Chinese Caligraphy Art and Renaissance

I have enjoyed the “Asia Media” classes the past few months, but the fact is my students chose China and Japan the first quarter, so I have not directly used it. I do talk about my sessions with the students and comment on the new things I have learned. My challenge to myself then is to use what I learned and try to incorporate into my current lessons. Since it is the end of the year and I am looking to stretch some topics.

I am using some of what Prof. Ye spoke of in his lecture. Why Prof. Ye? I thought his lecture was quite intriguing. I really was fascinated when he spoke of his about his childhood. In particular were his memories of learning Chinese calligraphy. The method employed to write, having his elbow air as he wrote each character and the making of his own ink.

I am currently discussing European art and how oil paints were made during the Renaissance. I thought it would be great to combine Prof. Ye’s story of making his own ink. Make a connection between the two cultures. The connections being that both are an art form. I will have the students bring items from nature to make the “ink.” Brick dust, blue berries, and raspberries are some of what I will discuss to be used as pigment. Then to make it all they have to do is use cooking oil to mix it. I want the students to have their elbow in the air and practice their strokes. I think I will just use watercolor brushes. I was tempted to have them make their own brushes, but that was too involved.

The subject of their painting will not be Renaissance Art, but Chinese characters. This will allow them to use just one color, and stop the whining that they can not draw. The quick lessons that Mr. Dube gave will be a start. I do have other books that have simple characters for the students. My workbook on China shows how to connect the characters to form simple ideas.