ARTIST NEWS

Kate Staber, originally from Connecticut, has been a Punta Gorda resident since 1988. An experienced and award winning proponent of Oriental Brush painting, she works in the traditional oriental discipline. Controlled brush strokes without under drawing or touching up requires a confident approach to the subject – whether a simple flower or a complex landscape. A careful study of nature is all-important to capture the essence of the subject. She has exhibited and won awards in juried shows in Connecticut, New York, Washington D.C., Alabama, and Florida. She has also exhibited in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing and Ziamen, China.
A life-long artist, Kate began the study of Oriental Brush painting in 1978 with the late Vye Gabler and continued her studies with Leslie Tsin Tsin Yu, Helen Hu, I-Hsiung Ju, Shian Chiu Chow, Leung Chen Ying Chow, Shen Qua Mel, Mitchiko Mathews and some of the great masters in China.
The traditional techniques date back ten centuries. Because there is no way to erase or correct a mistake, every stroke has to be very controlled. Zen Buddhist monks practiced the art to develop their powers of concentration. The painting should give the viewer a feeling of tranquility and emotional involvement, which can be equated to the spiritual elevation of Zen. It should involve the viewer to the extent that he will feel a sense of peaceful excitement.
In 1988 Kate was one of 50 artists chosen by First Lady Nancy Reagan to paint 2 Easter eggs, which are now in the permanent collection in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.
Kate is a member of the Sumi-E Society of America, the Sarasota Chapter of the Sumi-E Society, The Oriental Brush Artist Guild, and the Charlotte County Art Guild.