Sumie is Zen at play

Why Sumie is perfect play for children.



Preface;
Whilst I use children as a group I do know there will be exceptions and this is a generalization.

• Children have an open an inquisitive mind.
• Children are free spirited and this is encouraged in Zen while there is a disciplined framework that everyone has to work within too.
• Children naturally want to blend with nature which is the source of sumie as observation.
• Art is something that they feel they can do and are not usually inhibited.
• They like things that they just do but don't always have to learn or be taught.
• Sumie is an active physical as well as mental art (observation and brush skills) suitable for kids relaxation and attentiveness.  It has a good blend of the two.
• Kids love to do something and show others and be proud of their achievements.

Here are some of the images children work on.

Andre Sollier as a teacher

These are some wonderful paintings by Andre during my time as his student to share with you.

Weekly he would give me a painting to work on sometimes in silence and at other times while chatting to us.

Every moment was a magical time and we will always be indebted to him as a teacher and man 'of the literati'.

Link to a  tribute to Andre with paintings.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=guajt4MY2PY

Sumie Paintings

Sumie Paintings for sale as Prints

Choose any painting and email me to order

Size A4 on photographic paper

Cost $30 each plus

Buy 2 or more prints for $25 each

Postage
 (postage $4 to Australia)

Wu Tai Chi

There are many different styles of Tai Chi and the Wu style was formed after the Yang style by a Northerner named Wu Quanyu (see Wu style Tai Chi bu Wang Peisheng P211)

In the 80's a teacher named Tibor from Poland taught in Carlton just off the main street Lygon in the first floor of a warehouse.  It was 1980 and this was the first form I studied. Needless to say I knew nothing about Tai Chi and how big it is how vast its philosophy or where it would take me.  I didnt know if Tibor was a good teacher or not but as you go you learn.

All I can say is he introduced me to Tai Chi and I learned as much as I could from him. That is to say, one can only learn as much as one is capable of at any given time, just hope that your teacher has a deep well if its your first form.

Looking back I probably did everything possibly I could wrong or shall we say, less than perfectly but nevertheless thank goodness there are no absolutes in Tai Chi so it does not matter.  We learn and grow as we mature and go along. Life teaches us in a meandering was.  As Chen Xio Wang said to our class once in Adelaide at a workshop, something to the effect of ..."sometimes we go off the path only to get on it later on in our practice, then go off again then get back on..."

Wu Form 108 movements

Yoga Training

Training to be a yoga teacher is not necessarily a ticket of a real teacher.  Like tea they are all black but the taste varies greatly.

None of the great gurus in India ever did a Yoga certificate but they did train usually with a good Yoga Guru.  the master shisha relationship is as important as it is ancient.

I began my interest in Siddha Yoga with the Shaivite tradition of chanting and first met Muktananda in Gore st Collingwood back in the 1980's when he was on visit where I received shaktipath.

It was a life changing moment where I felt the power of prana awaken my body and mind.  I tell the full story in detail in a book I am writing on my Yoga travels in India over the years.  Being a martial artist I was aware or Yoga but more into the mental and music aspects before I studied Hatha yoga under Savitri Devi from S.A.I.Y.T. Previous to this I had been studying tabla which is a form of sound (Nada) yoga since 1980 and playing in Adelaide with various India musicians. Go to the tabla area of the blog to listen to some of my music friends.

In 1990 I was studying tabla with Nayan Gosh a well known tabla player in Bombay, son of the famous Nikil Gosh who trained under the  legendary Amidjan Thirakwa who was the maestro of tabla.

Then I spent a month in the Ganeshpuri ashram teaching tabla and studying yoga where Gurumaya chidvilasananda was the guru.  The most notable memory was visiting the local village and temple of Baba Nityananda who was Muktananda's teacher.

Shortly after this I met my true teacher Baba Virsah Singh who showed me the path to love.  This one event was the most precious time in my life and my spiritual karma was blessed.  I can say that without Baba and his blessing I would not be the preson I am today, nor would I have the outlook on life I have now.  To find your true guru is a blessing from heaven.  It took me from 1978 when I first went to India and numerous trips all about the country to 1990 to find him.

Yoga diploma from SAIYT

Sumie Framed Prints 4 SALE

UNFRAMED ; FRAMED PRINTS

Prints 

A4 on Photographic paper $20 plus $5 post to Australia

How to order

Choose any picture on the site and email me and I will reply.

Click for slideshow of paintings

Framed Prints

$35 / Plus Post

Size Frame 25 x 30cm

How to order

Choose a picture on the blog and email the order form to me then I will get back to you 

Mob 0407734479

skype catchadragon

gmenzel@hotmail.com

Wholesale

prices for Prints

25% discount Minimum purchase $95

Paper types used ; 210GSM white / 150 GSM marble

100 GSM white textured (very soft and light feel)

100 GSM parchment (clear crisp soft and light)

How to order

Go to wildlotus-arts.blogspot.com.au

Copy and paste the order form into an email. Or Phone 0407734479 or Mail (ring for details)

I will send you a confirmation with the final package and postage cost in an invoice.

Payment options;

1 Pay into my bank account after I send you the invoice by email usually (or post)

2 Australia Post Cash on delivery 

Normal Mail

Unless requested all cards are sent ordinary mail. 

Registered Mail

You have the option to Register your post which is advised as it has a tracking code.

I will send you a copy of the receipt for the mail order to you by email once it is sent.

Paypal
After I have given you a final amount plus postage click this button and pay by Paypal



Bank Transfer to Gerard Menzel
BSB 944300 account 016 183 975

Postal order
or money order care
Gerard Menzel  Carisbrook GPO Carisbrook Vic Australia

Paypal
Full amount includes postage after confirmation email from Gerard ; gmenzel@hotmail.com

Returns and refunds

If you are not satisfied with the product just send them back within 7 days undamaged and I will refund your money less a handling fee of $10

Order Form

Booking details.

Contact:

Phone

Post address:

Email

Note;  postage costs will be added to the total

Email form to gmenzel @ hotmail.com  0407734479 Mob

       

No of Prints	Small  Frame  25x30cm brown/black	Image	Cost:

Grapevine

Camelia

wild horse

little red

Peaceful Japanese village

little wren

Green Dragon

Framed Sumie. How to mount paintings

Mounting oriental brush paintings is a time consuming job and needs a lot of practice to get it correct. Having said that even the best days have their less than perfect jobs.  This is due to the fragile nature of the rice paper and the fact that air bubbles can get under the or between the mounting card paper and the rice paper and are difficult to remove sometimes.  However there are some tricks to it.

Here is a demonstration of the basics of framing.

This is the traditional way to back a painting. I have always done mine like this.

Variations in papers and glue

The only variation I have used is in the backing papers.

Usually my teacher suggested watercolor paper which is thick and stiff.

Over the years I found that wallpaper backing paper was very useful and also because it had a mould resistant element in the glue, however nowadays it is not easy to find.

The other element is the glue which I usually mixed myself using wall paper glue found at a paint shop.  This has a mould inhibitor as well usually in it.

The other kind of glue you can use is the aerosol kind found in art shops.










This is a video of another style of framing called dry mounting using silicone backed paper.

This technique can be traced to this URL ; Blue Heron Arts  and here Blue Heron arts dry mounting rice paper