I am busy researching mark making, the intention behind them and the materials used to create them. Hachiro Kanno, a Japanese calligrapher who has lived in Paris for many years, creates a work as a ‘performance’ at the Kunststation Kleinsassen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSqeFqEOIVQ The energy and use of his full body in his work is clearly evident. The immersion in the process, the mind preparation tea ceremony, the ritual, the zen state required to create such work and the huge mop-head brush have raised many questions that I will be reflecting on.
“N 573” by Hachiro Kanno http://www.imgrum.net/user/artistics_com/1396074407/1064299998747091092_1396074407
My life drawing group is currently exploring immersion in the mark making. We undertook a number of exercises to eliminate the mind from judging the marks as they were being created.
This image was drawn with my non dominant left hand with the easel positioned to my left, the paper out of view throughout. The model was kneeling on the floor with an open fan in her hand. Whilst the resulting drawing lacks the clarity of a conventional drawing, its success for me is in the quality of the marks, which whilst intended, come from a place rarely accessed within.
This drawing, the final of the day,was in sight but drawn with both the left and right hands. The confident marks with the right hand, the hesitant, fragile marks with the left. A revelatory experience.
I am also in the process of making some cola pens to enable me to make calligraphic marks within my work.
A selection of marks using 3 cola pens, a Chinese brush, bamboo pen and angled brush with watercolour and ink. Early days. The cola pens produce exciting but difficult to control marks, which may be useful with more practice, particularly the thin lines. The bamboo pen flows for a surprising time without refill. The angle brush marks, bottom left, allow control, flow and wide range of marks. The Chinese brush is about sensitivity to the marks being made and its use requires serious practice.
susanmilleruk 