The enjoyment of practising Chinese Calligraphy art grows in me to this day.
I was born in Taiwan into the respectable family tree of Huang. Being educated in a traditional Chinese school, I was introduced to Chinese Calligraphy art when I was at my primary school. My teacher Mr Chou Shen Ching took me as his student and I learnt with him until I left Taiwan to come to England, where I now live with my family. With support and encouragement from Mr Chou, my steady progress on calligraphy has brought me to numerous exhibitions, competitions & receiving recognition from awards and prizes both local and international levels over the years. Now, I exhibit regularly and accept commissioned work. Apart from exhibitions and commission projects, I lead classes and workshops at different venues including galleries, museum, schools, libraries, churches, corporates, and educational institutes.
I love the smell of the burnt pine wood ink stick releasing in the air when grinding the ink stick.
Traditionally, there are four treasures in the calligraphy art, including brush, paper, ink stone and ink stick. You will need water to make your own ink. Mr Chou used to guide me to move the ink stick in clockwise direction and to check the consistency of the ink I made. With the bamboo can & wolf hair brush, your teacher will teach you step by step how to hold your brush and how to move it to create your calligraphy art. It might take you several attempts before you get used to holding the brush correctly.
Nowadays, you can get brushes in different sizes and lengths, as well as types of bristles, depending on the purpose of use & personal preference. Once your muscle learns the new ways to move the brush, you will begin to experience the smooth silky movement with the ink on Xuan Paper.
Interestingly, there is also an important linguistic element in calligraphy art: you will learn the meaning of your art creation. Your teacher will teach you the things you will be working on initially. Over time you will build up your knowledge of strokes and marks. Armed with the right technical skills, you will then begin to choose what you would like to work on yourself.
The more you practise, the easier it will be to enter the zone of mindfulness.
Mindfulness: I enjoy the feeling of lightness and crystal clear focused mind at the end of each practice session.
The joy of practising Chinese calligraphy art has brought me to share it with you here. The nature of calligraphy art practice is rooted in a meditative process and a mindful journey of personal growth, discovery and discipline.
There are many wellbeing benefits that Chinese Calligraphy Practise could bring to you. These benefits are directly linked to the steps you take to carry out the calligraphy practice from the stage of preparation, set-up, to the execution. Regular calligraphy practice will increase your awareness of your own feelings, visibly calming the busy mind, and slowing down the pace of your thoughts. It will improve the clarity of your mind, the physical hand-eye coordination, and the state of mindfulness to one of ultimate relaxation and rejuvenation.
Get in Contact: If you are interested in learning more about Chinese Calligraphy Art or would like to attend one of Carry’s calligraphy classes. To have a private calligraphy class or event, please email Art@hornby.org.uk. You can also follow her on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/artcarryhornby/@Artcarryhornby
