The `Four Arts` Workshops: Saturdays in July 09
Published: 15/06/2009
Spend four summer Saturday afternoons learning the traditional Chinese “Four Arts” to experience oriental culture and make your own artworks. The `four arts`- painting, calligraphy, seal carving and poetry, also known as leisure time pleasures, were the mark of a true scholar in old China and to this day are still revered.
The workshops will run on Saturday 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th July from 1pm to 5pm in the beautiful setting of Abden House. You can opt to enjoy all four workshops or select which you wish to attend.
Learn the art of traditional Chinese calligraphy from pictographic characters to abstractive characters. Explore the beauty of Chinese calligraphy by using a Chinese brush to make oriental adornment.
This workshop will introduce the instruments – Brush, Ink, Ink stone, Rice Paper. The workshop will also include practice of very basic strokes, simple characters at the beginning and then each participant will have chance to create their own Chinese characters and symbols for good fortune and prosperity.
Chinese Brush Painting shares the same instruments with Chinese Calligraphy, using simple colour and basic instruments to express one’s mind image.
This workshop will introduce the common techniques related to the Chinese soft brushes and ink. Students will have the option to select from a range of subject as demonstrated by the teacher including Lotus flower, Orchid, Bamboo and Landscape painting. Everyone join this workshop will have a chance to produce their own piece of artwork in a Chinese way.
These paired workshops will allow participants to discover the ancient practice of seal carving.
This discipline has a venerable history and seal stamps, also known as ‘chops’, are still in regular use in China, both to enhance artwork and as part of the requirement for the signing of important documents.
Each seal is unique and will contain e.g. a name, poetical saying, a design or a symbol. The seals are pressed into a pot or tin of cinnebar paste, a scarlet red colour, which is then block printed onto plain paper or a piece of calligraphy or a painting. When printing a red seal on a monochrome painting, it is said to be `adding the eye to the dragon`. When entering China, your passport will be stamped with a red seal.
During this workshop, participants will learn how to write Chinese characters in seal and practice Chinese calligraphy; be introduced to the basic knife technique and learn how to make a carving
Each participant will create their own Chinese style seal over the course of these two sessions
You can choose to book all four workshops or select a particular workshop you wish to attend. We recommend that if you are a complete beginner, you attend all four workshops to achieve a certain level of understanding of the art form.
A maximum of eight students are accepted onto each workshop.
Attend four workshops for a special price of £144.
Attend three workshops for special price of £110.
Attend two workshops for a special price of £75.
Individual workshop attendance is priced at £40.
Please note workshops 3+4 Seal Carving must be booked together.
To enquire or book please call us on 0131 662 2180; email to info@confuciusinstitute.ac.uk or download, complete and return our booking form here
The workshop leader is Zhang Chi Edinburgh based Chinese Calligraphy & Brush Painting artist, whose works have been exhibited internationally.
The workshops will run on Saturday 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th July from 1pm to 5pm in the beautiful setting of Abden House. You can opt to enjoy all four workshops or select which you wish to attend.
Calligraphy workshop (week 1): 4 July
Learn the art of traditional Chinese calligraphy from pictographic characters to abstractive characters. Explore the beauty of Chinese calligraphy by using a Chinese brush to make oriental adornment.
This workshop will introduce the instruments – Brush, Ink, Ink stone, Rice Paper. The workshop will also include practice of very basic strokes, simple characters at the beginning and then each participant will have chance to create their own Chinese characters and symbols for good fortune and prosperity.
Chinese Painting workshop (week 2): 11 July
Chinese Brush Painting shares the same instruments with Chinese Calligraphy, using simple colour and basic instruments to express one’s mind image.
This workshop will introduce the common techniques related to the Chinese soft brushes and ink. Students will have the option to select from a range of subject as demonstrated by the teacher including Lotus flower, Orchid, Bamboo and Landscape painting. Everyone join this workshop will have a chance to produce their own piece of artwork in a Chinese way.
Chinese Seal Carving Workshops (week 3 and week 4): 18 and 25 July
These paired workshops will allow participants to discover the ancient practice of seal carving.
This discipline has a venerable history and seal stamps, also known as ‘chops’, are still in regular use in China, both to enhance artwork and as part of the requirement for the signing of important documents.
Each seal is unique and will contain e.g. a name, poetical saying, a design or a symbol. The seals are pressed into a pot or tin of cinnebar paste, a scarlet red colour, which is then block printed onto plain paper or a piece of calligraphy or a painting. When printing a red seal on a monochrome painting, it is said to be `adding the eye to the dragon`. When entering China, your passport will be stamped with a red seal.
During this workshop, participants will learn how to write Chinese characters in seal and practice Chinese calligraphy; be introduced to the basic knife technique and learn how to make a carving
Each participant will create their own Chinese style seal over the course of these two sessions
Booking
You can choose to book all four workshops or select a particular workshop you wish to attend. We recommend that if you are a complete beginner, you attend all four workshops to achieve a certain level of understanding of the art form.
A maximum of eight students are accepted onto each workshop.
Pricing
Attend four workshops for a special price of £144.
Attend three workshops for special price of £110.
Attend two workshops for a special price of £75.
Individual workshop attendance is priced at £40.
Please note workshops 3+4 Seal Carving must be booked together.
To enquire or book please call us on 0131 662 2180; email to info@confuciusinstitute.ac.uk or download, complete and return our booking form here
Workshop Leader
The workshop leader is Zhang Chi Edinburgh based Chinese Calligraphy & Brush Painting artist, whose works have been exhibited internationally.