PRIVATE LECTURE at LACMA.....

Thursday, October 30, 2014

PRIVATE LECTURE at LACMA.....

Sunday we were treated to a lecture by Priscilla Gibbs, noted authority on the Japanese Tea Ceremony and ceramics in the LACMA collection. Priscilla had us all enthralled as she explained all the accouterments used in the ceremony.

I was delighted that Heidi and Sam could join us. Heidi is a new student in the studio and she and Sam are world class travelers.

First an overview of the tour…...

Beautiful Monica shows us one type of tea used.

Lizzie is delighted with another…..

The phrase ‘something up their sleeve’ is certainly true in this case as Pricilla kept pulling things out of hers!

This horse didn’t have anything to do with the tea ceremony but we all loved it!

One of the items Priscilla did not have up her sleeve….

However, this whisk was! It’s made from a solid piece of bamboo!

These ‘Plates of the 12 Lunar Months’ by Ogata Kenzan 1663-1743 were so lovely and fascinating….They are earthenware with underglaze enamels and Brush painters may see them at LACMA.org by searching in the Japanese Pavilion section of their website and also hear the poem inscribed on the back of the ‘Plum Blossoms’ plate and the ‘Mandarin Duck’ plate. Even today ceramics are made in the Kenzan style.

This tea bowl was exquisite and we hope to go see the ‘Raku family potters’ in Kyoto in the fall of 2015

I love Monica. She’s in my class at the Huntington and I call her my ‘Cy Twombly’!

Miss Judith was my ‘uber driver’ and her friend Diane and Lizzie Girl were also in the car. We were famished after all that learning and where better to head to than Joan’s on 3rd!

So much yumminess in one place…...

Lizzie, Diane and Miss Judith….

I was so excited I forgot to photograph the lobster roll. Oh my….such goodness! At 11:00 P.M. I wished I had gotten one to go….would have made a perfect midnight snack!

Oh well…. Lizzie and I settled on ice-cream cones to go…..

Wishing you a week of yumminess!

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Introduction

There is no avoiding the pull of the internet, the blogs, the YouTube imaginings. It's as if we're all 'On the Road' with Jack Kerouac each in our own world of meanderings. When we tell someone to 'get a life' it might be a bit difficult when you're dragged into other people's 24/7.

I've come to realize two foundational principals, there are no accidents and everyone has a purpose. More and more I'm desiring everyone to come into a full realization of their purpose as we all find our way on this little jewel of a planet.

For me, as a professional 'Western style artist', I stumbled into Chinese Brush Painting after a trip in 1980 to Monet's home/garden. Seeing all of his collection of Japanese woodblock prints was an ahh haa moment for me and when I returned to the States I started painting in the Chinese manner and never looked back. The first year was extremely painful for me as I felt that I should be able to master the technique since I was a 'trained' artist. Not a chance ... that just gets in your way.

Now, after teaching close to 3,000 students and having my book 'The Ch'i of the Brush' published by Watson Guptill, I can say that every one of my students does better their first day than I did my first year! Why? Because I insist that they leave their critical parent outside and just enjoy the journey, respecting the work that they do. I never let anyone throw anything away because that just ingrains frustration and defeat.

We really only begin to learn when we stop and figure out how to 'save' a painting. It works every time.I am so proud of my students, their receptivity and eagerness to express themselves is a continuing blessing for me.So, back to finding your purpose. Perhaps it starts with realizing 'it's not about me'. It so easy to want our needs met and to filter everything thru this attitude. When we realize that we're here to be of benefit to every life that we touch the universe really provides the ways and means.

The best part is that it's really exciting to not have yourself on your mind all the time!I'm re-reading a wonderful book about authenticity and in my next meandering I'll tell you about it. In the meantime I'd love to hear about your journey and am here to answer any and all questions about Chinese Brush Painting.