D+P Studio News

Here is a wee bit of news from the D+P Studio!

Finding balance and space in seal designs – Tenkoku stampmaking

1 March 2021

At our recent seal engraving group we welcomed some new faces, helped them get started with their designs, and we also spent some extra time looking at 基本形 Kihonkei – the basic form.

Finding balance and space in seal designs - Tenkoku stampmaking

We found many options in the possible forms for 2, 3 and 4 character stamps, and enjoyed the spacious balance of these. Blair explained how that could help in planning a design, and related it to some examples from inspiring Chinese and Japanese masters.

We had time to discuss what we were working on and chat about materials and fun process of both the Tenkoku stone carving and Keshigomu eraser cutting techniques.

We worked on bringing organic shapes and cuts into the stamp making so they don’t look artificially machine made, but have vitality and movement. Thanks to folks for sharing their images 🙂

Our next online session by Zoom↓😉
Monday 3rd May 7.00pm – 8.30pm UTC+1
https://japanese-and-chinese-seal-engraving-tenkoku-may-21.eventbrite.co.uk

Category: Art Groups Tags: Japanese and Chinese stamp making

The last day of winter 節分 Setsubun

1 March 2021

At our cultural and language group Kanji Club on zoom we enjoyed marking 節分 Setsubun – the end of winter in the Japanese calendar – even although many of us had snow and ice where we were!

A couple of us followed tradition and threw some cooked beans at demons to keep out the bad luck and bring in good fortune. In Japanese culture oni demons are much loved, often cute with horns and red bodies.

We learned about the parts of each kanji character, and how to write them in Kanji (Chinese characters, also used in Japan) and Japanese Hiragana. We also practiced pronunciation of this and the chosen vocabulary for the month, before Blair brought out the fun and educational Kanji Quiz game!

Our next online session by Zoom↓😉
Monday 8th March 7.00pm – 8.30pm UTC+0
https://kanji-club-mar-2021.eventbrite.co.uk

Category: Art Groups Tags: Kanji Club

Discovering Japanese and Chinese characters at 漢字 Kanji Club

2 February 2021

The theme for our first Kanji Club was お正月 Oshougatsu – New Year! It was a lively and lovely group, thanks to everyone who took part and embracing the language and cultural elements of the class.

We learned about Japanese and Chinese characters, finding out from Blair how to engage with them, and looking at the fascinating history and evolution of styles over thousands of years.

We had time for our writing practice, and vocabulary related to New Year and the chosen kanji for the group, and our enjoyable kanji quiz game which opens up the meanings and sounds of the characters.

Category: Art Groups Tags: Kanji Club

Shodo calligraphy – brushing Shoshin beginner’s mind

2 February 2021

Shodo returned again in the new year of the cow!

This month we brushed the characters from the spacious 初心 shoshin meaning first time, heart mind, or commonly as ‘beginner’s mind’. Writing this and discovering more about the deeper meanings of the kanji characters in this word that zen monk and calligrapher Suzuki Roshi beautifully used, was a lovely way to start practicing Shodo calligraphy together this year.

‘In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few’ (Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind)
After some loosening mark making and strokes practice we worked on the more jaggy kaisho style, and also the curvy flowing sosho style which participants particularly enjoyed!

Shodo calligraphy - brushing Shoshin beginner's mind

Here is the short hopeful and poetic quote by Shunryu Suzuki that Blair read at the group –

‘Before the rain stops we can hear a bird. Even under the heavy snow we see snowdrops and some new growth.’

Notice in the picture, in Blair’s bunchin paperweight there is the shape of a cow and the kanji for ushi 丑 cow. It was a gift to him twelve years ago in the last ushi year.

Thanks to the participants for taking part and sending their images.

Category: Art Groups Tags: Shodo calligraphy

Doodly relaxing with snowy and icy winter shapes

2 February 2021

At our Destress doodling and drawing group we had an easygoing time with a seasonal wintry theme of snow lines and icy shapes and patterns to inspire us.

Folk who joined us used whatever they had to hand, such as a pen or pencil or coloured pencils or felt tip pens.

Doodly relaxing with snowy and icy winter shapes

After some laid back doodles of lines and shapes (and some bird and animal footprints!) Blair talked a bit about wintry walking by the river near him and the experience of being outside and enjoying the spaciousness and patterns and cooler subtle and silvery colours of the season – after this and listening to some short poetry we drew some more and had plenty of time to explore our doodles more and bring in some more colours too.

Drawing in this way gave us freedom and a supportive space to just enjoy making each piece without judgement or worry, a great way to de-stress. Thanks to those who wanted to send their pictures for sharing.

Category: Art Groups Tags: De-stress therapeutic art

Creative Time – Reaching out to wintery open spaces

2 February 2021

This month’s Creative Time is very laid back – please send us any photos you have taken of your wintry environment, or any poems you have written about the season.

Mark’s view of hills and moon from the north of Glasgow

The February days are becoming longer and there is more sunshine to energise us. If you are able to get out for a walk you could take a picture then, or from your window of the sky for instance if you are mainly indoors. You could also doodle some words or shapes related to the season.

Winter Park Blair Thomson — Blair’s view through twisting trees

The light greens, pinks and purples of winter light by Ken

Have fun, doodle or come up with some creative words at our free online art community. Our regular relaxing activities – Creative Time – encourage you to have some creative enjoyment and keep in touch with us and find inspiration from other participants in Scotland and beyond!

It would be great if you would like to send us an image of anything you make, for us to show online if possible, please either 1. email us your image, 2. post to instagram with this tag #dandpstudio_creativetime or 3. post on our Facebook page.

Category: Art Groups Tags: Community Groups, Creative Time

Creative Time – Celebrating New Year with Colour and Pattern 🎉

4 January 2021

Let’s celebrate the New Year with some colour and pattern. For our first Creative Time activity of 2021 why not enjoy some fun doodling with any materials you have at hand – such as pencil ✏️, pens 🖊️, colouring pencils, or paints. 🎨🖌️

To inspire us D+P Studio participant Maria has kindly sent us her lovely artworks that she has been delighting in making, she says she really likes experimenting with ‘abstract, with a hint of realism, like rainbows, cityscapes, etc.’

Thanks Ken for sending your two images, this is a very funky and colourful digital image, a joyful start to the year 🙂

A very different atmosphere in your next iPad artwork, thanks Ken. We enjoy the transparent space and energy in your mark making.

Thanks for sending your surrealist painting Mike, very mysterious! You said ‘it’s abstract for January, one face looking into the past where we’ve been and another looking into the future where we are headed..’

Category: Art Groups Tags: Creative Time

Season’s Greetings 🎄

21 December 2020

Best wishes for the festive season!

We hope you are keeping warm and well and enjoy the winter holidays. Here is our Season’s Greetings card with images of some of the many wholehearted and inspiring works by participants 💖 Huge thanks for all your encouragement and support this year and we look forward to meet with you again in 2021 as the winter sun rises ❄️🌞

From Blair and the D+P Studio team.

Category: Art Groups Tags: Community Groups, Drawing Groups

Unsurpassed and deep – tracing the Kaikyōge and Fuekō

15 December 2020

At Shakyō Sutra copying practice (online on zoom) we traced or copied two short verses which are often read or chanted in zen and other schools – the Kaikyōge Opening the Sutras Verse and the Fuekō Turning of Merit.

They are deep and inspiring short verses, the Fuekō directly coming from the Lotus Sutra. Some of the people who joined the shakyō practice copied with a pen and others used a small brush. Blair gave a demo of the shakyo meditative process and how to use the traditional materials, such as the fude brush with the hair of life tip, as well as easier to find alternatives – like a pencil and copy paper!

With it being the middle of December, and having chosen two short poetic verses to trace, we naturally had time for a break for a sweet snack – for Blair a mince pie and dark choc with green tea 🍵😊 and after chanting the Kaikyōge and ringing the bell we restarted the practice.

It was nice that some folk tried the Japanese and also English versions of the verses. And added stamps if they had them!

The first two lines of the Kaikyōge can be translated:

‘Unsurpassed, deep, minute, wondrous Dharma,
In a hundred thousand million years is rare to encounter..’

The group was a nice way to close this year’s shakyō, and write our wishes for health and wellbeing and other things close to our hearts. Thanks to all who joined the practice this year.

Please see some examples below of works by participants.

Our next session↓😉

Shakyo Group

Category: Art Groups Tags: Shakyo

Discovering beauty in Japanese and Chinese stamps

14 December 2020

We looked closely at the styles of in 印 stamps at the Tenkoku 篆刻 seal engraving group, particularly at Japanese Master Wakabayashi.

Wakabayashi Shūjō was like a grandfather to Blair who started studying shodō calligraphy with him in 2002. He kindly introduced Blair to Tenkoku seal engraving and the materials to use and Blair could discover the many stamps made by him, mostly of his creative name 舟城 Shūjō meaning boat castle. In his calligraphy on shikishi board, he stamps this with a rectangular red letter type stamp.

His stone stamp are full of character and dynamic beauty, with the textures of the engraved lines and marks varied and alive and always interacting with the spaces.

At the group we looked at and copied some of his inei stamp impressions, and participants had time to ask questions and to work on designs or carving at whatever stage they are at, some folk planning a new design.

Blair gave a detailed demo of how to stamp and work with, as well as care for, the lovely deep red indei ink. Also he gave tips and examples about where in an artwork to stamp harmonically.