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Sumi-E painting by Patricia Larkin Green

Location: Morton Arboretum

Date: Sunday, August 6, 2017.

Patricia Larkin Green is an active member of the Sumi-e Society of America and the International Chinese Calligraphy Art and Painting Society. She has been featured in numerous publications, including The Chicago Tribune, The Chicago Reader, Gapers Block, Hyperallergic and a Pioneer Press publication, and has been a panelist for Chicago Creative Expo. She has participated in interviews on WTTW Chicago Tonight, WCRX, The Process and Pop Up Research Station. In 2014 she was a featured artist on the web series Our Cultural Center.

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Sumi-E Painting

SUMI-E is the Japanese word for Black Ink Painting. The Japanese term “sumi” means “black ink” and “e” means “painting”.

Although it is Japanese painting, the art developed in ancient China. From China the art form moved to Japan.

In Sumi-E painting, the goal is not to simply reproduce the appearance of the subject, but to capture the essence or spirit of the subject in their paintings. To paint a flower, there is no need to perfectly match its petals and colors, but it is essential to convey its beauty and fragrance. In landscape painting, the painter does not attempt to imitate the scene, but capture the spirit “Chi” of the scene. Any superfluous form or detail is left out. Sumi-e captures the spirit of nature.

Sumi-E painting is meditative art. As the painter learns to control the brush, they learn to control over themselves. An important aspect is control over breathing. Before starting to paint, the painter meditate on the subject. He/ she sits down with the back straight, a sheet of paper in front, and concentrate on the subject, breathing calmly and naturally. The idea is to let all other thoughts fade until only a white sheet of paper and the subject remains in the mind. When the image to be painted appear in the mind, they pick-up the brush and paint. There is no thought about technique or about the result.

Once a stroke is painted, it cannot be changed or erased. This makes the painting, a very technically demanding art-form requiring great skill, concentration, and years of training.

An integral part of the composition is the red seal, which signifies the artist’s name. Additional seals may be added as indications of the town or philosophy.

The sumi-e painting brushes are similar to the brushes used for calligraphy. The brushes are hand-made using natural materials. These and traditionally made from bamboo with goat, cattle, horse, sheep, rabbit, deer, boar and wolf hair. The brush hairs are tapered to a fine point, a vital feature to this style of paintings.

American artist and educator Arthur Wesley Dow (1857–1922) wrote this about painting:

“The painter … put upon the paper the fewest possible lines and tones; just enough to cause form, texture and effect to be felt. Every brush-touch must be full-charged with meaning, and useless detail eliminated. Put together all the good points in such a method, and you have the qualities of the highest art.”

 

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Here is Patricia Larkin Green painting the Circle of Life with crane bird, considered the Bird of Happiness. In Zen Buddhism, an ensō is a circle that is hand-drawn in one or two uninhibited brushstrokes to express a moment when the mind is free to let the body create. The ensō symbolizes absolute enlightenment, strength, elegance, the universe, and mu, the void. At the base of the painting is the bird crane. In Japanese, tradition, cranes are symbols of good fortune and longevity.

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 I will strongly recommend to mute the sound in the video. I could not figure out how to reduce the noise. Or, you can leave it as is and see how the artist is concentrating in all that noise.

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Visitors had a chance to try Sumi-E painting under the guidance of artist.

Here is Neel trying his hand at Sumi-E painting, under the guidance of the artist.
I think he did pretty good! And this was his first attempt!!!

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RELATED LINKS
2017: Sumi-E painting by Patricia Larkin Green / Morton Arboretum.. click here..
2017: Origami in the Garden / Morton Arboretum.. click here..
Parks, Boulevards, Gardens.. click here..
Home: Public Art in Chicago.. click here..

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