Blooming+Flowers--Yang+Shanshen

**//Identification//**: Title: //Blooming Flowers// Artist: Yang Shan-shen (1913-2004) Country: China; Hong Kong Culture/Ethnicity: Chinese; Japanese Date: 1975 Period: Modern Size: 120 x 30 cm Medium: Ink and colour on paper Current Location: Hong Kong Museum of Art
 * Blooming Flowers**

One of Yang Shan-shen's later works of art, //Blooming Flowers// depicts a quiet beauty and subtle reminder of the culture and history of Chinese art. Created by an artist who was influenced by the Lingnan school of painting, Yang Shan-shen lived during a changing movement of art in the twentieth century. This piece holds onto old traditions while at the same time displaying the new and far-reaching ideas of art during that time. Yang captures the movement and beauty of nature in //Blooming Flowers// that demonstrates his understanding of space, color, style, and composition. This piece of art is a reflection of a new style of Chinese art that combines the styles of other regions and while still placing emphasis on past values.
 * //Introduction//**:

//Blooming Flowers// displays a scene of nature in autumn that is laid out in a specific and visually-pleasing manner, just as a poem that flows nicely from top to bottom. The composition is well-planned and well-preserved with the use of negative (or empty) space and vertical design. Viewers might find their eyes starting at the bottom and gradually traveling up to the bright flowers near the top, or perhaps working from the top down. The overall composition is balanced with the use of color and placement being key to the general overview. The viewers' eyes are drawn in by the birds near the bottom, guided up by the vines of the primrose plant to the vast array of flowers, then finally settling on the outline of the sun in the background.
 * //Descriptive Analysis//:**

One of the first things to notice about the painting is the overall pastel color palette. The background is a hazy blend of warm watercolor-style hues; the bottom is washed in a creamy orange which fades into a lighter shade of rosy pink that eventually darkens at the top. In the light pink area near the upper portion of the canvas, there is a faint outline of the sun that gently fades outward into the background.

One of the foreground images of the painting are the branches of autumn primrose. These tall branching flowers have very small, thin leaves which appear almost as little birds' feet in bunches. The few main stalks of flowers line up parallel with the sides of the painting and draw the eyes to the top of the image. Near the bottom of the branching flowers there are only leaves. However, as the viewer's gaze travels upward, there are four white-pink flowers in bloom to the left side of the picture that almost touch the left edge of the painting’s plane. There is a dark crimson oval at the center of each flower. Above, the branches of flowers begin to tangle together in an interwoven web; more flowers are spread throughout this green entanglement. Toward the left of the painting are light pink flowers, and to the right the flowers become tinged a darker pink hue. The flowers at the right edge of the painting are the most vibrant, being a rich dark magenta. These continue to the very top of the painting where the color of the flowers fades almost completely into the background. If not for the petal outlines and dark orange and crimson centers, it would be hard to assess that there were flowers at all.

Six birds also sit in the painting--five quite close together on the bottom branches, while the sixth holds onto the autumn primrose vine slightly above the other five with its body horizontal to the page. The birds occupy the right two thirds of the space about a quarter of the way up from the bottom edge of the painting. The birds are all the same reddish orange hue with black beaks, white cheeks, and black feathers along the wing outlines. The first bird on the left is centered squarely, facing the viewer. The next bird is slightly in front of the first, with its head and beak leaning in to touch the first bird’s beak with its own. The third bird is almost directly behind the second and is almost completely hidden by leaves and the second bird; the only way of knowing it is there at all is the visible top left side of the bird's head. The fourth bird from the left is facing the right side of the page; it is looking slightly downward, which makes it appear to be interacting with the fifth bird. The fifth bird is facing the left side of the page and is sitting on a branch slightly lower than the fourth. The fifth bird is also slightly hidden by the autumn primrose vines growing up on the right-hand side. The sixth bird is directly above the fifth and is the only bird that is horizontally positioned; it faces the bottom of the page and seems to look at the other birds beneath it.

The medium, ink and color, are fairly straightforward. Since the painting is relatively new, it has no blemishes or other missing or damaged parts, and therefore has not yet needed restoration.

--Lingnan School of Painting and the Artist --
 * //Formal and Contextual Analysis//:**

Japan is immersed in the Chinese sphere of cultural influence. The two countries' unique history of adaption within art began shortly after Japan's victory in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 (Croizier, 1988). It was then that Chinese students began to flock to Japan. The successful modernization of Japan during the Meiji period became the base of the inspiration and intrigue for these students. During this time, students of art were being called to not only study traditional methods but to also examine the Western style (Addiss, 2002). Japan managed to integrate their ideas with Western ones without losing their own distinct natural identity. While traditional methods focused on a three-dimensional approach, this new style narrowed the view and focused on the heavy use of color (Addiss, 2002). By blending Japanese techniques of smooth surfaces and decorative effects with Western ideas of realism and more contemporary imagery, the result was the creation of [|nihonga] (Tan, 2006). Nihonga placed an emphasis on individualism and the personality of each artist's way of seeing.

When returning to China from Japan, students brought back the radical political ideas and a fierce nationalism. Due to government weakness and humiliation, many of these students began to embrace militant revolutionary nationalism, and in 1905 Sun Yat-sen fused groups of students together to form the Alliance Society (Croizior, 1988). This organization would bring about the Revolution of 1911 and all things for China would change.

It was in Tokyo that Gao Jianfu, one of the founders of the Lingnan school, joined the rebellion (Croizer, 1988). The exposure to the new intellectual, political, and artistic currents of the late Meiji period transformed the minds of the Lingnan School founders (Whitfield, 2004). After the Chinese government was toppled over, Gao decided to dedicate his life to generating new ideas in art. Gao Jianfu, the mentor of Yang Shan-shen, is one of the most accomplished artists in the new literati art (Chan, 2004). He and his brother, Gao Qifeng, had set out to create their own Chinese version of nihonga. Though these artists shied away from tradition, they still held to the “Six Canons,” and thus, the Lingnan School of Painting was founded. The school represented an approach to art as a means for national rejuvenation and a distinctively syncretic style that sought to combine the best features of modern Western art and traditional Chinese painting (Croizier 1). Gao Jianfu, Gao Qifeng, and Chen Shuren were the three founders of the Lingnan School. All of the artists came from the same district near Canton and learned the fundamentals of Chinese painting from the same Guangdong master.

One the great influences of Gao Jianfu was Takeuchi Seiho, a Japanese painter talented in mixing Western one-fixed perspectives and natural realism with that of the Japanese national identity (Croizer, 2008). Gao promoted the development of a New National Painting (xin guohua) in his teachings, publications, and paintings; the style was to be a fusion of the two cultures. Gao believed he could create a new Chinese art with the fusion of East and West, combining traditional Chinese brushstroke with elements of Japanese realist atmosphere and Western perspective styles (Whitfield, 2008).

The ideas of Jianfu and Qifeng were semi-squashed under anti-Japanese thoughts of the 1920s, and the brothers were robbed of a more dominant role in modern Chinese art. However, their ideas nevertheless influenced the broadening, development, and revitalization of Chinese painting (Chan, 2004). Among those that were influenced was Yang Shan-shen.

Yang Shan-shen was born in 1913 in the Guangdon province of China, one of the first regions of China to see new trends from foreign places. Yang is considered to be an eminent figure of Lingnan School, which incorporated the new trends into traditional art and helped many artists rise to fame. Yang was also a leader of contemporary art (Chan, 2004). During his adolescent years, he followed under Gao Jianfu and Gao Qifeng of the Lingnan School. Under the direction of Gao Jianfu, Yang became skilled in many areas of art including painting and calligraphy. For this, he was considered quite special because it was unheard of during that time to be skilled in more than one area of art. Yang Shan-shen incorporated the new style of art the school used called "New National Painting." In 1936 Yang traveled to Japan and enrolled in the Domoto Art Institute in Kyoto, where he studied under Gao Jianfu's mentor Takeuchi Seiho, who was known for harmonizing European and Japanese painting styles (Hong Kong Museum of Art, 2008). Yang Shan-Shen chose to go in his own direction, so his style strayed slightly from the Lingnan School, but he still stuck to the basics that the Lingnan School taught him.

It was understood in Chinese culture that before creating his or her own style, an artist must copy other great artists' works as a way of understanding and reabsorbing (Chan, 2004). It is for this reason that many of the Lingnan masters have similar styles. The images below are all from painters of the Lingnan School. Chen Shuren and Gao Jianfu are both founders, and because Yang studied under Jianfu, it can be seen that his technique is of the same representation. All three images have flowers and two of the images have birds, just as in //Blooming Flowers//. All three images use negative space to create a balanced composition and all three use color to enhance the beauty of the scene. Each of the images can be compared to //Blooming Flowers// in some way and this shows how Yang was influenced by the Lingnan School.





Because of his passion, Yang has been able to capture the essence of traditional Chinese painting with his own combination of styles. Specializing in dry textual strokes and plain-line sketching, Yang has managed to adopt the strength of modern and traditional painting techniques of Western, Chinese, and Japanese styles (Tan, 2006). Excelling at painting just about anything from landscapes to characters, he has increased the understanding of "beauty" in art.

Known for his love of nature and life drawings, Yang has made his works all the more energetic by his use of color (Hong Kong Museum of Art, 2008). Yang Shan-Shen had been such a prominent artist of the new age that after his death on June 29th, 2004, Hong Kong planned to build a commemorative gallery in his memory.

--The Artwork-- //Blooming Flowers// depicts a peaceful autumn day, in which birds nestle on the branches of primrose, pomegranate, or poppy flowers. The serenity of the piece is displayed in its calming pastel colors and intricate, yet simple detail. In Chinese art, both flowers and birds can have numerous meanings in their representation. For example, pine trees can represent immortality and righteousness while the peony can mean good fortune and honor (Welch, 2008). Depending on the type of flowers included this piece, the pomegranate flowers signify elegance, poppies represent pleasure, and primrose are associated with young love and early youth (Welch, 2008). The color of the flower and the time of day also play a part in its meaning.

Birds are a species that are generally treated very kindly by the Chinese and are used in an array of Chinese art, from paintings to ceramics (Welch, 2008). Birds in art can have many representations. For example, the crane is symbolic of longevity. Birds are often depicted in pairings, representing couples; this usually conveys a sense of fidelity, an important aspect of a well-ordered Confucian society (Welch, 2008). However, in //Blooming Flowers,// these particular birds do not seem to have any symbolic meaning, but instead are there for aesthetic appeal. Though the birds in the piece are not identified, they seem to be sparrows of some kind. In Chinese culture, sparrows were seen as fluttery, nervous birds, but they were also seen as good omens. Sparrows were commonly paired with bamboo in traditional Chinese art, but Yang paired them with another flower that looks similar to bamboo. The pairing of two symbolic images could have been Yang’s unique marking of the piece, a way for him to connect traditional imagery with his own unique style.

Yang Shan-shen created this piece in 1975. Being expressive and filled with "life," it is no exception to the success of his previous works. As is typical in Chinese paintings, the opposing forces of nature, yin and yang, are represented in blank space. This emptiness maintains the balance of light and dark: one defines the other. The ultimate goal, then, is not to copy the subject to perfection, but to capture the vitality--complexity is not the importance (Birney, 2009). Here, Yang blends the style of Japanese scenery with the Chinese notion of empty space; it shows the harmony and balance the Chinese strive for. The final product in //Blooming Flowers// creates a harmonious and hazy atmosphere.

Though the image has a traditional feel, it is still unique. Perhaps it is the combination of colors that are distinct in the piece. //Blooming Flowers// is so vibrant that the viewer can almost hear the birds chirping, smell the flowers, feel the warm setting sun on his or her face, see the branches swaying in the wind, and hear leaves rustling against each other. This was one of the goals of the Lingnan School--to inject a stronger sense of emotion and stimulate the spirit while staying traditional (Croizer, 2008).

Yang's artworks possess the vitality and the principles that [|Xie He's "Six Canons"] called for. Yang Shan-shen's //Blooming Flowers// is a work that will remain in the Hong Kong Museum of Art for people to appreciate and enjoy for years to come.


 * //Additional Artworks://**





For clearer images and examples of Yang Shan-shen's artworks please visit the [|Lingnan School of Art]homepage.

Printed sources: Andrews, Julia and Shen, Kuiyi. "Guohua in the Republican Period, 1911-1950." //Innovations in Chinese Painting (1850 - 1950)//. March, 2009, [|http://kaladarshan.arts.ohio-state.edu/exhib/gug/intr/innovintr.html#anchor35892981] (27 February, 1998). How rebellions changed art.
 * //References//:**

Conti, Andrew. "Nihonga Painting: Six Provocative Artists."//Metropolis// #647 (Aug 18, 2006). A description of nihonga art in contemporary art.

Croizier, Ralph. "Japanese Connection." //Art Revolution in Modern China-The Lingnan School of painting 1906-1951//. Berkeley: Univeristy of California Press, 1988. Explains extensively the art history after the revolution, and the Japanese influence.

Hinnells, J.R. "The Penguin Dictionary of Religions." Penguin Books, New York, 1984, p. 94-96. Religious terminology.

Hu, DongFang. "Innovations and Legitimation in East Asian Cultural Formations." //International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society// Vol 8 (1995):453-465. Discusses philosophical origins in Chinese art.

Robinson, B.A. "Confucianism: Founded by K'ung Fu Tzu." Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance (1995): 1-4. Explains the Chinese Confucian influence.

Welch, Patricia."Symbols from Nature." //Chinese Art: A Guide to Motifs and Visual Imagery//. Tuttle Publishing, New York, 2008. A description of Chinese symbolism in art.

Online sources: Birney, Susan. "Chinese Brush Painting & Calligraphy." March, 2009,http://www.csupomona.edu/~inch/group1/brushpaintingI.pdf (2009). Describes the important aspects of Chinese paintings.

Croizier, Ralph. "Lingnan school." //Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online.// 14 Apr. 2009 . Gives a brief overview of the Lingnan School and style.

Hong Kong Museum of Art. February, 2009, http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Arts/english/collections/collections04.html (July, 2008). The Blooming Flowers artwork, and generally information.

Nash, Deborah. "Gao Jianfu." //Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online.// 14 Apr. 2009  (2009). Gives a brief biography of Gao Jianfu.

Seng Hou, Chan. "Preface." Macao Museum of Art. March, 2009, http://www.artmuseum.gov.mo/showcontent (August 2004). Brief history of artists: Xie He, Yang Shanshen, Gao Jianfu, etc.

Tan, James. "The Lingnan School of painting 1906-2006." The Art of James Tan. March, 2009, http://www.jamestan.com/home.htm (2000-2006). The history of Lingnan School and its artists.

Tan, James. "The Art of Lingnan Master Yang Shan shen." The Lingnan School of Painting. March, 2009, http://www.lingnanart.com/home.htm (2000-2006). A brief overview of the artist Yang Shan Shen.

Whitfield, Roderick, et al."China." //Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online//. 14 Apr. 2009  (2009). Explains the changes made in Chinese painting after 1912.


 * Lesson ****Title **: History Detectives: Blooming Flowers and Blending Styles
 * Grade Level: ** 9th-12th
 * Time: ** 7-9 fifty-minute class periods

This lesson meets the following [|National Standards for Arts Education (Visual Arts)]: NA-VA.9-12.1: Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes (1, 2, 3). NA-VA.9-12.2: Using knowledge of structures and functions (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). NA-VA.9-12.3: Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas (1, 2, 3, 4). NA-VA.9-12.4: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures (1, 3). NA-VA.9-12.5: Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others (2, 3, 4). <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">NA-VA.9-12.6: Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines (2, 3).
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Standards: **

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">This lesson meets the following [|National Educational Technology Standards for Students]: <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">1. Creativity and Innovation (a, b) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">3. Research and Information Fluency (b, d) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making (c) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">5. Digital Citizenship (a, b, c, d) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">6. Technology Operations and Concepts (a, c)


 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Central Concepts: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">East Meets West: Because of expeditions, wars, and colonization, the Eastern countries met the Western powers. As a result, artists attempted to combine the essence and methods of the Eastern and Western art to create a contemporary view on traditional themes. Nihonga, literally "Japanese-style paintings," blends Japanese techniques of smooth surfaces and decorative effects with Western ideas of realism and more contemporary imagery. The term was coined in the Meiji period of the Imperial Japan, to distinguish such works from Western-style paintings, or Yōga. Similarly, the Lingnan School (Eastern art infused with Western themes and techniques) and Japonism (Western art infused with Eastern themes and techniques) were movements sparked by groups of artists who blended the methods and essences of East and West.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Symbolism: the practice of representing things by symbols, or of investing things with a symbolic meaning or character. In //Blooming Flowers,// Yang includes traditional Chinese symbols of nature infused with Japanese painting techniques and Western realism, which reflects the influence that the Lingnan School had on him.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Nature: the natural world as it exists without human beings or civilization; the elements of the natural world, as mountains, trees, animals, or rivers. In Yang’s //Blooming Flowers,// there are two main elements: flowers and birds. Both of these subjects are found in traditional Chinese art and also in other Lingnan School paintings, but in the latter, they are handled in a more contemporary Japanese-infused style.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Lesson Activities: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Activity 1: “East meets West” (1 class period)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">As a class, students will create a KWL of what they already know about Chinese and/or Japanese art. This will include what comes to mind when they think of “Chinese art” and “Japanese art,” as well as misconceptions, myths, and stereotypes. (NOTE: The "L" portion of the KWL will be completed in Activity 5).
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Students will compare a Western 17-18th century still-life oil painting (such as //Woodland Still Life with a Mouse, Goldfinch, and Salamander// by Matthias Withoos) with Chinese Song Dynasty bird-and-flower painting (such as //Four Magpies// by Chao Ch'ang); they will also compare a Lingnan bird-and-flower painting such as Yang’s //Blooming Flowers// with the Western 17-18th century still-life oil painting. If time allows students will also compare a Western 17-18th century still-life oil painting with traditional Japanese bird-and-flower painting (such as //Camellia and Bush Warbler// by Hiroshige); they will also compare a nihonga bird-and-flower painting (such as //Birds and Snow-Covered Peonies// by Kōno Bairei<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">) with the Western 17-18th century still-life oil painting. The comparison should focus on the use of symbolism and methods (e.g., art mediums and techniques used) for depicting the nature.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Via PowerPoint, the teacher will show examples of Western artists who blended the essence/methods of the West with the East such as Alphonse Mucha ( //Poster of Maude Adams as Joan of Arc, 1909//)<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> and Vincent Van Gogh ( //The Blooming Plumtree (after Hiroshige),// 1887)<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">. The following questions will be used to facilitate the discussion:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">What are some similarities in symbolism? Differences?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Describe how the styles (e.g., how the media is handled) are the same or different.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Activity 2: “Time to Do Some Sleuthing” (1 class period)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Students, as history detectives, will be given online research/lab time to investigate on their own the meanings of symbols (particularly nature symbols) used in traditional Chinese and Japanese art.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Using GIMP, Photoshop, or another photo manipulation program, students will brainstorm ideas for their compositions. If such technology is unavailable, brainstorming can be done with traditional collages using pictures from magazines, newspapers, etc.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Activity 3: “When I Meet China or Japan” (4-5 class periods)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Each student will create a work of art that blends the essence/methods of the West with those of China or Japan, similar to what the artists of nihonga art or Lingnan School did. Students can freely combine the mediums, concepts, and techniques of the West and China/Japan (based on their own reason and research) that have personal meanings to them.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Each student will write a brief artist's statement (approximately 250 words) explaining their choices (symbols, colors, techniques, etc.) and how they blended Eastern and Western art styles.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Activity 4: “Decoding the Blending” (3/4-1 class period, but could be more if need be)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Based on their knowledge of symbolism and blending in accordance with the ideas of the Lingnan School, students will continue their roles as history detectives and interpret and evaluate the symbolism and blending used in other students’ works of art.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Activity 5: “Case Closed” (1/4-1/2 class period)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">As a class, students will finish the KWL.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Students will write a brief journal entry that addresses what they learned about symbolism used in the art of the Lingnan School, and their overall reaction to the assignment. They will then upload their entries to the class webpage along with their artists' statements and documentation of their investigations (i.e., photographs of their artworks).

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">paint is applied in a manner very consistent with the technique or artist being studied. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Paint is applied in a careful, logical manner. Colors remain sharp and texture is evident; <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">paint is applied in a manner that is reasonably consistent with the technique or artist being studied. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Control is somewhat lacking. A few drips, ragged edges and failure of certain areas of pattern/texture may be evident; <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">an attempt has been made to apply paint in a manner that is consistent with the technique or artist being studied, but it is not effective. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Student needs to work on controlling paint and preplanning paint application. Muddy colors, ragged edges, lack of texture, drips and/or blobs are evident throughout the painting; no attempt has been made to apply paint in a manner that is consistent with the technique or artist being studied. ||  ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Assessment: **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Activity 3 ( ****<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Creating a Painting): When I Meet China or Japan **
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; text-align: center;">CATEGORY || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">4 || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">3 || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">2 || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">1 || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Score ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Design/Composition and Color Choices || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Student applies design principles (such as unity, contrast, balance, movement, direction, emphasis, and center of interest) with great skill. Choice and application of color shows an advanced knowledge of color relationships. Color choice enhances the idea being expressed. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Student applies design principles (such as unity, contrast, balance, movement, direction, emphasis, and center of interest) with fair skill. Choice and application of color shows knowledge of color relationships. Colors are appropriate for the idea being expressed. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Student tries to apply design principles (such as unity, contrast, balance, movement, direction, emphasis, and center of interest) but the overall result is not pleasing. Choice and application of color shows knowledge of color relationships. Colors are, however, NOT appropriate for the idea being expressed. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">The student does not appear to be able to apply most design principles to his/her own work. Student needs to work on learning color relationships and using that knowledge in his/her work. ||  ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Capturing A Style/Artist || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Styles and concepts of East and West are well blended. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Styles and concepts of East and West are somewhat blended with a few minor discrepancies. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Some styles and concepts of East and West are present, but are dissonant. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">No attempt has been made to successfully blend the styles and concepts of East and West. ||  ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Painting Skill || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Application of paint is preplanned and done in a logical, sequential manner;
 * Artist's Statement || Student gives a complete yet concise explanation of his/her choices and blending of styles; there are no errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar. || Student gives a fairly complete and concise explanation of his/her choices and blending of styles; there are 1-3 errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar. || Student gives a partial/vague/incomplete explanation of his/her choices and blending of styles; there are 4-5 errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar. || Student gives an incoherent explanation of his/her choices and blending of styles; there are more than 5 errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar. ||  ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Research and Investigation || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Student's use of research time is very evident in his/her work of art (e.g., student uses appropriate symbolism and techniques); student did not need to be reminded to stay on task. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Student's use of research time is somewhat evident in his/her work of art (e.g., student uses some symbolism and/or techniques do not match the styles researched); student needed to be reminded to stay on task once. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Student's research time is barely evident in his/her work of art (e.g., student uses little symbolism and/or does not use appropriate techniques); student needed to be reminded to stay on task repeatedly. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Student misused or did not use research time (e.g., student does not use appropriate symbolism or techniques). ||  ||

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">blending methods and <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">meanings and is somewhat able to support them with evidence from the artworks. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Student can identify elements in the artwork, but only vaguely interprets their meanings. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Student finds it difficult to interpret the meanings of the elements in the artwork. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Activity 4 ( ****<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Analysis of A Work of Art): Decoding the Blending **
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; text-align: center;">CATEGORY || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">4 || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">3 || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">2 || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">1 ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Interpretation || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Student forms reasonable hypotheses about the blending methods and meanings and is able to support them with evidence from the artworks. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Student forms plausible hypotheses about the
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Evaluation || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Uses multiple criteria to judge the artwork, such as composition, expression, creativity, design, communication of ideas. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Uses 1-2 criteria to judge the artwork. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Tries to use aesthetic criteria to judge artwork, but does not apply the criteria accurately. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Evaluates work as good or bad based on personal taste. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Compare and Contrast || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Student is able to draw several parallels between the students' artworks and the works studied in class. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Student is able to draw some parallels between the students' artworks and the works studied in class. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Student attempts to draw a few parallels between the students' artworks and the works studied in class. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Student does not draw any parallels between the students' artworks and the works studied in class. ||

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 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Activity 5 ( ****<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Web Site): Case Closed **
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; text-align: center;">CATEGORY || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">4 || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">3 || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">2 || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">1 ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Spelling and Grammar || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">There are no errors in spelling, punctuation or grammar in the final draft of the Web site. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">There are 1-3 errors in spelling, punctuation or grammar in the final draft of the Web site. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">There are 4-5 errors in spelling, punctuation or grammar in the final draft of the Web site. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">There are more than 5 errors in spelling, punctuation or grammar in the final draft of the Web site. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Content Accuracy || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">All information provided by the student on the Web site is complete curate and all the requirements of the assignment have been met. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Almost all of the information provided by the student on the Web site is complete and all requirements of the assignment have been met. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Most of the information provided by the student on the Web site is complete and almost all of the requirements have been met. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">There are several inaccuracies in the content provided by the students OR many of the requirements were not met. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Images || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">n/a || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">The digital image is clear, edited properly, and uploaded to the website. || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">The digital image is uploaded to the website, but is of poor quality (e.g., blurry, too dark, improperly cropped). || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">There is no digital image.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">ALTEC at University of Kansas. (2008). //RubiStar: Create rubrics for your project-based learning activities//. Retrieved from []
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">References: **

Hoogsteder & Hoogsteder. (2011). //Woodland still life with a mouse, goldfinch and salamander.// Retrieved from []

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Nihonga. (2011). Retrieved from []

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Runckel & Associates, Inc. (2008). //Chinese brush paintings: History and techniques.// Retrieved from []

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">WikiPaintings. (2011). //Camellia and bush warbler.// Retrieved from []

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Yajifun. (2010). //Yama-bato: Original Kono Bairei (1844-1895).// Retrieved from [] <span style="display: block; height: 1px; left: -40px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; position: absolute; top: -25px; width: 1px;">Japan is immersed in the Chinese sphere of cultural influence. The two countries’ unique history of adaption within art began shortly after Japan's victory in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 (Croizier, 1988). It was then that Chinese students began to flock towards Japan. The successful modernization of Japan during the Meiji period became the base of the inspiration and intrigue for these students. During this time, students of art were being called to not only study traditional methods but to also examine the Western style (Addiss, 2002). Japan had managed to integrate their ideas with Western ones without losing their own distinct natural identity. While traditional methods focused on a three-dimensional approach, this new style narrowed the view and focused on the heavy use of color (Addiss, 2002). By blending Japanese techniques of smooth surfaces and decorative effects with Western ideas of realism and more contemporary imagery, the result was the creation of nihonga (Tan, 2006). Nihonga placed an emphasis on individualism and the personality of each artist’s way of seeing.