The Spirit of the Brush: Chinese Brush Painting Techniques: Simplicity, Spirit, and Personal Journey

Description

Chinese ink painting is one of the oldest continually practised art forms in the world. It first appeared in China in the fifth century, and soon travelled to Korea and then to Japan. As old and deeply rooted in East Asian aesthetics and meditation as it is, ink painting is credited with influencing the development of Western modern art. Its minimalist approach to painting continues to have enormous appeal. Artist and teacher Sungsook Setton, who learned the techniques with Chinese and Korean masters in her native South Korea, brings new excitement to this age-old art. While teaching the traditional disciplines for holding and using the brush, she shows students how to turn the techniques and inner meditation toward interpreting their own world: city views, music, and the essence of contemporary life.

Sungsook Setton is a Korean-American artist and calligrapher. In addition to her training in brush painting and calligraphy under Chinese and Korean masters, she has also studied Western art in Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, obtaining her BA in studio art at Stony Brook University in New York and an MFA in interdisciplinary art at Goddard College in Vermont. Setton's work has been widely exhibited in Canada, the UK, Taiwan, Korea, and the United States. She has received two dozen awards for her work, including twice winning Best of Show at the National Juried Exhibition by the Sumi-e Society of America. In 2010, she represented the U.S. at the Third International Biennial of Modern Ink Painting in Taipei. She serves on the faculty of Westchester Community College, the China Institute, and the Art League of Long Island.