Suitable for beginners – A journey to understanding and experiencing personal presence through the aesthetics and philosophy of East Asian Calligraphy / Ink Brush Practice
Introduction to East Asian Calligraphy/Ink Brush Practice with Kum Nye
6 Week Online Course with Yingge Xu & Matt Padwick
Wednesdays April 21 – May 26, 10am – 12:30pm (Irish Time)
Registration Closes April 7th (please contact us if you have any questions).
(Late viewing available in case you miss a session)
In this course we will explore mindfulness, awareness and presence through simple body movement and brush work. We will learn to trust the flow of ch’i (life-force) through our brush, and onto the paper, and likewise how we can bring awareness and joy into our everyday activity.
To help us relax and be present in the body, each session begins with simple movement and breathing exercises of Kum Nye (from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition) – suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels.
The sessions/classes will be available for late-viewing/reviewing for 2-weeks. However, each participant will receive a mini-library of instructional videos to keep and practice with.
Your ink brush journey:
In each session we will learn a single stroke and be guided through a close study of an ancient Chinese masterpiece. Each stroke is demonstrated a few times (with different camera angles) to give us a clear sense of the brush movement, and each session ends with suggestions for home practice designed to help you cultivate your own calligraphy practice. Please note, it is necessary to have an authentic ink-brush and ink – dusting off your water-colour paint set will not work for this purpose.
Course Details
Lesson 1: Breathing We will see how to set up our workspace and do some basic brush movements as we learn posture, and how to hold and use our brush.
Lesson 2: Grounding We explore how to connect our brush movement with our body and breath; we will learn some new strokes and do a close study of the ideograph “Human”.
Lesson 3: Bring Heaven to Earth We combine the strokes we have been practising and gain an understanding of the connections of this system of writing; we will do a close study of the ideograph “Heaven”.
Lesson 4: Being Centred We identify the different types of East Asian calligraphy scripts; explore how our body interprets the brush flow and how this transforms our brush movements. We are introduced to applied strokes in semi-cursive and cursive scripts, and do a close study of the ideograph “Tree.”
Lesson 5: Creativity We will learn new strokes, do a close study of the ideograph “Moon” and explore through practice all three scripts: formal, semi-cursive, and cursive.
Lesson 6: Rejoicing We study the ideograph “Eternity.” This character is very important in East Asian calligraphy because it includes all eight of the most basic movements. With all the practice and understanding we have built in the last sessions, we will find ourselves more confident and joyful with our brush work as we continue to practice all three scripts: formal, semi-cursive, and cursive.
During the course, between the practice sessions, we will offer a number of optional small-group ‘live’Q&A sessions as well as an online forum for you to share your work, receive comment and ask questions.
Course Schedule
Each session last for 2.5 hours
Kum Nye/Meditation 25 mins
Ink Brush 50 mins
Break 5 mins
Kum Nye /Meditation 20 mins
Ink Brush 50 mins
Registration
To prepare for the live streaming please see here.
The fee includes an authentic Chinese ink brush and ink (worth €45) which will be mailed to your home. Please ensure you confirm your postal address at registration.
Concession fees are available for students and the unwaged.
We look forward to seeing you on-line!
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