Fish, and goldfish in particular, are a symbol of life in many ancient cultures.  They've always been around me so naturally, I paint them. 

These paintings are called "The Aquatorial Fish I &II" in acrylics: