Art Gallery

Painting collection of our designer and artist

YAN Chinese Painting Art Gallery

Chinese traditional painting art gallery – original large free hand style by our jewelry designer – flower and bird scenes as well as canvas oil paintings.

If you are interested in purchasing art please contact us at:

Chinese arts paper mounted on card original work

Inscription reads fragrance from white jade written by Pan Yan

Flowering white magnolia contrasting musa basjoo

Early in welcome to the warmth of the coming spring the bright full flower of a well established branch of magnolia springs open to bask in the rays of new light followed closely in step by a blossom of verdant white floral buds and chorus of shooting leaves in this beautiful tropical scene.

Of delicate colouring the elegant petals of magnolia trace elegant contour around the bright stamen of the flower cores. The newer buds of blossom are evident against the rich dark colouring of the magnolia branch and accompany to the dark forms of closed leaf bud huddled closely against it’s surface waiting a little longer for the encouragement of new warmth before opening.

The proud and healthy magnolia tree branch is contrasted against the giant leaves of a much cherished South Asian Musa Basjoo or Japanese banana tree frond setting the scene to a place of distant warm tropical paradise.

With a spring bloom appearing before the budding of leaves magnolia is an ancient species of flowering plant preceding the evolution of bees and an early example of pollinating plant, it’s extant and genus are both wide and deep gifting the worlds forests with beautiful sweet fragrant scents and stunning displays of flower since long before many flowering plants.

Our art blog has a number of articles compiled from assorted texts used by our artists and an assorted collection of works can be seen in our art gallery.

Painted upon a square of yellow tinted arts paper which carries a notable fibre evident in photo this painting is mounted upon a square of heavier off white card giving a classic feeling to the work.

This work and others displayed in our art gallery are available for purchase directly from the artist through negotiated price, contact address is provided in the top most art gallery post.

Chinese arts paper mounted on card original work

Inscription reads from larger form

Small visage of lush bamboo forest

With an inscription whose meaning expands to an image whose form is taken from the disparate selection of many chosen part, this painting is likewise the bamboo of a much greater and wider tropical bamboo forest.

The strong ink impresses rich life into the thick trunks of healthy bamboo that populate this one part of the greater forest, verdant green leaves and smaller shoots of newer growth suggest abundant light and potential for growth.

Projecting a visage of the larger natural world this painting carries both life radiated from the dense leaf and growth of the bamboo forest while light carried from the open space gives feelings of freedom, this is a very inspiring piece from an emotional perspective.

Revered across Asia for it’s utility of use and projection of values, bamboo has from ancient times been used in the construction of homes, as vessel of water and it’s young shoots eaten as food, while it’s famed growth has historical connotations of righteous and moral character.

Great traditional artists included the female artist Guan Daosheng who painted natural scenes incorporating outcrops of bamboo in careful composition with outdoor elements including rock outcrops and landscape elements.

Bamboo was well studied by past masters, dedication to painting the perfect form included gaining intimate knowledge of the entirety of lifecycle with artists residing in secluded bamboo forests in order to better their pursuit of study.

Our art blog has a number of articles compiled from assorted texts used by our artists and an assorted collection of works can be seen in our art gallery.

Painted upon a square of yellow tinted arts paper which carries a noteable fibre evident in photo this painting is mounted upon a square of heavier off white card giving a classic feeling to the work.

This work and others displayed in our art gallery are available for purchase directly from the artist through negotiated price, contact address is provided in the top most art gallery post.

Chinese arts paper mounted on card original work

Inscription reads year of Ji Hai, writing of Pan Yan

Copse of trees in winter

Suggestive of a winter scene the coolness of fall permeates this peaceful landscape image, a copse of trees stand stout and slender poised to settle into the seasons cold.

With few leaves leafed upon their outstretched branch their bare bark and trunks carry an elegance in this painting drawn in the traditional Chinese free hand way.

Seen in many paintings of the “mountain and water” style, this type of tree has long been drawn in scenes of natural beauty it’s poise bearing a cooler and tranquil vibe of feeling when compared to the warmer emotional tones of “bird and flower“.

Though this scene is but one small vista when compared to more breathtaking large paper drawings of other traditional Chinese painting landscape styles it’s more limited scope focuses more purely on a meaning carried through the simplicity of composition.

Our art blog has a number of articles compiled from assorted texts used by our artists and an assorted collection of works can be seen in our art gallery.

Painted upon a square of yellow tinted arts paper which carries a noteable fibre evident in photo this painting is mounted upon a square of heavier off white card giving a classic feeling to the work.

This work and others displayed in our art gallery are available for purchase directly from the artist through negotiated price, contact address is provided in the top most art gallery post.

Chinese arts paper original work

Inscription reads joy of Spring, written by Pan Yan

Brown sparrows upon purple wisteria

Riding the warmth of the coming of spring life returns to the natural world bringing welcome sustenance to tender green shoots of leaves and delicate fresh purple flowers that sprout and shoot forth from the beautiful wisteria.

Animals emerging into the newly fertile landscape seek sustenance to help replenish the rigours endured through winter solstices migrating from lands far away, or emerging from long slumbers beneath the cool earth.

In this traditional technique large free hand painting a pair of brown feathered sparrows perches upon a friendly branch welcoming the return of warmth and life to their land joined with in chorus by the sweet green leaves and shy purple blossom newly emerged.

Seen to be as if commentating with each other the joy of returning spring the sparrows are drawn in delicate poise with our artist capturing their tender movement in few but careful stroke of brush.

This scene of natural beauty is drawn in a vertical fashion where the traditional paper of slightly yellow tint warms the black pigment of the ink that has been used to draw the wisteria, capturing the way in which it grows twisting and curving back upon itself so naturally.

There are more articles on birds in traditional free hand painting in our arts blog and an assorted collection of works in our art gallery.

This painting is upon a long sheet of traditional arts paper of white-yellow colour which carries a yellow tint as evidenced in the photo which conveys a warm and colourful feeling.

The painting is unmounted though would be sold mounted upon a fabric canvas banner of good quality and suitable to be hung or transported safely.

This work and others displayed in our art gallery are available for purchase directly from the artist through negotiated price, contact address is provided in the top most art gallery post.

Chinese arts paper original work

Inscription reads couples longevity, year of Bing Shen, Pan Yan

Paradise Flycatchers and Peach Tree by YAN

Basking in the warmth of the day a ripe peach tree soaks in the rays of summer light giving sustenance and life to it’s yield of healthy plump peach fruits nestled among the dense foliage of verdant green canopy leaves.

Among the wizened trunks below this idyllic scene a pair of dazzling paradise flycatchers can be seen to weave in flight below the ripened fruits, their stunning pink tails curving and spinning with their movement as they move together entwined as one.

Painting in the large free hand style of traditional Chinese painting our artist with broad stroke imbues the paper with rich colour and well contrasted form, painting full of warmth and feminine character.

The choice of yellowed paper serves to warm the black of the ink pigments used for the foliage of leaves while set off in colour against the birds and full fruit of the tree.

A lighter pigment traces the colour of the trunk, it’s wizened shape detailed through finer brush work gives an impression of age and permanence to the natural scene while perhaps conveying some deeper meaning in connection to the written characters.

More articles on birds in traditional free hand painting are in our arts blog.

This painting is upon a long sheet of traditional arts paper of white-yellow colour which carries a yellow tint as evidenced in the photo which conveys a warm and colourful feeling.

The painting is unmounted though would be sold mounted upon a fabric canvas banner of good quality and suitable to be hung or transported safely.

This work and others displayed in our art gallery are available for purchase directly from the artist through negotiated price, contact address is provided in the top most art gallery post.

Traditional Chinese Painting – Birds

Background

In the dusky sky before sundown a flight of long tailed swallows darts back and forth above their haunt of weeping willow, their distinctive pointed tails and tips of wings tracing agile movements.

Besides the green waters of the lake a single kingfisher angles her long beak as she eyes a group of insects flitting above the steamy water surface.

Predating our history by millions of years these feathered animals have spectated ice-ages that have spanned western Europe, flown across seas that are now land and waded on clear shallow river banks where sun now bakes dry great dunes of yellow sand.

In traditional Chinese painting they have adorned the “bird and flower” painting series with their diverse forms of movement enriching and transforming works almost as if for their lack of presence the work would be incomplete.

A species arrived long before the first people started to record their environment through sketching and carving on medium of art, birds in many species and form have become one of the earliest and widely known styles of free hand “bird and flower” Chinese painting.

Birds in Chinese painting

Luckily to be frequented with many colourful and exotic species of bird, China of past and present is gifted with such beautiful species as yellow turtle dove perched on treetop, colourful hoopoe of mixed grassland and flights of pigeons of various colour and sort found among beautiful flowering tree.

Where Chinese painting is considered a artful representation of nature then just as important as learning the form and movement of the subject is studying how the subject is naturally connected to the scene.

Magpie perched among peach blossom or a flock of sparrow seeking nest for the night, matching the preferences of the species to it’s haunt and likely habitat or how it’s social habits are manifested in terms of grouping and form are common themes in painting literature.

Kingfishers are often draw poised on stem of water side lotus leaf naturally placing plant habitat and bird preference together while the famous mandarin duck swims in the shaded water below the great wide leaves.

Clutches of quail perched away from tree on rock and other low terrain feature suited to their limited flying nature, black crowned myna bird grouped together upon ample broadleaf tree matching their social preference to congregate in number.

Colours of work are also matched to the species of bird such as the striking white feathers of magpie set against white plum blossom flower while the gold throat of the yellow tit is sometimes seen matched to yellowing autumnal leaves.

Exotic birds such as the paradise flycatcher and it’s long elegant tail are given great reverence in traditional painting, perched upon white blossom tree the birds often appear as loving couples and more so a centre piece of the work than some smaller bird species.

Brilliant peacocks with their stunning decorated tail feathers, radiant colouring and head plume are likewise central parts of any picture wide enough to encompass their grandiose visage in these paintings flowering plants and leaf rather act as supplements of colour complimenting the greater composition of the picture.

Movement of birds in Chinese painting

Of diverse plumage and colouring, personality and habitat birds are numerous in species and with character that to each has it’s own special characteristic. It is these traits and personalities that are teased out through study and practice, matching the form of the bird to that which is painted with both arguably conveying a little of the traits of the painter who creates it.

In all Chinese painting forms the environment is captured with an essence of movement – perhaps the swifter stroke of the large free hand techniques deftly captures the movement of the moment while the smaller strokes of small free hand style delicately capture the small motions implicit to every detail of feather and wing.

Chinese texts state the bird is drawn as an amalgam of two circles of smaller head and larger body that join together to form a shape not dissimilar to an eggplant but based on the relative spatial position of the circles dynamically convey the posture of movement for the whole form – which varies considerably based on the present state and expected movement of the animal.

After the posture and movement of the bird are captured from the form of the body drawn from body to head, further locomotion cues are radiated out with wings expressing large amounts of dynamic motion followed by expressive tail then smaller suggestive legs.

On the ground perched inquisitively looking at the horizon or something in the scene – perhaps another bird – or intently looking at that below or even behind it the bird will often hold it’s wings close to it’s body.

When hopping along the ground the tail carries intention held upwards and while ready for flight it will fan out and downward.

In flight the bird exhibits great movement through it’s body form while wings open outward away from the body and legs tuck away underneath.

About to land the tail fans out as a wing while legs stretch out ready to grasp the ground and wings sweep back and out.

Specific details of birds in painting

Birds are an expressive and emotive animal who have evolved to take advantage of environmental niches that are specialised and fully encompass their world where their adaptions to the natural world over millions of years have shaped everything from their personalities to their body shapes.

When painting birds care is taken to convey the unique form of the bird that has come from it’s evolution.

Haw-finches that eat harder seeds and nuts have larger rounded beaks from rounded strong heads and expressive open eyes.

Some birds eat insects from tree leaves and foliage utilising sharp small beaks such as the great tit and sparrow both of whom have also have smaller heads while those that eat insects from grassland have wider flat bills such as hoopoe and kingfisher who conversely have longer sleeker heads shapes.

In Chinese painting bills and beaks are some of the finer details of the bird, stemming from the tip of the bill successively shorter curved lines first trace the mouth then upper and lower parts of the bill, though often captured closed some paintings do convey birds with open beaks – seen in flocks of bird in cacophony of chorus or a lone bird in song to a not so distant mate.

Expressive tails usually shorter in number of stroke required are often conversely matched to size of beak and head where longer plumes of feathers are associated to smaller bills and vice versa shorter tails with longer bills are more common.

Of our short article I have prepared several of our own artist’s presently available drawings of birds of which some are available in our own art gallery, though many more “bird and flower” scenes are searchable online covering great masters works both past and present of many forms of this beautiful animal species.

Though at first glance the works of Chinese painters free hand scenes may tend towards romantic with inspection of the accuracy to detail of how the bird is seen to be in the natural world these paintings can be considered a artistic portrait of the natural world capturing not just the beauty of a single animal but the interplay of it’s connection to the incredible world within which it lives.

Chinese arts paper original work

Inscription reads writing of Pan Yan

Traditional Chinese painting of pink lotus flowers

The large free hand technique is one of two styles of free hand Chinese painting characterised by large brush strokes and small stroke number demonstrated in the above painting.

In this style of painting traditional pigments are carefully applied to a large fine fibre goat or rabbit hair brush then daubed onto the paper with a practised stroke that will in one delicate action produce the correct shading and shape of the form to be drawn.

Developing in parallel with the history of calligraphy Chinese free hand painting draws from a series of recognised strokes as it’s palette to produce recognisable and beautiful images.

This free hand painting by our designer has evident bright pink colours of the lotus flower lightening this small yet peaceful natural scene of verdant foliage.

Though Chinese free hand paintings tend towards use of blacker pigment inks this scene radiates a light summer’s day feeling from the long healthy stems of flowers that then open towards the light while large leaves suggest warmth and radiance.

Micro scenes of nature such as this often form the settings for the artists “bird and flower” paintings where the paintings offer us windows into dynamic scenes of natural beauty.

Note this scene has not been stamped and so cannot be considered completed as shown we would stamp with the designers seal if sold.

This painting is upon a long sheet of traditional arts paper of white colour and carries a slightly grey tint as evidenced in the photo which is common to this type of traditional paper.

The painting is unmounted though would be sold mounted upon a fabric canvas banner of good quality and suitable to be hung or transported safely.

This work and others displayed in our art gallery are available for purchase directly from the artist through negotiated price, contact address is provided in the top most art gallery post.

Chinese arts paper original work

Inscription reads work of Pan Yan

YAN Egret bird below pink lotus flowers traditional Chinese painting

Of elegant and peaceful poise the Egret stands under the beautiful pink lotus flowers in this peaceful and calming natural scene.

A classic animal of “bird and flower” Chinese traditional painting styles the Egret is a frequent comer to salt water and fresh water habitats, wading in shallow waters upon its lithe and long legs where it feeds upon fish and other small animals.

The density of mature lotus plants with seed pod suggest an area of verdant foliage while the open flowers and large leaves suggest a well lit perhaps summer day, in all this picture generates a great deal of warmth from this scene of natural beauty.

Drawn vertically upon a long length of traditional paper our artist has used the large free hand style with a mineral based black ink to draw out the larger features of lotus plants, while a smaller brush has rendered detail and natural lifelike poise to the egret.

This painting is upon a long sheet of traditional arts paper of white colour and carries a slightly yellow tint as evidenced in the photo which is common to this type of traditional paper.

The complete work is longer in length than this close up photo and includes the bottom portion of the bird not visible in the above photo.

The painting is unmounted though would be sold mounted upon a fabric canvas banner of good quality and suitable to be hung or transported safely.

This work and others displayed in our art gallery are available for purchase directly from the artist through negotiated price, contact address is provided in the top most art gallery post.

Traditional Chinese Painting – Lotus Flower

Background

Coloured petals of myriad types of colour and a special plant that has accompanied humanity for millennia with myriad uses – as lotus root food, herbal medicine and a beautiful flowering plant – the lotus with it’s verdantly bright lotus flower is recognised not just in China but across the world.

As centrepiece in the “bird and flower” genre the lotus flower is a well known and distinctive art focus that has been well loved in Chinese culture.

Tang dynasty poems sang by ladies of culture to regale courtesans in ancient Xian associated this flower closely with what many modern Chinese believe to the golden age of historical China, linking it’s bloom and fragrance to the fine palaces and glorious bustle of this silk road contemporary metropolis.

Chinese lotus paintings cover styles and designs wide ranging and differing in character, the lotus flower itself naturally demonstrates a range of colours which in turn are painted in many different though traditionally dictated ways, while the great leaves act as shade for plethora of painted animals which often are accompany to the scene.

The plant itself is a complex flower growing from an underwater tuber through to stem and blossoming with an evident flower with core of female receptacle and surrounding male pistil. Budding leaves, sepals, seed capsule and a defined life cycle for all components once diligently studied allow the artist to understand and better “write” the plant onto paper in a more detailed and complete way.

Drawing of the lotus flower is considered a basic prerequisite of approaching the “bird” part of “bird and flower” painting as it often is the “landscape” which forms the basis for bird to “live” in as well as fish, insect and other small animals which are often placed in scene.

Drawing of the Lotus Form

Often starting from the point of petals Chinese art comprises at least seven different techniques for drawing lotus petals.

Our designer has drawn from the – starting point – of the “draw bone” technique where different ink tones are lightly daubed in a careful single stroke to place the broad shape of each petal.

Three pigments are prepared which are a breaking or light tone colour, proper mid tone colour then the same colour toned with a blacker ink, in one stroke a tending toward light brush is dipped into the three colours respectively to daub it in the light to dark colour gradient after which the petal is drawn.

In a single stroke the shape of the petal is then defined by the movement with which the brush touches the paper, from the tip to the base the brush is splayed out forming the petal from tip to root.

The general petals depth and shape is defined by the manner in which the brush touches the paper, from the tip the brush is splayed out to the base with pressure varied over the stroke to produce gradient in colour – in this case the tip of the petal is darker than the base.

This play of pressure will create bands of colour in this particular style while the manner in which the angle of the brush is splayed out will define the shape of the petal conforming the perspective angle.

Continuing with the above picture after the basic impression of the petal is drawn the petal is continued with the “lay line colour” method, this is continued with a finer brush laying a typically deeper colour line impressing the outline and the veins of the petal over the previously drawn “draw bone” strokes.

In Chinese painting each stroke like the stroke in a character is made to represent an evident and precise part of the greater picture – as a complex character is represented by many strokes to produce a particular meaning so in painting the strokes are precisely “written” out to make a final form.

Though similar to other painting techniques in that a series of strokes create a final form the traditional Chinese technique is more stipulating in that each and every brush stroke must have a clearly defined and recognised form. It is the layering of the these carefully placed and impressed strokes that form the object with a stroke count that is very small in number in comparison to other painting methods.

This painting better represents a simpler “draw bone” technique of which the petal is impressed in a single stroke.

As before a selection of three pigments are prepared and applied to the brush while the gradient of pigment applied is controlled by the depth to which the brush is applied to the ink.

As the petal is drawn colour is gradiated out by the angle of which the brush touches the paper and the coating of the previously prepared pigment which now coats the brush while care is taken to control the flow of ink to paper corresponding to the depth of colour and shape required for the petal.

Large expansive leaves of the lotus plant are drawn in similar fashion to the petals, this unfinished work above as well as displaying a beautiful small blue bird resting on a stem of a lotus flower illustrates large shady leaves drawn in the traditional fashion.

In the draw out bone technique a dry vertical brush first strokes out the bare shape of the leaf bones, a wetter black daubed brush then draws out larger impressions of leaves where when the brush is wet the heaver elements of the leaf are applied and the lighter parts are drawn from the drier part of the brush.

In this second painting using a frequently used mineral based black ink lotus leaves are drawn in a different technique.

A large though fine haired goat or rabbit brush is used for this style of black pigment drawn leaf, where the large brush is carefully applied to draw the leaf in a single stroke care being taken to apply gradient of colour to better define the edge of the leaf.

In the second stroke to complete a dry brush finishes the structure or bones of the leaf including the central stem part this is in opposite order to the first technique talked about.

Summation

Of myriad techniques for painting lotus I have covered only a few basic points taken as highlights from some of the many Chinese texts available on the subject and recommended reading for any interested in painting in this way.

Perhaps the most important point of all dedicated books is that the characteristic of the plant should be recorded from nature and learnt by heart, continuous practising and careful reflection of the key traits of the flower will ensure the best results.

In this observation and recreation of the natural world modern Chinese traditional paintings is as much connected to the natural world as the first peoples who discovered tools to record the world which was then as is now so connected to us.