Sarah Allen

I have had a passion for art ever since I was three and raided my grandmother's studio for paints and coloring books. As I got older I tested many mediums but it wasn't until I was ten years old that I fell into relaxation with the Chinese style. My grandmother enrolled me in an adult class where everyone was at least 30 to 40 years my senior. I was scared the first few hours but soon all my anxiousness faded into the background with the control and permanence of the Chinese Detail Style.

Stress of my everyday life muddies my thoughts to the point my brain can't keep up with my surroundings, but when my brush hits the shimmering rice paper all is forgotten and my mind clears. The permanence of the ink and the spontaneity of the application are what differentiate the Chinese style from the traditional European art I grew up with. The watercolors are done with only three primary colors, watered down and dumped onto the paper in a mindful yet carefree manner. Once it dries I go back in and negatively paint the objects, detailing them with the thicker version of the same colors. While on the rice paper, I outline carefully the subject in ink and then layer a multitude of paints to achieve the lifelike effect.