Sumi-e, Japanese ink-brush painting, captured my heart and spirit many years ago. The more I learn about this ancient art, the more evident it is that I’ll always be an aspiring student. I love the simplicity of calligraphy strokes and variations of tones that represent an image such as a bird, bamboo, or landscape. It’s magical!!!

I paint traditional images using black ground sumi ink, but also incorporate Asian watercolors as well as creating collages and abstracts. A painting session begins by grinding a black sumi stick, made from pine soot and glue, onto a slate stone to make liquid ink. A bamboo animal hair brush is loaded with ink and applied to rice paper to form the subject matter. NO sketching is done. Once a stroke is made, that’s it!

I’ve received many awards for my paintings, am an active member of Puget Sound Sumi Artists, participate as a vendor in festivals, have group and solo shows, and teach sumi painting to children and adults. My journey as a sumi artist is passionate. Time spent in my studio escapes me when I have a bamboo brush in hand.

“Creating a work of art is an experience within itself, recording a brief moment in time.”

During my 38 years of teaching K-12, mostly art, I spent half my career in the South Pacific (Guam and Kwajalein), and the other half in Washington, Nevada, Florida, and Oregon. My late husband and I came full circle as our years of teaching began in Enumclaw in the late 50s. Our daughter and family live in Maple Valley, WA and our son and family live In Coos Bay, OR.

I live in Enumclaw, WA, on the Plateau of Mount Rainier. Some of my sumi paintings are on display at the local Art Gallery called ARTS ALIVE.