The Mustard Seed Manual

Death haunts us but Life also continuously calls us to observe and celebrate the mystery of our mostly-conscious existence. I celebrate some of that by drawing pictures of what I can see and have experienced. Lately, I've been drawing with ink with a variety of brushes.

Klaus von Mirbach reminded me of "The Mustard Seed Manual" the other day and I'm almost sorry I looked at it again after so many years. The Mustard Seed Manual or Chieh Tzu Yuan Hua Chuan, 芥子園畫傳 "Manual of the Mustard Seed Garden" (facsimile) is an illustrated text of some of the methods and attributes of Chinese painting. It was compiled and printed in the late 1600's.

My use of it is superficial at best. If you like Asian painting and calligraphy or you are an artist, I recommend that you check it out. However, even a cursory viewing will affect how you paint. What happens next is your own story.

Education of any type is like a rock thrown into a river, it makes a big splash but soon the current incorporates the disturbance into its larger identity. Our job is to appreciate and nurture that identity. Making Art helps with me do this job. You could call it one's life work. 

Empty Nest

I'd had a bad day. A couple of family arguments had left a sour taste so, to clear my head, I walked over to the park to see if the robin was still on its nest. It was after dinner sometime and the sun was starting to set.

I was disappointed to discover Saturday evening that the nest was empty. I sketched it anyway in conté pencil which I later touched up with watercolor. Two days before, I had stumbled across it and was fortunate to have my sketchbook with me.

conté, colored pencil and wax crayon
Friday, May 19, 2011

a quick sketch in the rain.
Monday, May 23, 2011

It was raining again this morning but I made a detour to see if the robin was back on the nest. Sure enough! Quiet as can be, she just sat there with just her head poking up.
Imagine sitting for hours and hours with a few short breaks for a snack and maybe a little socializing. Then, back to work!

I'll be back tomorrow.

Exploring & Nesting

Pink lady slipper (Cypripedium acaule)

It's daunting in the Spring to sketch what is in front of me in Nature. There's newness everywhere and I want to posses it all. It's a weird desire; however, this is a fact of the artist's life. If I drew a tenth of it, I would be forever rooted in one spot! On this morning's walk I found familiar lovely things that stayed still so I could draw them.

Pink lady slipper orchids are just starting to emerge and bloom. Twenty years ago, I hid an engagement ring beneath this flower's broad scoop-shaped leaves for my then-girlfriend to find. Prior to this signal moment, I found lady slippers in wilderness areas in the Midwest and Canada during unforgettable botanical excursions.

Where to begin? There is something interesting and beautiful EVERYWHERE I look.
Here, sketches of pine branches and barberry

Finally, as I emerged from the forest paths I looked up and my eyes instantly fell on this delightful scene below: a robin sitting in a cramped little nest in a small tree. She stayed still and let me draw her portrait. I'll be back tomorrow to see how she's getting along.

See how she's stuffed into this nest? Bright yellow beak and tail up in the air. Kind of funny.

The end of Philosophy

Philosophy 101: It's obvious that…

from this, you get this…

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