-N- – Page 713 – Ink, Yarn & Beer

Knitting Projects, a Video, and a Read

Admittedly, most of this past week I have not picked up my knitting. It’s been rather a busy week with both of us on vacation. There are also relatives in town, friends to visit, and calligraphy to do and novels to read. And exercise, and planning meals, and trying to have a life for a bit! However, I barricaded myself in what was / is my studio (my brother is sleeping in it for now), and closed the door. No one in the same room, but I do hear the clatter of dishes or whatever. It’s so nice to just be alone! Or, a lawn, in the words of Ms. Garbo.

The major projects at present are sweaters for a friend’s twin grandsons, born about 2 weeks ago. These sweaters are for 6-12 month olds in size, so a bit of a wait won’t harm them any.

This sweater is a kimono sweater. The design is not original. I’m not too sure I like it – I think the ribbing is a bit funky, but the yarn is a nice color combo, and it is wash-n-wear. (In other words, acrylic!)

Now this sweater is one of my own design, the pattern which I hope to publish once done. I liked doing this one much more than the kimono, but will admit I am getting tired of it. That long blue blob under the needles is a hood, which, if my neat side plays out, will be grafted – something I really, really hate!

Finally, the SO has another hat. This is the Xenocryst hat, by Linda Shelhamer, in the Fall 2010 issue of Knitscene.

I misread the pattern and put only one purl stitch between the patterns, but it worked out just fine. The cast on was perfect, too, as it really is stretchy. You can find out how to do it by watching this video with Nancy Bush.

In fact, I liked this cast on so much, I started a hat using it and cables and bobbles.

Finally, I am reading another book about Chinese calligraphy. This one is a bit different from many as it goes into some interesting details and makes interesting comparisons to Western art. I’m up to page 70 with a lot more to read.

The Chinese Art of Writing, by Jean Francois Billeter

Nadja van Ghelue has it on her recommended list of books about calligraphy. Just by happenstance I found it at our local library, before knowing of her recommendation. It is quite fascinating because of the way in which Chinese calligraphy is presented, and admittedly, it is holding my interest even though I often find books like this to be more than I can handle – I just look at the pictures! – as I am not especially scholarly in my preferred reading! (I like spy novels, to tell the truth.)

The August Project: Bone Strokes

Kaishu / Kaisho – standard or regular script, with some variations over time, is what most of us are familiar with as Chinese characters or Japanese kanji. It fits nicely into squares, but it goes far, far beyond that. There are a lot of dynamics at work in this script! Dots and lines, hooks, and so on. It is amazingly complicated in some ways, but not in others. But doing it right is another story.

This is an example of regular script, from a long, long time ago.

If you look closely, you will find some long, horizontal lines, which are wider at either end and narrow toward the middle. These are called “bone strokes.” Here is one below – and the path the brush should follow as you create it.

The work of the day. 4 hours. Horizontal accomplished, but initial brush stroke and ending brush strokes are far from attractive.

Saturday Morning Cinnamon Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping

While the rest of the country is sweltering, here along the south central coast of California it is dripping, damp and foggy. Perfect morning for warm, fresh berry muffins!

Muffin Recipe
Preheat oven to 400 F. Line or grease muffin cups – this recipe yielded 9 cups filled to top before addition of streusel topping.

Muffin Batter
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. oatmeal
1/2 t. salt
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 c. milk or yogurt (thinned with water) or kefir
1 c. picked over fresh blueberries

Mix together all dry indredients and walnuts. Beat together oil, egg, and milk. Pour liquid into dry ingredients, stir until lightly mixed. Fold in blueberries. Batter is a bit thick. Spoon batter into muffin cups, patting down to make flat.

Streusel Topping
1/3 c. flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. butter
1 1/2 t. cinnamon

Work together all streusel ingredients until they resemble coarse meal – use your fingers, pastry blender, or two knives. Sprinkle over tops of muffins, gathering topping into tidy mound over muffins – if you don’t do this, the topping will melt onto the metal of the muffin tin.

Bake 25 minutes; check with toothpick to make sure center muffins are done.

Cool. Devour.

The August Project: Begun, Not Begun

I’ll use the excuse that I am warming up – so to speak – to my August project of copying the Heart Sutra. After giving it some thought, I am still thinking about it.

I decided, as I thought, to simply dig out some ink and some brushes, and play a bit, loosen up. Once I did so, I realized how stressed out about everything I’ve become. Even this project, because perfection is what was on my mind, not enjoying a process.

I also was considering the reality that using the seal script might not work for me. I did a bit of research on the seal script, and realized it would be possibly more frustrating than I wanted to handle. The reason is that the lines are uniform, with none of the thick-and-thin and technical details, such as bone lines and dots, that kaisho would require. So, for now, I have decided I will probably do it in the latter.

Playtime

In the process of playing, I started with lines. Straight lines, horizontal, vertical, criss-crossed. Circles and spirals. Bone lines. Dots. I used bottled ink, and cheap, poorer quality ink sticks, and sheets of paper. The results are like photography – lotsa photos, lotsa paintings – and only a few which are particularly pleasing.

Lines

In the line category, I wonder if it is just me, or if other people from the West experience the incredible difficulty I have with doing straight lines. Both horizontal and vertical, parallel to the edge of the paper, are very difficult to produce. My theory is that as someone who was taught the Palmer method of script, everything – but everything! – has a slant on it, except the t-bar. Horizontal and vertical lines are very foreign.

In one book, one on the meditative approach to sumi, the author wrote about the importance of focusing on each line individually, not on the group of lines. This proved to be the case. As I began to paint grid after grid, the understanding of this concept became quite clear. Becoming the line as I was painting it is the simplest way I can explain the experience.

Circles / Enso

On the other hand, circles were a bit more easy, but doing them from the bottom of the` page and moving in a clockwise manner was a bit of a challenge. My penmanship training was always start the number zero at the top, and create it by moving counterclockwise. On a few pages, the paperweights did not hold, and so the paper got pulled along in the brush movement.

From circles and spirals, came a series of circles – some of which developed an incredible dynamic quality for me.

Bone Lines

Bone lines, used in kaisho, were especially difficult. I watched videos from YouTube, simply to watch how the brush was manipulated. Reading directions also created confusion. Instructions in videos and in text books emphasize that the brush is held vertical to the paper. To me, this means a 90 degree angle, perpendicular, not a tilt at all. Then, watching, of course there is a tilt to the brush, but it is done through wrist manipulation. Books say to keep the brush vertical, and then say “push the brush to the right” – well! What does that mean?? I think I figured it out – some of my bone lines began to look like bone lines.

Dots

Finally, I could not just practice lines and circles. I had to do something a bit different. Yesterday I did dots – such as would be found with grapes – and various techniques with the brush. Dots can be made by simply allowing the ink to be absorbed by the paper and spread, or by twirling the brush, to create a circle.

Brush Loading

Another technique is loading the brush in different ways. In the picture below, you can see different methods.

In the picture above, there are three ways of loading the brush demonstrated. The top one is the traditional light ink with the brush tipped in dark, and pulled at an angle across the paper. The second one was an attempt to add dark ink to the top of the brush, near the handle, along with dipping it – this did not work out too well as I was stingy with the ink. The third line, I was more generous, with both ink and water – the light middle line is visible to show the result. Finally, the fourth line is the result of using a light wash for the brush, and then adding dark ink to the middle of the brush. A rather nice effect.

Bouncing the Brush

I also practiced bouncing the brush, sort of tapping it and moving it along the paper. The picture below demonstrates what can be done with this technique.

Copying the Master

Thoroughly warmed up now, I decided to see about copying a painting, using a video to copy and learn from techniques. I admire the work of Kazu Shimura (see link to the right), who has over 70 videos on YouTube about sumi-e painting. One I really enjoyed was his demonstration painting of hydrangeas.

Two totally different approaches to the same subject. I went for the first one, and to do it with some rain. These are my first attempts. I did them from recall on what I saw, but I was not too pleased with my results. Something was missing.

I did about 5 paintings altogether, but none of them worked. So, I watched his first video again. This time, my painting was far more pleasing than any of my other attempts. Knowing full well I would fail at frogs, I did a snail.

And now?

It’s Friday, early evening. I read a book today from the library – a rare treat – and then went out shopping for a computer desk. I think tomorrow I am ready to begin the Heart Sutra. It will be slow, maybe only one character, maybe a few more than that. I think I will go page by page, as broken down on van Ghelue’s web page or from her book. This past week I have spent about 20 hours painting in ink, and enjoying every minute!