A painting is merely the final product of the art of Jack Wise, viewed by people in a gallery, on a wall in their home or even in the database that is part of this web site. His paintings are not just pigment on paper, however, for he has infused each one with his spiritual, psychological, mathematical and environmental studies and observations. These efforts are coupled with his choices of brushes and paints, which he often made himself, for part of the process of creating vibrant and intriguing mandalas, calligraphy and free-form work involves the special tools and materials used by the artist.

Buddha Thoughts Jack Wise

Jack Wise experimented with all kinds of media, the equipment and supplies needed to create his art. Each type of paint, every brush, and all the many things within his studio were part of his unique style. South Asian carpets and fabrics surrounded Wise in his studio, as he worked seated in a meditative posture. When practising calligraphy, he would dip his chosen brush into ink, which would then find its way across the topmost sheet of a block of paper, following some graceful and studied movements of his hand. Mandalas were completed on carefully cut circles of white paper. He constructed a special, circular case, made of wood and lined with batting, in which to carry these works in progress.

Lists of some of the thousands of pieces he completed during his time in British Columbia show that he used sumi and Chinese inks, graphite, silver, gilt and pearls, and watercolour, tempera and oil paints. He sculpted marble and produced relief woodcut and intaglio prints. He painted on linen, paper and rocks, and many of his works contained combinations of many different materials, in what is known as "mixed media".