Calligraphy course for elderly universities

Author: Zhang Chuanxu (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-12-01
Features: Calligraphy is a traditional art in China and one of the symbols of traditional Chinese culture. Most elderly friends have a profound foundation in traditional culture and relatively mature aesthetic concepts, and they are particularly fond of calligraphy. Calligraphy is an art that combines motion and stillness; when writing, it requires the calligrapher to concentrate, eliminate distractions, and maintain a calm and composed mind, which aligns with the physiological and psychological characteristics of elderly friends. Calligraphy can also extend the writer's lifespan. In the history of calligraphy, many calligraphers lived to a ripe old age. For example, Wen Zhengming of the Ming Dynasty lived to be 89, and the modern calligrapher Su Juxian even lived to over 100. However, the spiritual and cultural products specifically designed for elderly friends still fail to fully meet their needs for spiritual life. They eagerly attend classes at senior universities, yet the textbooks they hold are not tailored for them; they enter bookstores with high expectations, but among the shelves filled with books, it is difficult to find publications specifically designed for them. Against this backdrop, in 2001, Anhui Fine Arts Publishing House planned and published the "Calligraphy Teaching Series for Senior Universities." This series covers various aspects of calligraphy, including techniques, creation, and appreciation, and includes enlarged examples of characters as practice sheets. The series is comprehensive, well-structured, and distinctive, making it highly suitable for elderly friends learning calligraphy. Since its release, it has been very popular and has been reprinted multiple times. To make this calligraphy teaching series even more classic, more aligned with the practical needs of elderly friends, and to give it a longer-lasting impact, our publishing house, based on thorough market feedback, has decided to revise the series. The revised edition is divided into four volumes: Regular Script, Running Script, Clerical Script, and Cursive Script. It is more focused, concise, and practical. Each volume has revised some unclear images based on readers' suggestions and added two new sections: the historical development of the script style and brush techniques. This is to help elderly friends gain a deeper understanding of the script style they are learning and to provide a clearer grasp of its brushwork characteristics. The revised edition retains the strengths of the original version, using most of its pages to provide detailed illustrations of brush techniques, structural methods, and layout techniques to address the difficulties elderly friends often encounter in calligraphy practice. It also offers creative models based on the calligraphic styles of the selected masters in each volume, along with concise and clear explanations, encouraging readers to improve together through practice and discussion. Additionally, the series introduces important historical works of various script styles, allowing readers to learn more masterpieces through appreciation.