Time to doodle and relax with the changing season

14 December 2020

At our comfortable and easygoing Destress drawing group online on zoom we started with some gentle free doodles, such as flowing lines and zig zags, before making our own patterns to colour. See some of the pieces participants worked on below, very varied ✨

Blair said some words about the season and we imagined gazing up through twisting branches from a forest full of golden leaves, up to a glowing moon, which helped us to doodle some more and find our own fun creative paths. He read some poetry by Ryokan also, here is a snippet:

We had a friendly group with a nice atmosphere, and folk didn’t have to show any works they were doing, so there was no pressure to be creative or come up with anything specific, this group is more about enjoying the doodling and drawing process , finding calm and connection and the sensory meditative side of drawing.

Our next session↓😉

Category: Art Groups Tags: De-stress therapeutic art

Shodo of the autumn moon shining in the blue pool.. 

14 December 2020

Inspired by one of Chinese poet Han Shan’s Cold Mountain poems, we brushed the characters for autumn moon – shūgetsu 秋月, at our online Shodo group Zen Brush. Some of us were lucky to catch a glimpse of the waxing crescent moon in the early evening above the horizon glowing yellow or orange 🌙 before quickly sinking into a blanket of clouds!

First Blair talked about the two kanji characters and their background and styles, fascinating to see how the shape of the pictogram for moon 月 had changed over thousands of years, and within the older kanji for autumn 秋 the fire and light of the sun on the grain as well as the insect too in some versions.

After some demos we worked on each kanji in the more boxy kaisho style and then the fluid curvy sōsho ‘grass’ style which simplifies and connects many of the strokes. The style that Blair demonstrated of the sōsho is based upon the master Chiei from the 7th Century Sui dynasty. His work is often copied by Japanese calligraphers.

It was delightful connecting deeply with this thought provoking short zen poem by Han Shan, looking at calligraphy inpired by it, and then writing part of it in shodo ourselves.

Please see some examples by participants in these photos.

Our next session↓😉

Category: Art Groups Tags: Shodo calligraphy

Cutting and carving stones for Japanese and Chinese stamps

8 November 2020

At the November 篆刻 tenkoku (seal engraving) group meeting online by zoom, Blair gave an in depth demonstration of carving techniques to directly guide participants and give them tips on this exciting part of the process!

This covered how to handle and work with each of the traditional materials including the stones, clamp, and cutters of varied sizes.

We also looked at the layout of stamp compositions and tips on how to have enough breathing space and balance, depending on the style.

He also helped advise folk with their kanji or names and their designs for stamps. Lots of great ideas from folk (thanks for your photos) and very varied 印  stamps, including ookami wolf 🐺, a Zen name, and an English first and last name converted by Blair into four kanji for a white letter 白文stamp 🙂

Our next session↓😉

Category: Art Groups Tags: Japanese and Chinese stamp making

Relaxing and immersing ourselves in autumnal lines

8 November 2020

At our De-stress drawing group on zoom we enjoyed a slow paced, peaceful doodling time with a loose autumn theme. To start we relaxed with doodling zig zags and curves, before taking a moment to notice the pattern and feel of the changing season 😊 

We loosely sketched some leafy shapes, inspired by simple outlines and curves, points of leaves, and also took in some different hues of autumn  🍂

Bringing in a meditative and mindful approach with a light heart, and a little poetry too for inspiration, we could find some freedom and ease in the drawing without having any worry about what the result would be. And of course we had time to explore and work on anything we fancied which was fun. Thanks for sending your images. ✨

Our next session↓😉

Category: Art Groups Tags: De-stress therapeutic art

Shakyo 写経 copying the sutra of boundless awareness and life

8 November 2020

At our Shakyo group, co-hosted with Glasgow Zen Group, we enjoyed peacefully copying the Boundless Life Ten Phrase Kannon Sutra 延命十句観音経.

It felt right to trace it at this time, being a sutra that has been close to people’s hearts over the centuries and considered by many as one that helps wellbeing in times of sickness or difficulty. It is short – spread over just four full lines including the title – but a sutra of vitality, full of energy.  

It was a nice group of people who joined the practice –  Blair let folk know about his experience of shakyo in Japanese temples, as well as the history of it in China and Japan, and how to practice it. He demonstrated how to use the traditional materials as well as how to copy or trace with easy to find materials such as a brush pen, pen or even a simple pencil, and how to find a suitable posture and breathing so the practice can be meditative, embodied and comfortable.

We talked a bit about tracing, writing freehand, adding a wish, and writing in Japanese and English. And without too much detail Blair went through each line of the sutra and how the ten phrases can be understood and translated.

We were energised by our tea and snack and after the sound of the large bell and the rhythm of the chanting of this sutra, we had time to trace or copy at our own pace. Thanks to the participants for sending images of their sutra copies below, and thanks to folks for taking part 🙂

Our next session↓😉

Category: Art Groups Tags: Shakyo

Opening your heart to 愛 Ai Love in Shodo

8 November 2020

We brushed 愛 Ai – Love, care, affection, craving/ attachment – at our Monday online Zen brush Shodo calligraphy 書道 group in October. It was inspiring to work with this single kanji (Chinese character) as it is so delightful to brush in the shodo styles.

Please have a look at our videos📹 of Blair brushing Ai.

With demos from Blair, we explored the kaisho 楷書 style as well as the faster gyosho 行書 and the very flowing sosho 草書 style.　

Exploring the older tensho 篆書 style and the fascinating meanings of each part of the kanji and also as a whole, how the kanji changed over time with the claw shape, the connection to heart – shin or kokoro ❤️ which is within the kanji, this helped us engage with it more deeply and bring understanding to each stroke and stroke order. 

The three parts of the kanji combined has a connotation of heartrending as well heartfulness. The varied meanings, type of strokes and movement in this popular kanji make it a great one to practice shodo with and also a nice gift for someone you care for.

The group enjoyed how the kaisho more boxy style moved into the gyosho style followed by the sosho grass style. The sosho is looser and makes sense to be brushed this way after getting a feel for the other styles. Thanks to the group for sending us some of their images including a bonus picture from Laura of her enchanting Daruma dolls, the legendary founder of Chan and Zen.

Our next session↓😉

Category: Art Groups Tags: Shodo calligraphy

Love 愛 Ai in Shodo calligraphy

18 October 2020

Brushing Love 愛 ai in the old tensho style of Japanese and Chinese calligraphy with deep orange-red sumi 🙂

Ai is also fun to brush in the more flowing sosho grass style of shodo calligraphy, in a much more simplified form.

As well as love or affection or care, it can also mean craving or attachment.

We will find out more about this famous kanji character at our Zen Brush shodo group.

Category: Art Tags: Shodo calligraphy

Dynamic lines at Tenkoku seal engraving

12 October 2020

It was an easygoing and peaceful 篆刻 tenkoku (seal engraving) group where we each worked on designs for stamps (in 印) or worked on our stones or erasers (the keshigomu method). Thanks for taking part 🙏

There was some time to look at the very varied and quirky versions of styles possible to carve for the single kanji character 山 san – mountain. 

So many fascinating styles. Blair showed how to match kanji styles for different kanji also, which makes it possible to combine characters harmonically in a stamp design.

Above Joan’s stamp in progress combines kuu and shu for emptiness/sky and hand – working with a small eraser, craft knife and lino cutter, excellent work!

We enjoyed some stamp cutting techniques for the main two types of stamps with a demo from Blair using a seidenseki stone and other traditional materials.

Category: Art Groups Tags: Japanese and Chinese stamp making

Creative time – delighting in autumn colours

12 October 2020

On the West Coast of Scotland here in Glasgow the autumnal colours have been rich and changing from day to day.  🍂

For this fun creative time challenge we photographed some of the colours and shapes near us.🍁 Please send us any photographs, poetry and haiku, or artworks that have an autumn feeling. Many thanks for sending to us!

As we walk through the North of the city there are so many different trees expressing themselves with their colourful leaves blowing in the breeze. The whispering foliage stirs in the wind as we stop and listen and watch – the greens almost turning yellow and gold in front of us.

Here is a translation (by Blair with the kind help of Kokuu) of Dogen’s joyful waka five line poem:

on September’s
crimson leaves
the falling snow
who among us
would not be moved to song?

Joan’s photos of maple leaves from British Columbia, the colours are so vivid with the blue sky peeking through.

Northern Glasgow captured by Elaine with wonderful reflections, water and open spaces 🙂

Dominika has kindly shared her deep red and orange painting, and inspiring and spacious piece which takes us into a different world, soaring with the birds.

https://www.instagram.com/dominikanomed/

An expressive and warm feeling haiku poem by Laura, surrounded by lovely drawings of leaves and horse chestnut.

Complementary colours animate Ken’s strikingly visual and light filled short haiku poems.

Mark has sent us photos from the West Coast of Scotland – Benmore Botanical Gardens in Argyll – and also the waterfall at Rouken Glen. A delightful balance of greens, reds and yellows.

this rushing wind
with nowhere to go
I pour another
bowl of tea
and listen to the rain

Kokuu

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 Tags: Community Groups, Creative Time

Shodo – Brushing the wonderful with Myouhou 

12 October 2020

妙法 Myouhou – all life and things wondrous – was captivating to brush in the kaisho and sousho styles of Shodo calligraphy 書道. On its own myou means mystery, or excellent, strange or wonderful and hou can mean method, teachings, dharma, or process ✨

It was a lovely group of folk at our Monday Zen Brush online group. As well as some relaxing marks to get used to the fude brush and some stroke practice, we looked into the inspiring origins and meanings of myou and hou. 

The curious sheep god shape in the old kinbun metal engraving of hou was fascinating, one participant remarked that it looked like a climbing sheep 🙂

The group enjoyed the sousho grass style which is very free and open after the defined strokes of the kaisho. Thanks to the participants for sending us some of their images.

Myoho appears in the poetic Lotus Sutra, which has inspired so much calligraphy and ink painting in China and Japan, here is an example from the text full of beautiful natural imagery.

Category: Art Groups Tags: Shodo calligraphy