Today is a family get-together to celebrate a nephew’s second birthday. Of course, there was the search to find the perfect toy for a kid. One of our favorite stores is one that avoids the cluttery junk found in a lot of stores, where the majority seem to make electronic noise, and don’t do a whole lot else. I would rather give toys that make a kid explore and interact and develop coordination and imagination and creativity. If noise is to be generated, then let the kid make it – rhythmic patterns, high and low notes, bang and clang – by moving around and doing, not by pushing a button. Yeah, so we got some noisemakers! Child musical instruments and a hammer-the-peg set. I’m happy!
Kids aren’t the only ones who need toys. Adults do, too. Adult toys are not inflatable dolls and items “discreetly shipped in brown wrappers for your privacy.” Playtime is still essential for the mind, the heart, the soul. Our toys are a bit different than those of the two-year-old, but interaction and imagination still matter. Good books. Building. Figuring out how to make something so you don’t have to buy it. Cooking. Knitting. Brewing. Gardening. Remodeling a house. Court games with friends and family. Art in all its varieties. Just moving around, like hiking or running, or chopping wood.
Sitting on your butt and pushing a mouse around while you play a game by yourself is not conducive for the overall well-being of a person, and with all the kill-em games, I wonder about the moral content, for kids and adults. There are no social skills involved with these activities, and studies do show that kids that play too much with a computer at an early age fail to develop interpersonal skills. Adults whose online lives predominate often cannot function in the real world.
Give me some of inanimate objects, let me play, and I’ll make my own fun. Go play. You might have some fun, too.
As you know by now, the Asian brush is differently constructed than the Western brush, and its usage has its own traditions. Calligraphy and painting are considered to be the same, if you base it on language; it is my understanding that “writing” and “painting” have the same verb in Japanese. And, as in Western cultures, a refined hand in writing was believed to reveal the character of the writer.
Calligraphy Brushes on Either Side of a Paint Brush
Calligraphy Brush vs. Paint Brush
Calligraphy canbe done with a regular brush, but perhaps not as easily. This picture to the left will show you two calligraphy brushes, which are on either side of one of my favorite paint brushes. The noticeable difference is the length of the bristles – the calligraphy brushes are have much longer ones than the paint brush. Still, you could use the center brush for calligraphy, but there is more movement to be had when using the calligraphy brushes. If you recall the video in the previous post of Koji Kokinuma, the brush he uses has long bristles – he makes beautiful thin to thick, flying whites, and graceful curves. Close observation shows he changes the brush position as he moves along, twirling the brush in his hand, besides angling his wrist or tilting the brush from the perpendicular.
Hard Bristle Brush
The brush to right, with the dark bristles, is a “hard” brush. This means the hairs are less absorbent, and thus, less ink is held in the bristles. This kind of brush must be refilled more frequently than a soft haired or mixed hair brush, but one of its great qualities is a vibrancy it gives to the lines – sharp, direct, with flying whites as the ink is used up. Dark bristles indicate a hard brush.
The next brush, with the white hairs on the outside, and darker hairs on the inside, is considered to be a mixed hair brush. This kind of brush has lighter, white hair for increased ink capacity, as well as a fuller, rounder body when the brush is pressed into the paper. The harder center allows for a sharper point. This kind of brush can range from a razor thin line to a plump one with very little pressure difference. Angling such a brush can give a very rounded shape to the stroke. If the bristles were all white, then the absorbency and softness of the white hairs would be a dominant feature.
Mixed Hair Brush
Setting Up for Calligraphy or Painting
I am right-handed, so this is how I set up my desk for painting or calligraphy. As I am learning hiragana, I am more interested in memorizing the kana than being artistic, but the fact that kana developed in a culture where the brush, not the pen or quill, was the writing implement, the structure of the kana is derived from brush strokes. Anyone who tries this will understand what I mean – a chiseled Roman capital will not happen with a calligraphy brush!
Set-Up
When it comes to practicing kanji, the form and structure of the character is designed to fit into a square. As you can see, the mosen, which is the felt upon which one paints or writes, has squares with diagonals. Sometimes the squares can be set up like a 9-patch quilt, with 3 x 3 grid. The purpose of these squares is to allow the calligrapher to center the characters within the squares, creating a balance and structure which allows the beauty of each to be seen. Notebooks from Asian countries often have vertical lines to keep characters neat, just as we have horizontal lines in our notebooks. Messiness has its place, but illegibility is not desirable.
Practice calligraphy paper is very thin. This allows the lines to be seen through the paper. This paper is also very absorbent, so before writing, excess ink is removed on the edge of the suzuri, and sometimes even blotted on towelling. If you look at the towels in the photo, you will see a lot of ink stains, from blotting the ink stick after rubbing, and from blotting the brush tip as well. I use the same towels over and over again, and find that cheap, terry dish towels are fantastic. The more I wash and bleach them, the more I like them.
This next image is from the book Chinese Calligraphy, by Qu Lei Lei. Here you can see the 3 x 3 grid for the character, as well as one like the one I use. You will also see how beautiful the character is, nicely balanced within the square. My own attempt is rather short and squat, and lacks the quality of Qu Lei Lei’s example. If you are a serious calligraphy student, Chinese Calligraphy is especially nice because the details of dots and lines is far more than what many books will teach. They may look easy, but they are not! And, it takes practice – my work needs a lot of help!
"Chinese Calligraphy" by Qu Lei Lei
See what I mean? Homely as it is, it does show how the mosen is used with the paper to help center and balance the calligraphic character, and help create the vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines. The absorbency of the paper I am using also presents a challenge because bleeding of the ink is very common! When you can do this without the mosen, you will have accomplished quite a bit.
Using the Calligraphy Grid
And finally, here is my practice hiragana. In the upper left, you can see how nicely the grid helped center the kana. On the lower right, you can get a good sense of the absorbency of the paper – thick black lines for some kana, to thin, sharp lines as I used up ink.
Hiragana Practice
I used both calligraphy brushes shown above, preferring the mixed hair brush for the smaller practice. I also used some very fine brushes which had maybe only 10 bristles in them. I liked the softer, longer bristled brushes, as I thought the movement of line was more readily accomplished, with smooth transitions from thin and thick and back for the kana, but if I wanted a rugged effect, a hard brush could be quite the right tool for the job.
Brushes are incredible inventions, for all their seeming simplicity. At a future date, I will write more about the manufacture of Asian brushes!
Quite some time ago, I wrote about brushes used in Asia. As I am beginning Saturday morning Japanese language classes, I am in conflict with time and distance in being able to attend my Chinese painting class. I’ll just have to figure that out later. However, the fact that I am learning hiragana, my preferred practice method is the traditional brush since I enjoy it so much. It is also said that the strokes used in Asian calligraphy are those used in Asian painting. Given that, I thought it would be worthwhile to review elements of holding the brush.
Holding the Brush Is Not the Same as Holding a Pen
When I was in school, penmanship was an important part of the daily curriculum. I practiced my penmanship from first grade through the eighth. My third grade teacher shamed me by saying “Any one who draws as well as you do should have good penmanship.” Ooops! In eighth grade I won a penmanship award. Over the years, I’ve collected a few manuals on the Palmer Method of penmanship, which is the basis of much of what I was taught in school. Today, penmanship has been replaced by other methods of handwriting – you might find this article amusing if you remember your penmanship classes.
Enough digressions. The fact is that Western culture teaches the student to hold the pen at a slant. These scans from an old Palmer Method manual show what I mean. Additionally, the writing surface is also at a slight angle, tilting gently toward the writer’s lap. Paper is also angled, so that an uphill slope is created for writing left to right.
Illustrations from various books, published in the US, Japan, China and elsewhere demonstrate how to hold the brush. Rather than the slanted wrist resting on the table, the brush is held perpendicular to the writing surface, which is not at all slanted. The forearm is held rather straight, yet relaxed. The brush may be held close to the bristles, or anywhere along the handle, all the way to the top. The paper is also straight, with the idea being writing is vertical, and there is no need for the paper to be slanted.
Ms. Kuroda Holding a Brush
Holding the Brush
Hand Position
To the right, you can see how to hold the brush. This illustration is from a Japanese book on sumi-e painting, and unfortunately the only thing I know about the author is that her name is Kuroda san.
Grip the Brush Gently and Focus Your Ki through the Brush Tip
Physically speaking, shodo [Japanese calligraphy] begins with the student’s grip on the brush. Unless a suitable technique of gripping is mastered, no advancement is possible . . . First, your elbow should not stick up or out to an excessive degree. This would only create an unsettling of the arm’s weight a s well as produce tension in the muscle of the arm and shoulder. This tension can cause your flow of ki to clog in the shoulders and not be effectively transmitted through the brush into the painting. This point is important, and various Japanese calligraphy authorities have made note of its significance.
At the same time, do not let your elbow sag or droop . . . when your elbow sags heavily toward the ground, it also tends to rub against the body and produces a cramped feeling that is expressed in your in your artwork. You should feel that your elbow is floating in a settled position a few inches from your body. (pgs. 76-77)
Sitting with the Brush
In my opinion, one of the very best books on sumi-e is Sumi-e Self Taught, by Kohei Aida. No longer in print, you might be able to find it through an online used book service; if you are interested, it was published in 1968, by Japan Publications, Inc., of Tokyo, Japan. The text is in English, which is very helpful. The best part of the book is that he shows the artist how to load the brush, how angle and roll it on the ink-water dish’s edge, and many subtleties not illustrated in most English-language sumi books.
Aida san shows how to sit in a western manner (upright at a table) while holding the brush. H.E. Davey’s book, Brush Meditation, also has several photos on posture and sitting.
Going back to my blurb on knitting, posture, and pain, I suggest that you concentrate on sitting upright and focus on bringing your shoulder blades back toward the spine. Don’t arch your back, but focus on a gentle backward movement of the shoulder blades, and a focus on a plumb-line approach to your spine. If you are sloppy like me, this will be unfamiliar, and uncomfortable because you may not do this naturally, and your muscles will not be happy. However, with time, it gets easier – I’m actually remembering to do it, and occasionally find I’m still upright later on . . .
In this position, you can move your arm as well as your wrist. Tighter movements will be done with the hand closer to the bristles, while holding the hand at the top of the brush gives a wonderful looseness in the stroke. In calligraphy, I expect these same results will apply. If you look at my post about painting the dragon you will also see that the brush can be held at different angles – sideways, for example. Aida san’s book demonstrates the same.
Aida san Demonstrates Brush Movement
Movement of the Brush
This illustration to the left, from Aida san’s book, shows how the brush may be tilted to achieve a brush stroke while painting. The hand and wrist may also be tilted to create curves, pressure may be applied at the end of the stroke, and gliding motions similar to an airplane landing and taking off can make thin-to-thick line, and vice versa. Ending a stroke with increasing pressure will also create a certain effect.
The Charles E. Tuttle Company has published wonderful art books about Japan. One book which has been in print since 1960 is Japanese Painting as Taught by Ukai Uchiyama, Kay Morrissey Thompson. The reason I mention this is because the next picture is for the artist sitting on the floor, in the traditional manner, to paint. At the same time you can see that the brush is being held very near the top of the handle. Looking at Uchiyama san’s work, you will notice a very loose, wild style which is, nonetheless, very controlled and lively. Mastery of the brush allows for this, and perhaps sitting on the floor adds to the process.
Ukai Uchiyama PaintingUchiyama Holding Brush
This detail of the photograph shows you how Uchiyama san holds his brush – just the same as Aida san, simply closer to the top of the handle. Practicing this yourself will help you understand the quality of stroke and control obtained by holding the brush at different levels along the handle. Certainly the closer your hand is to the bristles, the more minute control you have. Shoulder and arm movement are more restricted when in this position. Freedom and spontanenaeity increase with distance. However, without a knowledge of how to use the brush, this can be a study in frustration! So, focus yourself, breathe slowly and deeply. Imagine your energy flowing out of the brush tip – your ki – and with practice, your brush may dance with your soul.
Artist in Action
Once more, I believe videos can clearly demonstrate something which is difficult to explain with words. This video will show you how to hold a Chinese (or Japanese, or Korean, or whatever!) brush for calligraphy.
The following video is of the young Japanese artist / calligrapher, Koji Kakinuma. In particular, watch how he changes from thin to thick lines, as well as how he tilts the brush at different angles; you will observe this by observing the brush tip. When the brush is perpendicular to the paper, the tip must be considered to be the center of the line. Tilting the brush, increasing and decreasing pressure – sometimes all combined – vary the appearance of the stroke. Notice, too, that the bristles in the brush are longer in length than a painting brush. Soft, hard, and mixed-hair brushes may be used, each having its own qualities.
Finally, here is a video about the difference between calligraphy brushes and painting brushes.
The fires east of Los Angeles now cover over 220 square miles, or 140,000 or more acres. 80 miles away, to the west, the air is thick, the sky has a pale color to it, and when the sun manages to hit a surface, it is a sickly, reddish color. My eyes are burning, my throat hurts, and I am sneezing. That’s about as far as I will go – let’s just say, if is an altogether unpleasant experience here, I can only imagine how awful it is for people in the middle of it, the fire fighters, and everyone else.
There are a lot of rather snotty comments about California, fires, and so on. The fact is, every year the fires seem to be worse than those of the previous year, larger, harder to contain. Some of this is because of the ongoing drought, some is because of global warming, some of it because of the pine beetle, and some of it is because containment of fires has been the general practice, if not total abatement. Given the population density of the Los Angeles area, this makes sense – but when payback comes, it is nasty.
However, it is not just people who pay the price – wildlife also pays a price for this. How many wild animals have been burned to death, how many are without water or food? The cost is far greater people’s homes, it is the entire eco-system which pays the price, from humans to caterpillar, deer and songbird. The depredation of the environment is global, but so many people do not want to admit to it. And I am beginning to believe that less and less will be done, can be done, as populations increase, and living space and arable soil and clean water become less and less available.
But enough of this. Since it is hard to do much in this heat and fouled air, I thought I would take some pictures of the Buttoned Cardigan I have been working on. I’ve done the lower body, to the arm hole area, and completed the back. I am now ready to continue with the fronts. It is knitting up rather quickly, which is something I am rather enjoying right now. This picture shows you the sweater laid out with the sections done to date.
Here is a closer view of the buttons I bought for the sweater, and I think you can see how nicely the green buttons work with the greenish elements in the sweater itself.
And finally, the edging detail, which, admittedly, gets lost in the yarn. Still, I think it has a nice, finished quality to it.
I always forget to buy cornmeal it seems, so Sunday I saw it in the market, and grabbed it. I like it for its texture and flavor. And I love cornbread. Since school begins again tomorrow, I decided to go ahead and make a nice dinner that will carry over into lunch for a day or two. Meatloaf, cornbread, salad.
There are all sorts of theories about “Northern” versus “Southern” cornbread, with the former being with yellow corn meal and a bit of sugar, while the latter is made in an iron skillet using white corn meal.
This is a recipe for “Golden Northern Cornbread.” And another. Don’t forget to look up cornbread on Epicurious, either.
Here is a recipe for “Ben’s Southern Cornbread.” Here is an article called “The Great Corn Divide.” And here is another recipe for Southern cornbread.
Corn has been a staple ingredient in Tex-Mex, Mexican, and Southwestern cooking for a long time – after all, corn originated in the Americas. So there are other variations of cornbread still to be found.
My version is decidedly a Southwestern-style, as it has green chilis, cheese, and corn in it. For what it’s worth, here is my recipe.
Naomi’s Southwestern Cornbread
Preheat oven to 350-375 F.
1 c. flour
1.5 c. yellow cornmeal
1 T. sugar
1 T. baking powder
pinch of salt
Combine all of the above together in a large bowl.
1 stick sweet butter
1 large, fresh pasilla pepper, chopped up (you can use other peppers, as hot as you like, and perhaps some onion as well)
1 c. corn (fresh is best, but I used frozen today)
In pan, melt butter, saute peppers and corn. Even if corn is frozen, put it in with the peppers and butter and break apart. Saute till tender.
1 c. milk (can be a combination of milk, cream, yogurt, buttermilk, and water to equal a cup – good way to do it if you are short any one ingredient)
2 eggs
Beat together until well blended. Dump into corn-flour mixture. Stir in a bit, then follow it up with the butter-corn-pepper melange, and finally the grated cheese.
1/2 c. grated Jack cheese (I like a bit of cheese in cornbread – makes it nicely moist. Use more if you like it gooey!)
Pour into greased bread loaf pan. Bake 30-40 minutes until done. Turn out onto wire rack to cool. Serve plain, with butter, or reheat on skillet in morning, to toast.
Ink, Yarn & Beer 