While in Philadelphia, we visited the Philadelphia Art Museum — one of the largest in the country, and fun to visit, especially on Friday night — live jazz music, wine and hors d’oeuvres in the foyer. I was most moved by the exhibition of Ike Taiga and Tokuyama Gyokuran: Japanese Masters of the Brush. The large number of paintings on display was impressive and allowed me the opportunity to study the myriad of styles and expressions that this couple achieved through a lifetime of work using primarily black and gray inks.

I’ve always been excited by the thought of doing more with less, and you know my obsession with line! So when I got home, I was thrilled to find a Chinese Ink Painting class taught by a friend of mine. Hing Wah is a dedicated artist and energetic teacher. Here’s a peek into one of the suitcases full of brushes that she hauls around for students to use (the suitcases are bigger than she is!)

Although I’ve occasionally tried this kind of painting on my own, it was enlightening to have a real teacher and see the many different ways that Hing Wah used her hand and arm to achieve different strokes. Not to mention lessons on the differences in brushes and how to shape and fill them with inks. Check out Oriental Art Supply if you have a hankering to treat yourself to some of these beautiful brushes.

Hing Wah said she can tell from my quilts that I study Japanese art (I do) and she clued me into several artists to look for — one standout is the famous Chinese painter Qi Baishi who is loved for his spontaneity and unique style. Check out his painting Studying for a laugh. Who hasn’t done that?

I wasn’t too interested in doing flowers or bamboo, but fish! Here’s some fish I did, the lips on one got too fat, so I made him into a catfish.

It will take a long time, probably never, before I’m a master of the brush. But it’s fun and good way to focus on simplifying movement, expression, and composition, so maybe next week I’ll try some paintings on my own.