Summer Calligraphy Workshop
Led by Gerow Reece
Thursday, August 29 – Sunday, September 1, 2018
SORRY, REGISTRATION FOR
THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED.
Come and deepen your weekend practicing calligraphy with a brush. Delve into both East Asian and Western calligraphy--developing sensitivity to both line and space, and awareness in both eye and hand. In our Workshop, each word will gain its own expressive unity rather than being just a line-up of individual letters. This brings a shift of focus from outer form to inner feeling, expression beyond words via words. Participants should bring 3 or 4 words or a phrase that feels important – worth looking at much more than once.
ABOUT GEROW
Gerow Reece first sat with Yamada Reirin Roshi and the young monk, Maezumi Sensei, in the old brick Zenshuji in Los Angeles in the early 60s. He then practiced with Robert and Ann Aitken at Kokoan in their home in Honolulu. While studying in Kyoto, Japan, he sat at Antaiji with Uchiyama Roshi and later with Morinaga Roshi at Daishu-in and Kobori Nanrei at Ryoko-in, never settling on one person as teacher until the arrival of his son. Gerow serves Ceremonial Tea and teaches calligraphy at Jikoji.
Gerow crafting signs for the Jikoji grounds.
OUR WEEKEND PROGRAM
Note: All meals are provided for workshop participants. Please see below for full schedule.
THURSDAY EVENING
After a 7pm dinner, Thursday evening's session includes writing out a personally chosen word or phrase using brush and color, then exploring how to make your brushwork more expressive. Basic brushwork will be introduced and relevant books will be noted and made available.
FRIDAY & SATURDAY
Morning
Mornings begin at 7am with an optional period of Zazen (sitting meditation), followed by breakfast at 7:45. After breakfast will be an exploration of various Chinese ideographs from numbers to words that reflect nature.
Afternoon
After a 12:30pm lunch, we will apply the sense of stroke and flow used for Chinese ideographs to forming English words that are meaningful to you.
Evening
The time after 6pm dinner is set aside for wide-ranging experimentation. Books on Eastern and Western calligraphy will be available to inspire creative brushwork, perhaps developing our work from earlier in the day.
SUNDAY
Morning
Sunday morning also begins with an optional 7am period of Zazen, then breakfast at 7:45. After breakfast you can continue practicing your calligraphic skills, sit in our zendo, or explore our trails. You are then welcome to join the regular Jikoji Sunday Program, including an 11:40 Dharma Talk by Gerow.
Afternoon
After lunch, workshop participants will do large-form experimental calligraphic work based on their experience over the weekend. Tea will be served. We'll end by 4:30.
FEES & REGISTRATION – SORRY, REGISTRATION FOR HIS EVENT HAS CLOSED.
There are no fees for attending the Calligraphy Workshop, and you are welcome to attend all or any portion of the event. Meals are included.
Suggested teacher dana (donation) is $20 to $30 per day and may be offered through the Donation box or bowl in our Community Building, or through our Donate page. Please indicate what your donation is for.
OVERNIGHT
If you wish to stay overnight on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday evening, room and campsite reservations may be booked separately on our Reservations page.
Refrigerator and pantry space are available if you'd like to bring additional food of your own.
If you have any brush calligraphy tools (brushes, ink, ink stone, paper, etc.) please bring them. Materials will also be available for use here.
Additional questions? Please email us!
Here's our full schedule , subject to minor changes.
THURSDAY EVENING
7:00 pm dinner
8:00 evening session
9:30 free time / bed time
FRIDAY & SATURDAY
7:00 am zazen
7:45 breakfast
9:00 morning session
12:30 lunch
2:00 afternoon session
5:30 break
6:00 dinner
7:30 evening session
9:30 free time / bed time
SUNDAY
7:00 am zazen
7:45 breakfast
9:00 morning sesshin
10:00 Jikoji Sunday Program
12:30 lunch
2:00 afternoon session
4:30 end