Artist Spotlight Series: Carol Waite

Arlington Artists Alliance and Gallery member Carol Waite discusses her artwork, technique and inspiration:

My art is Sumi-e, Oriental Brush Painting.  Sumi is the special ink, and "e" in

Japanese means painting.  It's derived from the ancient art of calligraphy in China and Japan.  One paints flat, putting the rice paper on felt to absorb the liquid.  Once the ink, sometimes mixed with Chinese watercolor, is put on the rice paper, no corrections can be made.  After the painting is dry, one must mount it on a stiffer piece of rice paper, as the thin rice paper cannot be framed unless it's on a sturdier backing, as it would wrinkle.  This is done by making a paste, putting it on the back of a wet painting, then adhering the stiffer paper to it.  When it adheres, one puts paste around the edges, then places it on a board to dry for a week.  Then the painting can be framed.

Most Oriental, or East Asian art, depicts aspects of nature.  I enjoy painting birds and flowers, and some landscape scenes.  I previously painted in oil, then discovered Sumi-e painting and loved it, as it took me back to my growing up in Japan.  And, my love of nature.  I always loved drawing and painting as a child, and majored in Fine Arts at George Washington University, with studio time at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, DC.  It's rewarding to me that I can depict pleasing nature scenes, with the biggest challenge of successfully mounting the thin rice paper onto a stiffer paper without tearing the fragile, wet rice paper.

To learn more about Carol's art, visit her website, social media and gallery profile:


Carol Waite website

Carol Waite Facebook

Carol Waite Gallery profile

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