SAL GALLERY Visit during open hours for special events — details are listed with each event. You can also drop in during Ceramics Open Studio Hours if an exhibit is running. 2026 Next Month Reflect Every 2 Weeks SAL instructor Kyler Pahang has created a series of paintings exploring the beauty that exists within …
ANGIE DIXON Angie Dixon studied art at the University of Washington where she received two degrees; one in fine arts and the other in art history in 1976. Dixon was 1 of 24 Americans, the first group accepted into the art school to study classic Chinese Landscape Painting and other Chinese painting and calligraphy in …
Take a class with SAL – anywhere! In previous V. Notes, I’ve posted work by our sumi instructor Angie Dixon, Huang Yongyu, Pan Gongkai, and stuff you didn’t know about sumi. Today I wanted to broaden my view of sumi painting. I wanted to see more works that are being created in the medium today. …
This first image was from the ‘Transience and Eternity’, Angie Dixon’s exhibition at Foster/White in the 1990’s. It was a combination of installation and paintings. It was about creation and the formation of everything before it becomes tangible. The paintings were meant to be of the actual tangible results of the creative formation. The installation …
Pan Gongkai was born in Hangzhou in 1947. Influenced by his father Pan Tianshou (1897-1971) who was one of the top Four Masters of Chinese Painting in the 20th century. His father was regarded alongside Huang Binhong, Wu Changshuo and Qi Baishi. During the Cultural Revolution, Pan Gongkai’s father had been accused for crime as a …
Demos Master sumi-e painter Angie Dixon demonstrates the bamboo joint, bone, and leaf brush strokes. Dixon says a great sumi-e painting combines a variety of wet and dry, light and dark, thick and thin brush strokes. She says you can’t fix a brush stroke, but you can enhance it. Beginning Sumi-e Student Work [gallery …
Interested in studying sumi-e painting? Angie Dixons’ top recommended book for beginning is The Sumi-e Book by Yolanda Mayhall. The information in The Sumi-e Book is very good and accessible, and books and youtube are great for learning sumi-e but, Dixon says, students really need to have the pressure of a teacher. Today’s Beginning Sumi-e workshop …
We use the Zoom platform for online classes. Login codes are sent prior to the first class only. Some email systems such as Hotmail block our emails to you. Please check your junk folders, and if you have have not received your class info, please contact us (contact@seattleartistleague.com) 15-30 minutes before your class begins so we can reply with the login codes. We will get you into your class.
Beginning Sumi
- Teacher: Angie Dixon
- Class Length: 3 Weeks
- Class Begins: Saturday, March 14
- Time: 10:00-1:00 pm
Learn traditional and contemporary approaches to asian brush and ink in this online class. Learn about the history and materials of sumi as you focus on brush strokes, and letting the paper come alive. We will work with the traditional materials of sumi (ink), watercolor, and rice paper. You will learn the classic techniques of this wonderful art form creating your paintings.
Subject matter will be from nature: branches, blossoms and for those who are ready, we can start on simple birds.
All levels welcome. Taken beginning sumi before? Take it again! There is plenty more to learn, and your work will only improve.
About the instructor
Angie Dixon studied art at the University of Washington where she received two degrees; one in fine arts and the other in art history in 1976. She continued with graduate studies in the People’s Republic of China at the Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts in 1984.
Her training has been in the traditional use of Asian Brush and Ink Painting in its varied forms and she has pursued bringing it into contemporary art language in her own work along with practicing the tradition.
Materials List
1 medium brown hair brush ( also called wolf hair or weasel hair )
1 medium white hair brush (also called sheep hair)
1 outline brown hair brush
1 roll “Shuji Gami” 18” w x 30’ l or 1 package Shuen paper or Jin Pi paper
1 piece felt – white, light gray or light tan @ 2’ x 3’ or pad of newsprint or newspaper
1 bottle Sumi Ink NOT India Ink or any other ink
2 water containers or more
3-4 mixing dishes or more white or clear
rag or paper towels
weights to hold down the paper – favorite rocks are always good
Materials Suggestions
1. Blue Heron Arts has a set of the three brushes listed for $15.95 – a very good deal.
2. Color is optional and OAS (Oriental Art Supply has a the Marie’s Color Set for $10.99 – also a very good deal)
3. Get “absorbent” rice paper or “unsized” rice paper if cannot find the “shuji-gami” roll. Both Blue Heron Arts and OAS have assorted rice papers. Blue Heron as some Pi/Kozo packets that are relatively inexpensive and OAS has a “practice roll” that is also inexpensive and comparable to the “shuji-gami” roll.
Do NOT get regular watercolors or acrylics, only the Japanese or Chinese colors. These are water-based and permanent.
Contact your instructor if you have any questions about the materials. She’ll be happy to help you.
Sumi painting shown by Pan Tianshou
[image_with_animation image_url=”11238″ alignment=”” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] This last year, Seattle Refined highlighted both Nikki Barber and myself, Ruthie V. Now they’ve discovered Angie Dixon. KOMO said they look at the Seattle Artist League website to find artists for their ongoing “Seattle Refined; Artist of the Week.” (Thanks KOMO!) This week Angie Dixon receives highlights for …