Great Wave of Hokusai Drawings at the British Museum

For anyone who is interested in drawing, this announcement from The British Museum will be welcome news. In the online site Atlas Obscura, the Hokusai drawings are described:  Atlas Obscura "Lost Hokusai Drawings"  

Hokusai’s Great Picture Book of Everything: “This is definitely one of the greatest discoveries of Hokusai works in a long time."

“IN 1829, WHEN THE CELEBRATED Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai was almost 70 years old, he created more than 100 drawings of a dazzling array of subjects: playful cats, serene landscapes, even severed heads. Hokusai’s fame continued to grow after his death in 1849, and the suite of small, elaborate drawings was last purchased a century later, at a Paris auction in 1948. Then it disappeared from the public eye. Now, a total of 103 drawings have resurfaced. According to Antiques Trade Gazette, the Paris auction house Piasa sold them in 2019 to the London-based dealer Israel Goldman, who later sold them to the British Museum. Additions to Hokusai’s prolific body of work can be major news, and the suite is receiving unprecedented attention and scholarly interest. This is definitely one of the greatest discoveries of Hokusai works in a long time, says Frank Feltens, an assistant curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art. They look like they are in pristine condition, there’s an incredible level of detail, and a variety of subject matter. You get a sampling of virtually any area in which Hokusai painted: figure painting, animals, landscapes. You get glimpses of everything.”

If you’d like to take an armchair tour, here is a link to the British Museum and ALL of the magnificent Hokusai drawings:  The British Museum: Hokusai Drawings Collection

 We must agree! “This is definitely one of the greatest discoveries of Hokusai works in a long time." Enjoy! Atlas Obscura "Lost Hokusai Drawings"

 

Drawing Can Help Get You Through Tough Times

This recent article in the New York Times is a great reminder of the power of drawing to get you through difficult moments in your life.  If you’re interested in learning how to draw, consider the new DRSB Virtual Workshops

Drawing by John Donohue, published in the New York Times, 5/1/2020

The Big Impact of a Small Hobby : The author, John Donohue, says: “When I would tell people that drawing saved my life, I thought I was being hyperbolic. Then the coronavirus hit. Drawing had helped me survive another very dark period of my life, earlier. Could it now be helping me to stay healthy?

I know it is keeping me sane, as it did five years ago when I was out of work. I had been an editor at The New Yorker for more than two decades. The internet changed my job slowly and then quickly, and then I was out. …

“Suddenly spending more time drawing was easy because I was out of work. Or I should say necessary because I was out of work, which meant I was left taking care of my kids, then in elementary school, as well as the laundry, the food shopping and the housecleaning while my wife went to her office.

I found that drawing even the most mundane thing like a pair of shoes helped me relax. If it looked like we were going to be late for a doctor’s appointment or a soccer game, for example, I was less likely to get frustrated if I took a moment to capture the curving metal of the radiator in the living room or the backpack that was sitting in the hall. While I waited for everyone to get ready, time seemed to expand and slow. There was quiet in the house, and in my soul.

I liked to cook and was comfortable spending time in the kitchen, so I started drawing my dish rack every night. I now have more than a thousand renditions of my dish rack. Sometimes, especially during the lockdown, depending on how stressful things are, I draw it two or three times a day.”

The Art of Handwriting

Handwriting is good for you! And it is an art that is in danger of being lost.

One of our readers, Irene Fenswick, sent me an excellent piece she wrote on the value of handwriting:  20 Ways Handwriting Is Good for You and Your Studying.  I especially like her infographic on the subject!  Thanks, Irene – happy to share it with our DRSB readers.  As you all know, I am a huge proponent of teaching cursive writing in schools, and in keeping up your handwriting skills even in this age of computers.  It’s good for your brain! Now, with everyone sheltering in place and staying home, why not practice and improve your own handwriting?

There are many books on the subject, including this one: The Lost Art of Handwriting.  So pull out a paper and pen, and start practicing!

For more from Irene, who is a writer and blogger, you can go to her blog, IvyPanda.

~ Betty Edwards



A Message From Betty Edwards

Betty Edwards sends out her best wishes to those around the globe who are dealing with the terrible COVID-19 pandemic. 

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There’s never been a better time to use your creativity – you can pick up a pencil anytime and draw!  The very act of drawing is calming and can give you a feeling of well-being.  If you are interested in more structured learning, my son Brian Bomeisler is offering new online workshops—3 hours a day for 10 days.  Click HERE to see the online workshops in April, May, and June.

Please stay safe, stay home, and be well! 

~ Betty

How Making Art Helps Your Brain

It’s good for your brain!

It’s good for your brain!

NPR science reporter MALAKA GHARIB makes a great point in this piece:  How Making Art Helps Your Brain.  She notes that science is showing us that there's a lot happening in our minds and bodies when we make art.

"Creativity in and of itself is important for remaining healthy, remaining connected to yourself and connected to the world," says Christianne Strang, a professor of neuroscience at the University of Alabama Birmingham and the former president of the American Art Therapy Association.

This idea extends to any type of visual creative expression: drawing, painting, collaging, sculpting clay, writing poetry, cake decorating, knitting, scrapbooking — the sky's the limit.

"Anything that engages your creative mind — the ability to make connections between unrelated things and imagine new ways to communicate — is good for you," says Girija Kaimal. She is a professor at Drexel University and a researcher in art therapy, leading art sessions with members of the military suffering from traumatic brain injury and caregivers of cancer patients.

So get out there and make some art!

5-Day Thanksgiving Sale! 25% off everything in the DRSB Store

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! Nov 27 through Dec 1, 2019: use the code THANKS when you check out, and you will receive 25% off all purchases!

Betty Edwards and everyone at Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain are thankful for all those friends and fans around the world who have embraced her work, and learned (or are learning!) to draw. Use this opportunity to buy a few holiday gifts for friends…or for yourself!

Remember: the sale goes on for 5 days, beginning November 27 and ending on December 1. Just use the code THANKS when you check out.

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving!

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