About Sumi-e
Sumi-e is a style of painting that is characteristically Asian, and has been practiced for well over a thousand years. Literally ink or wash painting, it is an art form that strives to distill the essence of an object or scene in the fewest possible strokes. Wash painting was developed in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Traditionally in black and white wash paintings, artists usually grind their own inkstick (sumi-e) over an inkstone to obtain ink. Most inksticks are made of either pine or oil soot combined with animal glue (nikawa). The brush is made of wolf hair and bamboo, and painted on rice paper. The paint strokes out of which most paintings can be made are called the Four Gentlemen; these are the bamboo, the orchid, the plum tree and the chrysanthemum.
About Michelle Johnson
Michelle Johnson does sumi-e from her home in Houston, Texas where she lives with her husband and daughter. She study for 3 ½ years under Ilan Yanizky in Tokyo, Japan. Like traditional sumi-e Michelle’s work focuses on nature. Her trademark of a red stamp called hanko seals each piece of art.
