Blog
Painting Sumi-e with Western Sensibilities
After a long process of bringing together my art and the blog posts on to the same platform/site (a process which took much longer than anticipated), I am back to where I have left, that is sharing and teaching the way of the ancient oriental art (sumi-e painting...
How Does One Apply Calligraphy in Sumi-e Painting?
The idea of using calligraphic strokes as means to create paintings puzzles many, yet it is the most natural way to create paintings of Oriental motives or other motives in the Oriental spirit. My newly published course, “The Way of Calligraphy in Shodo or Sumi-e...
“Zen of Calligraphy in Sumi-e Painting” School
If you are interested to learn more about the method I teach and use in my art, then you can enrol in my "Sumi-e Painting of a Rooster: Method Overview" mini course, which is an overview/demonstration of the process. As I am creating my courses, the original intention...
The Way of Calligraphy in Shodo or Sumi-e Painting
I am very happy to announce that I have just launched my “The Way of Calligraphy in Shodo or Sumi-e Painting” course. It indeed took a lot of energy and time, but now I am pleased with the result. There is no other Chinese/Japanese calligraphy course that can give...
Upcoming Shodo (Oriental Calligraphy) Course
After a long haul my next and in my opinion the most important course will be published within a couple of weeks. It is a course on Oriental calligraphy. It took me quite a while to accomplish this as I wanted it to be as accessible as possible. Also, I was not sure...
Update On My Online Sumi-e School
It has been a while since my last post, so I thought I should give you an update on where my online Sumi-e school stands now and the direction that I am taking it to. Here are the courses that I have created so farand are now available through my school: 1. Sumi-e...
Essentials For Learning Sumi-e Painting
My online Sumi- e school is alive and active now. My first and second courses were demonstrations of my painting process for Sumi-e Painting. My method is unique. It is based on my late teacher Tomoko Kodama's method, which was developed to facilitate the western...
Sumi-e Painting of Clover Leaf Using “Luck” Calligraphy
In this short Youtube video/class I am demonstrating my process for Sumi-e painting of the four leaf clover, using the strokes of the Chinese/Japanese “Luck” character. I am assuming that you already have a background in Sumi-e painting and hopefully are familiar with...
How Important is Meditation in Sumi-e Painting?
A modern upbringing, regardless if it is of Western or Eastern origin, is heavily outcome oriented. When we start any endeavour, regardless of what it is, we already envision and strive for a specific product/result. This applies to creating art as well. There are...
Why Use Calligraphic Strokes For Sumi-e Painting?
Since I published my course “Sumi-e Painting of a Rooster Using Its Calligraphy” I have been getting quite a few comments and questions about the idea of using the calligraphic language or calligraphic strokes to paint. It is somehow viewed as an unusual way of...
“Sumi-e Painting of a Rooster Using Its Calligraphy” A Free Course
As it is the Chinese New Year of the Rooster as of January 28th, I have put the work on my main course on hold and created a crash mini course to give an overview, an idea of the method that I teach and I use in my own paintings. In this course, I show how to paint...
Learning To Paint Sumi-e
As I have explained in my previous two posts, we Westerners need to develop few skills that Eastern artists have in them traditionally. To understand this post better, I would recommend you to read them prior to reading this. If you haven't read them already the...
Western Path to Learning Sumi-e Painting (part 2)
In my previous post, I addressed the obstacles that those who live in the Western face in learning to paint in Sumi-e style. Before getting into describing the method I teach, I have to share some background information that served as the catalyst for my teaching...
Western Path to Learning Sumi-e Painting (part 1)
The art of painting and writing started in China and was then later adopted by Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Together they influenced the development of writing within all areas. The key trait which lead to this transparent form of influence were calligraphic characters...
Why Do I Paint Sumi-e
As promised in my previous blog post, I am sharing my thoughts on why I like to paint in Sumi-e style and spirit. I could write a book on this and no matter what I say, I will not do justice to it. To keep it simple, throughout the years of art schooling at Concordia...
Why Do You Want To Learn Sumi-e Painting?
I have been painting and drawing in a Zen-influenced way or should I say my life and art has been influenced by Zen for many years now. I think I have come to understand (more or less of course) as to what it is that appeals to me about living and creating this way....
Return to Blogging With New Inspirations
After a long break from Blogging, I am back. It did indeed take a lot of time and energy from me to write them, as every sentence I wrote was coming through me, from depth; a place where usually I don't visit often with my mind. I am there though when I paint,...
Sumi-e of Life…. The Game of life
I am playing the game of life.... better, a role in the play called “Life” - with ups and downs, certainties and doubts, joys and sorrows. Then, I lay out the paper, prepare the ink, take the brush ...... the story stops like having pushed the pause button. I look...
Sumi-e of Easter
I have started my online Sumi-e school this year. It is interesting how when you are delivering your thoughts and knowledge, you re-evaluate them..... So as it is Easter time, I decided to revisit my Easter blog post from two years ago to see how true the thought I...
Living the Sumi-e Life
I have created the first slideshow of my Sumi-e paintings on YouTube. I intend to make more, and most likely, instructional videos. You are welcome to subscribe to my channel to get the updates on living the Sumi-e Life and my current works. Enjoy! There are many...
Sumi-e of Life….Love
This blog post contributes to my Sumi-e of life principle. There is Love in the air....As Valentine's day is approaching, I thought I would write about Love. There is only one word for Love in English, but there are many different forms of it. I am writing about the...
Sumi-e of Life….. Balance
In my weekly blog posts, I have been alternating between analyzing Tao Te Ching, verse by verse from the artist's point of view and my thoughts on Sumi-e painting, teaching and artistic views. As the time passes, I am finding that the spirit of both getting closer.......
Sumi-e of Life….The Circle
I have decided to do an Enso painting for this blog as I thought it was most appropriate for this time of the year as it is approaching the end. Also, because I find comfort in its symbolic power during these hectic times of the holidays. As Enso is a...
Eastern Art, Western Mind
I remember when I was a student learning Sumi-e. Having former education in Fine Arts; Western approach, aesthetics and of course the mentality, I was eager to understand, to figure out things and had many questions. My Japanese teacher's (Tomoko Kodama)...
Mindfulness With the Brush
"Amidst the worldly comings and goings, observe how ending become beginnings" Tao Te Ching As we go through our day, we experience life through memories and anticipations, through judgments and analysis. Life does not happen in the past or the...
Seeing For The First Time
"Do not say, 'It is morning,' and dismiss it with a name of yesterday. See it for the first time as a newborn child that has no name." Rabindranath Tagore Imagine you are just born, or maybe you just arrived from another planet and you see a flower, except you...
Letting Go
"Creativity can be described as letting go of certainties" Gail Sheeh The artist spends years learning skills and techniques and through trial and error, develops a unique language of expression. This requires devotion and many hours of work. Eventually,...
Without Words
“Having opinion is closing yourself from seeing the life's full potential”. Aristotle As soon as one puts a name or explanation to anything, one blocks it in that space and stops all of its other possibilities. Words are man's main method of expression, but...