Stone seals designed by Janet Kozachek
Stone seals are an integral part of the art of Chinese painting. They are written in an ancient form of Chinese called Zhuan. These were carved with a steel blade onto stones purchased from Inner Mongolia. They read from left to right: Life from a Swamp, Long Life and Eternal Joy, Qi -the breath of life and Honesty
Tango Dancers
These works are from a series of brush paintings depicting the Argentine Tango. I used hand ground inks on imported mulberry paper. The Red seal affixed to these paintings reads "Tango," which means in Chinese "The searching dagger." For a full article on this series click here
Tango Dancers # 102
East West Fusions
How does one reconcile having been steeped in both western and Asian art traditions and training? In the painting at left, I used traditional Chinese Xuan paper and ink but this time eschewed the strict calligraphic training for a more spontaneous, uncalculated effect. The paper was submerged in ink and water and allowed to dry naturally in the sun. The evaporating ink water left what looked like mudslides and eddys as it retreated. I mounted the paper onto a canvas and touched up the edges with oil paint. The center piece is a metal fork that I had found conveniently flattened by a truck.