Back in late-September (how quickly time flies), our friend Ildica Boyd came to Singapore for a visit. Debbie, Susan, and I had a wonderful time taking her to various places of interest. Ildica was here for just two and a half days, but boy, did we pack in as much activities as we could!
One of the places we visited with her was the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM). At that point in time, ACM was having a special exhibition titled, "Batik Kita". It was a beautiful exhibition that explored the history and culture of batik and batik making. The designs shown ranged from traditional ones and also modern designs that we see today.
There was much inspiration to be found, and I thought you'd enjoy seeing some photos that I took at Batik Kita...
At the start of the exhibition, we saw the tools used to make Batik prints, and different cloth cuttings.
Doesn't this design remind you of Bales:
And this one resembles Pangea!
These were more traditional designs.
This one was a very large piece:
Here's a photo that shows the tiny and intricately drawn details of the cloth:
Modern batik featuring words! This reminded me of the tangle, Vermal.
I loved how dynamic this piece looked. The colours and patterns were a feast for the eyes, and I wanted to create a tile inspired by it.
It just so happened that Ildica had gifted to us her handy little guidebooks. They are foldable accordion-style pocket guides that contain different types of enhancement and shading techniques. They were so handy to have as I worked on my tile.
On my tile, I used some stickers that I got from the Batik Kita exhibition to create a Whatz-Its, and then used some tangle enhancers and shading techniques that I found in Ildica's pocket guides. The colours were added using Derwen't Coloursoft coloured pencils. This was lots of fun.
If you'd like, you can also download some batik prints from ACM's website on this page. They're great fun if you'd like to learn more about the history of batik making, and also for getting tangling inspiration.
It was great fun having Ildica come to visit and we were sad when she left.
Team 7F5R also recently gifted Ildica this postcard:
Because, truly, we as Certified Zentangle Teachers, are better together. :)
Hello world! As we approach October, I have come up with a list for the annual Inktober challenge. Inktober is an online event where artists all over the world challenge themselves by doing one ink drawing a day the entire month. I adapted the idea to fit with Zentangle art by making each day's prompts be a tangle.
If you'd like to participate, draw a tile a day using the day's listed tangle, and hashtag your art work using #InktoberTangles so that other people can find out what you create each day. You can post your art on your blog or on your Instagram.
If you cannot commit to the entire month, you can opt to draw however many tiles you can manage, or you can also combine the prompts of a couple of days into one tile. If you miss a day, don't feel discouraged! Just continue from where you left, or do that day's prompt. The challenge is meant to get you to draw more, not to have you be overwhelmed, so just do what you can and have fun. For easy reference, I have linked each tangle with their step-outs. So you can just click on them to find out how to draw them.
Without further ado, here are the prompts for Inktober Tangles 2018:
You can also save these posters. The black version is a square, to repost on Instagram. The white version is a printable version (to save on printer ink).
I hope you find something new from this list, and that you have great fun with these prompts. If you have any questions, leave a comment below. You can also reach me at stephanie@everythingis-art.com and you can tag me on Instagram at "havepen_willdraw".
In a sea of black suits, I stood out with my pink dress.
Bokushun Kito, the first speaker, is Board Chairman Representative Director of the Japan Calligraphy Art Academy. During his speech, I found out that it will be the Japan Calligraphy Art Academy’s 72nd anniversary early next year. Mr. Kito said that he wanted visitors of the exhibition to feel and experience Japanese culture through the art works displayed.
The second speaker, Kenji Shinoda, is H.E Ambassador of the Japan Embassy in Singapore. His hope is that the exhibition would inspire Singaporeans to understand the elegant and beautiful Japanese art form that is Japanese calligraphy.
Following him, a representative of the Sunstar Group, Yoshihiro Kaneda came on stage to give his speech. He talked about how Sunstar wanted to act as a bridge between Japan and Singapore, and said that it was fitting that the exhibition was held in Singapore, where diverse nationalities and cultures mix.
Finally, chief executive director of the People's Association, Desmond Tan was the guest-of-honour for the event. He was rocking it without a speech prompter or any notes. He was eloquent and talked about the importance of strengthening ties between Japan and Singapore.
After the speeches were made came time for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony. (Got white gloves and shiny scissors some more... Very stately and super official.)
Group photo!
Anddd~ Snip!
After that, we were ushered into the exhibition hall where all of the art works were being displayed. It was time for the calligraphy demonstration.
The first of three artists to perform that day was Matsui Gyokusou. After completing her painting, the emcee asked if she had anything to say to the audience about how she was feeling or anything she had to say about the painting. Matsui said that she wasn't nervous today. She also told us that we should take note that Japanese calligraphy doesn’t have to be drawn on a white paper. The paper used in her painting has gold flecks and a gradient. So when viewing the paintings within the exhibition, we should not only take note of the calligraphy but the paper, too.
I liked the light, airiness of her calligraphy.
The next artist that performed was Ohtani Yoshun. His painting depicted a maiden on the Silk Road. Ohtani noted that unlike Matsui, he was feeling nervous today as there were many great Chinese calligraphers present at the event today. He mentioned that at the Japan Cultural Workshop Day that was set to happen the next day (21st Oct), there was a movie that was going to be shown called “Shodo Girls”. The movie tells the story of how a group of girls revive their sad town by organising a calligraphy performance competition. Then he joked that the movie had their "Shodo Girls" and he was, instead, a “Shodo Uncle”. The joke received a peal of laughter.
In Mandarin, we'd say that his calligraphy has qi.
A sort of strong energy that gives the art work life.
The last artist to perform for the day was Kito Bokushun. He wrote a series of calligraphic words from a famous Chinese poem. The poem was written by a general going to war, and is one of Kito's favourite poem.
I really liked how the large and small words balance the art work.
If you'd like to watch a video of the three artists creating their art works specifically for this event, you're in luck, cause' I filmed:
I mentioned to Teacher Joni how much pressure I'd feel if I were asked to perform in front of a large audience using such an unforgiving medium such as ink... I really tip my hat to the three wonderful artists who showed us different types of Japanese art styles that day.
After that, we were allowed to walk around the exhibition hall to admire the art works hanging on the walls. As I've mentioned before in a previous post; the exhibition covers four categories: Sino-Japanese ideograms (“kanji”), Japanese syllabary (“kana”), new calligraphic art and seal carving. And even if I couldn't read a word of Japanese, I kept my heart and mind open to this new experience...
I followed Matsui's advice and took note of the paper that were used in the art works...
Look at the pretty floral embellishment on this art work.
I also super loved the soft peach colour of the paper.
A painting in a painting... Notice the soft blue mountains on the lower portion of this art work.
It was done by Hasegawa Gyokuri and depicts a waka poem expressing the beauty of the ocean.
Here's a poem by Li Bai about looking at a mountain.
This one was drawn by Ohtani Yoshun, the second artist that performed that day.
Again, I really love the energy in his work.
Lastly, here's another seal carving piece by Shimamura Misao that depicts some ancient Chinese phrases. I really loved the deep cobalt blue of the background.
I've studied Chinese calligraphy before, and one of the stark differences between the Chinese calligraphy exhibitions that I've been to and this exhibition was the way the art works were framed. Chinese calligraphy is still displayed in its scroll form, hung from a nail on the wall. Whereas the paintings in this exhibition had really modern, minimalistic silver frames. I really liked that.
All in all, I was really pleased with how well-planned the event was. The emcee/translator at the event was great. Attention was paid to even the small details: Like the fact that they had a backing paper for the paintings that were done for the performances... In this way, pictures of the paintings would show up better because the black inked words would contrast better against a solid white background rather than one piece of sheer rice paper. There were microphones for all of the guests. People were ushered in an orderly manner. The food was lovely; as were the people who attended the opening ceremony...
I had a wonderful time viewing the art works. The Luxe Museum is just behind Plaza Singapura and is accessible by MRT (Dhoby Ghaut) and other buses. If you have the time this week, do drop by. The exhibition will run all the way till' the 25th of October 2017.
#ANTSinSINGAPORE is South African artist Lorraine Loots’ first solo show in Asia. The exhibition will showcase one hundred of the artist’s prints from her Potluck 100 | Paintings for Ants series, as well as five original paintings made just for her Singapore exhibition.
Visitors can look forward to paintings from four different themes: ‘Microcosm Mondays’ features impressive watercolour paintings of galaxies and nebulas; ‘Tiny Tuesdays’ presents vintage book covers in minute detail; ‘Fursdays’ is a collection of animal paintings; and ‘Free Fridays’ lets Loots go wild with her paintbrush.
The exhibition is being held in K+ located inside Scotts Square, and ends on the 29th of October 2017. So do drop by soon if you're in the Orchard area. It's well worth the visit.
They provided magnifying glasses for viewers.
Tiny galaxies!
Teeny tiny circle featuring one of my favourite from her works.
Zooming in with the magnifying glass...
"To Kill a Mockingbird". Look at the details!
Her exhibition was an absolute joy to visit. If you really take the time to look through the art works, you'll notice tiny details that pictures on her Instagram don't often show. I loved the minimalistic frames, the way the art works were grouped, and the amount of space visitors had to explore the art works. The magnifying glasses were a great touch to the exhibition.
I didn't take more pictures so that you'll still have an element of surprise when you visit the exhibition. It's happening at K+ in Scotts Square, till' the 29th of October 2017.
Sunstar, a company with Japanese origins, will be hosting a series of Japanese calligraphy art and cultural event in Singapore this month. The events will be hosted by the Japan Calligraphy Art Academy (Nihon Shodo Bijutsuin), co-organised by Sunstar and Japan Creative Centre (Embassy of Japan) and supported by The Mainichi Shimbun / Mainichi Shodo Kai. Through the events, they aim to both promote cultural exchange between Japan and Singapore; as well as use Japanese calligraphy as a channel to direct the attention of local communities to the importance of holistic healthcare.
Japan Calligraphy Art Academy Calligraphy Exhibition
Since 1945, Sunstar has been a strong supporter of the Japan Calligraphy Art Academy in holding various Japanese calligraphy exhibitions. This partnership also illustrates Sunstar’s commitment to its corporate motto of helping people achieve better health and enhance their quality of life. Fun fact: The Japan Calligraphy Art Academy is one of Japan’s oldest calligraphy art institutes with 70 years of history! Wow!
The exhibition will showcase over 60 pieces of curated masterpieces by members of the Japan Calligraphy Art Academy. The exhibition will cover four categories: Sino-Japanese ideograms (“kanji”), Japanese syllabary (“kana”), new calligraphic art and seal carving.
So where and when will the exhibition be held in Singapore..?
It will be held at the Luxe Art Museum. (That's the building with the lizard statue outside of it, at Dhoby Ghaut.) The exhibition will happen from the 20th to 25th October 2017.
If you visit the exhibition between the 20th to the 24th of October, try to time your visit to happen between 2pm to 3pm so that you can watch wonderful calligraphy performances done by visiting calligraphers. They will also be there to provide opportunities for you to learn and practice calligraphy. The number of participants for the calligraphy trial is limited, but all activities are free of charge. Visitors will also receive an exclusive calligraphy art gift and a lovely Sunstar goodie bag, while stocks last. Don't say bojio ah.
Japan Cultural Workshop Day
You can also choose to take part in the series of workshops and events that will happen in heartland areas. These events will happen only on the 21st of October 2017. You'll be able to watch calligraphy performances, learn and practice calligraphy, and enjoy other Japanese cultural experiences. The events will be held at:
The Japanese Association, Singapore (JAS) – starts at 10am. There will be a calligrapher performance, and calligraphy trials on Uchiwa (Japanese Fan)
Japan Creative Centre (JCC) – starts at 10am. There will be a calligrapher performance, and calligraphy trials on T-Shirt (Limited to first 40 participants)
Choa Chu Kang Community Club (CC)* – Afternoon to Evening. There will be a calligrapher performance, calligraphy trials, a Japanese Cultural Booth, plus a movie screening of “Shodo Girls” and a kids dental show held in the evening. The dental show is an oral health edutainment show to raise awareness about the importance of oral care which sounds like great fun for the little ones. :)
Our Tampines Hub (OTH) – Afternoon. There will be a calligrapher performance, calligraphy trials (Limited to first 50 participants), and a movie screening of “Shodo Girls”.
*Do note that there will be an admission fee for CCK CC, but all other venues are free.
Through the Japanese Calligraphy Art Exhibition and the other cultural events planned, Sunstar hopes to offer an immersive cultural experience to increase appreciation of traditional Japanese calligraphy art and culture. I'm planning to visit the exhibition on the 20th to try my hand at Japanese calligraphy. I hope you'll join in the fun, too.
We were invited to the Tower Wing of Shangri-La Hotel Singapore two days ago to work on part of the art installation of "Tree Canopy" by Japanese artists Hirotoshi and Nami Sawada. It was such a wonderful experience and I wanted to share some of the magic with you.
The instillation is the first thing you see once you step into the lobby. Shangri-La has completely renovated this tower, with the idea to bring nature indoors. And Tree Canopy reflects that idea by being inspired by leaves blowing in the wind. I also see it as a flock of birds. What do you see?
If you look closely, you can see the little tags that are in place to mark where the last few "leaves" are meant to be hung.
Here's a video for you to get a scale of how large the art work is. I spoke to Nami Sawada at the event and he told me that this was his largest instillation yet. He also told me that it took Studio Sawada Design a total of seven days to completely put up all 2000+ pieces. Amazing.
I thought that the leaves are made of metal, but apparently that's not the case. They're made of flexible plastic because Sawada needed the art work to be light enough to be hung up into the ceiling using fishing lines. These fishing lines are not visible from the dining area at the Tower Wing which just adds to the magic of the art work. I really love those shadows on the ceiling,
At the dining area, we had a tea-time meal whilst taking in the nature that surrounded us. There were potted trees (actual trees!), an infinity pool, and six sculptures of children scattered around the lobby. The most impressive, though, was the floor to ceiling basalt rock that had tropical ferns and mosses tucked between them. It stood as a backdrop to the bar area and what a sight it was. Almost like a three-dimensional painting made out of plants instead of paints.
The tea-time meal was equally wonderful with bite-sized portions of local delights such as ondeh ondeh filled with a sweet filling, fa gao that was more fluffy than what I was used to, kuehs, satays, and a durian cream tart that smelled like an entire durian had been opened right in front of you. Everything was so lovely.
Look at the tiny ang ku kueh! Ahhh~ It's so cute and small and yet so detailed.
The kaya spread was SO good. As was the satay. And in case you hadn't noticed, all the plates (and even the sugar pot) are made to resemble traditional Peranakan wares. My maternal grandmother is actually a Nyonya so this was a delight, and such a great to tie the food to Singapore roots.
After the meal, we headed back to the lobby area to put up the final pieces of Tree Canopy. The "leaves" of the art work are of different tones— shiny silver, matte silver, and gold. Sawada also told me that the design of the art work went through a number of ideas, going from water droplets, to orchids (our national flower), and eventually to plants. It took four months from conception of the design, to production, and finally to setting up the entire art work.
I am so thrilled and honoured to have been allowed the opportunity to put up one of the last few pieces of Tree Canopy. Here's a set of pictures showing the moment.
We climbed up a cherry picker (yes, that's actually what it's called).
Going up!
You can see the little squares of paper that denote where each piece is meant to go.
What you can't see, though, is the fishing lines that we are holding...
Hirotoshi explaining to us how to hang up the "leaf".
Ta-da!
*claps claps claps*
That was quick! Going down, now... Steady as she goes.
It was fun. And every time I visit Shangri-La from hereon, I can say that *that* particular leaf was hung up by me. :) Go see Tree Canopy for yourself (and the six children sculptures, and the indoor potted trees, and the magic stone wall) at Shangri-La Hotel Singapore. Perhaps even order the same tea-time set I had, I highly recommend it.
