Sold! My Hills are in Bloom!

'My Hills are in Bloom'

Sumi-e

by Casey Shannon

"My Hills are in Bloom" is an original sumi-e by accomplished artist Casey Shannon. 

Medium: Sumi (ink) and Japanese watercolor.

Painted on Xuan paper circle and Mulberry paper outside.

Sold! To a collector in California just in time for the spring bloom.

The small square artist seal/chop translates: Casey Shannon Studio

The large square mood seal translates: My Hills are in Bloom.

The painting is 20 x 20 and framed in a Black/Gold wooden frame.

 

This lovely painting was inspired by the new spring bloom flowers dancing in the sun light.

Casey Shannon

Director of North America Branch ~ ICCPS

International Chinese Calligraphy and Ink Painting Society

国際中国書法国画家協会アメリカ支部：Ms. Casey Shannon　アメリカ現代水墨画家

  Casey Shannon Studio Art.

Casey Shannon Studio

凱西香儂齋

The Making of Xuan

Xuan Paper

Photos and video by Henry Li. Text by Casey Shannon and Tai Oi Yee

Xuan paper is one of the 'Four Treasures of the Study' and highly regarded as a treasure by sumi (ink) artists. Xuan (Shuen) paper is very fine paper used by calligraphy and sumi-e artists. It is thin mulberry bark paper ( called Xuan paper in China and Washi paper in Japan).  It is also generically called "rice paper" in the west though rice is not one of the ingredients.   It is highly absorbent and unforgiving.  The brushstrokes have to be fluid and fast, and mistakes cannot be masked like on watercolor paper. Xuan Paper takes practice to use.

This paper is the brush painter's canvas. Mastering the way ink behaves on the different rice papers is one of the essential skills of the brush painter. There are basically two kinds of rice paper -- raw paper and sized paper. Shuen Paper (Xuan Paper) is raw paper and the most popular paper in China among brush painters and calligraphers. It is the most sensitive of the rice papers, cheerfully displaying dynamic strokes and complex shade variations with translucent fluidity and original spontaneity.  Any brush painter will tell you it is difficult to work with rice paper and takes years of practice to master.

Interesting fact: The reason Xuan Paper is called 'Rice Paper' in the West is because when the West came to the East, China wanted to protect it's paper making techniques and told Westerners that the paper was made from rice. 

 Mulberry Trees in Anhui, China

Quigtan Trees outside the paper mills.

Photo Courtesy of Henry Li

Xuan paper is made all by hand. There is no machinery used in the production of this treasured paper. For this reason, Xuan paper is very special and expensive.

My artist friend Henry Li recently went to China and visited the paper mill in Anhui, China. He filmed this very informative video of the paper being made in all the stages of creation. Enjoy!

  For more information on 'The Four Treasures' go: Here 

Director of North America Branch - ICCPS

International Chinese Calligraphy and Ink Painting Society

国際中国書法国画家協会アメリカ支部：Ms. Casey Shannon　アメリカ現代水墨画家

Casey Shannon Studio

凱西香儂齋

 

The Four Treasures

The Four Treasures of Study
Article by Tai Oi Yee and Casey Shannon

Sumi-e is inkwash brush painting originating from China over a thousand years ago, and embraced enthusiastically in Japan, Korea and now internationally. The name sumi-e literally means water+ink+painting 水墨畫. 

Ink wash painting uses soot ink on thin mulberry bark paper or silk. Different tones and shades are achieved by varying the ink density and brush pressure. It is not simply to reproduce the appearance of the subject, but to capture its soul. Sumi-e is the timeless unison of the true self and the universe. It is the expression of the mind and spirit of the artist through the Four Treasures (文房四寶) .

Sumi-e and Calligraphy artists have the utmost respect for the Four Treasures:

The Four Treasures of Study

    1. Brush (筆): The ink brush is usually made of goat, rabbit, or yellow weasel hair. The textures are soft, hard or mixed depending on the artist's use.




   2. Ink (墨) :  Ink sticks are made of soot mixed with animal glue, and sometimes aromatic or medicinal powders. Modern artists sometimes use bottled ink as it is readily available. However, there are many preservatives in even the most expensive bottled ink and it can ruin brushes.



   3. Paper (紙) :  It is not just any kind of paper. It is thin mulberry bark paper (Xuan or Pi paper from China and Washi paper from Japan). It is also generically called "rice paper" in the west though rice is not one of the ingredients.   It is highly absorbent and unforgiving.  The brushstrokes have to be fluid and fast, and mistakes cannot be masked like on watercolor paper.

Did you know? That Westerners call Xuan paper 'Rice Paper' because when The West entered the East, China wanted to keep paper making a secret and told them it was made of rice! 

   4.  Inkstone (硯) : The inkstone is used for grinding the ink stick with water. The four famous inkstones are Duan, She, Tao and Chengni. Grinding your ink before you paint provides you with a quiet state of mind and a way to let  spirit surround you.

This ink stone is an ornate one and very beautiful. This ink slab was carved in a 'cucurbit' shape. This shape stands for good fortune and every success.

These four items are treasured by the sumi-e and calligraphy artist. They are essential to this ancient art.  

  

      Casey Shannon Studio
凱西香儂齋 

Director of the North American Branch - ICCPS 

International Chinese Calligraphy and Ink Painting Society

国際中国書法国画家協会アメリカ支部：Ms. Casey Shannon アメリカ現代水墨画家 

Copyright © Casey Shannon Studio Art. All rights reserved.

First Brush of 2013

There is a lovely tradition in Japan to make your first brush of the New Year on January 2nd, whether your brush is for calligraphy or sumi-e.

First Brush by Casey

Sumi-e titled 'Magical January'

This sumi-e was a delight to create. It is done in a new style that I am just trying out. It is a landscape in a new modern and free 'Fu Baoshi' style painting.  I will be doing a blog article on the Master Painter Fu Baoshi soon. So stay tuned!

.Materials that I used to create this painting are: Ink, Watercolor, and Mulberry paper. The major brushes that I used were a Biff Brush, Rooster Feather Brush, Fu Baoshi Landscape Brush plus other brushes. I had never worked much with Mulberry Paper before this but found it to be wonderful to work on as it is a tough little paper that stands up to very wet work and repeated layers. It resists bleeding too much and shows color brilliantly.  And the Rooster Feather Brush is really fun to paint with! 

Mulberry Paper

This paper is made of mulberry tree leaves and inner bark.  It is also called PI paper in China or Kozo paper in Japan. This paper has semi-sized absorbency, does not smear like Xuan paper. It is soft but strong like a fabric and it works well with most water-based art media. This paper works well for mounting. It is available from Blue Heron Arts.

Biff Brush 

These combination brushes are great for doing wet or dry style tree trunks, thick vines, and, texture strokes for mountains, rocks, and cliffs. They feature a compact multitude of short stiff hairs that give the brush a lot of body. When the bristles are separated and spread, you can strike your paper to create spectacular foliage, moss, and all kinds of coarse textures effortlessly. Biff Brushes are available from OAS Oriental Art Supply.

Rooster Feather Brush

Now this is one heck of a fun brush to paint with! This brush is made of rooster feather, which is special ordered by the seller from China. Unlike regular brushes with round pointed hair, this brush is so different that it can produce very rich textured strokes. It is perfect for the "free" or "loosening-up" style of Sumi-e painting, especially suitable for landscape paintings. This brush is available in three sizes from Blue Heron Arts.

Fu Baoshi Landscape Brush

This limited edition specialty brush is designed to deliver  the split bristle brushstrokes in Fu Baoshi style landscape painting. This versatile brush is good for painting rocks and various kinds of tree barks.  These limited edition brushes are handcrafted by Master Xu, Laosan. Fu Baoshi Landscape Brushes are available from Blue Heron Arts.

Casey Shannon Studio

Director of the North American Branch ~ ICCPS

International Chinese Calligraphy and Ink Painting Society

国際中国書法国画家協会アメリカ支部：Ms. Casey Shannon　アメリカ現代水墨画家

Copyright © Casey Shannon Studio Art. All rights reserved.