My name is Mary Hardman and I am studying the Chinese Brush Painting with the London Art College. I took this course as I love Chinese paintings, simple as that, and I wondered if I would be able to apply myself and learn the skill. What can I say, the course delivered and more, I have found something that I absolutely love, when I am painting, (and this can last for hours) I am calm, peaceful and lost in creating the flowing and joyous images.
I have benefitted from and been inspired by Monika who has provided critiques that have helped me to develop along the way, she allows and nurtures self-development which has helped with my confidence in composition and content.
My last four assignments are symbolic of where I am in my life, a new phase, time for me to enjoy a retirement where I can take all the time I like to enjoy nature, and beauty in ordinary things, no more rushing around. I used colour for my springtime composition with the bird and weeping willow, birds I found very complicated at first, but I am getting there with Monika’s help. The teapot and chrysanthemum represent the present time in my life and is of course one of the Four Gentlemen.
I just love painting fish, I paint something with fish in every day! Colour, black and white, grey scale, I have now incorporated them into my fused glass work and feel much better about the forms I can construct in glass after becoming comfortable with painting them.
Lotus flowers are beautiful, and my interpretation is just what it is, not biologically correct and I still need to continue to develop my skills all round but feeling really positive. I practice my brush strokes on old newspaper ( a suggestion from an elderly Chinese couple who until they retired owned a small Chinese shop in the town where I live) and still do that each morning. I use straw and rice paper as I love how it interacts with the colours and the water in each stroke.
Thank you London Art College and in particular Monika.
Mary Hardman
Chinese Brush Painting Course
