Mentor Artist June Li provides notes on her experience at Marina Middle School in San Francisco teaching traditional Chinese brush painting.
Chinese traditional brush painting has developed continuously over a period of more than 5000 years. It is the most simple and expressive visual art form. Main tools include brush, ink and rice paper. Composition and space are the most important elements for the mindset. Seal and calligraphy are the final touches that express the theme and views on art and life.
I designed this six-session program for middle school students to have a fundamental understanding of this art form.
Through domesticated native figures from China, such as bamboo trees, wild orchid flowers and panda bears, students learned brush techniques and basic strokes.
Students had great fun, played with the ink and created their conceptual expressive art.
