The Animal Kingdom: A Microcosm

Today is the first day of the Spring semester. Since CE has classes from morning to evening, I was alone most of the time during the day. So in between attending to my daily Buddhist lessons such as reciting sutras and chanting mantras, I spent some time delving into the animal kingdom, the way I know best: first observing how it's done and then drawing. Here they are, ensconced in their natural habitats, going about their business.

A lady bug perched squarely on a leaf.

A butterfly hovering gingerly above its favorite haunt.

A dragonfly dancing its way through the fluttering shapely leaves.

A flock of birds frolicking in the cover of the tree branch.

And the adorable panda having a leafy feast brings up the rear.

Drawing While Bidding Farewell to 2007

Last night, while waiting to watch the NY countdown to the New Year, on TV of course, I laid out my drawing paraphernalia on the table, and plunged into another drawing binge, the mentally stimulating kind.

The brushes, the black ink grinding set, cups of water, drawing and tissue papers, all within easy reach from my vantage seating position. Then I let my imagination gallop like a wild horse over the virtual plain, leaving traces behind that combine to take the various shapes below, as the testament to yet another wondrous journey into the creative realm.
Chinese Plums, symbolizing resilience and steadfastness in facing the challenges a new year would bring.

The Peony, representing my wish for a prospitious new year.

More Chinese Plums, signalling courage, and projecting the audacity of hope for all humanity.

The sheer cliffs of rocks, conferring stability, steadiness in the face of functuating fortunes.
The nature, in all its exuberance and serenity. May our mind emulate the vivid expanse, the stillness yet the verdancy of life.

Flowers Galore and Ruminating

Last night, while the two males in the house were engrossed in watching the day long telecasts of college football bowl games (starting from 1pm till late at night), in between alternating with the NFL game featuring the as-yet unbeated Patriots against the NY Giants, I kept myself busy by drawing flowers, fruits, sceneries of mountains, trees, a bird and a fish, and writing chinese calligraphy, on 16 blank cards. Most are based on drawings in books on loan to me, for a limited time, by one friend or another.

While some are reserved to be used in hubby's blogs, the others (the colored ones) are shown here, in twos.

Flowers.

More flowers.

Still more flowers.

And for a visual change, fruits, singly and in bundles.

Ruminating, the ancient Chinese way, hands joined at the back, eyes fixed on the moon partially obscured by bamboo.

Bamboo Garden

This week, I'm on my own again, being half way through the Arts lesson hiatus induced by the holiday season. Can't wait for the break to be over.

I'm devoting this blog to all manners of bamboo drawings, hence Bamboo Garden, a virtual one to make up for the absence of the on-site variety because of the premium on land in a condo complex. The good thing is I get to see it whenever and wherever I want, as long as an internet connection is available.
Bend it to the left ...

Bend it to the right ...

And straight up ...

And criss-crossing ...

And diverging ...
And all bundled up ...

And being discrete ...

Painting on ...

This past Friday is the first of a month long layoff from my Arts class due to the holiday season, starting with Christmas and ending with the New Year. But it also affords me the time to do some free-lance drawing, putting to practice things that I've learned.

Here they are, this week's offering:

Bamboo.

Orchids by the rock.

Chinese plums.

Another Chinese plums, this time extending downwards.


Forgiveness, in chinese calligraphy.

The Perennials in Nature and Paintings: Trees

Trees have featured prominently in brush painting. For example, the knotty Pine in chinese brush painting, sometimes with its convoluted trunks seemingly emanating from rock cliffs.

So the main theme in my Arts class last Friday (Dec 14, 2007) was the good old tree. And as usual, we started with trees in different stands, different shapes, different canopies. And then we combine these with the elements learned earlier (mountains and rocks) to compose a scenery of nature, much like an ensemble of different musicians playing a symphony: a cacaphony falling in steps to become a melody, harmony par excellence. Of course I still have a long way to go to reach that so-called resonant state where the sum rises above its parts. But incrementally, with perseverance, I will continue to work on it, not so much caring for the end but rather enjoying every bit along the way.

The elemental trees.
More of the same (from a leafy to a defoliated state).

And a scenery where it all comes together, at its rudimentary form.

Passion, Like-Minded Friends, Purpose, Love

I have been drawing since early this week. While I subscribe to the adage that practice makes perfect, I think the enthusiasm is also buoyed by my rekindled passion in drawing, seemingly trying to make up for the lost time while devoting full attention to my family and my work as a teacher prior to my retirement. Another reason is my good fortune in landing a great arts teacher who is eager to share her experience. And to top it all, I could use the products of my creative bent, honed under proper tutelege, to touch another heart, to make a child smile. I'm truly blessed.

A hobby to get passionate about, like-minded friends to share with, and a purpose to it all, all the ingredients of a great retirement. Not to mention a fabulous hubby who would rather spend time blogging about my hobby than doing any of the other things that he could have indulged in.

But enough basking in self admiration. Here are some of the works in progress, as tomorrow it will be back to the drawing board under the watchful eyes of Mrs. Fan.

Wooded dwellings in the shadow of a distant mountain range (camera shot).

A glow as a backdrop to a lone bamboo (camera shot).

Trees among rocks.

A cascading waterfall.

Another cascading waterfall going the other direction.


I guess as long as one's work is founded on love, everyday is a good day, and the chinese character for love is just another excuse for me to practice my Chinese calligraphy (camera shot).