Legacy

“Sumaqua” calls for a very direct, spontaneous manner of painting in which the artist applies her clean-cut brush strokes directly to the paper without previous planning or penciled layout.  It relates principally to parts of growing things such as bamboo, pine trees, grass and the like.  From sumaqua one is able to advance to more complex methods and subjects, for example, birds, flowers and landscapes – in color as well as black and white.  Such are painted on paper or silk and then mounted, with starch paste, on paper or fabric scrolls so they may be rolled up and easily stored with not on exhibition.  

“Tu-aunqua” calls for carefully calculated design with all steps meticulously worked out before the actual painting is started. This style of work goes back to the time when pictures were painted on the walls of caves in China. Paintings are usually large in size, to be used as mural decorations. The most common subject for tu-aunqua is the human figure. All details are most carefully drawn in outline, while the color is registered in flat or nearly flat applications.

This description was found in a 1971 brochure describing Yee Wah's art.