Sumi-e Class with Master Yuming Zhu - Koi FIsh and Lotus Pod Cups

I have spent the past two days in all day classes with Yuming Zhu, a Master of sumi-e (Japanese brush painting). The class was hosted by the White Bear Center for the Arts. He is from the Pacific Northwest and was surprised that class wasn't cancelled because of all the snow we have which is all of couple of inches on the ground. He also was pretty surprised at how cold it was, the high today being 16 degree F. But we have been unusually cold even for Minnesota.

He began class with a demo of koi fish. It was amazing to watch him work. I could watch him all day long.

                                                                 Doing things like this.

                                                           I love koi!

 We went back to our seats and did some painting. Then we moved onto lotus flowers, lotus pod cups and lily pads.

                                                         I love the gold fleck paper.

                       The lotus pods are what happens when the flower petals die and fall off.

                                                      Lots of painting going on.

                         Now for my paintings. I learned so much but I have a long way to go.

To be honest, I have not practiced my sumi-e since my last class with Susan Frame months ago. I know it is something I want to do every day. When I was learning maedeup (Korean knotting) while living in Korea, I practiced 6-10 hours every day, seven days a week. 

 

I've always been afraid to paint which comes from deep within myself. I don't know where that fear comes from because I have worked in just about every medium in the art world fearlessly. I've always yearned to paint but fear always held me back. I found my muse in Korea and saw the joy in creating every day from my Korean teachers and fellow Korean classmates.  Korea taught that whatever you want to do , you can. That's not to say that the fear is not still there, I've learned I can ignore it for the most part. I started my journey into painting upon our return in 2012 with sumi-e classes adding watercolors in 2013. I'm so glad I took the plunge.