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Meditation through Chinese Painting
Siyuan Ren £39 (includes Chinese brushes, ink and paint) 16 places Sat 19th January 10am - 4pm Brocks Hill Visitor Centre - Map |
Siyuan Ren - Melody of Tranquillity, mixed media on plywood, 40cm x 30cm
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Meditation through Chinese Painting
This art workshop will practise meditation techniques through the painstaking Chinese painting process – gongbi – the meticulous style. Participants will get involved and learn the basic techniques of using Chinese brushes on rice paper to create ink sketches and paintings in the traditional Chinese way. They will also appreciate some of the traditional philosophy of Chinese art and Zen. The purpose of the workshop is to help create a calmer and focused mind in one’s busy life, as well as enjoying learning Chinese art.
Painting Techniques
This one day workshop will cover:
Morning:
- A brief introduction of Chinese paintings (free style and meticulous style) and techniques
- Line drawing/trace with Chinese brushes on rice paper
Lunch break
Afternoon:
- Layers of paint (to finish a painting, usually there are 4-5 layers of paint)
Meditation Techniques
- Concentration technique
- Mindfulness technique
Please bring:
- Pencils and rubbers
- Two water containers (one large to wash brushes, and one small for dipping).
- Images if you want, but these will be provided if not
- paper weight (no need to bring any masking tape or board)
CHINESE PAINING – GONGBI STYLE
Gongbi is a careful realist technique in Chinese painting, the opposite of the interpretive and freely expressive xieyi ( 'sketching thoughts') style. The name is from the Chinese gong jin meaning 'tidy' (meticulous brush craftsmanship). The gongbi technique uses highly detailed brushstrokes that delimits details very precisely and without independent or expressive variation. It is often highly coloured and usually depicts figural or narrative subjects .
MEDITATION TECHNIQUES
There are two meditation techniques to be adapted in the painting process: concentration meditation and mindfulness meditation.
Concentration Meditation
Traditionally, concentration meditation involves focusing on a single point. In this form of meditation, participants simply refocus their awareness on the chosen object of attention each time they notice their mind wandering. Through this process, participants’ ability to concentrate improves .
Gongbi technique is a painstaking process. It requires the practitioner to be focused to get the line drawing right and perfect the details, as once the ink is on paper, they cannot be corrected.
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation encourages the practitioner to observe wandering thoughts as they drift through the mind. The intention is not to get involved with the thoughts or to judge them, but simply to be aware of each mental note as it arises. Over time, participants can become more aware of the human tendency to quickly judge an experience as good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant. With practice, an inner balance develops .
Often during the painting process, when the practitioners get used to the flow and the repetitiveness, the minds start to wander. From my personal experience, events of the day or the week often play themselves in my mind and I am able to ‘observe’ these events from a third person’s view like watching a movie, in a calmer and impartial position.
ABOUT SIYUAN
I am a self-taught artist and have been practising art for over 10 years. Previously I had an international marketing job, and now I am starting-up/running two businesses. Although my professional life is very hectic and stressful, I always find time to paint or sketch even when I am travelling. This is because I feel better when I paint. The painting process, especially the Chinese goingbi painting, is my way of meditation.
I am a winner of “Rethink Your Mind” art competition 2017, with my painting “Raise Above the Silt” winning the music single cover award in the national competition, and my “Melody of Tranquillity” winning the album cover in the Leicestershire Partnership Trust competition.
I have also been invited to exhibit my Chinese peony paintings at Chelsea Flower Show 2019, and to demonstrate and exhibit my Chinese flower paintings at RHS Wisley Garden Flower Show 2019.
This art workshop will practise meditation techniques through the painstaking Chinese painting process – gongbi – the meticulous style. Participants will get involved and learn the basic techniques of using Chinese brushes on rice paper to create ink sketches and paintings in the traditional Chinese way. They will also appreciate some of the traditional philosophy of Chinese art and Zen. The purpose of the workshop is to help create a calmer and focused mind in one’s busy life, as well as enjoying learning Chinese art.
Painting Techniques
This one day workshop will cover:
Morning:
- A brief introduction of Chinese paintings (free style and meticulous style) and techniques
- Line drawing/trace with Chinese brushes on rice paper
Lunch break
Afternoon:
- Layers of paint (to finish a painting, usually there are 4-5 layers of paint)
Meditation Techniques
- Concentration technique
- Mindfulness technique
Please bring:
- Pencils and rubbers
- Two water containers (one large to wash brushes, and one small for dipping).
- Images if you want, but these will be provided if not
- paper weight (no need to bring any masking tape or board)
CHINESE PAINING – GONGBI STYLE
Gongbi is a careful realist technique in Chinese painting, the opposite of the interpretive and freely expressive xieyi ( 'sketching thoughts') style. The name is from the Chinese gong jin meaning 'tidy' (meticulous brush craftsmanship). The gongbi technique uses highly detailed brushstrokes that delimits details very precisely and without independent or expressive variation. It is often highly coloured and usually depicts figural or narrative subjects .
MEDITATION TECHNIQUES
There are two meditation techniques to be adapted in the painting process: concentration meditation and mindfulness meditation.
Concentration Meditation
Traditionally, concentration meditation involves focusing on a single point. In this form of meditation, participants simply refocus their awareness on the chosen object of attention each time they notice their mind wandering. Through this process, participants’ ability to concentrate improves .
Gongbi technique is a painstaking process. It requires the practitioner to be focused to get the line drawing right and perfect the details, as once the ink is on paper, they cannot be corrected.
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation encourages the practitioner to observe wandering thoughts as they drift through the mind. The intention is not to get involved with the thoughts or to judge them, but simply to be aware of each mental note as it arises. Over time, participants can become more aware of the human tendency to quickly judge an experience as good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant. With practice, an inner balance develops .
Often during the painting process, when the practitioners get used to the flow and the repetitiveness, the minds start to wander. From my personal experience, events of the day or the week often play themselves in my mind and I am able to ‘observe’ these events from a third person’s view like watching a movie, in a calmer and impartial position.
ABOUT SIYUAN
I am a self-taught artist and have been practising art for over 10 years. Previously I had an international marketing job, and now I am starting-up/running two businesses. Although my professional life is very hectic and stressful, I always find time to paint or sketch even when I am travelling. This is because I feel better when I paint. The painting process, especially the Chinese goingbi painting, is my way of meditation.
I am a winner of “Rethink Your Mind” art competition 2017, with my painting “Raise Above the Silt” winning the music single cover award in the national competition, and my “Melody of Tranquillity” winning the album cover in the Leicestershire Partnership Trust competition.
I have also been invited to exhibit my Chinese peony paintings at Chelsea Flower Show 2019, and to demonstrate and exhibit my Chinese flower paintings at RHS Wisley Garden Flower Show 2019.