Misty hills, junks along the river, a sea of clouds, waterfalls in the high mountains, the gorges of the Yangtze: these are a few of the subjects found in the Chinese Brush paintings of Mary Jane Sausser. She began studying Chinese Brush painting years ago. Mary Jane lived in the Far East and was able to absorb the culture as well as study this ancient painting technique. In this video we watch her paint a wisteria plant with butterflies. As she paints, Mary Jane shares some of her secrets and a little bit about the fascinating art she loves. To learn this art form requires a lot of patience. You start by making exact copies of your teacher’s completed work. This repetition is crucial because this is how you develop your brush stroke. Brush strokes are very important. Mary Jane states that it takes years to perfect a beautiful stroke. It is only after you have copied 75 - 100 paintings that you are ready to try your own composition. Another interesting factor in this type of painting is the use of space. Chinese paintings use a lot of negative space and this space is sometimes more important than the positive space. She also paints landscape in the style of Shee-Un-Gashin. This is a splash ink technique - you spill it, you turn it, you flip it over - it is a very dynamic way to paint because you have no idea what you’re going to get. |
