New project on my Behance.net portfolio: Chinese Calligraphy

Check out my new work on my @Behance portfolio: "Chinese Calligraphy"

http://be.net/gallery/Chinese-Calligraphy/9664841

This is a collection of calligraphy work I did a while back. All of the characters were painted on 3x5 canvas boards with red and gold acrylic paint. My zazzle store will feature these in cards and other items. Look for them in the next few days!

I also added new images to another Behance.net project:
"Digital Drawings with Made with Paper" http://be.net/gallery/Digital-Drawings-with-Made-with-Paper/9090437

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2013

Gambatte! (Onward!)

Gambatte! (Onward!)

digital (Paper 53)

Copyright 2013 by A. Dameron

Cultural notes: Baseball is big in Japan. This fan is wearing his favorite T-Shirt of his favorite team, the Yomiuri (Tokyo) Giants. Think something like the New York Yankees or Manchester United. Their colors are white, orange and black. This fan is also wearing a hachimaki ("helmet-scarf"), a white or red headband/scarf with inspirational quotes on it (and the Japanese 'rising sun').

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2013

Happiness (Xingfu)

Happiness (Xingfu)
acrylic on glass
Copyright 2013 by A. Dameron


All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2013

African Calligraphy Card Series, #7 and #8 of 10

Sankofa (Learn from the Past)

Adinkra (Ghana)

acrylic ink

© 2012 by A. Dameron 

 

Woman

Bantu script (S. Africa)

acrylic ink

© 2012 by A. Dameron 

African Calligraphy Card Series, #5 and #6 of 10

Dmanimen (Strength)

Adinkra (Ghana)

acrylic ink

© 2012 by A. Dameron 

 

Duafe (Comb, patience, care)

Adinkra (Ghana)

acrylic ink

© 2012 by A. Dameron 

African Calligraphy Card Series, #3 and #4 of 10

Adinkrahne (Charisma, leadership)

Adinkra script (Ghana)

acrylic ink

© 2012 by A. Dameron 

 

Nkyimkyim (Versatility)

Adinkra script (Ghana)

acrylic ink

© 2012 by A. Dameron 

African Calligraphy Card Series, #1 and #2 of 10

Marriage, Unity, Love

Bantu symbol (S. Africa)

acrylic ink

© 2012 by A. Dameron 

 

Wisdom, Silence

Bantu symbol (S. Africa)

acrylic ink

© 2012 by A. Dameron 

 

Two designs in my "African Calligraphy" card set (total of 10). These two come from the Bantu in South Africa. They are brightly colored and carry special meaning.

Other African scripts in this card set include Adinkra (Ghana). Set II will include Bantu, Adinkra, Nsbidi (Nigeria) and the Bamum syllabary (Cameroon).

Some Chinese New Year Items I Treasure

Purple Jade and Silver Dragon Medallion

charm from Blue Mountain Gems

 

Lucky Necklace

Charms from Blue Moon

(l to r) Fortune, Double Happiness, Prosperity and Wealth

 

Aventurine Ring

(not jade, but as close as I have now)

from Earthbound

 

Red Envelope usually given to younger relatives on Chinese New Year

Two lucky carp, a peony flower and a chrysanthemum

gold/red paper

 

 

Chinese New Year 2012 Art: "Nine Virtues"

Nine Virtues

multimedia (acrylic, gold leaf, watercolor, canvas board)

 © 2011 by A. Dameron

 

This is one of my major projects for Chinese New Year 2012. The nine red canvas boards simulate red tile and the calligraphy is in gold leaf, with the pinyin directly below. 

Top row (left to right): Shu (forgiveness), Jen (patience), Hsiao (piety)

Middle row (left to right): P'ing (peace), Fu (happiness), Ming (destiny)

Bottom row (left to right) Chih (wisdom), Ying (courage) Shun (gentleness)

Chinese Calligraphy: "Yu: Fish" (30 Days of Creativity Day 30)

"Yu: Fish" (Chinese Calligraphy)

acrylic, ink

© 2011 by A. Dameron

#30daysofcreativity #day30

 

Chinese Calligraphy: "P'ei: Shell" (30 Days of Creativity Day 29)

"P'ei: shell" (Chinese Calligraphy)

acrylic, ink

© 2011 by A. Dameron

#30Daysofcreativity #day29

 

 

Chinese Calligraphy: "Huo: Fire" (30 Days of Creativity Day 28)

"Huo: Fire"

Chinese Calligraphy

acrylic, ink

© 2011 by A. Dameron

#30DaysofCreativity #day28

 

Chinese Calligraphy: "Shui: Water" (30 Days of Creativity Day 27)

"Shui: Water"

Chinese Calligraphy

acrylic, ink

© 2011 by A. Dameron

#30DaysofCreativity #day27

Chinese Calligraphy: "T'ian: Sky" (30 Days of Creativity Day 25)

"T'ian: Sky" (Chinese Calligraphy)

acrylic, ink on Artist Trading Card (2x3)

© 2011 by A. Dameron

#30daysofcreativity #day25

 

Chinese Calligraphy: "T'u: Earth" (30 Days of Creativity Day 24)

T'u: Earth

Chinese Calligraphy

acrylic, ink on Artist Trading Card (2x3)

© 2011 by A. Dameron

 

Red Envelope (30 Days of Creativity, Day 22)

Red Envelope

acrylic, ink

© 2011 by A. Dameron

During special occasions in Chinese tradition, money is given in red envelopes (red the color of good luck). The characters on either side is 'fu', luck.

#30daysofcreativity #day22

 

 

Winter's Gone From the Mountains (30 Days of Creativity, Day 21)

Winter's Gone from the Mountains...

acrylic, ink

© 2011 by A. Dameron

Chinese calligraphy, from top to bottom, "Winter (is) gone (from the) mountains, clear water sparkles."

 

Writing and Art for Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year will be on February 3 and we'll be going into the Year of the Rabbit. I've always like Chinese New Year...the colors, the songs, and especially the food! I've got Chinese blood on my dad's side (as far as I know, Great-Grandma was Chinese, adopted into our family), so my kids do too. I was born in the Year of the Ox (reliable, dependable but stubborn). Hubs and Baby Girl are Rats (quick-witted, frugal), Son is a Sheep (sensitive, insecure), and Banshee Girl is a Dog (loyal but somewhat unpredictable).

I'm working on several pieces about Chinese New Year, both fiction and non-fiction. Some of them will be on this blog and others elsewhere. As for art, I've been working on my mingzi (Chinese characters). Some of them are at Phoenix Fire Arts and at my store on Zazzle: http://www.zazzle.com/artistmum1*

Here are some sites about Chinese New Year and the Zodiac. If you have kids, here is a site that features cultural information and activities about the Year of the Rabbit.

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010

Trying something new this season...

I'm eager to try new things, artistically speaking. I have a calligraphy pen with four different nibs, watercolor paints, black and gold calligraphy ink. The set's been sitting idle for the past year, since last Christmas. Lately, I've been reviewing both my Chinese and Japanese grammar and realized my kanji, katakana, hiragana, and Zhongwen are awful, since I haven't been practicing lately. My writing in English is decent (for a left hander, anyway), but you still need a decoder to read it.

So I'm back to practicing my characters with pen and ink. Earlier this week, I found some bottles of colored ink at Hobby Lobby for 40% off and picked those up as well. My hands aren't up to fine detail work anymore, but I  think I can manage to do some ATCs (artist trading cards) and postcards with them.

Wish me luck and that my hands will cooperate in this new undertaking. :-D

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010