I got my hands on some semi-sized Xuan. This one is very thin and translucent; feels like a giant sheet of onion skin. I like this kind of paper due to the fact that it allows a build up of layers of ink. The regular unsized Xuan would not tolerate this practice.
Lately I've been drawn to some of the classical elements of a formal Chinese garden. I decided to further explore this arena.
I sat down with a pen sketching of a plausible layout
At this stage I was trying to pin down the spatial relationship of the different structures. I wanted to glorify the sweeping roof lines and use them as a back-drop for the cozy enclosure. I have not decided on how to treat the pond. I am inclined to leave it blank, with a ribbon of pond lily as garnish.
I hoped to be able to use the center pavilion as the focal point, but somehow my attention was diverted to the side structures
I kept embellishing my sketch
Never for a moment thought that this would be an exercise in futility, I pressed on.
I started to brush down an outline in very diluted ink, and piled on subsequent layers to achieve the different tones.
Eventually I established the general arrangement of the structures.
I took a break at this point. I was having difficulty concentrating. Actually I was running out of ideas. I felt like I was manufacturing instead of creating.
I just realized that I stopped because I was bored. It wasn't fun anymore.
I left this on the table and examined it from afar, from close-up, skewing and tilting my field of vision. Unfortunately I could not find one iota of emotion in this rendition, not at this stage anyways.
Everything looked so rigid and stoic.
Like Cougars said in Top Gun, " I'm holding on too tight, I've lost the edge"
I was thinking about what I paint, and not painting what I think!
I am an enthusiast of Chinese Brush Painting and I would like to share my trials and tribulations in learning the craft. I want to document the process, the inspiration and the weird ideas behind my projects and to address some of the nuances related to this dicipline. I hope to create a dialogue and stir up some interest in the art of painting with a Chinese brush on Xuan. In any case, it would be interesting to see my own evolution as time progresses. This is my journal
Showing posts with label paint what you think. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paint what you think. Show all posts
Thursday, September 4, 2014
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