Relax time -- The card model & The roombox

When I came back from Taiwan, I bought something interesting  "TAIWAN ARCHITECTURE MODEL" and "THE ROOMBOX OF THE RARE TREASURE". These are kind of model toys. 

             This is TAIWAN ARCHITECTURE MODEL which is a postcard as well. 

It is hard to make! It's so small... (This is the different postcard. This one is National Theater Concert hall.) 

A bit ugly....

THE ROOMBOX OF THE RARE TREASURE

This one is much easier! Just put them together. :)

Well, let's say something serious! I brought these because I thought these would help me know more about Chinese architecture and decoration. And I think when I start to do the models of my project, these card models can help me about how to  draw the shapes especially the roof part.  

Possible place -- Nottingham university Park

New ideas for new project

Actually in the beginning of this term I was stuck. Because I couldn't find the completed opera of Injustice to Dou E. Without the image and the music, It was hard to start... On the hand, I had big plan at that time. I wanted to build a big Chinese street, but I thought it was too much for a greenhorn. And I thought too much about creating new design... I forgot the meaning of Chinese opera.

Anyway, I full of power now! I know what I'm going to do! Here is my mind map:

After I saw the DVD of The Peony Pavilion, I felt so sweet! It was a love story about a brave girl. Love makes me think about beautiful flowers, and the story happens in a garden. Of course to build a garden is a good idea! So how about create a Chinese garden to let audiences walk around and enjoy the opera? I hope that audiences can feel the love atmosphere in the elegant Chinese garden.  

Above is my idea about the stage. It combines the features of Chinese garden (ponds, bridges, rocks, trees, flowers, halls and pavilions) and Chinese opera (simple stage).  

Thus, as you see, I want to build few simple stages on a pond and use zig-zag paths to connect. Audiences take a walk between stages and see the opera!       

Technical drawing

In the beginning of the term, I attended the technical drawing class. I got this helpful book. It taught me how to see and draw technical drawings. 

I only finished one technical drawing, because I was so stupid... I forgot that DFTV studio won't open in Easter holiday... (In my schedule, I prepared to practice my technical drawing in the holiday.) 

It took me 5 hours to finished one drawing! I drew it very carefully. I knew that I needed to be careful every line, distance and word. It's a hard work!

One of my friends Chloe she studied landscape architecture before. I already made a deal with her about learning how to draw technical drawing of a garden in May.        

Big sketch book (5) -- Concept drawing

I tried to do some practice about concept drawing...

I found some references I liked and practiced.  

Above three paintings was my ideas for Injustice to Dou E.

These were the paintings I drew randomly after I saw the DVD of The Peony Pavilion.

 

Big sketch book (4) -- The Suzhou Museum

Introduction 
Founded in 1960 and originally located in the national historic landmark, Zhong Wang Fu 
palace complex, Suzhou Museum has been a highly-regarded regional museum with a 
number of significant Chinese cultural relics. A new museum designed by world famous 
architect I.M.Pei was completed in October 2006, covering over 10,700 square meter and 
located at the cross of Dongbei Street and Qimen Road. The design of this new museum 
visually complements the traditional architecture of Zhong Wang Fu. The new museum 
houses over 30000 cultural relics --- most notably for excavated artifacts, Ming and Qing 
Dynasty paintings and calligraphy, and ancient arts and crafts.




from: http://www.szmuseum.com/szbwgen/html/intro/new/index.html

Big sketch book (3) -- Chinese garden in Bellavita

This was an installation in a department store in Taiwan. The designer used simple wooden construction to build it. It was helpful to observed what kind of materials they used to create a temporary installation. The way they simplified the Chinese pavilion was wise. (See the roof)

Big sketch book (2) -- Zhishan Garden

The Zhishan Garden, covering an area of 1.88 hectares, is based on traditional Chinese garden building techniques, and is filled with a literary atmosphere. It reflects the garden styles of the Sung and Ming dynasties. Some describe the Chinese garden as a euphemistic poem or a long unfolding landscape painting. 

Big sketch book (1) -- The Lin Family Mansion and Garden

The Lin Family Mansion and Garden


The Ben-Yuan Lin’s Family Mansion and Garden in Banchiao is today’s most complete private garden left in Taiwan.  In the old days, wealthy businessmen were very fond of living standards and used such exquisite and elaborate designed mansions and gardens to entertain government officials and business partners.  Often they spent tons of money on building such refined mansions and gardens.  Yet due to natural destroy or chaos caused by war and the pass of eras, most Chinese-style mansions and gardens are now extremely torn out.  Some have already disappeared and could be found only in scholars’ writings or recorded histories.  Luckily, the Ben-Yuan Lin’s Family Mansion and Garden in Banchiao has been renovated and maintained by specialists after being ruined during Taiwan’s restoration.  Now parts of the mansion and garden have restored as original.  The Ben-Yuan Lin’s Family Mansion and Garden in Banchiao can be considered as a historical treasure left by the people from the past and also a place for people to truly understand the heritage and history of Taiwan.
　　
　　The Cultural Affairs Bureau of Taipei County Government has been dedicating in preserving and promoting theBen-Yuan Lin’s Family Mansion and Garden’s history and tour sites.  The main purpose for such information is to assist those who come to visit the Ben-Yuan Lin’s Family Abode and Garden. It is hoped that these information can provide a basic understanding of Ben-Yuan Lin’s Family Mansion and Garden and help the tourists to hold respectful attitude toward the historical monuments. Furthermore, the tourists can carefully are able to enjoy the valuable cultural heritage carefully and learn to appreciate the beauty of historical monuments while visiting the Ben-Yuan Lin’s Family Mansion and Garden.


from:http://en.linfamily.tpc.gov.tw/html/enlinfamily/profile/profile.jsp






These are the pictures I took and the notes I wrote about The Lin Family Mansion and Garden.

Along the River During the Ching-ming Festival

In the period of I went back to Taiwan, I went to so many place for research including Taiwan National Central Library, Huashan Creative Park (the factory), National Palace Museum and The Lin Family Mansion & Gardon.

After I went to Taiwan National Central Library and Huashan Creative Park, I decided to change the story and location. So since then, I started to focus my research on Chinese garden and Song dynasty (960-1279). Song dynasty was the background of The Peony Pavilion. Ming-chu Lee stated that as a designer, we should know about history because drama was relative to people, history and culture. So I watched many objects of Song dynasty in National Palace Museum. 

The painting I liked most was "Along the River During the Ching-ming Festival". Below is the introduction of the painting: 

Along the River During the Ch'ing-ming Festival Court painters, Ch'ing Dynasty (1644-1911) Handscroll, ink and colors on silk, 35.6 x 1152.8 cm The original upon which this work is based, by Chang Tse-tuan (active early 12th century),  is a masterful unfolding of Sung dynasty life and customs at the capital of Pien (K'ai-feng) in  a long handscroll format. This theme, popular in the Northern Sung (960-1126), has been  copied often throughout the ages. There are seven versions alone in the National Palace  Museum, and this one by court painters of the imperial painting academy under the Ch'ien-lung  Emperor (reigned 1736-1795) is one of the most famous. Each version reflects not only the  painting style but also life and appearances of the period it was made. This version represents a collaboration by five court painters (Ch'en Mei, Sun Hu, Chih K'un, Tai Hung, and Ch'en Chih-tao) and was finished in 1736. It can be said to be a copy that combines the style and features of previous versions along with unique customs of the Ming and Ch'ing, such as the forms of entertainment popular at the time. The lively activities include a theatrical performance, monkey show, acrobatics, and a martial arts ring to lend a festive air to the scenery. Brilliantly colored and characterized by sure, fine brushwork, this represents a fine example of Ch'ing court painting. Although this handscroll has lost much of the archaic feel of the Sung dynasty version, it is a valuable source of information for late Ming and early Ch'ing life and customs. The style also reflects the influence of Western painting techniques, popular at the court then. The buildings and streets, for example, were rendered with Western-style perspective, and even some Western-influenced architecture appears. The bridge and buildings are depicted in the ruled-line method ("chieh-hua"), and the figures are also exquisitely detailed.

from: http://www.npm.gov.tw/en/collection/selections_02.htm?docno=90&catno=15&pageno=5

Although it was not the original one. (The original one is in Beijing.) But I still could observe the life of Song Dynasty via this painting. Thus, I bought a DVD and a book.    

The original painting is so long. If no guide to introduce it for me, it's hard to see the interesting parts. 

The city they drew was "Bianjing" which was the capital city of North Song dynasty. It believed that Bianjing was the most prosperous city in the earth at taht time. In this painting we can see all of people's life from the nobles to the folks. 

The book separated this painting into 8 parts: 

1. The Rainbow Bridge Marketplace 

    -- like a market nowadays including vendors and stores.

  

2. Forms of Expression in Shop Signs

    -- The clinic and the restaurant. 

3. Modes of Transport on Land and Water

4. Dazzling Scenes of City Life

    -- The buildings belong to folks were simple colours and usually one floor.

       The buildings belong to nobles were vivid colours and high. 

5. By the Stores of Lake Jinming 

   

6. The well of City Life

    -- The wadding.  The homeless asked money. 

7. From the Annals of Drama

8. The Elegant Gatherings of Literati

Compared to nowadays,people's life basically the same. But I noticed that actually there were seldom female figures in this painting because in ancient Chinese, women didn't have much freedom. I think women's life changed the most.