Texture

Derived from the Latin word meaning "to weave," texture arises from interwoven parts. In the visual arts, a tactile quality is created by weaving or layering materials. In music or literature, sounds or words are interwoven to create the texture. The word also describes the surface of a work.

Textures can be

• plush
• velvety
• deep
• smooth
• rough
• sharp
• shimmery
• metallic
• crusty
• plasticy
• cracked
• flaky
• glassy
• matte

Textures are more interesting than unadorned surfaces, and ask to be touched. They can draw a viewer in by asking questions or revealing answers. For more interest, depth, and mystery in your work, add some texture.

Line

A line is the path of a single point through space or time. If your creation lacks continuity, consider the concept of line.

In a story, the line is the plot. In music, the line is melody. Visually, lines can divide or enclose. They may have varying weights and colors.

A line can have many different qualities, and these qualities can vary as the line progresses. Some possibilities are:

• stability
• energy
• strength
• peace
• smoothness
• roughness
• tension
• uncertainty

Lines can pulse or undulate, they can wash over you in waves. They can ripple or flow, they can be jagged or smooth. They can climb and build, or descend and release. Lines can spiral in on themselves, or outward. Lines can be continuous, or they can start and stop.

Another function of lines is to connect. Many lines can form a network or web of connections.

Lines appear where distinctly different objects meet, such as rooftops meeting the sky. Be aware of the lines that are created unintentionally.

We naturally follow lines to wherever they lead us. That is why lines are painted on the road. Use this to your advantage when you lead your audience to a goal, or simply on an interesting journey.

Japanese Tea Ceremony

For a mental break and a return to clarity, create your own ritual based on the Japanese Tea Ceremony. It requires little equipment or time. You can modify the procedure to suit your style. The important thing is to have a way to return to a calm center when you are feeling stressed and out of control.

"The Japanese tea ceremony, or Cha-no-yu, meaning 'hot water for tea,' is more than an elaborate ritual. It is an interlude in which one leads oneself for the moment to the spirit of beauty, quietude, and politeness toward others. The ceremony may be practiced anywhere, at home or in a teahouse.

"There are 4 principles: harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility (wa, kae, sae, jubuo)

• Harmony: with other people and with nature. The tea ceremony is the way of bringing one’s self into harmony with nature.
• Respect: a harmonious relationship with others.
• Purity: clean yourselves through the five senses—sense of hearing when hearing the sound of water(which remind one of the silence outside), sense of sight when see the flowers, sense of touch when touch the utensils, sense of smell when smell the scent of the flowers, sense of taste when drinking tea.
• Tranquility"

From Asia-Art.net
Copyright © 2008 Runckel & Associates, Inc.

Find out more at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_tea_ceremony