0 Correction

This is our 100th edition of the newsletter and so, really, we should have had a special issue. However, with time pressing and a distinct lack of inspiration and forward planning on my part, it is merely a ‘normal’ issue. However, it is quite a milestone that, as a group, we have been going in this format since April 2006. Maybe we should consider celebrating our 10th birthday next April? We now have our largest number of members with 147 (and 17 have been members since 2006!) and our workshops are always fully or over-subscribed. So, hopefully, we have something to celebrate. Any ideas? I am reporting on Pauline’s excellent workshops in this newsletter. I also have contributions from Maggie and Chris about current exhibitions, and more tempting book reviews from Jill. Thank you to you all. Contributions from you widen the information that I can pass on and I would like it to be YOUR newsletter! Please consider sending me something to publish, please. Further in the newsletter is a schedule of the dates booked for the workshops in 2016. I am now trying to fix up which tutors can take which workshops. As soon as I have any fixed, I will put the details in the newsletter, but in the meantime, please reserve the dates in your diary. I will be sending details of the January workshops with the next newsletter. Please remember to book early so that you can secure your place. I hate to disappoint you when workshops become fully booked. It will also be time to send out membership renewal forms with the next newsletter – where has the year gone? If you joined us after 30 September, we count your membership fee as being for the following year. So your membership will fall due on 1 January 2017. I wonder if any of us is going to the AGM and workshops of the national CBPS next month? If you are, could you write a report for a future newsletter, please? Our forthcoming workshops with Maggie and Stella are now fully subscribed but if you haven’t already booked your place, do contact me and I can add you to the waiting list in case anyone cannot come at the time. I am sorry to disappoint anyone, and we will do our best to ensure that all who want to come to workshops can have a place. In the meantime, happy painting and do let me have copies of your work to display both in the newsletter and in your gallery on our website. Anne

Poster We have a poster advertising the Group. Let me know if you can display one for us.

Welcome We would like to welcome Renee Hart (mistyped as Hartley in the last newsletter) (Riddlesden, Keighley); Johanne (Anne) Wakefield (Baildon, Shipley); Shelagh Uden (Upper Denby); Jane McBane (Sheffield); Janet Bennett (Brompton); Janet Burton (Ripon); Lina Addy (Arkendale) as new members. We hope that you will enjoy your membership and look forward to welcoming you to future workshops.

We will soon be planning the content of our workshops for next year. Please let me or any of the committee have your ideas.

Sunday 12 January 2014

Buildings and Boats in the Landscape

Nick Hornigold

Saturday 25 January 2014

Flowers with bird in gongbi style

Anne Allan

Saturday 22 February 2014

AGM

Reading calligraphy

Brian Morgan

CChhiinneessee BBrruusshh PPaaiinntteerrss’’ SSoocciieettyy ((YYoorrkksshhiirree))

October 2015

Issue 100

A n n e A l l a n , S e c r e t a r y 9 6 W i l l o w f i e l d R o a d H A L I F A X H X 2 7 N F T e l 0 1 4 2 2 3 6 8 4 8 2 e - m a i l m a i l @ c b p s y o r k s . c o . u k w w w . c b p s y o r k s . c o . u k

Events diary

Please make a note in your diary of the following dates

Programme We have now reserved the dates for 2016! So, if you have any specific requests for topics, we will try to include them. All ideas are most welcome.

Obituary I am sorry to tell you that Eddie Crouch, a loyal member of the group since January 2007, died on 16 September. Whilst living in Knaresborough, Eddie attended all our workshops and was an enthusiastic member of the group. When he moved to Ripon, travel became more difficult, but he kept in touch with us through the newsletter. His widow, Ann, tells me that he managed to live a reasonably normal life up to the last few weeks and she was with him when he died. He is buried in the new Ripon Cemetery, Lark Hill Lane, out in the country and a peaceful place. I have sent our condolences to Ann.

Saturday/Sunday 7/8 November 2015

Wisteria with

swallows, Clematis with insects

Birds and animals in winter

Maggie Cross

Saturday 5 December 2015

Christmas Buffet Lunch & Chinese

Knotting

Stella Yeung

We have a poster advertising our group. So if you know of anywhere where we could display one, please ask me for one. Anne

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Otley Courthouse from 5 October to 31 October 2015

Audrey (Fowler) has 30 paintings – both watercolours and Chinese Brush paintings - on display at the Courthouse in the entrance, the coffee shop and along the corridors. The CB paintings are both freestyle and gongbi styles. Do pop in during normal opening hours to have a look – 10 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday, 10 am to 4 pm on Sundays. Well done, Audrey, for getting so many paintings ready for exhibition!

Details of other exhibitions can be found

later in the newsletter.

Art exhibitions – given to me by Sue (Middleton)

15-18 October – Gargrave 10-6pm (4pm on Sunday) in the village hall 22 November and 29 November – Holmfirth art market, held in the indoor market, Huddersfield Road, HD9 3JH. Entry £2 “We collate the very best of Art, Design & Contemporary Craft so that you can come and "meet the maker", talk to the artists and buy & commission work direct. We will also have a fantastic cafe area, demonstrations, & live music. Hope to see you there!” See http://artmarkets.co.uk/event/details/28/the-art-market-holmfirth---november-2015

Exhibitions

Chinese collections in the UK The Fan Museum, Greenwich, LONDON ‘Made in China’ – 5 September to 31 December 2015

This exciting collaborative exhibition between The Fan Museum and Hong Kong-based collector and philanthropist, Edwin Mok, showcases the very best of Chinese export fan design with further export articles such as ceramics, lacquerware and paintings on loan from the Oriental Museum, Durham University & Martyn Gregory Gallery, London.

The exhibition traces the evolution of Chinese export fan design from its emergence toward the end of the seventeenth century to its eventual decline in the latter part of the nineteenth century. A display of over eighty fans shows how Chinese fan painters/makers responded to demand from the West for luxury goods of Chinese manufacture. The inclusion of a number of Chinese fans for the domestic market illustrates how fans for export were designed with Western tastes in mind and were generally more exuberant in style, colour and form than fans favoured by the Chinese themselves.

Thanks to Maggie for letting me know about this exhibition. If you manage to go along, please let me have a small account of your thoughts on it. For more information, see https://www.thefanmuseum.org.uk/exhibitions/made-in-china If you know of any other collections or exhibitions, please let me know so that I can let everyone else know.

Virtual Collection of Asian Masterpieces I love this resource as where else could you see fantastic items housed in all the world’s major museums without travelling all over the world? However, as I have not had any feedback from anyone, I wonder if I am the only one? If you enjoy this item in the newsletter, please let me know, otherwise I will drop it next month. My choices from the masterpieces uploaded to the website over the last month are: Famile Rose Dish with chrysanthemums and butterflies – 18th century, Jiangxi Province, China. Uploaded on 28 September Tang dynasty 2 fish tri-colour vase uploaded on 30 September. But there are many more! To see the artefacts and to read their descriptions, visit http://masterpieces.asemus.museum/masterpiece/ofTheDay.nhn More than 120 worldwide museums are involved in this project. The idea is that museums holding significant collections of Asian art will contribute images of their masterpieces with associated stories – written or video – about them. Each day a new ‘masterpiece’, housed in one of the participating museums, is uploaded to the website as Masterpiece of the day. You can then look back over time at previous masterpieces. Please let me know your favourite ones. This is a fantastic way of broadening your knowledge of Eastern culture. Has anyone taken up the challenge to view the objects on a daily basis? If so, would you like to send me a comment about any objects that you find particularly fascinating for adding to the newsletters? I keep hoping that some of you will do this!!!! Anne

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Chris Newsom sent us the following report of her recent visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Masterpieces of Chinese painting from the Met Collection has been on for a year until 11th October. Amazingly many of these are only on view for special exhibitions as they have such a number of available artworks. There were 4 small exhibitions hidden away up the stairs on the third floor, which I have never previously been up to. There was an example of a Chinese treasure cabinet, which was full of delightful small pieces. There were many small bottles and tiny sculptures of carved jade. Amongst some beautiful lacquered plates was one of a pair of mandarin ducks (symbol of fidelity) which particularly drew my attention. Carved ivory of two cranes. This particular treasure cabinet was chosen by the Emperors and related to Qing Dynasty 1644 to 1911. The other small exhibitions best textiles from the Met collection, Jade of the Heber Bishop Collection (stunning that one person could own so many!) lacquer work 12-18th Century these are on show until June 2016. The recurring themes of the decoration on the items were literature, history, religions of Buddhism and Daoism. There were many items covered in flora, fauna and landscape with auspicious meanings. I am beginning to be able to understand more of the dynasties and the historical effects they had on the production and use of art. The items in the 4 small exhibitions were from Shang 1600 to 1046 BC and Zhou 1045 to 256 BC. I was very thrilled to be able to see so many works and it was quite quiet compared to the rest of the Met. I only saw a fraction of the available galleries on this visit but wanted to concentrate particularly on the Asian art sections to gather inspiration for my painting..... and view a few items prior to our next couple of winter trips. Look forward to seeing you in December.

Intricate papercuts by Yvonne –

notice how she has managed to cut

the fine lines without breaking

them! These are done with sharp

blades and cutting more than one at

the same time.

St Gemma’s Art Exhibition This annual art exhibition will be taking place at The Grammar School at Leeds from Thursday 29 October to Sunday 1 November 2015 with all proceeds going towards the support of the work done by St Gemma’s Hospice, Leeds. When our Yorkshire group formed in 2006, a few members exhibited there in memory of their CBP teacher, Deirdre Williamson, who died there. Deirdre had been responsible for starting CBP locally and for encouraging many artists over many years and it was fitting to do this in her memory. This is usually a well-supported exhibition and well worth a visit if you have chance – if only to see the wide range of art styles on display. www.st-gemma.co.uk/artexhibition

Workshop dates – 2016 Our hall at Pool has been booked for the following dates. Please remember to reserve them in your diary. Sun 10 January Sat 23 January Sun 14 February – Silk painting – Lisa Shackleton Sat 5 March Sun 20 March Sat & Sun 16 & 17 April Sat & Sun 21 & 22 May Sat & Sun 18 & 19 June Sat & Sun 16 & 17 July Sat & Sun 3 & 4 September Sat & Sun 1 & 2 October Sat & Sun 12 & 13 November Sat 3 December

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Examples of screens

Flower and Birds on Screens – Saturday 3 October 2015 – Pauline Cherrett

Pauline took the topic of screens for our weekend workshops and began by talking about the different types and their purposes. She explained that they could be for floor standing or smaller for standing on a table. These latter ones were often used in restaurants as divisions between dining parties when all were seated at large tables. She had many examples to show us with 3-, 4- or even 6 fold with the paintings done on paper, silk or even on shikishi boards. Many museums house screens and, interestingly because during history screens have been given as presents, the screens are often from different Asian countries – eg Korea, Japan, China, Vietnam etc. The screen also has symbolism – the Emperor is often depicted with a screen behind him, even outside, and this is a symbol of authority (as well as protection from the back). Pauline pointed out that all paintings are in portrait format and they can be individual scenes for each panel or one scene across all panels. Popular choices are the 4 seasons, related flower and bird paintings, the 4 gentlemen etc. She then gave us a template for using for our own screens. Pauline then gave us the following hints: • Always use the same paper for each panel

• Plan the layout of each painting carefully so that they work as a whole – eg have the point of interest at a different height on each panel

• Make the spaces between the panels interesting

• Plan carefully if using one long painting across all panels so that each panel has something of interest

• Place the calligraphy on the end panel Pauline then demonstrated how to paint an iris and showed samples of various positions of irises on screens. Using a white cloud brush, filled with mauve and tipped with blue, she painted the flower. She then added leaves by painting them from the tip downwards ensuring that they all ended in a different position. Finally, she added the flower talk painting from the top downward, letting it disappear into the cluster of leaves suggesting that there is space. She then let us take her examples and encouraged us to plan the content and layout of our designs – though many of us dived straight in and painted examples! Pauline then took the beginners aside and gave them some good basic information before coming round and giving each of us helpful advice.

Photo of Pauline taken by Anne Wakefield

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Screen based on

calligraphy

Screen painted on shikishi

boards

Ideas for screens based

on irises

Pauline’s iris paintings

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Pauline gave us some extra information on where to place seals (chops) on our paintings. She recommended that we print our seal(s) on xuan paper and cut them out so that we can place these on our paintings to see where they look best before committing ourselves with the real seal. She suggested that we do this with insects so that they can be moved around a painting to see where they look best! A good idea!

Examples of

different

pots with

different

blooms.

Examples of

paintings of

pots used on

screens.

Notice

the use

of

bamboo

as a

water-

holding

pot.

Martin Tracey from Hampshire Group painted these lovely pots.

After lunch, Pauline discussed compositions including pots of various sizes and shapes and how they can be used on screens. Once again, she showed us many examples both of compositions including pots and also of their use in 4-fold screens. When painting a pot, she suggested that we use a template of half of it, and then use the reverse to complete the other half – so making it symmetrical. When planning the flowers that go in a pot, we should think about it – eg do not include narcissus as they are traditionally painted in water with pebbles and not in a vase. We must also plan the composition so that when painting the pot, we leave a gap for the flowers. She then demonstrated how to paint a pot containing plum blossom by painting firstly the rim of the pot (leaving gaps for the stems of the blossom) then swept her brush in from each side to create the pot shape and finally added the base. She then painted the plum blossom and finally added mineral green for the inside of the vase. She also pointed out that bamboo has membranes across the nodes and so can be used as a water-holding pot. She painted an example for us containing orchids at different levels. She then encouraged us to paint our own painting using examples from her large collection.

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Pauline gave the following advice on positioning seals on paintings: • Square seal - White characters on red ground – heavy – use in the

bottom third of the picture only • Square seal - Red characters on white background – can be used in the

bottom half. • Be careful not to place a seal too close to pink flowers (clash of

colours!). • Round seals – can be placed anywhere. The shape is said to echo the

shape of the sun or the moon and so goes above flowers! • Oval seals – as for round seals.

• Name seal goes under calligraphy.

• Seal paste is usually a shade of red, but it is possible to get blue, black, yellow and white seal paste. There does not seem to be a definitive answer of when one would use the coloured seal paste though it is possible that blue can be used for mourning and black for business.

• Round seals are difficult to position – they must be placed so that the calligraphy is vertical.

• A tip to get a seal straight – use rosewood corners (sold by Sidewinder Studio) or 2 rulers (less effective) and line the seal up with them.

• Seals used to be used for validating a painting as they were more difficult to copy than the calligraphy of a signature. They were also used as a stamp when someone was paying for the item.

• Seals on landscapes are usually placed so that they are hidden in rocks.

A selection of

members’ paintings

from the Saturday

workshop

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Notice that 2 of

the sections on

the left are filled

with calligraphy

Landscape paintings on screens – Sunday workshop Pauline took the topic of the use of landscape painting for screens and began by showing us lots of examples. Screens are often painted with landscapes in the 4 seasons – blue, green and blossom for Spring; blue, green and distant mountains in blue for summer; oranges for autumn; grey water and sky and white for the land for winter. The screen would be boring if the same landscape were to be painted in each season but it is interesting if the screen shows one landscape in appropriate colours for each section. It is also a good idea to ‘marry up’ each landscape across the screen. Often there are flower and bird paintings on one side of a screen with landscapes on the other. Pauline’s tips: • Don’t make the landscape too busy

• Allow the landscape features to lean inwards towards the next section

• Move the centre of interest into different positions in each screen

• Consider the spaces in each section Pauline gave us many examples to work from while she gave lots of basic strokes to those who wanted them and then she came round and gave everyone encouragement and advice. After lunch, Pauline showed us how figure paintings could be used on screens. Once again, it is important that there are different stances in each section. Her advice is: • Include different activities in each section eg one on s tool

reaching fruit; one playing an instrument; one sitting; one enticing a bird to come down.

• Plan carefully eg do not have any figures looking out of the screen when they are placed in the last sections.

• Do not have all the heads in one line across the screen.

• Maybe include children

• Can include backgrounds with the figures

• Paint figures before painting any landscape features

• Work on the focal point first in order to make it stand out. Pauline then left us to choose from her examples what to paint and then gave each of us encouragement and help in our paintings. Everyone tried something different and on the next page are some of the results – though many are still unfinished. Thank you, Pauline, for an excellent weekend full of advice and inspiration. You worked hard to ensure that we all learnt something new and your examples gave us much inspiration. Thank you!

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Some of Pauline’s examples of figures

Members’ paintings from the Sunday

workshop – some incomplete

Mooncake and lantern meeting We are holding a belated mooncake and lantern meeting on Saturday 31st October. 12 midday to 2pm,. We will meet at Boston Castle gates, at the top of Boston Castle Grove, Moorgate, Rotherham (near the General Hospital). We will then make a short walk into the top of Canklow Woods, then inside for the informal meeting. Post Code, S60 2BA Brian Please contact Brian if you would like to join in or learn more about the event. brian563@hotmail.com

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Jill (Eastwood) has sent us the following book reviews. Will you be like me – inspired to find them and buy them (if you haven’t done so already!)? I have been a fan of Qu Lei Lei since I started learning Chinese Brush Painting and have been lucky enough to attend some of his workshops when they were held in the north. So naturally, I have had his books in my small Chinese Brush Painting library for some time. At Anne’s request, I have written these reviews.

THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CHINESE CALLIGRAPHY

ISBN 13:978 1 904991 86 1

Publisher CICO books, London

The book starts with an introduction to the five basic scripts, Pictographic, Zhuan, Han

Official, Standard and Running Scripts, and to the materials used. It then develops the

techniques and in particular the brush strokes. These are shown with numerous

illustrations for each of the five scripts. Lots of examples are given. The second half of

the book shows a number of interesting projects such as a Gift Box, a New Year Sign, a

Fan, again with illustrations on how to write the script. At the end are a small glossary

and some “magic paper” on which to practice, which I have never used for fear of

wasting it

I found the brush stokes easy to follow with the illustrations and the projects fun to

copy on paper – some are drawn on wood, which I prefer not to use. However, as a

beginner at calligraphy and the Chinese Language, I found the repeated reference to

the five scripts confusing both in learning the scripts and in reading them. All I want is

to be able to add calligraphy to my paintings that is readable and looks good. I fear I

shall never master the language either spoken or written at my ancient age!

THE SIMPLE ART OF CHINESE BRUSH PAINTING

ISBN: 13; 978 1 906525 4 9

Publisher CICO Books, London

As with all books on the subject, the first chapter describes the development of the art,

but the illustrations are all flowers with lovely birds, not a rock to be seen. There follows

the usual chapter on equipment and holding the brush. Techniques covers the four basic

plants – plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum – and then a super section on

birds – in parts such as feet, wing or eye and in movement on land or water. This section

finishes with composition and seals.

The second half of the book again covers The Four Gentlemen as well as paintings of

birds. Where this book differs from other guides to Chinese brush painting is in the

application of the painting to various projects such as cards, a fan a lantern, a zodiac

mobile and kites. Templates are produced for the latter two projects, which are fun.

There are some calligraphy poems at the end to add to your painting.

The aim of the book is to enable you to create your own Oriental flowers, plants, and birds for joy and harmony. It is easy to follow

and has some enjoyable ways to use your skills.

The Ai Wei Wei exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts runs until 13 December 2015. This major exhibition covers some of

Ai’s work from 1993 to the present day but also includes new works devised specially for this exhibition. To quote from the

website - With typical boldness, the chosen works explore a multitude of challenging themes, drawing on his own experience

to comment on creative freedom, censorship and human rights, as well as examining contemporary Chinese art and society.

For further information, see https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/ai-weiwei

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Another of Ian’s evocative landscapes

Lovely mice in the

meticulous style with

freestyle background

by Mollie.

CHINEASY by SHAOLAN

ISBN 978-0-500-65028-8

Publisher Thames and Hudson

I found this book through a review in the Telegraph weekend supplements and got it out of

curiosity. It was written by a Chinese mother living in the UK who wanted her children to learn to

read and write her own native language; but the kids had found it too hard and time consuming.

This book was produced in a novel way to get the kids interested.

The method is based on a cartoon way of showing how a symbol has developed from its original

meaning. As a result, the book is fascinating and easy to follow. It builds up from individual words into phrases and sentences and

finishes with the story of Peter and the Wolf. For further study, it is possible to buy teaching cards and exercises although I have not

got those.

For the purist I fear this method will not appeal, but to those who struggle, like me, it is a refreshing and fun way of learning basic

Chinese.

CHINESE LOVE POETRY edited by Jane Portal

ISBN 978-0-7141-2482-7

British Museum

I got this little gem of a book on a trip to London and a browse round the bookshop at the

British Museum – always well worth a visit. The book covers poems from the earliest known

in the Book of Songs right through to the twentieth century. An Introduction summarises

the history and development of Chinese poetry and at the back are brief biological notes on

the poets. Each poem is illuminated by the calligraphy of Qu Lei Lei.

Each poem is accompanied by a painting or artefact to illustrate, and these are delightfully

appropriate. I love the poem to a solitary drinker – “dinking alone under the moon” by LI

BAI 701-62 – with its painting of a Poet reclining with a cup of wine by GAO QIPEI 1672-

1714.

None of the poems are long, but all are poignant and are made more so by the paintings.

Well worth a tenner!

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Copyright The area of copyright can be a minefield. However, it is crucial that if you are displaying, selling or printing your work, for other than your own use, that you look into copyright issues. When we are learning, it is perfectly acceptable to copy the work of others (and in Chinese Brush Painting, this has always been encouraged). However, if you then want to use your paintings for commercial or charitable purposes, you must ensure that it is not a copy of someone else’s work and, if it is based on someone else’s work, you must attribute it to them. This is only my view/understanding and you should check it out for yourself. Anne (Hope this helps to clarify the position.)

KURETAKE GANSAI TAMBI Japanese watercolour paints – Jill Eastwood I was introduced to Japanese paints as Teppachi paints over 20 years ago when I started learning Chinese Brush painting. I prefer them for painting flowers as I feel they are softer and I find them easier to colour match than the vibrant Chinese paints. The individual colours were in small pot dishes, which are extremely useful when the paint is finished for mixing washes. I restocked for years quite happily from suppliers of Chinese brush painting items, especially when a Manchester Craft shop started to stock them; and then they seemed to disappear and become hard to find. The paints turned up again as Gansai paints in sets of 12, 24 or 36, and Great Art was a supplier. Yippee, I thought and bought a set of 24, which is now running out. I duly went on the Great Art web site; there they were, but I could not get the system to put a set into my basket. After a phone call to Great Art, I learnt that a red dot meant the paints were out of stock and the company had been waiting for a delivery now overdue by several weeks. So I was saddened that I had to manage without. But Lady Luck shone and as I was buying some books on Chinese brush painting on Amazon, the cookie that tries to interest you in other things displayed the paints. I immediately clicked on and found a company called Noble Art was selling the paints, so I bought a 36 paint set for £31.90 including postage – Great Art charge £62 excluding post. I had a lovely email thanking me for the purchase written in quaint English. A week later I received an email in Japanese, thankfully also translated into English, informing me that the paints had been dispatched. 2 weeks after the order I received another email in Japanese with English translation, saying the paints had been dispatched to my address that day, and the postman duly rang the doorbell. The paints had arrived carefully wrapped and in perfect condition. Enclosed was a lovely note thanking me for my custom and saying the company was open for business. I gave them a 5 star reference on Amazon! Cheaper than Great Art, beautifully wrapped and promptly delivered. What more could you want? (Note from Anne – Thank you, Jill, this is useful and I may give them a try – when my current tubes have run out! ) (Inscribe, the company, which imported Teppachi paints, ceased trading. However, Pauline reminds me that they are available from Sidewinder Studio http://www.sidewinderstudio.co.uk/paints-teppachi-individual-pans-c-12_16.html, both in individual pans or as a boxed set. If you have never been aware of Teppachi paints, Pauline was using them at her workshop and they are used like pans in watercolours.)

A selection of recent paintings by Ian Davidson

inspired in some part, by Pauline.

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SACU - Society of Anglo-Chinese Understanding As members of this group, we receive a copy of the magazine ‘China Eye’ each month and an email version of a monthly newsletter. In the past, it has not been possible to let everyone read the magazine and, whilst I have usually taken anything related to Chinese art from the newsletter, I have been unable to let you know about all the other cultural activities taking place. We now have the following offers: 1 to receive our own copy of China Eye electronically. 2 to receive our own copy of the newsletter electronically. To do so, you can send an email to Chris Henson (who is also a member of our group) on (cphenson@gmail.com) if you would like to receive the newsletter and / or receive a PDF copy of China Eye. They are two separate mailing lists and Chris will add you to whichever you prefer, or both. Chris asks me to tell you that the PDF of China Eye will be available for viewing or download at Dropbox, an internet storage facility, rather than sent directly to you (so he will not clog your incoming mail allowance with it)! A note from Jill reminds me to tell you that the pdf copy of China Eye runs to about 40 pages, so be aware of this if you plan to print your own copy. You can try this and you always have the option to unsubscribe if you don’t find it is of interest. I would like to thank Chris for this very kind offer. Whilst writing about SACU, I would like to mention that another of our members, Brian Morgan, organises local meetings of SACU and always encourages us to join them. Some members have done so and have enjoyed the broadening of their understanding of Chinese culture. Brian can be contacted on brian563@hotmail.com.

Chinese Brush Painters Society As you know, we are the Yorkshire Group of the national Chinese Brush Painters Society. If you would like to join the national Society, contact Angela Reich, 1 The Ridings, Epsom, Surrey KT18 5JQ or download an application form from the website. You can see details of the Society o the website: www.cbps.co.uk where you can also see some inspirational paintings. Members receive a most informative newsletter 4 times a year and a calendar of paintings by members once a year with the October issue. Membership costs £24 pa (individual, £26 pa double) and membership runs from January to January. If (when?) you join, please will you let me have your membership number so that I can add it to our database?

National CBPS If you are a member, the committee of the national group would like to encourage you to submit your work, particularly around these themes (see below), for publication in the national newsletter. 2016 January – Monkeys 2016 April – Flower Compositions 2016 July – Bats and other Symbols of Luck and Happiness 2016 October – Autumn Landscape If you are not yet a member, why not join? See above for details.

Our Group’s Website I hope that you are all aware that we have our own website at www.cbpsyorks.co.uk On it, there is a section where each of us can have our own gallery of paintings. So if you would like your own gallery to show your paintings, please let me know. I will need photographs of your paintings, along with a title for each of them. If you are able to reformat them it would be ideal if you could make them 400 pixels wide, but don’t worry if you can’t. I will do it. You can send these photographs to me by email, by post or you can always bring your paintings to a workshop and Charles will photograph them for you. I would also like to add a few words about you (see the other galleries for ideas!). It would be good to have a gallery for every member – so please join in! Do use the website and send me your comments!

Stamps I would like to thank all of you who always give me your used stamps. Thank you so much. If you do not already save used stamps, can I beg them from you, please, as we collect them to raise funds for RNIB (we used to send them to ‘Guide Dogs for the Blind’ but they no longer want them). They need to have a clear ½” (if possible) of paper all round the stamp. If you can help, I will be very grateful. Anne

Workshop Fees As you know, I must have fees for any workshop beforehand so that I do not have to spend time sorting it out on the day. However, this doesn’t mean that I cannot take bookings for future workshops at a workshop! I seem to have misled you - sorry! If you have the form and your cheque/cash for a future workshop, please let me have it at any workshop and I will be happy to process it later. That way you will save the cost and trouble of posting it! No problem! If you cannot print out the forms, just write the details on a piece of paper. That is fine! It is not a happy situation when members have to lose their money when they do not attend a workshop for which they have booked. However, costs have to be covered, as we are sure you will understand. So to clarify our position: if less than 7 days’ notice of cancellation is received, the full fee will be payable, except in extreme circumstances when it will be at the discretion of the officers and committee to recommend that a refund can be given. We hope that this is fair to everyone.