The Noble Spirit in Brush Painting - Ink Bamboo
An East Asian ink painting course of bamboo painting which explores the deep meaning of this topic through meditative movement, brush techniques and philosophic and moral qualities.
4 week in person course
Dates: Saturdays; March 26, April 2, 9, 16, 2022
Time: 10.45am - 5.30pm (Irish Time)
Max Participants: 20 (limited spots)
Latest Registration date & time: 2 days before the course starts
Fee: €260 (Vegetarian lunch and refreshments are included in your fee)
**We believe that anyone has the desire to learn and grow should not be turned away for financial reasons. Please email info@artofthebrush.ie to request exchange of skills or to discuss flexible payment options.
All tools and materials are provided on site
Suitable for beginners.
In this course we will explore mindfulness, awareness and presence through mindful breathing, body posture and meditative brush practice. We will learn to trust the flow of ch'i (lifeforce) through our brush, and onto the paper, and likewise how we bring awareness and joy into our everyday activity.
Bamboo has always played a key role in Chinese culture and art. As the bamboo grows upright, weathering all conditions, it came to represent the perfect gentleman who always remains loyal. Wen Cheng Ming wrote:
“A pure person is like a tall bamboo,
A thin bamboo is like a noble man.”
In this course we learn how to set up a brush practice work space and the tools and materials that we use. We will learn the way how to hold a brush, the body posture and how to relax our body with breathing exercises.
This course is designed based on a step-by-step approach so that we will deepen our understanding and strengthen our brush skills with joy and grace. We will learn how to paint bamboo through various brush techniques and exercises supported with individual guidance, and each session ends with suggestions for home practice designed to help you cultivate your own brush practice.
● 10.45am - 11.00am Sitting & Breathing
● 11.00am - 12.00pm Brush Practice
● 12.00pm - 12.15pm Tea Break
● 12.15pm - 1.15pm Brush Practice
1.15pm -2.45pm Lunch
● 2.45pm - 3.00pm Breathing & Body Movement
● 3.00pm - 4.30pm Brush Practice
● 4.30pm - 4.50pm Tea Break
● 4.50pm - 5.30pm Reading & Sharing (optional)
Yingge Xu
From an early age Yingge Xu learned Tai Chi, meditation and calligraphy alongside her father while receiving a traditional education in China. Later she trained at the Chinese Flower and Bird Painting Institute and continued her learning with ink brush artists from both China and Japan.
Moving to Ireland in 2015, and seeing how meditation is taught and applied in the West, inspired a new perspective of her own art and cultural background. Yinnge shares her passion for both meditation and ink-brush art, not as separate activities but as a ‘wholesome experience’.