Hello friends.  Well, day before yesterday I stayed pretty busy working on 3 paintings!  I didn’t start out intending to do that many, but I was “in the zone!”

This first one is a Koi fish.  I added the background spontaneously after I painted the fish, so of course it makes the fish look too big for real perspective, but that’s okay.

I did this one with my Chinese brushes, but I was having a bit of trouble with them, because I’m not sure they are of very good quality.  I do however, love the complementary colors of blue and orange together very much.  The black Chinese ink I have is very different from the other ink I began using a month or so ago.  My husband told me it is the same ink he used for some calligraphy he was trying to learn how to do over ten years ago!!  I didn’t realize that ink was that old!  So although I feel a little frustrated with the bristles on the brushes, I love the Chinese ink I found!  I will be posting my other two paintings over the next couple of days.

I have also been practicing the first strokes Kazuaki Tanahashi teahces in his book, “The Heart of the Brush.”  Asian calligraphy is tough!  I think I have begun a very long journey to learning how to do it.  That’s okay, though. Life is a journey, and learning Asian calligraphy and Chinese brush painting are companions I have chosen to take along with me on my path!

I hope everyone else’s journey is filled with hope, peace, and love today!  Have a wonderful day, and give someone you love a big hug.  🙂