Monday, December 15, 2008

Chinese Brush Painting

I have been learning Chinese brush painting, which has brought me a lot of joy. This year I decided to make holiday cards out of small paintings. Here are a few of them.

[Click on any image for a magnified view.]

Wild Orchid. This is a traditional summer subject, but I used it for the holiday cards because I like the simplicity of the traditional composition.




























Dragonflies.
Often a subject conveying summer, but it also conveys the Buddhist sense of the ephemeral nature of life. Mostly, I just like the strokes used to paint them.





































Plum Blossoms. This is a traditional winter subject. Apparently plum trees often bloom during winter, amid the snow.





























These will all be sent out to friends and family, so soon I won't have them anymore. Goodbye, little paintings, may you spread joy as you travel.


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2 comments:

  1. I got bamboo--symbol of yeilding?--and perhaps, summer. Summer. What a concept.

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  2. Hi, Sara! Yes, I painted a few bamboo images, too. Bamboo does represent resilience, but it is a winter subject, as it remains green through winter. It's one of those classic subjects that is very hard to master. Many artists devote their career to pursuing its perfection.

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