Unfortunately I have not seen the opening, neither have i seen the Olympics itself. I simply don't have the TV set, or time to watch it.

Maybe there is some short movie about it in youtube. I'll search later on.

Writing is subconscious, one does not think while writing. Good calligraphy cannot be staged. It simply goes against its philosophy.

With large scale works the most tiring is ink grinding and cleaning :) , rest of it is pure joy.

Well my current skills are not justifying buying such an expensive brush, but I would love to try to write something with it. Maybe in 20 years I will buy one like that.

HI ryuurui well I hope you find that section on youtube although I cannot.

It is well worth seeing that video because it was truly magnificent.

Amazing how many human beings could be trained to move in unison as these chinese people were.

The whole programme was incredible-- I had never seen such superb presentations before.

calligraphy did actually come into it very seriously in varying forms.
I hope some time that you can watch it.

雲月 moon in couds


道　a path


福 good fortune


飛龍 dragon in flight (in seal script, which is still difficult for me)


無心 free from obstructive thoughts


雷　thunder


無方 no direction (from Zen philosophy: no direction is a direction on its own, acting though inaction)

雨音 sound of rainfall

another tattoo design, cursive style, 一生一緒 (together for a life span)

writing with deluted ink

both works in clerical script (隷書)

龍雲 dragon in clouds


五大 five elements from the Japanese philosophy (earth, water, fire, wind, void)

interesting Ryuurui---------

almost like water colour I guess. I quite like it.

pleased to know that you are still working away at it.

I never stop :)

月 moon (all three)

A mixed couple (Japanese girl and English bloke) living next door just had their first kid being born. According to Japanese tradition a calligrapher writes kid's name for good luck, and so I did...

Name's Elena (恵 e (grace, blessing)　+ 怜 rei (wise) + 奈 na (kanji for Nara)).

ah thats lovely. I bet they are thrilled with it Ryuruui.

Cheers Babs! Yeah they really liked it :) . Hope the kids does as well, when she grows up.

few works written with a brush made of bird feathers, which gives a wicked line effect

白雲去来 はくうんきょらい　　white clouds coming and going


和 わ　harmony


一日清閑　いちにちせいかん　tranquil day


鳳舞　ほうまい　dancing phoenix


迎福 げいふく　welcome the happiness

舞火 dancing fire



解脱 state free of earthy desires and the woes of man. (Buddhism)



幸 happiness



和 harmony



Symbols of Chinese constellation, or in other words of way the Chinese classify stars and constellations. Theory is complex, though there are four guardians of four sides of the world, also the symbolize four seasons and 5 elements.


* Azure Dragon to the East (青龍) - Spring / Wood
* Vermilion Bird to the South (朱雀) - Summer / Fire
* Wite Tiger the the West (白虎) Autumn / Metal
* Black Tortoise to the North (玄武) Winter / Water

Fifth guardian is the legendary Yellow Dragon of the Center (黃龍) , he symbolizes Earth as a fifth element.


白虎 (びゃっこ) White tiger


青龍 （せいりゅう) Azure Dragon

Below two dragons (龍) in decorative seal script. It was mainly used on weapons, bronze vessels and musical instruments. Some forms are extremely complex, though quite beautiful.

龍 dragon



旭 morning sun



美 beautiful



道 a path



飛 to fly

風 wind




無　nothingness




遊心 playful mind



夢

心



書 calligraphy (though this kanji basically means "to write")




翔 to soar




翔心 soaring heart

水　water



月日　moon and sun (it's also a reference to "time")

鳥 bird

I have just received a letter with official certificate stating that one of my works was chosen for 60's anniversary of establishing National Gallery of Fine Arts in Tokyo and will be included in all Japan calligraphy contest organised by All Japan Calligraphy Art and Literature Society.

I will post some pictures next months after the event.

雨 rain




花　flower(s)



一心同体 being one in soul and body, text ordered as a hanging scroll for a wedding gift, once in a scroll i ll post a picture.



気　spirit, heart, mind, nature (of things), intention, mood, etc

雲 cloud



愛 love



楽　comfort, ease



竹 bamboo



和　　harmony, peace

波　wave

a bit of warmth in those cold days, 春, spring

嬉　rejoice



調 tone, mood, key (in music)



明 brightness, clarity



竹の墨絵 bamboo ink painting

雲寺 Cloud Temple

気 spirit, nature of things, mood, energy (supernatural), atmosphere



活　lively, active

宙 space, midair





滝 waterfall, note: I used traditional form of the dragon radical: 龍 (simplified: 竜)

蝶　　butterfly






漣　 water ripples





神 God (3000 y.o. old form of oracle bone script: left radical: a pictograph of an altar, right: thunder)

WOW really wonderful jobs !!!!!! *_*

You are very skilled in shodo and sumi-e. Which do you find more challenging? Please continue to post them!! :)

Great stuff!
Have you considered doing the composite pieces? (I forget the name) like with a short story...

Thank you, I really appreciate it.

@ Ashida - well, I am not a painter per se, so I reckon the sumi-e could seem more challenging, but since calligraphy is an extremely vast subject, and in my opinion requiring way more complex knowledge than painting, so I would say calligraphy is a real challenge.

The rules of painting and sumi-e are quite similar though (technically), and these are : single strokes, sharing emotions through abstract concept, use of Indian ink.

Calligraphy however has very strict rules, and even the most random looking works need to obey them. Learning how to, means a lifetime.

@RealJames
Not recently. I am preparing 200+ illustrations for my book about calligraphy, thus I need concentrate on 1-2 character calligraphy. I am planning to start learning copying sutras, which usually are 200-300 long.

Of course, anytime I study 臨書 (rinsho, i.e. copying masterpieces), which takes place every day, I create long and wordy works, in a sense. Rinsho is bread an butter of any calligrapher who is serious about this art. But I do it on a practice paper, and these are not to look at but to learn from. It does not mean however that rinsho cannot become a work of art. In fact it is very difficult to capture the spirit, vigor and energy of the old masterpieces.

温 warmth



滴 to drip, a water drop



速 speed


星 a star (3 styles)

甲骨文　こうこつぶん (oracle bone script)


篆書　てんしょ　seal script


草書　そうしょ　cursive scr.

渚 shore, water's edge, beach






泉　a spring (as in water)




開眼 spiritual awakening

空 the void - highest element in Japanese theory of five elements (it also means "sky")




極 extreme





六感 six senses

三昧 absorbing onelsef into something






秋 autumn



森小鬼 forest spirit (imp)

loving all these rhyuurui-- You certainly are working hard. Fascinating indeed. THanks again.

Thanks a lot Babs! Ah you know how it is, life without brush is pointless :)

永生 immortality




羽 wings



雲寺 cloud temple




超 super, ultra

My god...
Are we supposed to write like that?

LoL
Anyway nice work!

how do you mean?