Thought for the Day - April 24

Subject: Thought for the Day - April 24
From: Peter T.
Date: 24 Apr 00 - 10:41 AM

"The brushstroke," says Young Hi Lee, Chinese artist, "starts the universe. The white space of the paper, the negative space is not leftover space: it is intended space. Oriental painters say that the black ink "contains all the colours"; while the the negative space is "the beauty of the white blankness". In this work, if the artist makes a mistake, she can't correct it, but must start over -- to add another brushstroke would compromise the painting. Through practice the artist can naturally reduce the number of brushstrokes to the point where only a few are needed. There is a saying: "The apprentice uses too many strokes. A painting with too many strokes is like a snake with feet." - adapted from an article in Watercolour Magic magazine, Spring 2000.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - April 24
From: Mbo
Date: 24 Apr 00 - 10:46 AM

Thanks for that, Peter! We are studying Chinese Art in my Art History II class, and we learned about this very principle! And watch out for those silk-thread lines!

--Mbo

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - April 24
From: Allan C.
Date: 24 Apr 00 - 11:29 AM

Yep. And it's what you DON'T say that usually makes all the difference.

This was the beauty of radio drama. Scenes were vaguely insinuated. Actions were envisioned. Characters were drawn with voice tones and dialog. Nothing could match the pictures in one's mind as we listened to "The Creaking Door", "The Lone Ranger", or (and here my memory fails me as to the actual name of the show) Big John and Sparky. I am pleased to find that there are still radio dramas to be found from time to time. There is nothing like 'em.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - April 24
From: katlaughing
Date: 24 Apr 00 - 12:28 PM

Allan, that's right, altho the only one I remember was Gunsmoke on Saturday nights!

Peter, we have a wonderful woman here, whose mother was Japanese and father was an American diplomat high mucky-muck in Japan after WWII. About 5 years ago, Mako arranged for teachers from the Japanese Consulate in Washington state to present a day of fine art demonstrations. It was wonderful! In particular the flower arranging...very minimalist, but NOT avant-garde!

But esp. the calligraphy, which was much as what you posted above. It was incredible how she knelt on the floor, positioned her body over a long scroll of paper, brush in hand, ink well near her, then meditated, concentratd, sawayed back and forth, then in one, really ll swoop" executed the stroke, leaving behind a stark image on an expansiveness of white. Absolutely the pure essense of beauty.

Good to see you posting these, again!

kat