Sumi-e

Think about a wine. Then think about a vineyard. Think about an early frost... sumi-e, ink on 'rice' paper. approx. 12" X 12"

Sumi (ink) on "rice" paper. 13 1/2" X 53" (34 cm. X 134 cm.)

Fukuoka's Field Air of mystery Surrounding the rice paddy But it's just a field. Masanobu Fukoka, who lived on Shikoku Island, is the author of "The One-Straw Revolution" a treatise in support of no-tillage organic farming. Sumi-e on 13" X 15" "rice" paper. This paper was made on Shikoku Island, by the way.

先生 (sensei) sumi-e on 13" X 23" "rice" paper, unmounted.

sumi-e, ink on 12" X 16" "rice" paper

大昔 (おおむかし): long ago. Sumi-e, ink on "rice" paper, 12"X 16", unmounted

亥年 2019, The Year Of The Boar. I started this sumi-e painting at the stroke of midnight welcoming in the New Year. OK, actually I started grinding my sumi, ink, around 11:45 New Year's Eve, but I first touched my fude, brush, to the paper exactly at the stroke of midnight. Sumi-e, ink on "rice' paper, 12 1/2 by 9 1/2 inches.

On the left is the suzuri, ink grinding stone. Below it is a fude fuki, rag for removing excess water or ink from the fude, brush. Beside the suzuri rests the sumi, ink stick. The sumi is sitting on the edge of the kami, paper. Above that is a fude, brush, resting on a brush holder (fudimaki?) and above that more brushes racked.

OK, this one is closer to a traditional sumi-e, ink brush, painting. I've done a number of sumi-e of the Four Gentlemen (四君子): the plum (梅), the orchid (蘭), the bamboo (竹), and the chrysanthemum (菊). It's suggested that if you master and can capture those four images you have all the strokes necessary to paint any subject. No, of course I haven't mastered them but ... -grin-

Sumi-e, brushed ink on "rice" paper. Each is about 9 1/2 by 13 inches (24 by 33 centimeters)

I took this shot while they were still wet and drying

思春期の鴉 Shishunki no karasu The adolescent raven & there he sits, proudly crowing "I'm King of the world, I'm King of the world, I'm King of the world!" I painted this after viewing some of Seiko's ukiyo-e, wood block prints. Seiko (1837-1913) was the classically (Chinese) educated daughter of a high ranking samurai, who got herself adopted by her aunt's (Okunara) clan so she could move to Edo (Tokyo) in 1865 to pursue a career in art. She was sort of the George Sand of Edo, wearing men's clothes, studying martial arts, enjoying fine food and generally making a name for herself as a fine artist and writer. At one time she had around 300 students studying art under her. One of her images, 'A crow on a willow branch', often reproduced as ukiyo-e , led me to do this sumi-e. Sumi-e, brushed ink on 'rice' paper, 12 by 18 inches, unmounted.

I've said before that Sumi-e, Japanese ink painting, is something that I enjoy doing but thatI never expect to master. It's said by many sumi-e artists that if one can paint correctly 'the four gentlemen' (wild orchid, plumb, bamboo and chrysanthemum), one has mastered sumi-e in so far as the using the strokes, tonal values, etc., necessary to paint those correctly, one can paint any subject. However… One American that studied sumi-e extensively notes -just concerning the bamboo: "…Nothing is more difficult to paint correctly than this plant. Plate LIII shows the bamboo with its essentially component parts and forms indicated as follows: The upright stalk is in five subdivisions (1 to 5), each differing in length but all suggesting the Chinese character for one (ICHI) painted upright. These are separated from each other by strokes reproducing the Chinese characters for positively (22), for heart (23), for second (24), for one (25), and for eight (26). The stem (6 to 10) is composed of rats' tails. The manner of painting and combining the leaves of the bamboo is called take no ha no kumitata and is minutely described and illustrated in Ransai's great work, Gwa Fu. The essentials are: The five-leaf arrangement (GO YO) (11 to 15) with the ornament (16), called kazari. The three-leaf arrangement (17 to 19) called KO JI, from its resemblance to the Chinese character KO (32). The two-leaf arrangement (20 and 21) called JIN JI, from its resemblance to the character JIN (33), a man. In further development of the plant the following imitative arrangements of the leaves are used: The fish tail (GYO BI) (27), the goldfish triple tail (KINGYO BI) (28), the swallow tail (EN BI) (29), the Chinese character for bamboo (CHIKU JI) (30), and the seven-leaf arrangement (SHICHI YO) (31). It will be observed how the odd or positive numbers (YO) are favored. The foregoing method is used by the Okyo painters. The Kano artists have another system for combining and elaborating the leaf growth, but it does not differ radically from that here given. The leaf of the bamboo reproduces the shape of a carp's body (34). It also resembles the tail feathers of the phoenix. …" From: "On the Laws of Japanese Painting: By: Henry P. Bowie Published 1911 by Paul Elder and Company Publishers The above painting: Sumi-e on 'rice' paper, unmounted. 8 by 24 inches.

The temperature outside today is a balmy -17°F. ( -27° C.). I spent much of yesterday plowing snow. So, today seemed like a good day to put some music on, grind some ink on a suzuri, lay some gasen paper on felt, take fude (brush) in hand and paint some sumi-e. This 'Occidental Daruma' is one of the sumi-e that I painted today. The Indian sage, Bodhidharma, known as Daruma in Japan, is considered the father of Zen Buddhism. In many Japanese renderings he appears rather fierce and cranky (Hey if you spent nine years staring at a cave wall, you might end up a tad belligerent too!). OK I punned a bit with the title, I suspect that Daruma/Bodhidharma, in 5th century India. had no clear intention of founding Zen Buddhism, hence an accidental, not intended result of his actions. None the less a sect in Japan, the Tendai sect, claimed that Daruma traveled from the west (the occident) to Japan meeting with Prince Shoutoku Taishi, an early patron on Buddhism. Meanwhile; Sumi-e on shuji gami paper, 18 by 18 inches

I think that just as tens of thousands of years has hardwired us to find and feel security sitting around the glow of an open fire, we've also come to find tranquility going with the flow on quiet waters. Our ancestors, as hunter/gatherers, on land had to stay always alert, both to find food and to avoid becoming food of other predators. However once on the water they could relax at least somewhat, each boat length of water twix them an the shore adding to their security, the beasts that rend with tooth and claw were still there but held at bay. Subsequently I love being on, or even just near, the water. Raft, canoe, oar or sail is best . One is at the mercy of the elements and, usually, the elements are extremely merciful. The waters are not forgiving but, if we move upon them with respect and understanding, they are accommodating to our needs and wishes. Sumi-e, Japanese ink and brush painting, provides me with the same feelings of tranquility and trust. Sumi-e is a difficult medium. Choosing the right sumi ( ink sticks), fude (brushes), etc. Then grinding the sumi on a suzuri (inkstone) to just the right depth of color and consistency… Gasen-shi, a thin, delecate, quite absorbent paper. Approached with respect and understanding, the fude flies leaving wonderful images behind. Hesitate, the ink puddles, spreads. Too much force, too wet, the paper tears and all is ruined. Like floating on the water, with sumi one is at the mercy of the elements and they are not forgiving. However if we move with them, peace, tranquility and, sometimes, amazing beauty results. Sumi-e, ink on 'rice' paper, 13 by 19 inches.

While I was painting the 'Returning', I wanted to take a closer look at the wolf, hence this sumi-e. This wolf is younger than the one in 'Returning' , the shortness of his body suggests a juvenile, and he is brim full of curiosity! The hanko, (the red stamp,in the lower right that I used to sign this work) was carved for me by Oka Isso in Japan, at the request of a good friend of mine. The hanko is a styilized version of the kanji, the word , zoku, written in kanji it's 俗, or written in hiragna it's ぞく. In her stylized version of 俗 (zoku) Okasan sees the first half of the kanji, 人 (pronounced to, thats a long 'o' not a 'yu' sounds, more like toe), which means person, she sees as a bird rising. The second half, 谷 (tani), meaning valley, she represented by the lines below and to the right and left of the bird. 俗 (zoku): Okasan says that it, in English, means local manners or folkways. Personally there is another meaning for the kanji that I like better: It also means just a common man. Since the hanko (Oh yea, as I gave the Japanese "spelling" of the other words, I guess I should also include the kanji and hiragana for 'hanko': 判子, はんこ.) is hand carved, each hanko is unique and, subsequently used as a signature. There is still another meaning of the kanji, 俗 (zoku), that I like best; it can also mean vulgar. However, alas, neither my friend, Tomochan, nor the hanko carver, Okasan, feel that 'vulgar' is a suitable word for me to use as my signature on my sumi-e. :-) By the way; to see the kanji I included above, you need to have a Japanese font on your computer. If instead of seeing a kanji here, such as 松山市 (which means Matsuyama City) you see something like: æ°´æ>oæ-¥ã??, -that means you do not have the Japanese font installed. Back to the picture: sumi-e, brushed ink on 'rice' paper, unmounted, 13 by 26 inches.

Sumi-e Sumi (ink fresh ground on an ink stone) on 'rice' paper. Unmounted. 13 by 20 inches.

生残者 (せいぞんしゃ-seizonshiya- )The Survivor. I'm still thinking about Japan's Tsunami. The palm, in particular the coconut palm, is, I think, an apt metaphor for the strength and spirit of the Japanese people. It accepts the wind and waves of typhoons and tsunami both as individual palms and as a species. The palm stands tall, bearing up under most storms and trials and if, as more than occasionally happens, the world throws too much at it and the individual falls, the species continues to thrive. 雨降って地固まる Sumi-e, Ink (sumi, freshly ground on an ink stone) and a touch of Chinese blue ink stick (ground on a white tile that I use as an ink stone for colors). On 'rice' paper. Mounted ('Rice' paper glued/pasted to Bristol vellum). 18 by 13 inches.