Though Rosemary KimBal majored in art at the University of California, Santa Barbara, her true artistic career did not begin until age thirty-five when she first visited the Tassajara Zen Center in Northern California. "I knew from the first lesson (in calligraphy) I had found ‘it’, that place of personal tranquillity."

That "it" is something which is traditionally considered inexpressible, even by mystics of all religions. Until her visit to the Tassajara Zen Center, KimBal led a completely different lifestyle, one that would be undetectable in her present one. She refers to that period of her life spent as President of an advertising agency and as a real estate agent, as "prior lifetimes." A trickle of laughter comes as she says, " I feel like I have all new cells."

Zen not only involves painting, it connotes a lifestyle. One of KimBal’s joys is to teach the art in a manner involving the totality of Zen. Classes at her Dancing Brush^® Studio begin with learning the art of traditional Japanese calligraphy to train the hand. The calligraphy stroke is a different movement from the drawing stroke in that it involves the whole arm, not just the fingers and wrist. Next is a session in Tai Chi to clear the students’ minds. One of the most important elements of Zen is to listen to your body. "All the answers are in ourselves. The trick is to become quiet enough to hear them," she says.

KimBal paints everything from landscapes to figures to animals. Each of her paintings elicits a calming energy. Sometimes a painting is done with a single brush stroke. This does not imply carelessness, it can take many days and many attempts to achieve the perfection in the simplicity of a single stroke.

"The kind of painting I do has to be done all at once. You have to be at the stage where you are emotionally ready to do it." She later adds, "I’ve cried the whole way through some of my paintings."

It’s a feeling of relief to find that space of emptiness where true art is created. "You can’t try for it, it just happens," KimBal says.

She does practice the traditional style of Zen art and calligraphy, but specializes in a more contemporary and liberated style. Her traditional style follows the ancient Zen brush painting called Sumi-e but her contemporary style is abstract. The Zen artist, as the Zen practitioner, faces the problem of how to express this thing called "Zen" without limiting it by words and complexity. "The idea (of Zen art)," she says, "is to convey the essence of the image in as few strokes as possible." Simplicity is essential.

The four tools used in Zen art - the ink stone, ink stick, rice paper and bamboo brushes - are known as the four treasures. Each brush is made of a different kind of hair, including horse, goat and sheep. As in other types of painting, the kind of brush you use depends on the feeling you want to convey. Horse hair is best for lines, sheep hair for softness. KimBal explains that the process of grinding the ink before the actual act of painting is akin to meditation or to "boring the left side of your brain." She relates that students are most successful when they come with "a beginner’s mind" - meaning, to let go of all preconceived ideas and expectations.

In the Wood River Valley KimBal’s art is represented by Bellissimo. Terry Murphy, the proprietor, was instantly drawn to the serenity and the simplicity of her work. Murphy explains, " the store revolves around what is going to make people comfortable. Walking into the store is like walking into a treasure chest." The hallmark of Bellissimo is its cross-cultural eclecticism. "I am all about the Marco Polo mix," she says.

KimBal’s work has been exhibited in Taipei, Taiwan, Canada and New York. This past year she was chosen to represent the voice of Zen Art in America in an exhibition at New York’s Ronin Gallery. This exhibit named The Spirit of the Brush also featured Toko Shinoda, the much-admired and treasured Japanese artist, as well as the 19-century artist, Kawabato Gyokusho. Within the artistic community, Rosemary is known as Mei Yue`, meaning Beautiful Joy, and this seal is affixed to each of her paintings.