The Bird Painting

Painting became a passion for me when a teacher at the Parsons School of Design, Stephanie Rose, first introduced me to Abstract Expressionism and the works of De Kooning, Kline and Pollock. It spoke to me in a similar way as the calligraphic gestural ink paintings of the landscapes and Chinese characters I was familiar with from my childhood in South Korea. I was struck by the deliberate, fearless, free brush strokes, and expressive content of the work. Later, I studied the art of acrylic stain painting with Larry Poons and Ronnie Landfield, both artists who played a large role in the Color Field and Lyrical Abstract movements of the 1960’s. My preference for this medium and method is rooted in the freedom and range of expressive possibilities. Colors, which excites me the most, can be kept luminous and vibrant by overlapping transparent layers of pure color stains. Soaking and staining thinned out paint in successive layers can result in surprising surfaces, shapes, and edges aiding in creating atmosphere, mood, and poetry. It is also the excitement of ‘going with the flow’; staying attuned to the process and working with the unfolding work, which I love about creating and working in this style and medium. As a painter, being involved in the process of creating has always been a form of therapy for me - a ways to acknowledge, express my thought and emotions, and find some relief. This insight and direct experience of making art has motivated me to study the field of Art Therapy in more recent years. The education and experience of facilitating and supporting the creative process for others have taught me greater appreciation for art and its power to help heal. Currently, I reside in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, continuing to learn and develop as an artist.