Method of cataloguing

It shifts the viewer’s focus from purely appreciating the beauty of the flowers to understanding their role within a broader ecological context.

Research on how each category can be presented. Experiment to determine the feasibility of this method or element.

In traditional Chinese art, the 洒金 (gold sprinkling) technique is all about symbolizing wealth, abundance, and lasting success. Gold itself has a natural association with high value, prestige, and resilience. In Chinese culture, it represents a type of wealth that doesn’t just shine but also endures over time, hinting at lasting prosperity and an unbreakable legacy that can be passed down through generations. When artists use gold in paintings, scrolls, or ceramics, it’s more than just decoration; it’s a way of imbuing the piece with good fortune and blessings of success for those who own or display it. In imperial households, where gold-laced items were common, this technique helped convey status and attract positive energy, believed to bring stability and prosperity to the family for years to come.

I experimented with creating the 洒金 (gold sprinkling) effect myself. First, I tried using gold powder with a brush, sweeping it gently and even flicking the bristles to get a scattered effect. Then, I experimented with using gold leaf by applying small pieces to add a more solid shimmer. Each method gave a different texture and level of shine!

Through researching traditional Chinese painting and representations of longevity in Chinese culture, I want to focus primarily on the Chinese character “寿” (longevity) as a central element. Since longevity often appears as a symbol in Chinese visual culture, I also aim to design a unique emblem representing longevity. This emblem will then be integrated into the floral designs.

I tried to symbolise the Chinese character for ‘寿’.

Therefore, I want to incorporate bamboo elements into the card to highlight their shared symbolic meaning in Chinese culture.

I found a photograph of bamboo and explored ways to integrate it with the flowers. I discovered that using it as a background was effective; it allows the bamboo to be visible without overshadowing the flowers as the main focus. I chose to adjust the image to a single color tone and reduce its saturation to make it less attention-grabbing. I also added a soft glow to give a gentle effect, and finally, lowered the transparency to achieve a suitable background effect.

Negative space:

In the painting, a single fisherman sits in a tiny boat surrounded by empty space. A strong sense of solitude and resilience. 

I considered how to convey negative space and decided to present each plant individually, as this approach better represents purity. I primarily used white to emphasize this sense of purity.

However, I felt that using only white would make the design rather dull, so I decided not to rely solely on white. Adding color contrast might better highlight the sense of purity that white conveys. Therefore, I ultimately presented the final form in this way.

Through my research, I found that butterflies are commonly used in Chinese paintings to represent beauty and elegance. Therefore, I plan to incorporate butterflies with the flowers to convey the symbolic meaning of beauty in Chinese culture.

Moreover, in this archive, there are already some illustrations where flowers are depicted together with butterflies. So, I extracted these butterflies and collaged them with the flowers that symbolize beauty. The overall composition achieved a very cohesive visual effect.