Liz Thomas

Country: UK

Artist: Liz Thomas

Facebook: Elizabeth Norris

Statement: I began Chinese brush painting just 18 months ago

and fell in love with it.

I had always sketched and used Western watercolour for bird

 painting but It's a hobby only, and I never had time to develop it

in depth. Part-time I came across a book by Maggie Cross 'A

 Beginner's guide to Chinese painting , Book 2 Introduction to

 colour' and thought I would like to have a go.

A local children's illustrator in Bath and patient teacher Penny

 Ives helped me with the basics and then I spent a week with

 Maggie Cross learning in depth. I have had a number of

 teachers since then and will have a regular mentor Chi Zhang

 from the Confucius institute in Edinburgh but have learned

 something from all of my teachers.

I joined the Chinese brush painters society and the Sumi-e group

 on line and I recommend sharing one's work to get feedback

 and confidence.

I am still reading, watching you-tube videos and learning all the

 time and practise every day I am not working, even if just for 30

 minutes doing an exercise calligraphy. I have had some

 wonderful calligraphy lessons from Jian Chu Xu at Guangwa

 Art shop in Shaftesbury avenue in London and hope to have

 more.

I love using couplet paper to produce long pictures with the

 various gold designs glowing through and white or beige

 Mulberry paper too. At present I favour Indigo and ink over

 colour.

Chinese brush painting is a great hobby and has been

 instrumental in my slowing my pace of life and accepting

 mistakes and being prepared to make multiple attempts at

 achieving something without becoming stressed.

I hope  my paintings may bring you joy and for that reason my

 signature seal is 'Peace'.

Hmay Art Supply is a xuan paper manufacturer from Jing county

 Xuan city Anhui province - the birthplace of xuan paper. We

 produce top grade xuan paper (shuen paper, rice paper) and

 provide superior quality paper crafts and other art items for

 Japanese calligraphy, Chinese brush calligraphy & Chinese

 sumi-e painting, etc.

Let's enjoy sumi-e painting and brush calligraphy together!