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| Jean Kantrow Sommer, KWS, an artist, residing in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA has been working in a variety of medium since 1977. Favoring acrylic, pastels and especially watercolor, Ms. Sommer has been studying an ancient yet unusual form of Chinese poured painting called P'o Mo (English translation-splashed ink). | 
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It is a demanding watercolor technique that looks like childs play. It affords the viewer luscious colors that seem to undulate on the surface. A process in which tube watercolor pigment is put into a mortar & pestle with a small amount of water added. The pigment is then reground releasing a vibrant property as it is poured onto the gold, silk, or ricepaper board. It can also so be poured onto many sheets of ricepaper. It is built up in interlocking layers on either handmade silk boards, rice paper or goldleaf paper. Goldleaf boards have a thin layer of ricepaper on the top of the gold leaf. |
This style retains the spontaneity of watercolor while giving the depth of color found in oil mediums. It is a challenging form of Oriental Brushwork where less is more. Thus, Sommer suggests images to her audience. As her teacher, Diana Kan, says "It is there, it is not there." Capturing the liquid movement of the poured pigments on shikishi boards the paintings seem to move.
| Artist's Statement
| | The Oriental style of P'o Mo painting means splashed ink. I use watercolor or ink on a support of gold, silk or ricepaper boards that are called Shikishi boards. Once the watercolor or ink is poured onto the gold, silk or ricepaper boards, the challenge begins. Pulling (creating) a landscape or an abstract piece of artwork out of the poured ink or watercolor is always a different experience. | | Most of my art works tends to be abstract. Whether I am working in the Oriental style using the gold, silk or ricepaper boards or any other aqua media. My love of color, the unusual technique and medium used act as a pull-push on which type of Shikishi board I will use. | | There is so much beauty in the use of the Shikishi boards in Oriental art work. The challenge of working on the gold, silk and ricepaper is always present. My teacher in the art of Oriental Brush stroke, Diana Kan, has taught me many sayings. One of my favorite ones is "that your next painting will be your best painting." | | I am sometimes limited in how I paint because of arthritis. If you think that you may have arthritis please go to your Doctor and find out...now. This is a picture of my thumb before I had surgery. This does not have to happen to you. |  | One thing that I have learned, is that no matter what shape my hands are in I will find a way to paint - whether by brush, plastic spoons, or anything I can manage to work with.
| Exhibitions
| | Audubon Artist, Inc., Samagundi Club, New York, NY - 2003
Challenge of Champions, Watermedia 2003 - Houston, Texas
Watercolor Society of Alabama Annual National Exhibition - 2002, 2003
Sumi-e Society of America International Show - 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003
Watercolor Society of Houston International Show - 1999, 2001, 2002
Kentucky Aqueous USA - Kentucky Watercolor Society - 2000, 2001, 2002
Georgia Watercolor Society Membership Show - 2000, 2001, 2003
Southwestern Watercolor Society Membership Show - 2001
Philadelphia Watercolor Society International Works on Paper - 2001
Mixed Media Juried Competition - Slidell, Louisiana - 2001
Masterpieces, Lexington Art League - 2001
TriState Plus '01 Annual Juried Fine Art Exhibition - Beaumont, Texas - 2001
Annual National Exhibition by Associated Artist of Southport, North Carolina, 2001
Louisiana Watercolor Society Membership Show - 1989, 1998, 2000
Baton Rouge Art League Annual Exhibition - 1996 to present
Annual National River Road Show - 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002
14th Annual Fine Arts Show, Cultural Arts Council, Douglasville, Georgia - 2000
Louisiana Watercolor Society, Annual International Exhibition - 1998
Associated Women in Arts Juried Exhibition - 1994, 1998
Lafayette Art Association International Juried Exhibition - 1998
Grand National Exhibition - Mississippi Watercolor Society - 1997
Breckenridge Fine Arts Center Art Competition - 1997
Fest for All Gallery Show - Baton Rouge, LA 1997
Visual Arts Center of Northwest Florida - 1993
Louisiana Arts & Science Center, Louisiana Competition - 1993
Retrospective - Lafayette, LA - 1992
Lafayette Art Gallery - Lafayette, LA - 1989
Louisiana Watercolor Member Show - New Orleans, LA - 1989
Crowley Rice Festival - Crowley, LA - 1980
| Special Exhibits
| Elizabethan Gallery, Group Show - Baton Rouge, Louisiana - 2002, 2003
Arts Market Downtown Baton Rouge
Hammond Arts Council, Hammond, Louisiana, 8 Artist Show - 2002
Hammond Arts Council, Hammond, Louisiana, 13 Artist Show - 2001
World Trade Center - New Orleans, Louisiana, 6 Artist Show - 2000
Baton Rouge Art League
Chicago's, 2 Artist Show
Retrospective Show - Lafayette, Louisiana - 1992
Paint-L Show
The Gallery Salon
| Permanent Collections
| Charles Sumner School and Museum - Washington, D.C.
Private Collections throughout the United States
| Memberships
| Lafayette Art Association
Association of Women Artist
Sumi-e Society of America
Kentucky Watercolor Society
Georgia Watercolor Society
Mississippi Watercolor Society
Louisiana Watercolor Society
Watercolor Society of Houston
New Orleans Art Association
Philadelphia Watercolor Association
Southern Watercolor Society
Texas Watercolor Association
Southwestern Watercolor Society
| Private Study
| Drawing:
Tana Price, Lafayette, LA
Marta Fielding, Lafayette, LA
Chinese Brush - Painting:
Sara Parker, Lafayette, LA - 1989 to Present
Diana Kan, New York City, NY - 1989 to Present
Watercolor Workshops & Independent Studies:
Cheng Khee Chee, New Orleans, Louisiana - 2001
Stephen Quiller, New Orleans, Louisiana - 2002
| Education
| 1977 - 1978 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA - Lafayette, Louisiana
Various Art Courses
1957 - 1959 LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY - Baton Rouge, Louisiana
General Studies
1955 - 1957 STEPHEN COLLEGE - Columbia, Missouri
Associates of Arts Degree
| Links
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