Wabi Sabi - Rising Up

  Wabi Sabi

I Celebrated 30 Years of Wabi Sabi on
October 20, 2013

Last month I told you about the special commemorative painting I would paint celebrating the 30th anniversary of my special life event - stroke.

Here it is!

Wabi Sabi - Rising Up

Sumi-e
15 x 19 - Mulberry Paper
Sumi (ink), Tea, and Watercolor
Currently Unmounted



One friend of mine when she saw my efforts from this special day called my painting 'the landscape of my life'. I think she was correct, don't you?

   
Personal Commemorative 'Wabi Sabi' Seal

 I painted this commemorative sumi-e on that day to honor my stroke and sealed the painting with this very special artist chop.

I painted this day because I still can!
( Prints of this sumi-e will be available soon)

For more information about Wabi Sabi:
Wabi Sabi Blog  

 Casey Shannon - Official  

China Seal Carving Gyoku-seki Society 

 Director for USA

Find Casey's Sumi-e Online 

 View my Sumi-e Art Galleries

*New Additions* 

Contemporary Asian Scrolls

*New Additions* 

Stunning Framed Gems

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

Copyright © Casey Shannon Studio Art. All rights reserved.

Casey Shannon Studio

凱西香儂齋

Casey Shannon Studio 

  

Wabi Sabi

The concept of  'Wabi Sabi'.

"Defining wabi sabi in physical terms is like explaining the taste of a piece of chocolate by its shape and color." ~ by Drs. Wong and Hirano 
"Learning to see The Invisible"
Source: Touching Stone Gallery

What is wabi sabi? Ask a Japanese this question and there will likely be a long silence. Pose the same question to an American, however, the answer will often be quick and sure: "It’s beauty of things imperfect!" Why do the Japanese struggle for an answer to the meaning of wabi sabi that seems to come easily to Westerners? Could they be searching for a different answer altogether? - Touchstone Gallery

The term wabi sabi is derived from two characters shared by Japanese and Chinese. Originally, wabi 侘 means ‘despondence’, and sabi 寂 means ‘loneliness' or 'solitude'. These are words for feelings, not for physical appearance of objects. it is a profound aesthetic consciousness that transcends appearance. It can be felt but rarely verbalized, much less defined. 

 Many of my readers and collectors of my sumi-e art work, know that I experienced a massive stroke. I learned many things from this experience. One of the most important things I learned is this: I have found that it is important to love ourselves again, to be accepting and tolerant, and be open to what our lives are now. To help me with this concept, I learned about wabi-sabi, the art of imperfection. Wabi-sabi is the Japanese tradition of celebrating the beauty in what's flawed or worn. It offers an inspiring way to look at your whole life. To discover wabi-sabi is to see the singular beauty in something that may first look decrepit and ugly. Bringing wabi-sabi into your life requires a mind quiet enough to appreciate muted beauty, find courage not to fear, and a willingness to accept things the way they are. Wabi-sabi depends on the ability to slow down, to shift the balance from doing to being, to appreciating rather than perfecting. Wabi-sabi can be adopted as a way of seeing and being in the world. 

Commemorative 'Wabi Sabi' Seal 

 

This is my personal 'Wabi Sabi' seal/chop carved especially for me by Henry Li of Blue Heron Arts. Henry carved this mood seal at my request. It will be used on the special life occasion of the 30th Anniversary of my stroke, which will be on October 20, 2013. I will be painting a commemorative sumi-e on that day to honor my stroke and will seal the painting with this very special chop.

This Tianhuang soapstone is from Changhua, Zhejiang, China. * It is cut into a beautiful rectangular shape with natural skin and edge on one side. *Tian means "paddy field" and Huang means yellow.  In restrictive sense, "Tianhuang" refers to a kind of yellow-colored soapstone unearthed from rice paddy in Shoushan, which is regarded as the most valuable of all seal stones in China. However, this Tianhuang soapstone of mine is NOT from Shoushan, but from Changhua, Zhejiang province, which is known as "Changhua Tianhuang" or "Changhua Yellow".  

The stone that I chose for this special carving is very wabi sabi in its own right. It is its own beauty in imperfection just like me. And, very auspicious, indeed! 

 Below is a video of Henry carving my 'Wabi Sabi' seal. Enjoy!

 

Casey Shannon Studio

Director of North America 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 is also a member of the Anshan Rare Stone Seal Society in Liaoning province, China.

Copyright ©  Casey Shannon Studio Art. All rights reserved

Story of the Stone: Artist Seals

Little Treasures

Artist Seals or Chops

Using the seal as an integral part of the composition in ink painting is uniquely Asian. To authenticate and to show approval of his/her work, the artist uses a personal seal in red along with his signature. In addition to the personal signature and seal, most traditional Chinese brush artists use seals to enhance their compositions. Antiquity, artistry, and the quality of the material from which a seal is carved determine it's value. 

The seal tradition began as a way for the artist to authenticate his work. He would sign his completed work with his brushed calligraphic signature and then follow with a stamp of his seal  (Artist Name Seal), thereby identifying the work as his own. However, the seal soon expanded from a name moniker to more complex self-expression as artists commissioned special pieces to evoke ideas and emotions as well. This lead to mood seals and poetic seals such as the seal pictured above. As with many things in China, this practice goes back to early recorded history appearing on some of the most treasured dynastic artworks of antiquity.


In ancient China it was customary for each successive owner of a painting to add his own personal seal to that of the artist. This custom provides a valuable history of the work and accounts for the proliferation of seals found on old master paintings. In those dynastic days, only persons of great privilege, wealth, and position could own or sponsor such works of beauty.

 

For thousands of years, seal carvers have passed their specialized craft through family lines, from father to son, across time, to give us generation after generation of venerated carvers and remarkable, poetic carvings. Unfortunately, as China becomes more and more modernized, this ancient and honored skill is becoming more and more difficult to find.

 Seal Paste

Cinnabar

Red seal paste, sometimes also referred to as cinnabar, is used to stamp the seal design. Many ink painting artists do not consider their artwork finished or approved by them until the seal / seals are placed on the painting or calligraphy piece.

I have an extensive personal collection of artist seals. They are works of beauty worth collecting and provide me with a lovely way of signing my work. Above are just some of the artist seals or chops that I use in my sumi-e. They translate (from left to right):

Square = Casey

Small Round = Spring

Large Round = Be Well

Large Oval = Elegant Style

Smaller Oval = Journey into Art

Lightly press your seal into the paste several times and, as you do, blow on the seal to help warm and soften the paste. Always test the seal first on a piece of painting paper. If the imprint looks good, tap the seal into the paste a few more times, and then place it on your painting in a firm manner. Do not wiggle the seal around or you will blur the image. Just exert firm pressure on it for a moment, and then lift straight up.

To get a sharp image, place a magazine under your painting before stamping. As an undersurface, a magazine offers just the right amount of yield and support. A softer undersurface can wrinkle the paper, while a harder undersurface could result in a poor contact. Practice placing your seals so that they appear straight. Always completely wipe off your seal before putting it away.

 Artist Seal Resources 
Asian Brush Painter  
Shanghai, China 
English speaking, Great Service

Blue Heron Arts
California, USA

Oriental Art Supply

California, USA

Chinese Calligraphy Seal Carving 

Dragon Artworks, Ohio, USA 
and Shanghai, China

Article by: Casey Shannon

China Seal Carving Gyoku-seki Society

Director for USA

Casey Shannon Studio

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

Copyright ©  Casey Shannon Studio Art. All rights reserved.