The Qi of Paper and Ink

By Sandie Osborne

Part 2: A look at the rest of the four treasures of the study: paper, ink and inkstone. Without these treasures, the brush would be just waving in the air.

If our body when practicing qigong or taiji is like the treasured brush, paper is like the ground we take a stance on, where we leave our footsteps. Ink is like emitted qi, stored in the ground or within a paper painting. Rock faces for carving and cave walls for marking with natural pigments were the first ground available to artists (and they have achieved considerable longevity). Bamboo slivers or “slips” were used for writing before paper, and perhaps have more in common with papyrus, a functional writing material made from the stems of the papyrus plant, dating from Bronze Age Egypt.

Unlike papyrus and bamboo, paper, one of the inventions of the Han Dynasty, is made from a soupy pulp of plant fibers. Paper did much to spread literacy and art (to say nothing of commerce, politics, and religion). In use it must have been as revolutionary as plastic is to us (though more environmentally sound). I wonder if there was ever a choice to ancient Chinese: bamboo or paper, like paper or plastic.

Paper is ubiquitous in our everyday life. It drifts through our daily existence and, like the ground we walk on, we may not notice the different types and purposes. How different it is to walk on an asphalt sidewalk or a soft path in a forest, a hard lead pencil on bond paper or a fountain pen on laid linen. Printers and artists know paper as an ingredient to their work, but for most of us, paper is just a product to be used, rarely appreciated for itself. Paper wraps our packages, and wipes our runny noses; we jot shopping lists on the back of torn-off calendar pages, and we might cover a wall with it. I once stayed in a peasant cottage in China in 1988 and was amused to see the pages of a book papering the walls and ceiling, an attractive treatment really. They were ripped from The Little Red Book, Quotations of Chairman Mao. I live in a former

paper-producing town (where the old mills are now industrial ruins and the air smells sweet, not foul as it did not too long ago). Sometimes I wander along a bluff above those old mills on the river and wonder about the paper — where is any of it now?

The traditional craft of papermaking extends throughout Asia, where paper turns up in ritual and practical ways in China, Japan, Korea and elsewhere. A paper-covered window with the shadow of a tree branch outside is like an ink painting. Paper is burned in funeral rites. Origami is a sculptural use of paper.

So with the moving brush (yang), the still paper (yin) is an equally fundamental material requirement for bringing forth a painting or calligraphy which will have its own longevity and perhaps, immortality. Many types of Asian paper are available, with different degrees of absorbency, a peculiar characteristic managed and exploited in Chinese painting. Western watercolor papers do not behave the same way. But, in the spirit of Dao, feel free to experiment with anything that is sufficiently absorbent and responsive to the ink; you can practice on newsprint or even old carpet (or even with a mop and

muddy water on your sidewalk, a novel practice I have seen in China). I have tried small character calligraphy with modern flexible felt tip Chinese calligraphy pens on cigarette papers, and with big brushes on brown paper bags. I once used an old ream of laid linen Weyerhauser letterhead stock for calligraphy practice (oddly, of the character for practice. I can measure my practice by the ream!) The results of the experiments were not bad in the way the paper received the characters. (If there is a flaw in the characters it is in the one who attempts to deliver them, that is, myself). I have some nice Nepali paper that I am not quite ready to sacrifice to calligraphy. It seems a little rough and heavy for the Chinese brush, but an experiment is due.

You can order “rice paper” of all types online. Rice paper is not made of cooked rice; the term refers to any of a number of sheets made from plant-based fibers. (Although there is an ‘oatmeal paper’ made of oats, associated with Korea.) Xuan paper, the most desirable for painting, is generally made of mulberry; other papers may be composed of cotton, hemp, bamboo, and even rice straw. Paper may be produced in single or double weight sheets, lightly coated with alum (which reduces absorbency for some painting styles), enhanced with gold flecks or flower petals for celebratory purposes. On-line, in a Chinatown shop, or in large art shops you can find easy-to-measure rolls of white rice paper, coated on one side. Larger flat sheets must be trimmed to the size you want, with a sharp blade, or you can run a bead of water with your brush along where you want the wet seam to separate. You can carefully pull it apart, leaving a rough edge, like a deckle to trim later. You can buy prepared fans and fan-shaped paper. And, while it does not fall into the category of paper, silk can also be used as a painting surface. Each paper responds in its own way to ink and color, and practiced artistic skill. It is like walking on different ground, different paths.

Brush painting is generally done on a flat table, not an easel, although for some calligraphy performances and teaching instances you may see a vertical easel in use. On an easel, the ink might run, which may not be desirable. On the table, paper is lightly held in place with interesting paperweights, on a fine blanket or sheet of felt to keep absorbency under control, and preventing the wet paper from sticking to your table.

piece of paper, as in wuji. The emptiness confronts you, and you can meditate for a bit or jump right into your work. Many painters report the benefit of qigong or taiji before they begin a project. I like to stand or use a high stool while I paint. I try not to hunch over my table, but adopt a straight spine, like in meditation or qigong, allowing the arm to move freely. At the very least, you can have a meditative moment while grinding ink, something like putting energy into the lower dantian. Avoid holding an uncomfortable position, like straight out and up in front of an easel, for too long. Be flexible and relaxed, as responsive as your brush is.

The gentle, slow, deliberate grinding of an inkstick on a stone slab is traditionally a meditative or ritualistic way to begin any painting project. Using an elegant or practical inkstone is a nod to tradition, a little like a fountain pen in this world of roller/gel/felt discardable writing implements. The way to move the inkstick on the inkstone is part of the ritual. (Clockwise, slowly.) But it may be time consuming: in some imperial Chinese dramas you may see an assistant as ink grinder to a busy official, or a student preparing ink for a teacher. If you choose not to grind your ink, good quality bottled ink is readily available that can be used alone or thickened with the ink stick. Bottled ink is preferred by many because really fine ink sticks are hard to come by. If you have one, treasure it. They can last a long time. Ink sticks are also often designed as pieces of art. Stone and stick, with brush and paper, become the beloved treasures and respected ritual objects in the painting and calligraphy studio.

But for most of us, what is practical is what we do. In any case, you will have a bit of prepared ink in the inkstone or a white porcelain dish. You can dilute ink in a flat dish with partitions to achieve the shui mo standard of five to seven “colors” or dilutions of ink, ranging from “burnt black, dark, heavy, shallow and light.” It is a skill for the artist to control the density of the prepared ink in a way that produces consistent results.

In addition to black ink, colors are used in brush painting, made with mineral or plant pigments. Functionally, these give a different result in transparency. The colors of the Chinese pigments, available as chips or powder, are classic, but perhaps troublesome to maintain. (I had an indigo that attracted mold). Chinese and Japanese tube watercolors are available, and most western tube brands work just fine. Japanese dish watercolors are vibrant and easy to maintain (where a rarely used tube may dry out). I find dry pans of color more difficult to work with if blending a color. I prefer to put a dab of pigment on my porcelain tray and mix there. I like the Japanese Holbein tubes; they are pricey, but last a long time. To start in any color painting, in addition to your ink, you will only need an indigo, a yellow, and a red. They can be blended with the brush in a flat white dish with water to achieve nearly any color. A tube or jar of white gouache is also useful for some effects, and for making pastel colors, but most gouache colors are best used for something else where more overall opacity is desired. You might also find some amusing metallic or fluorescent watercolors just for fun.

Are you ready to paint now? Bamboo is an excellent start.

So far we have been considering tools (the Four Treasures of the Study) and the energy of the practice. Next time we will talk about some basic brush strokes and composition, and techniques so you can make a painting. Summer 2019 — Page 15

Poetry Corner

Welcome to our new Poetry Corner! Our intention is to share the creativity of our readers as they explore their connections to the Tao. Send in your poetry submissions and art to daodogpress@ gmail.com. Send high-resolution images as attachments and copy in the body of the email.

Courage to Create

Art and poetry By Mike Krogman

It takes courage to clear a space Fill the water, arrange the pallet. It takes heart to touch brush to paper. Trust a color, steady your hands. I think its brave to start the line Ride the curve Remember to breathe I think its quite daring as humans, To create something outside of ourselves. It is truly valiant to start.

The Tao of Neuropsychology

By Nicole Noles Collins

a dance of electrical impulses intertwining the nervous system and cognitive ability eclectic choreography of science and philosophy a ceaseless performance without an audience of structure and function, yin and yang in the microcosmic orbit on the macrocosmic stage the sage observes, the fool measures

one interruption, and the dance unwinds then basic steps become a fumble yin and yang fight, not flow and structure sabotages function

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Taiji and a peculiar hunger

By Jim Birt

The taiji way is not easy. Ask the millions who started and stopped. It takes a peculiar hunger and a willingness to begin again and again. You will learn, forget, and learn anew. You never knew how many rough edges you embody. But practice polishes you, like a stream polishes the pebble. Time and effort – not shortcuts – are the way.

Grasping the bird’s tail I seek stillness in motion. There it is – not hidden at all, just waiting for a time of ripening. Tai chi form, you stay the same yet never become stagnant.

Because the center is the center the powers of all the directions remain certain, but never frozen. Turn from the stillpoint. Watch spring become summer, summer, autumn, autumn, winter. Who would doubt another spring?

Roots reach deep and far; heaven suspends. In between, so many transformations: Crane cools its wings, white snake spits out tongue, golden rooster stands on one leg. In this play, ride the form to no fixed destination.

Light and shadow play across the terrain of my fingers and palms as I wave hands like clouds: two passing worlds, one center.

A tiger’s mouth on the left, a crane’s beak on the right –both manifest like waves arising from an ocean of stillness. There they are! Distinct and gemlike, simultaneously transient ancient forms passing through my fingertips.

Like the cosmos we begin from singularity. Yin and yang separate

and momentum births manifestation: a blossoming of multiplicity. Every one has a center, fluid, not fixed –maybe near, maybe far depending on the mind of the mover.

The shifts and turns are simple and subtle, from beginning to end. Each repetition is a step closer to horizons uniquely awaiting you. Will this day bring the one no other traveler has seen?

The Grand Ultimate reveals the full spectrum source of all transformations.

Emerging from stillness and returning balancing yin and yang. Embody these simplicities for a full, rich life.

Sweep a lotus low and high. Turnings spiral out from a single point of no dimensions. In such moments we are galaxies!

A Great Stillness abides to the left and right, front and back, above, below. Too much effort disturbs it. Too little is pointless. This calls for a delicate touch, like handling the wings of a butterfly, or the memory of a dream.

Inside a vast circle where nothing is left out moves the great Elixir. Too elusive for measurement –a particle today, tomorrow, a wave. In between, permutations beyond numbering. Plumb its depths with playfulness. Seek its expanse with curiosity.

Temple of the Celestial Cloud Esoteric Daoist Mysticism

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