William Preston

Biography

"I try to distill the quintessence of things into art that transcends time.  Sumi-e, with its eloquent simplicity and evocative quality, is the ideal medium for expressing the essence, rather than the specifics, of nature.  Many things are implied or left unsaid, creating a visual poem.

The appeal of painting directly in ink and watercolor on rice paper is its immediacy, fluency, and spontaneity. These qualities allow an instant expression of my emotional state at that moment.

In fact, there are certain forms of brushwork by which one can immediately measure one’s state of concentration, similar to the concentration of a performing musician.   As with musicians, the sumi artist practices daily the basics of his craft in order to maintain the necessary skills."