What’s my Art about:

I have been painting Sumi-e since June 2019.

From my first Sumi-e day, I started dreaming of painting bamboos. 

Sumi-e is important to me to connect; both in creating my art, with myself, my spirituality and my environment. 

For example, I notice that I can concentrate much better in my drawing work. 

Zen- and Sumi-e Master Beppe Mokuza is training me in this very traditional technique in order to pass on Sumi-e; I have been teaching it since 2020. 

It is an intensive, international training and you will continue to develop yourself for the rest of your life. 

I do demonstrations, conferences and workshops, for groups and individually. 

Everyone in the groups receives individual attention. 

As a result, everyone learns on his/her own level and can develop self-confidence and learn to look at things in a different way. 

You can participate in a single workshop or more often. 

Background: 

HBO, Academic & post-Academic educations in business administration (International Business school), creative therapy (Mikojel). 

Art academies in the Netherlands (Artez Arnhem, Post HBO Upgraders, AkA) and London (Prince’s School of Traditional Art). 

I have worked in the business world for more than 20 years, also a teacher/trainer. 

And later as a teacher of visual arts, Renaissance painting techniques and Sumi-e. 

My work is exhibited in museums, galleries and Zen centers at home and abroad. 

In 2023 I received ordination as a Bodhisattva. 

I work and paint from Zen, consciously painting every brushstroke on the breathing, making my head as empty as possible. 

For me, Zen meditation is the basis of all of it. 

About my other art: Power of Vulnerability

My work is fragile and powerful at the same time. It is about strength in vulnerability. Two simultaneous qualities: multiple perspectives; often even literally in my work.

What I am looking for, is my art touching people. As a result, I hope, they’ll start looking (differently) at their surroundings, ideas, themselves. (Going to) live their lives from a different perspective, giving them a choice.

This is special for me, because I – literally – do not see any perspective, nor do I have any judgments at all, which is a lack (or benefit) of perspective as well. This way of looking, vulnerable and powerful at the same time, gives me a freedom that I want to share with others. And from where I make my art.

A painting only lives by the person who looks at it and connects it to it.

I paint sumi-e, meditatieve old-Japanese ink-painting. My sumi-e master is Beppe Mokuza, and since this way of painting tranferres from teacher to student, he teaches me to teach in this line. I am graduated to teach now.

You can do workshops or (individual) lessons with me. See page Sumi-e.

Besides sumi-e painting, I use in my artwork traditional materials and techniques: Because the colors, contrasts, texture become deeper. This is much better for the environment. Also, the works of art will remain in a good shape for much longer than when I had used modern (oil, acrylic) paint.

It is also a conscious, mindful way of working, building a work of art from pure linen, a piece of old wood, with pigments, oil, eggs or drawing with a piece of compressed earth. Or building a stained-glass artwork from glass and lead.

email: marjatsumi-e.eu

0031-40-8445424

Marjanne Geurtsen, Marj