"Teachers open the door but you must enter". Twenty five years ago, I entered that door and have not looked back. The joy of Chinese and Japanese painting has enriched my life in so many ways.

This style of painting is much more than meets the eye. Underlying the apparent simplicity of composition, there is a philosophy; one that sees a unifying pattern of life in all natural forms.

One learns how to create beautiful strokes with the right amount of ink, water, pressure, and eventually with color while painting the four gentlemen; the bamboo, orchid, plum blossom and chrysanthemum.The four gentlemen are the foundation from which all can be created.  

Bamboo expresses the will to survive; the orchid represents the Yin energy, and the plum blossoms the re-emergence and continuity of life.

The chrysanthemum associates fragrant plants with high ideals of moralistic behavior and with the change of the seasons.

 The spirit of the brush brings life to many flowers, birds, animals and landscapes. I hope you will enter the door to a joyful art.