Class Description
Chinese brush painting, with its emphasis on the beauty of simplicity flowing brush strokes and graceful designs, reflects time-honored principles of Chinese philosophy and culture. Learning this art form motivates the students to observe critically, practice purposefully, express deliberately, explore creatively, compose artistically, develop a different way of thinking by following instructions and internalizing imageries.
Students will learn to work with the bamboo brushes, using water color on rice paper. They will also learn color theories while loading the brushes with the three primary colors plus black and white. Students will develop confidence in painting through demonstrations, individual instructions and practice. This course is ideal for people with or without previous art training.
Workshop Descriptions
January 31 morning 10 -1pm
Hydrangea Brush Painting
Lift our January blues with bouquets of hydrangea. Imagine the abundance of the summer and brighten the winter months with color and beauty. Composed of many little flowerets, , hydrangea is very attainable by any beginners. Indulge yourself with this elegant simplicity.
January 31 afternoon 2-5pm
Plum, Peach and Cherry
Flowers on the branches, with or without budding leaves, cherry stems hold them out, the same flowers in different trees. The earliest blossoms in the spring, breaking through the winter blues. Hold on to your persevering hope. Warmth will arrive with the raining paddles.
April 4 morning 10 -1pm
Tulips Patches Selection
Match the tulips patches with joyous brush strokes of budding and blooming flowers peaking though the leaves in their pose and in their folds. Pick out your gifts of beauty from your heart. Paint them for an unfading friendship.
April 4 afternoon 2-5pm
Azalea Celebration
Let’s join the buzzing bees in their celebration of the full bloom festival. We will go azalea hopping, briskly from bush to bush. Do save the honey from the party, but take as many colors as you can with you in this beautiful rite of the spring.
May 23 morning 10 – 1pm
The Joyous Orchids
Capture the elegance of the orchid grass. Be challenged by the many varieties of orchids. Overcome the challenge with the joy of simplicity.
May 23 afternoon 2-5pm
Romancing the Roses
Decorate our life with moments of romance. Remind ourselves to stop and smell the roses. Let our heart be awakened by their fragrance. Entrust our feelings to follow the inspiration of roses as we paint them.
August 29 morning 10-1pm
Brilliant Sunflowers Brush Painting
Let’s paint the brilliant sunflowers to our heart’s content. Grow them on paper from the buds to full bloom. Soak in as much sun as the brush will hold. Command their growth with our strokes. Watch them sway in the wind.
August 29 afternoon 2-5pm
Glorious Chrysanthemum
The perseverance beauty hold on to their broom for as long as possible, even through the biting wind before winter. Huddle together in community, you can see the harmony and the complement in numbers.
They echo the bright colors of the fall and accent the bare branched landscape. Let us extend their broom for ever with our brushes.
October 24 morning 10 -1pm
Wisteria on the Pine
Like a maiden in her new spring dress with laces and sashes, the pine tree is decorated with wisteria vines with hanging blooms. Don’t worry about its entanglement. The beauty is in it.
October 24 afternoon 2-5pm
The Staring Lilies
Searching for the stars in the garden? follow the spotlight to their stunning blooms. Listen closely to the trumpets, watch how they blow their horn. Blasting their beauty in rhythm. accompanied by the swaying blades. Reward yourself with an adventure in challenging strokes.
Each 3-hour workshop will comprise of:
1. learn the property of the rice paper
2. learn the proper loading of the brush
3. learn the proper holding of the brush and various brush strokes
4. brush strokes demonstration for individual elements (such as buds, flowers, leaves, stems) separately.
5. elements practice
6. placement and orientation of single design elements
7. composition of multiple design elements
8. mounting
