Japanese aesthetic

An unexpected result of looking into Japanese techniques is the growing interest and respect I have for Japanese aesthetic sensibilities. I have always associated stark minimalism with the Japanese mindset but the more I look at examples of really great work, the more I see that rather than stripping everything down to almost nothing, the design philosophy is more like 'just enough'.

Being in the jewellery trade, I am possibly exposed to too much 'more is more' thought process. If something can be bigger, shinier, hold more diamonds and monetary value, then it is automatically better, both for the shop and the consumer. By contrast, although some Japanese designs may be complex or busy, if an element does not add to the balance, it is omitted.

This is a great example of just enough, the entire scene is set with just a few lines. 

Sumi-e Arum lily

I have prepared some plates for engraving and decided I wanted to try an arum lily. We have one in a pot in our bathroom so it's something I stare at whilst bathing which means I have ample time to study the shapes of the blooms and leaves.

Following my previous pattern of using Sumi to inform my carving, I woke up earlier than the kids so I could have a quiet space to paint. Sumi requires both practise and mindfulness which makes it difficult to do with any distractions. First I had a few practise pages, trying different tones of ink as well as different brush strokes.

I find I tend to start off a bit ham fisted and it takes a while to get the delicateness needed. The thing I most enjoy about Sumi-e is the grasping at the essence of the subject. Trying to portray not just the way it looks but something about it's being. For the person painting, this means both allowing the flow of the image as well as keeping tight control on technique. There is no erasing or altering of any brush stroke which holds true for carving as well, if you slip, you have to grind the entire image off and start again.

I was more pleased with these ones

Time to move on to scale drawing in pencil to be able to transfer this into engraving.

Katakiri bori

The image which sent me on the path of sumi-e is this one:

It is an example of a technique called katakiri bori. Katakiri bori is the use of lines with a specific veiw of recreating the brush strokes in sumi ink drawings. The depth and width of the lines are varied to provide a play of light and shadow. In western terms it may be refered to as shallow relief engraving or line engraving. 

It embodies a wonderful contradiction in that it looks simple compared to other types of carving however it is regarded as more difficult because there is no ornament to hide bad composition or technique. 

Here are some examples 

I have set my hand to some test plates of both copper and titanium, I need much more practice as can be seen. I would like to introduce the feeling of roundness of form within the lines as seen in the tree of the last picture.

December madness and sumi-e

As a full time goldsmith and part time student, December was a time of focusing on being Santa's little elf and making, setting and adjusting Christmas presents. This meant very little time for practicing carving metal. There was, however an avenue of exploration open for me and that was Sumi-e.

Sumi-e is the Japanese version of a Chinese style of painting. It utilises set brush strokes borrowed from calligraphy to create ink and water paintings. As the combination of rice paper and ink allows for no 'fixing' of lines, the artist is forced into a mindful state. The result depends on both the painter's ability to impose bold brush strokes and respond to what happens on the page.

Japanese style metal carving has much in common with the art of sumi-e, in fact the chisels are often referred to as the iron brush. Therefore it makes sense to study the brush simultaneously. 

The tools needed for this style of painting are called the four treasures, these are the ink stick, ink stone, brushes and paper. I was lucky enough to find three of those, the correct paper is difficult to source so I have been using water colour paper.

Here are some of my attempts.

 These are after many sessions of just practicing different brush strokes. Essential to the result is learning how to control the amount of water to ink on the brush as well as manipulating the shape of the brush itself.

This is an engaging and relaxing activity which takes both forethought and responding to what happens on the page. I found it to be a great way to start the day, wake up earlier than the household and spend some time capturing images.