The public will have a chance next month to be introduced to sumi, an Oriental style of painting with black ink.
A collection of paintings will hang at the Gig Harbor/Peninsula branch of the Pierce County Library System through March, compliments of the Puget Sound SUMI Artists. The show, “The Spirit of Sumi-E,” will include Asian permanent watercolors and mixed media.
A March 3 reception for the artists will feature a hands-on workshop by Fumiko Kimura, one of the founders of PSSA. The group was formed in 1986 and recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.
“We decided to form an organization for furthering our studies in Sumi art,” Kimura said. “It’s a program to enhance our sumi art knowledge.”
Kimura lived in Japan for about seven years when she was a child but actually learned the craft by watching American TV shows in the 1970s and reading books.
“I learned calligraphy in Japan, but the sumi art was self-taught,” she said. “After teaching for the hour (at the library), I will be demonstrating calligraphy and sumi painting on the floor.”
Kimura said many of the sumi artists in Japan work on the floor instead of on tables.
Artist Darlene Dihel, chairman for the library sumi show, also is self-taught in the art. A career art teacher, Dihel fell in love with sumi art during a visit to Japan.
“I got some books on how to paint and studied on my own,” she said. “I could never find any sumi art classes. It’s not popular in our western culture.”
A Washington native, Dihel spent half her career teaching in the South Pacific before she moved back to Gig Harbor. When she returned home, she was surprised to learn that a sumi artist group had formed locally. She read in the newspaper that PSSA was having a presentation at the library.
“I had the flu that day, but I just had to meet these people,” she said. “I went and sat in the back of the room and just told people, ‘Don’t get near me.’ ”
Dihel takes classes and meets regularly with PSSA and will have some of her art in the show next month.
The Spirit of Sumi-E
The Spirit of Sumi-E art show will hang through March at the Gig Harbor/Peninsula branch of the Pierce County Library System, 4424 Point Fosdick Drive NW in Gig Harbor. An artist reception, which will feature a hands-on workshop with artist Fumiko Kimura, will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. March 3.
Lifestyles Coordinator and reporter Susan Schell can be reached at 253-853-9240 or by email at susan.schell@gateline.com.
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