After the summer break our Saturday morning class in Glasgow and our online Monday evening group met to relaxingly ease back into shodo calligraphy practice. Brushing the single character for dew or open air, Tsuyu 露, which in Zen writings has also had a meaning of impermanence and natural change ✨
Beginning with some tips on holding the fude and practicing some of the main strokes in this kanji, we then copied the kaisho standard style and the flowing sōsho style. We also had some time to look at the semi cursive style and the flow of the stroke order.
In all these styles the character is basically made up of three parts, which were dynamic to brush in balance. Our challenge was to convey the sense of the heavy rain cloud in the top part of the kanji! We had some inspiration from some Zen fully cursive calligraphy for this 🌧️
The dew and openness themed poem below by master Dōgen includes the word tsuyu and captures the impermanence and spontaneity of life, which participants enjoyed brushing 🙂
Mujō – Impermanence
To what shall
(translated by Heine)
I liken the world?
Moonlight, reflected
In dewdrops,
Shaken from a crane’s bill
Thanks to everyone for taking part again, and to those for sharing some pictures here of their calligraphy practice.
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