The Metropolitan Museum in New York has generously digitised many of their catalogues and journals which are now available to download!  See Metpublications.

You can search on Asian Art to find books, and articles on Chinese art from the Met Bulletin  For example:

• An article on the pear-blossom painting of Quan Xuan
• Silent Poetry, a collection of paintings including the wonderful horse Night-Shining White above.
• Gardens and Flower paintings
• Some Modern Chinese paintings
• the fascinating Eighteen Songs of  a Nomad Flute.

The 2018 CBPS AGM was a great success! Knuston Hall gave us a warm welcome and plenty of good food.  The AGM business was conducted with good humour, and Louisa Yuen brought lots of interesting papers, brushes and books.

The three workshops from CBPS member teachers were excellent!

Kaili Fu captured the spirit of the lotus in literati style on xuan, with a hovering dragonfly.

Maggie Cross was inspired by an African safari with Jane Dwight to paint dramatic leopards and lions on mulberry paper.
Her innovative use of a large hake brush to model the body or form the lion’s mane really inspired us to be bold!

Dr Xuzhuang Li shared three new phrases with his unique step-by-step guide to running script.  He explained the different calligraphy scripts  – the photo shows the seal script for “dragon” – and the characteristic strokes for running script.

After the AGM, Anne Haworth’s  fascinating talk on The Phoenix at the Fall of the Empire, illustrated with copious slides,  combined detailed knowledge and human interest to compare the lives of three Empresses of the Qing dynasty, including the formidable Cixi, and the melancholy Wan Rong, balanced between archaic and modern worlds.

Barbara, Marion and Pauline also provided relaxing craft sessions in the evening, which were much enjoyed.

Picture As It Is – 2: Li Mang Solo Exhibition
Modern Chinese landscape painting 16th November – 14th December 2018 at gcgallery, Tunbridge Wells.

Several interesting events coming up at the Ashmolean.  Apparently A New Moon Shines Over Bloomsbury!  On Fri 2 Nov, 1–2.30pm, Dr Paul Bevan,  will explore Ling Suhua’s ‘Friendship Scroll’,  with a chance to see this unique artwork – a handscroll with multiple vignettes by several modern Chinese artists including Zhang Daqian and Xu Beihong.

Looking ahead to 2019, learn about Chinese woodblock printing:

• Talk on Wood & Ink: a thousand year legend,  Sat 26 Jan 2019, 11am–12pm
• 4 day course from the Master of the Shizhuzhai from Ten Bamboo Studio, 22-25th Jan 2019

The exhibition of Women in Chinese Art over the last 100 years is on till 14th October.  Have a look at this Ashmolean blog, with several illustrations.

Coming up, Japanese print exhibition Plum Blossom and Green Willow, 2 Oct 2018 – 17 Mar 2019.

And at the Oxford University Department for Continuing Education:

• 300 years of Wen – Origin and Evolution of Chinese Language, Saturday 2 March 2019
• Painting in China from the Tang Dynasty to the Present Day, Saturday 30 March 2019

The Museum of East Asian Art is always pleasant for a visit, and there are several events coming up.

They have done an interesting project on Eastern Voices in the West Country, with stories of participants and a film.

Have a look here for unique hand-made brushes.  Elizabeth was using the normal oriental brushes, and started making her own to push herself “out of her comfort zone” and to get new effects.  Could inspire us all to have a go!

The Chinese Gallery at the British Museum will  include and rotate different types of objects such as paintings, prints and textiles.  It includes a digital version of the rarely-displayed Admonitions Scroll.

The Chinese Jade gallery has also been refurbished, with some exquisite new items.

The Percival David collection of Chinese ceramics remains well worth a visit.