Bamboo obsession.

I am probably obsessed to this image; full moon and bamboo twigs against it. 

Admiring strength, persistence and loyalty.

Along with pine and plum, bamboo is one of Three Friends of Winter. In chinese tradition, bamboo gains great admiration for its characters. It remains green even in coldest winter, has apparent strength and flexibility at the same time. While most trees lose their leaves and many turn dormant, bamboo keeps growing. Bamboo symbolizes strength, loyalty and persistence.

I painted this as an exercise while my heart was admiring all of good characters bamboo represents throughout the seasons and years.

Bamboo

Bamboo, doodled while Euro 2012 is on tv. Brush pen on plain paper.

Bamboo shading

The first sumi-e book I bought was Kay Morrissey Thompson's "The Art and Technique of Sumi-e". Written on the base of Ukai Uchiyama teaching, Thompson focuses more on monochrome painting. However, it was Jean Long's book "Chinese Ink Painting, Techniques in Shades of Black" that tells me much more about the subject. I painted the image as an exercise in shading.

Calligraphy learning

After four months of training, I feel like making no significant progress in sumi-e techniques. I might be wrong but I believe this is because I don't have  the essential skills in calligraphy. And I undertake to learn calligraphy. Some friends are doubtful and said, "Aren't you too late to learn calligraphy? It takes years to master the techniques." Yes, they probably right. It takes years to master the techniques. But, I don't really care about it. I just have and love to do it. 

Wild orchid

Wild orchid, painted at the lunchbreak during a workshop on disaster response in Jogjakarta, May 2012. Brush pen, HVS paper.

Books

As a self taught, my learning very much relies on books and videos. These are some of my sumi-e book collection.

Bamboo on HVS

Bamboo, again. Painted much earlier than the others, with cheap brush I bought from local art store, on HVS paper. I know, there are mistakes and flaws on the painitng. I promise myself to paint this motif again, someday.

My brushes

Lovely brushes I bought from Kyukyodo.co.jp. Thanks to my beloved friend Ika Dewi Ana who brought them for me from Kyoto, Japan.

Landsccape

Landscape picture from Bing.com, doodled at the coffee break during a meeting in Jakarta, May 25, 2012. Brush pen, cheap A5 sketchbook. Feeling like using dry brush technique.

The mess

The mess I usually make during my training. 

Satintail

Satintail grass/blady grass, doodled at the lunchbreak during a meeting in Jakarta, May 25, 2012. Brush pen, on a cheap A5 sketchbook. The painting was given to Millatisyifa with my handwriting haiku on it. 

Adiantum

I dare myself to paint adiantum using combination and leaf vein brush on A5 cheap sketchbook. Chandra Prijosusilo wanted to have this painting, and I promised to frame and send it to her.

Bamboo

For quite some times I did strokes practice to paint bamboo. This is one I documented with my Nokia E71 phonecam. The painting was mailed  to Millatisyifa.

Kedoya branch

Kedoya branch, based on a photograph taken by my colleague Hendri Bundrawan. Combination and fine liner brush from Kyukyodo art store, on rice paper. I also used a self-made ink spray to splash the green ink (the color mixed by myself too).

Literati school, orchid

Again, I tried to paint an orchid. Rat tail brush on rice paper, 

First attempt; orchid

After hours of basic strokes exercise, I decided to paint an orchid. Rat tail brush on newsprint, photographed with Nokia E71 phonecam