WOYWW 802 Watercolour and Kanji stamp

Hi all, 

Back again for our weekly bloghop care of Sarah’s craftshed. 

My desk first, not much to see as we’ve started drawing our next projects- a landscape based on Eric Ravilious. 

I’ll be using water-resistant charcoal, (took some finding but Cretacolour make some) then liquid charcoal and watercolour. I’m basing my painting on the Manifold Way, where I once went cycling with my Mum. 

On Thursday we had a trip to London to the VanGogh exhibition at the NG and then the Silk Road exhibition at the BM. We don’t go to London much but in the end it was too much to do in one day, especially as the National Gallery hadn’t made the slightest attempt to set the HVAC for the number of people attending. It was really hot and unpleasant. The pictures were great though and I’m ve always loved the Silk Road. 

LLJ these are even older than your favourite Lewis Chess pieces!

♟️ 

Below, on silk, is the story of the Khotan princess who smuggled silk moth cocoons and mulberry seeds west in her headdress. 

A happy Bactrian camel. 

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Dear old Xuanzhang, a 6th century monk who defied laws forbidding him to leave China because he was fed up of conflicting stories about Buddhism. So he went on a 10,000 mile trip to India and brought Buddhism back to China. Remember the Journey to the West or ‘You have much to learn, grasshopper!’?

It was a fascinating exhibition and showed how’The Silk Road’ was a multiplicity of routes. Vikings went east to Constantinople, religions spread east and west, and lots of trade moved along it, from horses, to silk, gold and jade, carpets, tea, cotton and wool.

 I had some happy post from the East myself this week. My own Kanji stamp: I’m not good at stamping it upright yet  

I chose the Gyousho font. 

I've never seen anything wrapped so beautifully.

Bella sends purrs to you all.

And finally...

I'll be round to comment when I get back from my watercolour class. 

Happy WOYWW everyone!