The Art and Technique of Sumi-e Japanese Ink-Painting as Taught by Ukai Uchiyama

by Thompson, Kay Morrissey

• ISBN13: 9780804839846
• ISBN10: 0804839840
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-09-15
• Publisher: Tuttle Pub

Summary

The art of sumi-e, which literally means "ink picture," combines calligraphy and ink-painting to produce compositions of rare beauty. This beauty is paradoxical-ancient but modern, simple but complex, bold but subdued-no doubt reflecting the arts spiritual basis in Zen Buddhism. At the same time sumi-e is firmly rooted in the natural world, its various techniques serving as the painter's language for describing the wonders of nature. Art and Technique of Sumi-e Japanese Ink-Paintingexplores this ancient technique. Buddhist priests brought the ink stick and the bamboo-handled brush to Japan from China in the sixth century, and over the past fourteen centuries Japan has developed a rich heritage of ink-painting. Today the artistry of sumi-e can be admired in books, reproductions and museums, but the techniques of the art have been much less accessible. As a result, little information has been available to the inquisitive Western artist attracted to ink-painting. This book, designed to help remedy that deficiency, is the product of the author's study with her teacher, Ukai Uchiyama, master calligraphist and artist.

Author Biography

Kay Morrissey Thompson studied at the Massachusetts School of Art in Boston and the Art Students' League in New York. Her professional experience includes work with Glamour, Woman's Day, Good Housekeeping, McCall's, and The New York Times Magazine. She accompanied her husband on a three-year assignment to Japan, where she began her study with Ukai Uchiyama.