Gourd
108 Flowers - Book 2
•
14m
Chinese deities used giant gourds to carry wine. Chinese see gourd as a token of mystery. It is hard to find out what is inside. It may not always be complimentary. Many times, a gourd has nothing inside.
Gourd is a fantastic subject. It can be any shape. Its crinkled leaves can be many shapes. Its vine can go anywhere. One can do anything.
There should never be a lesson on how to paint gourd. This is how wonderful the subject is.
Up Next in 108 Flowers - Book 2
-
Grape
Grape is Pú Táo in Chinese. Pú means "crawling." Táo has the connotation of being intoxicated with joy. It is a good name for a fruit that provides so many moments of inspiration for all.
Turpan, along the Silk Road, is China's grape capital. Turpan is 154 meters below sea level but surrounded b...
-
Heavenly Bamboo
I pick a subject like this to teach during the holiday season. I start the class with berries and go holiday shopping. When I return, students would still be adding berries. They never notice the teacher leave.
-
Hibiscus
I raised silk worms when I was in grade school. These worms are incredible eating machines. They are very picky eaters. On day, I ran out of mulberry leaves. In a panic, I fed the worms with hibiscus leaves. The leaves are shaped the same. The worms had no eyes anyway. They would not know the dif...
