Art teacher Renee Sonka recently had a painting selected to be part of a national exhibition of Asian brush paintings.  The juried exhibition is held annually and is the most competitive exhibition of Asian brush painting in the nation.  To be considered "Asian brush painting," the submitted works must be painted on rice paper or silk using Sumi-e ink.  (Sumi-e is a Japanese word meaning "ink painting.")  Other mediums, such as watercolor, may be used in conjunction with the traditional Asian materials.

Ms. Sonka's painting is entitled "On location:  North Shore Oahu."  It will hang at the Strathmore Hall Arts Center in Bethesda, Maryland for about six weeks this summer.  After the exhibition, the painting will become part of the online gallery of the Sumi-e Society of America website (www.sumiesociety.org).  The painting was also recently featured in Sumi-e magazine, which is a national publication about Asian brush painting.