Chinese Painting

What is a Chinese painting?

A Chinese painting is mainly line art painted with a Chinese brush, ink and colors on rice paper of silk. Often, the painting is in linear perspective. On the painting, there is Chinese calligraphy that inscribes the name of the painting, a poem and the artist's signature, along with a red chop. A chop is similar to a rubber stamp that contains the artist's name or a phrase.

Traditionally, Chinese artists define objects with lines rather than surfaces. They mainly use ink to paint. The idea of simplicity from both Taoism and Buddhism deeply influences artist who consider other pigments a secondary media that serve the purpose of perfecting the ink.

There are three categories of Chinese paintings; figures, landscapes, and floral/bird.

During the Eastern Tsin dynasty (A.D. 317-420), Hsich Ho, an artist and the first art critic in Chinese history, established the Six Laws of Painting. 1)Vitality resonates from a painting that carry lively forces that touch viewers 2)Use bone manner brushstrokes, or brushstrokes that are confident, strong and elastic 3)Capture the forms of nature's objects with the intent to capture its forms and spirits 4) Apply colors according to each object's category 5) Properly place the objects to produce a well-organized composition 6) Transfer masters' techniques

The first law is most significant. It seeks to blend the artist's spirit with the rhythmic vitality of nature. A great painting should not only demonstrate outstanding technique, but should also express harmony and vitality.

In the book Chinese Painting Techniques for Exquisite Watercolors, Lian Quan Zhen borrows the best artistic elements from two different worlds - the traditional painting techniques of the East and the watercolor techniques and perspective theory of the West. He then weds them to create a unique style all his own.


Turtle
Lian Quan Zhen

Beautiful Vistas

What a gorgeous day along King’s County’s most popular cycling, jogging, walking, skating and equestrian path; The Sammamish River Trail. The trail runs 10.9 miles along the Sammamish River and offers extraordinary views of the river, Sammamish River Valley, Cascade foothills and Mt. Rainier.

It was a busy day Sunday when my son and I went skating with our dogs.


Brian with Brinkley & Ginger


Joanne & Ebony

The trail is used as a corridor between suburban cities and Seattle. The beautiful trail winds through Sammish River Park, Woodinville’s wineries and breweries, Sixty Acres Park, and connects to the Power Line and Bear Creek Trails.

Art Marketing Guide

I have been reading Jason Horejs' blogs and newsletters about art marketing.

Impressed with the information I have been receiving, I decided to purchase his new book, "Starving" to Successful.

This book is the culmination of his work over the last 18 months as he has endeavored to give artists an inside understanding of what it takes to make it in the art business as a gallery-represented artist. This book is based on his seventeen years in the art gallery business, the last eight as owner of Xanadu Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona. He also drawns from his interviews and surveys of career artists who have been successfully navigating the artist-gallery relationship for decades.

"Starving" to Successful was written to give an artist a comprehensive understanding of the gallery business, and a systematic way to approach galleries.

The book will advise you how to focus your efforts to create a body of marketable, gallery-ready work, how to organize your art, how to make a powerful portfolio, how to choose the best art markets to approach, and, most importantly, what the best approach is to get into galleries. The book will also give you myriad insights into the business to help you fine-tune every aspect of your art career.

The book includes samples of successful artist statements, artist biographies, and resumes, analyzes websites to help you fine-tune yours, and gives you actionable, concrete steps to take to grow your art career.

Purchase your copy.

Artist Statement

Most visual artists can talk freely and fluidly about their work: what inspires them; their composition, materials, and technique; what they’re trying to say with their art. When they have to put these ideas in print, though—which they inevitably must—they often find themselves at a loss for words.

Visual artists are generally not writers and writing per can be alien to them, because it relies on a far different mental palette. Writing, after all, originates in a different part of the brain. Indeed, writers see the world differently than visual artists and work with another set of tools, obviously. However, the radical differences between these two modes of expression may actually explain why they so often complement one another.

I have been learning about marketing from Jason Horejs owner of Xanadu Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona. Recently, he has launched a series of free, mini-workshops. Watch this 25 minute session with New York arts writer Adam Eisenstat on writing an artist statement.

Watercolor NOT A Difficult Medium

It seems that I frequently get the same comment when I am a participating artist at an art show..........."watercolor is difficult!"

The art therapist in me understands that most people think this way because watercolors is on the very loose end of the art medium continuum. Pencil is at the other end because it is a medium that can be controlled. The majority of people like to be in control and are uncomfortable if not. Thus, watercolors place them in a challenging situation where they are "out of control" and have to do something about it. Most people do not welcome this feeling or the challenge.

Joe Garcia, a famous watercolor artist, does not believe that watercolors is the most difficult medium to use. In his opinion, "Anyone can learn to paint with watercolors; however, a person must be willing to start with the basics. That starting point is the wash. It is the foundation of watercolor painting. Learning to control the wash will open the door to the versatility and creativity of watercolors. This knowledge will allow you to tightly render or loosely interpret your subject."



Quail
Watercolor
Joe Garcia

Why Cats Paint

Today I shared the book Why Cats Paint by Heather Busch and Burton Silver with my art therapy client who is no longer able to paint.

The photos in the book are phenomenal! There are twelve cats featured and each one has its own style of painting. The authors share the personal stories of each cat as well as the psychological implications of their paintings and techniques.

One cat paints en plein air. What I found particularly interesting was how the palettes the cats choose coincides with what they are painting from (one has Van Goghs around him) or their surroundings.

Many of the cats that paint spend at least ten minutes sitting in harmonic resonance prior to commencing a work of art. The authors inject that the cats derive some inspirational power from the invisible low frequency force fields. I always felt cats "space out," but maybe this is what they are doing?



I am not ready to let my cats loose with paints!

Art In The Garden Recap

Arts Alive,a non-profitable charitable organization, sponsored the 6th Annual Art in the Garden Juried Art Show this past weekend. The show took place at the County Garden Bouquets which is a beautiful rural setting just 1.2 miles off the main road of 244th Ave SE in Enumclaw, Washington.

It was a well attended event despite the over 90 degree temperature. As one of the artists who participated I received an e-mail from the organizers saying that Art in the Garden exceeded its revenue expectations once again. It was an incredible amount for an outdoor show! Twenty percent of the revenue returns to Arts Alive. Apparently, people have already inquired if it will be back.

I came home with several art pieces for my garden and house.

This was my first experience and aside from trying to keep cool, it was wonderful. The artists were outstanding and very helpful. I borrowed a tent from my good friend Judi Colwell. I must admit even though it says "easy up," I needed some assistance in setting it up and taking it down.

Here I am....



I had a fabulous response to my art and several purchases. One woman fell in love with my watercolor painting "Another Find" and added it to her home environment.