When I mentioned to a classmate that I was interested in exploring traditional Chinese painting, they said “You should get a Buddha Board!” The funny thing is, I have a Buddha Board. Sadly, I hadn’t even removed the shrink wrap from it since I bought it at Barnes and Noble at least five years ago. But it did serve as a reminder that I’ve been drawn to East Asian painting styles for a while now. And having tried it, it has “primed” me and whet my appetite for the “real thing.” In learning about supplies needed for Chinese brush painting, I came across a product, quite similar to the Buddha Board, which I’m guessing actually predates it. When painting on rice paper, which is highly absorbent, once must generally keep a cloth underneath the paper. Blue Heron Arts, in addition to selling regular felt cloths, sells something called a “Magic Cloth,” which, exactly like a Buddha Board, is a surface paintable with water, and the brushstrokes disappear over time, just as with a Buddha Board. So this idea is put forward as a way for the serious student to practice brushstrokes and so on.

I’m still just watching, absorbing. Hong Kong-born, California-based artist Anita Yan Wong, who in her own work explores fusion of traditional techniques and contemporary themes, has posted some helpful videos on YouTube for beginners in Chinese brush painting, including recommendations for supplies and so on. Blue Heron Arts also offers offers some useful recommendations. I hope to narrow things down and order some brushes, paper, ink and a cloth, or perhaps a comprehensive beginner “kit,” later today. Henry and Victoria Li, affiliated with Blue Heron Arts, offer a series of online classes in Chinese brush painting that look quite promising.

This is a test.