Meditative Brush Painting Retreat

From ancient times, people living in China celebrated the Lunar New Year which marks the end of the cold season and the beginning of the spring. This is a very special time when the “yin”(the moon energy) and “yang” (the sun energy) starts to shift and allow life to rejuvenate and reborn. To make good use of this wonderful time of year, we will bring mindfulness, body movement and brush painting together in this retreat, to breathe, be still, and also create!

Calligraphy Practice

Hanging the character  “福” （"Fu"） on doors and walls is one of the most common and important customs when celebrating the Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year. The character “福” （"Fu"）, which is traditionally handwritten by calligraphers, expresses people's delight in the festival and their wishes for the coming year.

In this workshop, we will look at how this symbol “福” （"Fu"） has developed through thousands of years of time, from the first sign been found carved on bones, and how this symbol evolved into seal script and then,  formal script, the most commonly used style nowadays. At the end of the workshop, we will paint the three different styles and create our own artworks, postcards and rolls.

Ink Painting Practice

The words for fish and abundance are pronounced the same in Chinese (yu) so the fish in Chinese culture symbolizes wealth. Fish also symbolize harmony, marital happiness and reproduction because they multiply rapidly and sometimes swim in pairs. Chinese legend says people placed messages in the bellies of the fish, and thus the fish has come to symbolize communication with a distant friend or loved one. Fish is an important symbol in the Buddhist religion and are among the auspicious signs on the Footprints of Buddha. The fish on the Buddha footprints signifies freedom from all restraints. 

Traditionally, people paint fish in Chinese New Year to bring good luck and blessings to the family. Known to most Westerners as Koi Fish, the Chinese carp has numerous symbolic values within Chinese culture. The carp is a powerful symbol of strength and perseverance. The scales and whiskers of the carp resemble that of a dragon, a great symbol of power in China.

In this workshop, we will learn how to use brush strokes to paint the movement of a fish, and how to paint fish from different swimming positions. At the end of the workshop, we will paint a full painting “nian nian you yu”, which means “blessings and abundance every year”.

This workshop will start with some simple body movement and breathing exercises to help us relax our body and mind. Basics such as body posture, how to hold the brush will be introduced briefly for beginners to get familiar with this practice.

Tools & Materials

All the tools and materials will be provided on site. You are welcome to bring your own brushes and materials.

Booking

Booking will start soon.

If you have any questions please contact info@artofthebrush.ie.