Category Archives: painting bamboo

The power of Yong: an eight-stroke engine

Posted on October 31, 2015 by Reluctant Rat

The Chinese character for “everlasting”, “forever” or “eternal” is an amazingly complex character. It embodies eight brush strokes, which also happen to be the eight different kinds of brushstrokes used in calligraphy. And thus if one practices this character, one … Continue reading →

Posted in Chinese Brush Painting, Chinese character Yong, painting bamboo | 2 Comments

Bamboo Breakthrough

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Reluctant Rat

After several weeks of concerted effort, my bamboo has got better.  Practice may not make ‘perfect’ but it sure can lead to ‘better’.  So, what did I do? 1.  hunt for bamboo in local gardens and study the real thing … Continue reading →

Posted in Chinese Brush Painting, painting bamboo | 1 Comment

Back to Basics: painting Bamboo

Posted on July 21, 2013 by Reluctant Rat

The importance of bamboo: first to learn and last to master! For most Westerners, bamboo is quintessentially Chinese or emblematic of the Orient. It so happens that bamboo is one of the four most significant traditional subjects for this art … Continue reading →

Posted in Chinese Brush Painting, painting bamboo, the four gentlemen | 6 Comments