::: Ming Franz Studio :::

About Ming

My style of art is called Splash Ink with Watercolor. It's about freedom,
creativity, and your imagination. It is a distant cry from any of my previous
attempts to create a Kodak Moment when painting. I struggled to get
everything perfect in the drawings and paintings that I tried to create.
Splash Ink with Watercolor is about freedom--finding your inner spirit and
letting it work for and through you. It touches your inner child and lets you
want to enjoy the experience rather than doing a task that becomes
tedious in wanting everything to look perfect. I love the idea of having
several papers to choose from with merging colors and intensity. I feel
very excited about my attempts and the realization that it's okay to try;
and if it doesn't please your eyes, it's at least a start toward improving as
you continue to enjoy the experience. I feel I can allow myself to let go of
control and enjoy this method of creativity.

I started painting when I was eight years old. My next door neighbor was
an art teacher, who taught me crayon, charcoal drawing, and watercolor. I
later went and studied with masters of traditional Chinese painting. I
attended the National Art Institute of Taiwan, immigrated to the U.S. in the
early 70s, and continued my art studies in mostly community colleges
where I resided.

In the early 90s, I was so inspired when I saw the splash ink paintings of
world-renowned artist Master Chang Dai-Chein that I immediately wanted
to attempt my first creation. In the 90s I studied traditional Splash Ink
with Master Hau Pei-Ren, who is Master Chang's student. I also studied
"East meets West in Art" with Professor Arthur Kao of San Jose State
University.

My paintings are published by North Light Publications in Splash 9 and
Splash 10. One other painting is published in Open Studio Press.

Splash Ink with Watercolor is easy to learn. I have written Splash Ink with
Watercolor, Looking East, Painting West, which is an illustrated
step-by-step book, and its accompanying instructional DVD. This book
gives many examples, simple directions and the materials needed to
inspire anyone to try this method. The book and DVD may be purchased
directly from this website.

I live in Edgewood, NM, with my husband Ben and my two dogs, Missy and
Gizmo. I have a home studio where I give private lessons and workshops in
both traditional Chinese painting and Splash Ink painting.