Wet drawing style Cherry blossoms 3/3

It is interesting to see this Japanese style water color video.
Cherry blossom is one of the most favorite subject in Japanese paintings.

Sumi performance

I found this interesting performance by suiboku-ga(sumi-e) artist on youtube. It's a live collaboration of artist and musician. Her brush stroke is so dynamic and powerful on this large paper she uses. I am so inspired by this video, thinking about trying that out in my kitchen studio. Well, my wall is not large enough though.

Washi Dyed with Sumi Ink

While I was in Japan, I had a chance to visit a museum which was hosting show for Matazou Kayama. He is a post-war era Japanese artist, who used traditional techniques and method to express modern subjects. In one of his paintings, I was fascinated by the technique he used. He dyed washi with sumi ink before he use it. It preset the gloomy effect throughout the image. So, I decided to experiment this technique on the wahi I bought in Ogawamachi.

Here's what I got. First one was best. Washi got ripped off on the edge, but got this nice gloomy patterns.

I realized that each paper took the sumi ink differently. The next one sucked up sumi ink too much, and tared easily. This paper was thicker than the one above.



I tried to use watercolor on this paper, but realize that the sumi effect over power the watercolor. I tried pastels on this, and worked ok. Gouache may work better. I'll keep experimenting.

Washi - Japanese paper

I had a chance to go to the town famous for washi; hand made Japanese paper, while I was in Japan last April. Ogawamachi has been making washi made of kouzo tree for past 1300 years. I bought bunch of natural colored papers priced from .50 cents to $6, and my little sister got nice note books with decorated covers. Washi papers are also sold in printed versions, which have nice kimono like patterns. These are used in craft making, and other decoration purposes.

They do have demonstration of washi making, using traditional methods thruough out the day, but we went down there just before closing time. So we drove off to near by "Onsen" hot spring, and had relaxing 3 hr bathe. The "Onsen" will rent everything you need to bathe, including "yukata" kimono like clothe, but made of cotton. You ware this yukata after bathe, so you won't sweat your clothe. You can lay down in the resting room, or go to restaurant or bar located within the complex.

I had really nice vacation down there, and got some inspiration for my next projects.

watercolor class project: Million Man March

Back in school, I had a chance to take a watercolor class with Mr Raynolds. (I added a link to his site on the left.) He was a good teacher, and I really enjoyed his class. This was one of the project from that class. I believe it was a image from million man march which was on Newsweek magazine. I was so fascinated by this man's powerful expression, and decided to use it for the class project. (Please don't sue me for copyright issue. It was for the class!) I was so into this zen mode painting, which I forgot the time and kept painting until dawn. I had 4 other design classes, which were killing me with their due days. But guess what? I spent most of the time painting this watercolor.

On the finals week, I was nearly up for 3 days, and got too tired to mat this picture for the final review. I lost my caution and guess what? I sliced the left lower part in half with my mat board.
I cried a bit, and decided not to turn in for the school show. So this is my first time showing to public.....

watercolor painting on canvas: spring fire

It's acrylic paint on three canvases. While I was working on this painting, I got involved in accident. My neck got injured, and it was too painful to complete this one. Anyways, it's done, and I hang them in my kitchen-studio. I don't like hanging my picture on the wall, unless it's abstract painting like this one. I usually spend too much time on my paintings, so I get sick of them by the time I finish. It is hard to be completely finish the paintings, unless I put them away. If I hang them, I will scrutinize my paintings every day.

I like acrylic paints better than oils. Pigments flow freely in the water, unlike oils. It's also cheaper than oils, I believe.

water color painting: autumn red

I've been working on a new project recently. I needed to release my stress being creative. Since I got in accident, I've been getting this annoying back ache, which prevented me from working on canvas. Because of the style of my painting, which I do not use easel, my back muscle get strained. I get lost in working on colors, sitting on the cold kitchen floor for 4-5 hors straight. When I come to realize it's time to go to bed since I still have to go to work next morning, my back in on fire.

I wish I can just paint all day just like when I didn't have a job; though I won't go back to that desperate phase anymore. No more top ramens in my life!