BRUSH PAINTING IN CAMBRIA

Monday, June 10, 2019

BRUSH PAINTING IN CAMBRIA

It was wonderful to hear from Professor John Seed who remembered me from a class of his at Art Center years ago. John asked if I'd be interested in doing a demonstration and workshop in Cambria. How could I say no!

I demonstrated Brush painting for four hours at the Cambria Historical Chinese Temple at Greenspace's Creekside Reserve on Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend which was part of Cambria Heritage days.

It's a rather small building so people had to be let in in shifts.

Here's Chance, the most interesting 40 year old in a 10 year old body. I absolutely loved meeting him and what a conversation we had. He loves Tulips and every year his parents take him to see the exquisite tulips in the Keukenhof Tulip Gardens near Amsterdam, Holland. Millions upon millions of blooming flowers make one feel adrift on a sea of flowers. I was thrilled to be there when visiting Amsterdam for a Van Gogh retrospective. I should have known better than to ask Chance what he wanted me to paint for him. Yikes...Tulips, my least favorite flower to paint, mostly because they are quite stiff and it's hard to get something lyrical on paper. In any event, Chance was thrilled that I dedicated this to him and now he's framing it!

With Professor John Seed and Pamela Lee who drove in from Templeton (a few miles south of Paso Robles). Ada, Pamela's precious mother, took calligraphy classes from Shantien 'Tom' Chow in my studio in 2016 and I adored her.

Pamela brought her copy of my book 'The Ch'i of the Brush' that she purchased at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts for me to sign.

For the workshops at the Cambria Center for the Arts, I usually teach just one subject in each class with an occasional second subject something to have fun with but because it was just going to be a one time event, I wanted to give everyone an overview of Brush painting.
Somehow we covered three subjects, Plum, Bamboo and the Chinese Magnolia with an hour for each! It was great fun and hopefully everyone enjoyed it. As you can see from the photo, everyone did wonderfully!

Time to break for lunch...but wait...would I do a second workshop? Fortunately I had enough supplies and lessons for all.

Thank you awesomely brilliant John Seed for remembering me and bringing me to Cambria, a trip I will not soon forget. And special thanks to Greenspace, The Cambria Land Trust, the Allied Arts Association and the Cambria Center for the Arts.

John gifted me with his latest book, 'My Art World' that I could hardly put down. For anyone even remotely interested in the contemporary art world this is a must read! You'll get the most interesting info about so many luminaries in the art world.

Goodbye lovely Cambria until our next visit!

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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.