the nine gates | Laughing Waters Studio

from the brush of Bob Schmitt

Student and teacher of Chinese brush painting, Bob Schmitt depicts nine gates of a spiritual journey, transforming the aesthetic of the traditional Chinese scroll into digital internal landscapes.

Wall titles include the artist’s singular poetic description of each gate. Click on image of each scroll to see inscription.

These paintings began as calligraphic sketches to create composition and energy level for each gate. Each then was painted using traditional Chinese materials: ground ink, transparent watercolor on xuan paper. Paintings were then scanned and enhanced digitally. The background for each scroll began by taking a sample from the painting to create a basic block. These blocks were then used to compose the faux silk patterns that frame each painting.