Mastering the art of Calligraphy

By

banner_calligraphy

Dates: Tuesdays, February 19, 26;
March 4, 11, 18, 25; April 1 & 8 2008

Time: 6:30PM – 8PM

Place: 25 West 43rd Street, Room 1000
between 5th & 6th Avenues, Manhattan

Fee: $250 (Non-Member) | $150 (Member/Student)
Click Here to learn how to become a member.

Supplies will be provided by the instructor during the first day of class.

No prior experience is necessary to join this workshop.

Learn basic Chinese calligraphy in a total of eight sessions.

Please make checks payable to: QCAF-AAARI

The Chinese esteem calligraphy above all other arts. While the characters have an aura of mystery, anyone can learn how to form them. In this course, you will learn the few simple rules for writing in Chinese. Each session will begin with a brief explanatory talk illustrated with examples of the great calligraphy of the past.  Most of each class will be devoted to actually doing calligraphy.

Chinese believe that calligraphy exercises both body and mind. As a form of meditation it is thought to promote concentration, relaxation, and longevity. As you brush the characters onto the paper, you will be able to feel your qi (vital energy) circulate, producing a feeling of relaxation. By the end of the course, you will be creating elegant characters using traditional materials.  Please come and join this informative, relaxing and fun course!

Workshop Syllabus

Session 1

  • Origin and Development of Chinese Calligraphy
    Slide show: The beauty of Lines in Chinese Calligraphy and Culture.
  • Basic materials: brush, brush holder, ink, rice paper, grid paper, ink stone, small dish, paper weight, and others (wrist rest, seal).
  • Introducing “Four treasures of the literary studio”
  • Rituals: incense burning, meditation, relaxed breathing.
  • Demonstration: how to hold a brush and form characters.
  • Handout: standard script model calligraphy
  • Practice standard script on grid paper.

Session 2

  • Slide show: Calligraphy as an Art Form: philosophy of yin and yang as exemplified in different brush strokes: centered, diagonal, wet, dry, “flying white.”
  • Techniques of Chinese calligraphy:
    • What makes a good stroke
    • Mistakes to avoid.
  • Analysis of the character “Yong” eternity, exemplifying the basic structure of Chinese calligraphic strokes
  • Demonstration
  • Practice different strokes of standard script on grid paper to form a character

Session 3

  • Seal Script: ancient characters on bronze vessels, characteristics and aesthetics
  • Demonstration
  • Handout: seal script model calligraphy
  • Practice on grid paper

Session 4

  • Benefiting from the Dancing Brush: calligraphy and longevity, relaxation,   concentration, energy circulation, inner peace.
  • Demonstration: Official script
  • Handout: official script model calligraphy
  • Practice your favorite characters

Session 5

  • Walking style: characteristics and aesthetics
  • Demonstration
  • Handout: walking style model calligraphy
  • Practice: walking style free hand.

Session 6:

  • Slide show: Calligraphy  as decoration
  • Demonstration
  • Practice: walking style free hand.

Session 7

  • Slide show: The Drunken Calligrapher
  • Cursive and mad cursive: characteristics and aesthetics
  • Handout: cursive style model calligraphy
  • Demonstration
  • Practice: cursive style free hand

Session 8

  • Different Formats for Calligraphy: hanging scrolls, double scrolls, fans, and others.
  • Write your favorite lucky character on red paper to bring home.
  • Critique and appreciation of each others’ works.

Make-up Classes: Tuesday, April 15 & 22, 2008 – To be held if the instructor is unable to hold a classes on normal schedule.

Author Bio

Mingmei Yip received her PhD in musicology from the University of Paris (Sorbonne) on a scholarship from the French Government. A master performer on the qin, she has given lectures and recitals at venues such as Columbia University, Oxford University, Beijing University, the University of Paris, Amsterdam University, Oberlin Conservatory, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the China Institute in New York.

Mingmei is also a writer, her literary career began at fourteen when her essay about art was published in a literary magazine. She has published fourteen books, with two on the qin. Her latest being her 7th novel The Witch’s Market (Kensington Books) which received a glowing review from the ew York Times and her 2nd children’s book Grandma Panda’s China Storybook (Tuttle Publishing, 2014) which she both wrote and illustrated. She wrote columns for seven major newspapers and has appeared on over 40 TV and radio programs in Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, and the United States. Her poems were published and performed in Hong Kong, Taiwan and the U.S.

Mingmei is also accomplished as a painter and calligrapher. A one-person show of her paintings of Guan Yin (the Chinese Goddess of Compassion) and calligraphy was held at the New York Open Center Gallery in SoHo in 2002. This exhibit was the subject of a full hour special program on CHN cable in New Jersey

Mingmei was a professor of music in Hong Kong, and in 2005, an International Institute of Asian Studies fellow in Holland. She has taught qin playing and calligraphy at two major Hong Kong Universities.