ARTIST AT WORK
by Ann Kozeliski
TALLAHASSEE, FL— As a member of NAWA since 2018, I was most pleased to be invited to submit an article showing my work, my inspiration, my studio and to announce my solo exhibit at the Appleton Museum of Art in Ocala, Florida, entitled Portraits in Passing.
I have been on a creative path all my life—a path that has led me to the most challenging and exhilarating medium that, even after more than 30 years, continues to bring me creative satisfaction with every challenge.
I was fortunate that my past full-time professional vocation was in a creative occupation that not only paid the bills but provided me the financial security to pursue other creative expressions. For 15 years, I also worked in stained glass, creating my own designs and winning several awards and commissions for my work.
I am a national award-winning graphic artist and had the honor of being the graphic design consultant overseeing the State of Florida redesign for the U.S. Mint’s “50 State Quarters Program.”
Florida Quarter, re-designed
However, it is my true belief that inside every graphic artist is a frustrated fine artist. That axiom proved itself when, in 1996, I had the fortune of taking advantage of classes offered at our local senior center under the instruction of Phyllis Mullens who, at the age of 75, introduced me to the fine art medium I had been searching for: sumi-e (Japanese for ink painting).
Kozelski in the Studio
Sumi-e is a very deceiving form, appearing so simple, but the creation of that simplicity takes concentrated effort that causes many beginners to quickly give up. For those who persevere, sumi-e delivers the most satisfying and exhilarating results.
Sumi-e starts with four strokes referred to as the Four Gentlemen: bamboo, wild orchid, chrysanthemum and plum blossoms on craggy branch. The materials used are called the Four Treasures: brush, paper, ink and stone. The stone is called a suzuri in Japanese, a tool shaped very much like a western paint pan.
The four strokes build off each other, and from those four strokes, all things are created. Bamboo strokes become a bird leg, an orchid leaf stroke a feather in a rooster’s tail, etc. Pressure, water and paper all play an integral part in the desired result.
Early in the study and practice of sumi-e, we are introduced to the methods of creating subjects such as flowers, birds and insects, landscapes and trees, people and animals. I have followed the direction of people and animals and continue to be challenged.
I work in the style of painting called “Mogufa,” meaning boneless. I don’t draw my subjects first. I put brush to paper and create the shape, depth and form with the intensity of the ink, water and brush stroke. My focus has been on the people I see in my daily travels, primarily people of the streets—homeless, wanderers—people whom we know are there but go unseen. I generally don’t photograph my subjects. Something about the energy of the moment, their Chi, sticks in my mind’s eye, locks in and I paint, creating what I call a portrait of a moment, not a person. Following the formal style of historic Chinese portraits, I don’t paint a background, leaving the negative space surrounding the subject open for interpretation, inviting the viewer to create their own dialogue with what they see in the work.
Occasionally, I will add what I call a “Sense of Place”- a simple irregular line, more organic than structured- to anchor the energy of the subject and define the negative space.
“Abandoned, Mile Marker 241”, inkbrush on double xuan paper, 24” x 30”.
My NAWA award-winning work ,“Abandoned, Mile Marker 241”, shows this sense of place. The woman in the painting was abandoned on Interstate 75 just north of Tampa, FL. She’s sitting alone on the asphalt shoulder of the highway wrapped in nothing but a blue blanket. The fine organic line of irregular shape, painted in a wash of sumi and extending to the left, in the direction of her gaze, enhances the feeling of isolation and despair.
“The Gift”, inkbrush on double xuan paper, 27” x 52”.
“The Gift” is another of my works that highlights the isolation of the subject—the rare case in which I worked from a photo. A friend reacted to a situation, thought of my work, took a picture. This is one of those scenarios. The sense of place is created by a slight line of shadow extending from the bottom of the cup. This is a particular favorite work of mine in which the traditional triangular composition directs the eye to the gift, possibly a random act of kindness in a simple cup of coffee. The amount of detail in the face and hands contrasts with the seemingly freeform mass of the coat, creating the depth of the body by controlling the ink layers and incorporating the quality of the type of the paper. The finished work, in this case on double xuan paper, measures 27” by 52”.
Currently, I have 31 pieces from my collection, “Portraits in Passing” on exhibition through June 21, 2026 at the Appleton Museum of Art, in Ocala, FL. I was invited to give an Auditorium Talk and demonstration on April 4, 2026.
The collection consists of 25 framed works and 6 raw-edged, unmounted 27” x 52” paintings presented in a scroll fashion. For more about the exhibit, please visit: https://www.appletonmuseum.org/art-exhibitions-collections/current/.
I’m a lifelong volunteer and have always felt it important to donate my skills where they will do the most good and be most appreciated. Recently, I have been provided two such opportunities to give back in a very special way. I was commissioned to create works highlighting the themes of events specific to the mission of two local nonprofit organizations, Survive and Thrive Advocacy Center, Inc. and Oasis Center for Women and Girls.
The executive boards of these organizations decided to give original works of art rather than a manufactured plaque, adding an engraved panel with the recipients’ name and award distinction placed on the back of the work, so as not to distract from the art. For the first opportunity, I selected the Ensō as the focal point of the work; the character is used in the Taoist study to find enlightenment; a beginning and an end, created in a single breath. For the second work, a sunburst circle of yellow focuses the energy.
Ensō character
I am determined to continue to create challenges for myself that will improve my skills. I remain inspired by a “Less is More” approach to create the most impact with the fewest brush strokes as the subjects present themselves. My work engages viewers by inviting them to create their own story for each piece that calls out to them in my exhibits.
Please visit my website for updates: https://www.inkbrushart.com
Photo credit Elizabeth E. George Photography
