The Qualities of Painting

I am a student of 'DO' I walk the path of spirituality through art/meditative practice. All arts point to and highlight aspects of others. All art becomes the same practice of one artistic movement. All artistic study is another step down the path.

Here are some of the budo lessons to be learned from the brush. The path is not about creating warriors. It is about creating beauty, and to point people to learn of the nature of their mind.




The Six Qualities of Painting

* To display brushstroke power with good brushwork control
* To posses sturdy simplicity with refinement of true talent
* To possess delicacy of skill with vigor of execution.
* To exhibit originality, even to the point of eccentricity, without violating the li(the principles or essence) of things.
* In rendering space by leaving the silk or paper untouched, to be able nevertheless to convey nuances of tone.
* On the flatness of the picture plane, to achieve depth and space.

- "Lu Ch'ang",
quoted from an early XI-century work of biographies of painters of the Five Dynasties and Northern Sung Periods.




“Among those who study painting, some strive for an elaborate effect and others prefer the simple. Neither complexity in itself nor simplicity is enough.
Some aim to be deft, others to be laboriously careful. Neither dexterity nor conscientiousness is enough.

Some set great value on method, while others pride themselves on dispensing with method. To be without method is deplorable, but to depend entirely on method is worse.

You must learn first to observe the rules faithfully; afterwards, modify them according to your intelligence and capacity. The end of all method is to seem to have no method.”

- Lu Ch'ai(Wang Kai), Master of Ch'ing Tsai T'ang, XVII-century