Ming Franz

"My style of painting, splash ink with watercolor or acrylic, has been a delightful journey, breathing life into a traditional Chinese painting technique—pomo—with a spontaneous Western interpretation. Artists have used this technique from the 8th century Tang dynasty, through 1960s abstract expressionism, and on into contemporary artists, who splash ink and color to create unique works. "

Ming Franz exemplifies the unique beauty of contemporary Asian American art, and over the years she has mastered the evocative medium of splash color painting. Franz developed an early passion for nature, and she uses her vast knowledge of the natural world to transform abstract ink forms into works of art. Her adaptive style allows the splashes of colored ink to reveal their own voice.

Splash ink with watercolor or acrylic is a blending of styles in which Asian black ink and primary paint are splashed onto mulberry paper before Franz adds the finishing touches. The blending of ink and paint produces an abstract image that can be interpreted in various ways. Often the artist must look at the abstract forms and let the colors speak. Creativity is in the mind of the artist, and this style of painting expresses this contemporary view.

Franz started painting when she was eight, later studying traditional Chinese painting. She continued her art studies at college in the US, in the 1990s studying splash ink with Master Paul Pei Ren Hau and taking the course “East meets West in Art” with Professor Arthur Mu Seng Kao at San Jose State. She was so inspired when she saw the splash ink paintings of prodigious artist, Master Chang Dai Chien, that she immediately attempted her first creation.