About Chinese brush painting

Chinese Brush painting was born of ancient Chinese Calligraphy and has evolved through the centuries. In Japan it is known as Sumi-e. The single most astonishing fact about Chinese Brush Painting is that each brush stroke is a defining move that produces a portion of the painting that is neither improved upon nor corrected. In spontaneous style, no sketch is prepared and often, no model is used. The artist paints with rapid, mentally constructed strokes transporting a 'mind image' to mulberry or rice paper. From first to last stroke, the artist must 'get it right' while in Western watercolor corrections and over painting are a part of the technique.
Chinese Brush Painting is meant to be more than a representation of an object; it is also a symbolic expression. This is why a full plant is never painted, but rather a few blossoms which will represent the plant in its entirety, and in fact, all of life - a TAO principle. Rather than looking at the subject as you paint, you bring it forth from your mind and heart, connecting with the essence of the subject and becoming part of its nature.
In my works I attempt to capture the spirit or essence of the subject yet retaining a meditative spaciousness. I prefer not to get lost in detail. My art is evolving as is my life. It draws from my past supported by a foundation of exploration and seeking yet allows me to reside in the now moments of my continuing expansion. A part of that expansion is that I now travel full time. I create while traveling and within the limitations of travel. How I present and sell art is changing and evolving. As an aspect of that, this continuing blog will be about my art, my travels and my search for and observation of the evolution of human consciousness and perhaps how they relate to each other.