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D+P Studio News

Kokyou - the eternal mirror

Kokyou – the eternal mirror

We first had some fun loosening up with some markmaking before working on the kanji character 古 ko / furui for old or ancient. Exploring the oldest bone carving style of character was really fun in addition to the tensho and kaisho styles. 鏡 Kyou/… Read More »Kokyou – the eternal mirror

Mysterious shapes and energy of trees

Mysterious shapes and energy of trees

Continuing from last week’s theme of spring growth we probed the branchy twisting shapes within trees, more easily seen before all the leaves come out. Thinking about the graceful shapes and sense of wisdom that trees convey, we were free to make more artworks and… Read More »Mysterious shapes and energy of trees

Spring growth and life emerging

Spring growth and life emerging

The buds of spring and shoots, and young green leaves inspired us over two nights at Maryhill Art Group. We used our senses to look closely at the buds, daffodils and other spring shoots and flowers we had brought in, also smelling the scents. After… Read More »Spring growth and life emerging

Expansive vistas, soaring gannets, flying marks

Expansive vistas, soaring gannets, flying marks

Freedom in open spaces and big marks! Continuing from last session’s rocky theme of rocks under the earth in Glasgow, we took this into wider dimensions with more spacious scenes of sea, islands, birds. This was influenced also by the rock and raked gravel dry… Read More »Expansive vistas, soaring gannets, flying marks

Lava rising from patterns of earth and rock

Lava rising from patterns of earth and rock

Inspired by the rocks under our feet in Glasgow, from the carboniferous to the metamorphic hundreds of millions of years ago. We drew and doodled from our rock collection as well as from our imagination, thinking about lava rising up through the sea to create… Read More »Lava rising from patterns of earth and rock

Spring experiments and lots of tensho!

Spring experiments and lots of tensho!

The primary school group on Saturday at North United Communities in Maryhill Hub tried Japanese calligraphy for the first time and had lots of fun! To begin with we did some short meditation together, just grounding and breathing, settling, and then touching the materials which… Read More »Spring experiments and lots of tensho!

Clouds and heart-mind at Maryhill Hub

Clouds and heart-mind at Maryhill Hub

Secondary school young people at the Friday night North United Communities group embraced Japanese writing and Shodo calligraphy. The group had some meditative time first to feel the textures and weight of the materials, such as the types of fude brushes, suzuri ink well and… Read More »Clouds and heart-mind at Maryhill Hub

Shodo calligraphy at Ruchill Community Centre

Shodo calligraphy at Ruchill Community Centre

At our first Sasakawa Foundation sponsored event in Ruchill, local children and staff tried out Japanese calligraphy for the first time, using traditional materials such as fude brushes and sumi ink to write some Chinese kanji characters. We explored a natural theme of light and… Read More »Shodo calligraphy at Ruchill Community Centre

North United Communities, Glasgow

Sights of Glasgow painted at NUC Breakfast Club

We started off sketching the main shapes of the composition – of the Clyde river and Hydro, Armadillo and Tall Ship, then added the great Glasgow icon of the Duke of Wellington with his stunning traffic cone hat ? Next the Squinty bridge, Finnieston Crane,… Read More »Sights of Glasgow painted at NUC Breakfast Club