炎と敬真 BIRTHDAY KANJI

自分と漢字との付き合いについてまた少し分かち合ってもいいですか。

今日は息子の誕生日、「敬真」という漢字を使って絵を描いてみました。「敬愛する両親を試練の炎から守る／真理を愛す、両てを広げる敬真」

It's my son Keima's birthday today. For his drawing this month, I did "Kanji Art" based on the two kanjis, Honor and Truth, that make up his first name.

Hopefully, the drawing shows Truth spreading out his hands to protect his fleeing parents whom he loves and Honors, as they are assaulted by life's flames. I'd e-mailed this thank-you to him and pray God would continue to use him thusly.

FUDE ART WANNABES

When my children were little and had to study Japanese calligraphy in school, it was not one of their favorite subjects. I secretly envied them because I've felt an attraction to using the fude brush.  I'd heard about Sumie-E, an old art discipline of scribes of the Orient, and I found myself charmed by its emphasis on simple lines. I'd wondered often if I could dabble in it, since I lived in Japan now.

But writing with that brush and ink, well, that was something my children disliked, I could see it was not something they would have the slightest desire to teach me.

I gave up the idea--thought I'd go back to doing "normal" art--techniques of the proper use of the fude brush really requires the personal instruction--whereas I could get plenty of other art teaching online.

My artist crow friend at the park, Ble Currie de Sans suggested I try "Kanji Art"; maybe it would be simpler than "Sumi-E" since I already knew some kanji?

Last year, gave me a chance to try it. Friends from Africa had a baby and named it "Tendo". I'm sure they'd want their child to know the "Heavenly Way" as well as to make known it known all his life, so I chose those 2 kanji characters for his name. I haven't studied any proper "shuji" (Japanese calligraphy), here is my first attempt at "Kanji Art".

Unfortunately, neither picture for today's post are done with fude brush; I need a teacher to show me how to use it properly.