Thursday, October 27, 2016

Bronwyn Rodden #23 - Journey to Ink

Apsley Falls #1 -  watercolour, pastel and natural inks on paper
 
This is a transitional piece. I’ve used watercolours, but also gum resin, charcoal and pastels, trying to integrate the natural world into the work. Waterfalls are significant in Chinese art, being the sign of the life force, or energy, and I realise that I have responded to Chinese culture over many years, although it may have seemed superficial at the time: Chinese lanterns at Christmas, eating at Chinese restaurants, working near Chinatown in Sydney and taking away pieces from there, such as a hand painted screen. But I feel it is deeper than that, for some years I studied Tai Chi and when I went on a health kick I took up regular drinking of ginseng and reading the I Ching. When I moved away from my Catholic religion I became interested in Chinese Buddhism and Taoism. Sinophile no, but influenced by Asian aesthetics, yes.
 


4 comments:

  1. Wonderful shape and movement in teh image. Enjoyed the background to it. (Also a T'ai Chi player.)

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    Replies
    1. Civilisations that ancient have certainly things to teach us.

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