Logo ICCPS North America

This is the new logo of the North America Branch of ICCPS

Designed by member Tai Oi Yee

The North America Branch of ICCPS ~ International Chinese Calligraphy and Ink Painting Society ~ recently held a competition among its members to create and design a logo to represent our branch. Tai Oi Yee won this competition. Her logo is an enso.

 

We are a global group of artists in sumi-e and calligraphy. 

 

Mission: Sharing the passion of sumi-e & calligraphy around the world without distinguishing between styles & backgrounds. Under the direction of master sumi-e painter, Ransui Yakata, the institute seeks to form a community of independent sumi-e painters with often different styles, but infused with the same passion.
Purpose: This community of artists can help show that this unique art form can often be interpreted with sensibilities and styles that are (quite) different. The artists associated with this initiative seek not only to promote their own artwork, but also sumi-e art in general, which deserves its own place among the major pictorial works of the world. More than just an art form, sumi-e is a way of being, thinking, and living. Our society is a way of demonstrating these concepts.
 
Goal: In addition, one of the society's primary goals is to assist in spreading the beauty and understanding of this unique art form and culture by exhibiting this exquisite art on an international level. Members' artwork will be shown all over the world.

North America Branch Office

Members of North America Branch

FaceBook Page

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

Year of the Snake

Year of the Snake

Calligraphy by Tai Oi Yee

Member of the North America Branch ~ ICCPS

The Year of the Snake (Serpent)

Starts February 10, 2013 and runs until January 30, 2014

People born in the year of the snake may become philosophers, theologians, politicians, or cunning financiers. Certainly they have a way with money! The snake is the most enigmatic of the twelve zodiac animals. 

Strengths
They often have a good temper and a skill at communicating but say little. They possess gracious morality and great wisdom. They are usually financially secure and do not have to worry about money. They have tremendous sympathy for others and would like to take actions to help their fellow human beings. They are determined to accomplish their goals and hate to fail. Although they look calm on the surface, they are intense and passionate. They have a rich source of inspiration and understand themselves well. They are people of great perception. Women under the sign of the snake do well in housework but are irritable. (ha! I don't blame them!)
 

Weaknesses
They are likely to be jealous and suspicious. They should be cautious about what they discuss with others, as it might cause them to lose friendships and opportunities. They tend to overdo things. They prefer to rely on themselves and have doubts about other people's judgment. They are courteous  with polite manners, but they can be headstrong. They are fickle and usually have problems in relationships or marriage problems.
 

 Painting by Alexandra Vasileva

Calligraphy by Ekaterina Nazarova

Members of the Russian Branch ~ ICCPS

Horoscope and Numerology Elements

Earthly Branch of Birth Year: si
Wu Xing (The Five Elements): huo (fire)
Yin Yang: yin
Auspicious Directions: northeast, southwest and south
Lucky Colors: red, light yellow, black; Avoid: white, golden, brown
Lucky Numbers: 2, 8, 9; Avoid: 1, 6, 7
Lucky Flowers: orchid, cactus

Sources:

Chinese Astrology

Chinese Zodiac

Personal Research

Casey Shannon Studio

Director North America Branch ~ ICCPS

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

Fu Baoshi

Fu Baoshi Landscape

I call Fu Baoshi the 'painter of mist'. When you look at his landscape paintings, you are drawn into the scene by the mist and feel as if you could almost touch and feel it with your hands and not just view the mist with your eyes.. 

Fu Baoshi (傅抱石, 1904-1965) was a Chinese painter from Xinyu (新余), Jiangxi Province. Credited with revolutionizing Chinese ink painting, Fu is perhaps the most original figure painter and landscapist of China's modern period, and one of the most important Chinese artists of the 20th century. 

Portrait of Fu Baoshi in 1947

Fu Baoshi lived in a turbulent time in China and was influenced by the political climate of his country.

In this painting, the communist influence in his country can be seen by the use of the deep red sun floating above the landscape mists. Fu Baoshi never left China during the revolution as some of his contemporaries did at the time. (i.e., Chang Dia-chein - the Picasso of China and my personal favorite Chinese artist. See my blog Picasso of China for more information.)

He was eight years old in 1912 when China's last imperial dynasty was overthrown and the Chinese Republic was established. He subsequently witnessed the divisive warlord era and Communist rebellion of the 1920s, the Japanese invasion and occupation of eastern China from 1937 to 1945, and the Communist Revolution and establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. Over the last fifteen years of his life, his art reflected China's political transformation under Mao Zedong. Throughout his career, however, Fu remained one of China's great individualist masters. 

Private Seal of Fu Baoshi

Fu Baoshi was considered to be mainly self-taught.  One of the first things he mastered was seal carving and became a renowned seal carver of his time.

 Seal meaning "A work with which Fu Baoshi is satisfied'. 

Fu Baoshi went to Japan to study the History of Oriental Art in the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. After returning to China in 1935, Fu taught in the Art Department of Central University (now Nanjing University). Trained in both China and Japan at a time when arts education stressed the need for the modernization of indigenous traditions through the study of Western methods, Fu Baoshi developed a new style incorporating foreign styles and techniques, and began creating boldly individualistic and strongly nationalistic work. Noting that Chinese painting had evolved toward too great a dependency on monochromatic, calligraphic brushwork, Fu sought to revive earlier traditions of realistic description that made greater use of color and ink wash. His works of landscape painting employed skillful use of dots and inking methods, creating a new technique encompassing many varieties within traditional rules. He also stressed the need for an artist to be emotionally and physically present in his art. To achieve this end, Fu Baoshi often painted while inebriated. (Some Asian art experts believe he actually drank himself to death.)  He also sought spontaneity through a spattered-ink method of painting—a kind of "action art" that parallels the working methods of some of the Abstract Expressionists. 

 Fu Baoshi had strong feelings towards the land of China. During his travel to many places, he recorded the splendors of the rivers and mountains, drawing inspiration from nature and becoming the representative landscape painter of his time.

Sources:
Metropolitan Museum of Art ~ Chinese Art in an age of Revolution
China Online Museum 
Personal Research

Below is a video of a visit to the Fu Baoshi Memorial Museum in China by my artist friends Henry Li and Santo Previteraka in December 2012.  

 

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

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.

Happy New Year ~ 2013

Happy New Year

2013

As we quickly approach 2013 here in California, I have wishes for you!

 

May this new year be kind to you and yours. 

I hope you find happiness, peace, grace, and creativity.
Laugh with wild abandon!

 

Go slowly and appreciate each moment.

Casey Shannon Studio

Director of 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