♥ Tuesday, July 1, 2014 ♥
Wau is one of the oldest traditional game in Malay
culture, one of Malaysia's national symbols. This giant flying kites are often
as big as a man, measuring about 3.5 meters from head to tail. It is the
largest kite around and is capable of soaring to great heights. It is usually
fitted with a stringed bow, which emits a soft, wailing sound when flown. Each
kite is lavishly pasted with colourful designs and a work of art. Kites are
flown throughout the year but especially after the full moon harvest.
It is normally decorated with floral motifs, patterns
are based on local flora and fauna like birds, animals and flowers. It combines
the best of skilled workmanship, dazzling colours and decoration. It exhibits the creativity of the
Malays and their talented craftsmanship infashioning a unique art form.
The logo of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is based on
this kite.
There are many types of Wau in Malaysia, each with its own
speciality forms of art, such as :
Wau Kikik(Malay Kite)
Wau kikik is the most widely known. It
is the simple tailless diamond-shaped kite similar to that of Eddie Kite. An
evolutionary design varies from the basic shape and feature a tail.
Wau Bulan (Moon Kite)
Wau
Kucing (Cat Kite)
Wau Jalabudi (Woman Kite)
Wau Daun (Leaf kite)
These Wau are the most common one, and are considered as
the National kites and are mad ecompulsory items in national kite competition.
Wau Daun is made optional in the national competition.
There are other types of Wau that are owned-up and
popularized by some states in Malaysia. They are:
Wau Seri Bulan (Seri bulan kite)
Wau Kapal (Ship kite)
Wau
Seri Negeri (Seri Negeri kite)
Wau Merak (Peacock kite)
Wau Dodo Helang (Dodo helang kite)
Wau Puyuh (Quail kite)
Wau Kangkang (Stride kite)
Wau Kenyalang (Hornbill kite)
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♥ Tuesday, June 17, 2014 ♥
Kolam is floor drawings made of coloured flour and are used for ornamental or ceremonial design during Indian festivities. It is a symbol of auspiciousness. It is believed that the geometrical patterns and designs applied using rice flour at the entrance to a home is an invitation to the Goddess Lakshmi into the household and drives away the evil spirits. Not only that, it also adds aesthetic value to the Hindu home. It is mostly a South Indian tradition that is widely practised in Tamilnadu. In different parts of India, Kolams are known by different names.
Rice flour is being used as the Hindu want to provide food for the ants and other small insects. This is an act of charity that is mentioned in the Hindu scriptures. Nowadays, finely ground white stone powder is used instead, as it is easier to apply and the Kolams are brighter and well finished. Sometimes, rice flour is also mixed with ground stone powder to be used to draw the Kolam. On special occasion and pooja days, Kaavi is applied to the Kolam as an outline. The symmetry of Kolam was of the key importance as it denotes the universal balance or the Hindu aspect of Shiva-Shakti.
Ever wondered why Kolam is not easily rubbed off in places where there is great gathering of people and movement? This is because rice paste made by mixing rice flour with little water is being used to apply Kolams. This is especially applied in temples and wedding halls .
There are several types of Kolam designs such as:
Line Kolams are the free hand drawings of lines to make a geometrical pattern.
Pulli Kolams are dots that are arranged in a specific sequence and order to make pictorial designs.
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♥ Sunday, June 15, 2014 ♥
Origin of Chinese Painting
Our prehistoric Chinese ancestors at first knew little more than hunting, the ruminents of survival. With time, life has become more settled. Ceramic vessels were formed from clay, eating and drinking became more convenient. Designs were painted on pots and bowls which earn appreciation and attention in today's world. Chinese painting may be composed of few thousands of mountains and valleys, or it may be just a single peak, a single flower or a single tree, or it may also be a glance between two people or a person and an animal. The final goal of the paintings is to lead the viewers into the paintings, making one feels like they are in the true scene described by the paintings.
Chinese Painting from Different Centuries
> HAN DYNASTY
During the Han Dynasty, pictorial art was cut in stone engravings and painted on walls and silk; subject matter was dominated by humans and animals. Painting of the Han Dynasty was characterized by qualities of boldness and substantiality, and its predominant function was didactic-- to educate the people.
>TANG DYNASTY
Tang Dynasty is considered the golden age in Chinese civilization where Chinese Painting developed dramatically. Figure painting reached the height of realism in the art of the court of the Southern Tang (937-975). Buddhist paintings and ''court paintings'' - including paintings of Buddha, monks, nobles etc.- played the major role in the development of Chinese paintings. The landscape (shan shui) painting developed quickly and reached its first maturation in this period.
Evening Colour on Autumn Mountain
Evening View over Streams and Mountains
> SUNG DYNASTY
It is believed that the development of the paintings in the early Sung was on the basis of the achievements of the Tang and the Five Dynasties. Landscape painting was first rose to wide prominence. There had been quite a number of large-scale landscape paintings with mountains as main feature. In paintings of the Sung Dynasty, one could also find animals, birds, flowers and humans that were not only accurately depicted in shape and manner, their inner substances, emotions, ideas and aspirations were also captured in the Chinese Paintings.
Heavy Snow on Mount Guan
Wild flowers and Black Rabbit
Techniques of Chinese Paintings
Chinese Brush
First, there is the Chinese brush. Though similar to the brush used for watercolor painting in the West, it has a finer tip suitable for dealing with a wide range of subjects and for producing the variations in line required by different styles. Since the materials used for calligraphy and painting are essentially the same, developments in calligraphic styles and techniques can also be used in painting.
Brush Techniques and Strokes
The ancients used the expression yu pi yu mo(to have brush, to have ink). These show the significance of the meaning for the two terms pi(brush) and mo(ink).
The brush techniques so much emphasized in Chinese painting include not only line drawing but also the stylized expressions of shade and texture (cunfa) and the dotting methods(dianfa) used mainly to differentiate trees and plants and also for simple embellishment.
The use of ink
Ink occupies an exceedingly important position in traditional Chinese painting, whether it is figure painting, landscape painting or flower-and-bird painting, pure line drawing, ink-and-wash, light colouring or heavy colouring. Black is the main colour of traditional Chinese painting.Th.e use of ink involves four processes: outlining showing the shades and texture of rocks and mountains by light ink stroke, applying dots and colouring. In the use of ink you should stress that "colour does not impair ink" and "colour does not destroy the shape." Images are primary. Brushwork and ink depict the images, and colours only enrich them.
The use of color
The use of colour in traditional Chinese painting stresses the intrinsic colour of the object, varying the shades on the basis of the intrinsic colours. Very early in ancient China the principle was set forth: "Colours should be presented in accordance with the requirements of different categories of objects." Colour in Chinese painting is mostly used after finishing the basic modelling with brushwork and ink. It involves variations of brightness of the intrinsic colours, mutual contrast and harmonious relations between various intrinsic colours, coordination of brush-work and ink technique and consideration of colours' textural functions on paper and silk. Traditional Chinese painting does not depict the complexities of light and colour, but, all the same, it achieves truthful effect with exceedingly artistic appeal.
OTHER CHINESE PAINTINGS
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