Chinese Calligraphy with Brush Pen

[jgrasty]

I bought a bottle of Noodler's Kung Te-Cheng ink, unaware that there was a brush pen included with the ink. I gave the pen to my mother-in-law, and she produced this calligraphy with that ink and brush pen.

 

I don't speak or read Chinese, so don't ask me what it says.

 

http://bettygrastymd.com/jgrasty/wp-content/uploads/chinese-calligraphy-kung-te-cheng.jpg

[AD356]

Wow that looks great. Thank you for sharing!

[Penquin]

Whatever it means, it looks terrific and I guess that's what matters!

[losskywalker]

here is the meaning of it, read from right to left, up to down:

"looking at a mirror one will see his face, comparing with others one will know his fortune"

"be sincere and one will be connected to the universe"(i'm not sure about this one, it is a saying related to philosophy and buddhism)

"a family will be prospered if it's members are diligent, people will become healthy if he is hardworking, if family members can do both, they will never be poor or lowly"

[bluestem2361]

That's beautiful...what a wonderful gift! Thanks so much for sharing...

[MicheleB]

Save the writing and translation and cherish it as a part of your Mom in Law. That's wonderful! I have some handwritten favorites quotes from my Mom. It's apart of her personality both in the selected favorite quotes and handwriting.

Edited March 20, 2011 by MicheleB

[USMCMom]

Beautiful. I've always admired the beautiful characters and the skill it takes to do what your mother-in-law did.

[losskywalker]

by the way, this is really wonderful! Even in the eyes of a Chinese.!

save it carefully!

[jiraltan]

by the way, this is really wonderful! Even in the eyes of a Chinese.!

save it carefully!

 

I can't easily understand this so I'm guessing this is Classical Chinese (文言文）?

[mjchuang9]

Mirror reflects one's outlook. Someone else reflects one's fortune. Chinese calligraphy is the highest form of art.

 

 

[losskywalker]

by the way, this is really wonderful! Even in the eyes of a Chinese.!

save it carefully!

 

I can't easily understand this so I'm guessing this is Classical Chinese (文言文）?

 

yes, indeed. and some are from Ancient Buddhism Classics, thus making it even harder to understand.

[jiraltan]

by the way, this is really wonderful! Even in the eyes of a Chinese.!

save it carefully!

 

I can't easily understand this so I'm guessing this is Classical Chinese (文言文）?

 

yes, indeed. and some are from Ancient Buddhism Classics, thus making it even harder to understand.

 

What does it say after “以鏡自照見"? It looks like it says "夫刑客“ but that doesn't really make sense to me. I also can't quite make out the one on the upper left before "勤”. We may not use that one here.

[unfilterd]

by the way, this is really wonderful! Even in the eyes of a Chinese.!

save it carefully!

 

I can't easily understand this so I'm guessing this is Classical Chinese (文言文）?

 

yes, indeed. and some are from Ancient Buddhism Classics, thus making it even harder to understand.

 

What does it say after “以鏡自照見"? It looks like it says "夫刑客“ but that doesn't really make sense to me. I also can't quite make out the one on the upper left before "勤”. We may not use that one here.

 

I believe the word after 見 is a 人 that was cancelled out. It would form 以鏡自照見形容 - When looking into a mirror, you would see your face.

 

The other word would be 能, signifying an ability to do something.

Edited March 22, 2011 by unfilterd

[losskywalker]

by the way, this is really wonderful! Even in the eyes of a Chinese.!

save it carefully!

 

I can't easily understand this so I'm guessing this is Classical Chinese (文言文）?

 

yes, indeed. and some are from Ancient Buddhism Classics, thus making it even harder to understand.

 

What does it say after “以鏡自照見"? It looks like it says "夫刑客“ but that doesn't really make sense to me. I also can't quite make out the one on the upper left before "勤”. We may not use that one here.

 

see the reply by "unfilterd"

and the charactor you metioned is actually “能”, we write in that way so that it would be easier and faster to finish writing as well as keeping the shape of the charactor, also, it somehow make it looks better:)

hope it helps.

Ji.

[Rena]

This is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing with us.

[jgrasty]

Mirror reflects one's outlook. Someone else reflects one's fortune. Chinese calligraphy is the highest form of art.

 

This translation is basically the way it was explained to me by my mother-in-law.

[jiraltan]

Oh okay, that makes much more sense.

 

I wonder though, is there such a thing as a standardized computer font for the extremely cursive "grass style" (草書)of writing？ I've always thought that it is the most elegant looking, though hardest to read style, and I figure if I could get a font I might be able to learn and use some of the abbreviations.

[losskywalker]

Oh okay, that makes much more sense.

 

I wonder though, is there such a thing as a standardized computer font for the extremely cursive "grass style" (草書)of writing？ I've always thought that it is the most elegant looking, though hardest to read style, and I figure if I could get a font I might be able to learn and use some of the abbreviations.

 

there are, indeed, some standerd fonts of 草书 available. however, the art of Chinese cursive writing is about freedom and changing, combined with inner spirit and regulation in it. so I don't think a "standard" cursive writing would be a perfet one.

Plenty of books are written for people to recognise "grass style" characters, in most occasions, these books are writted as "Calligraphy Dictionary" so that you can look up the character you'd like to write. Usually several styles including 篆，隶，楷，行，草（known as the five fundamental styles of Chinese Calligraphy）are displayed in the books.

 

best,

Ji.

[pradhith]

Sorry for reviving this thread, but I'm really interested in learning to write in Chinese, and this calligraphy is stunning!

 

Do you know if this brush pen can be purchased without buying Noodler's Kung Te-Cheng ink? If not, is it still provided when you buy the ink? Also, I really love the paper; I'm assuming it's some type of aged rice paper. Anyone know where I could buy it?

[jgrasty]

Sorry for reviving this thread, but I'm really interested in learning to write in Chinese, and this calligraphy is stunning!

 

Do you know if this brush pen can be purchased without buying Noodler's Kung Te-Cheng ink? If not, is it still provided when you buy the ink? Also, I really love the paper; I'm assuming it's some type of aged rice paper. Anyone know where I could buy it?

I don't know if the ink still comes with a brush pen or not, but JetPens has a very nice selection of brush pens.