Beach Play

 I finally received my fountain pen ordered online. It is really hard to buy one. To be safe, I chose the brand of Heros, which I had been used for a long time in the past. 

Yesterday I repainted the "Beach Play" picture in the early morning. I want to say that it is a much more pleasant experience. Yeah, for something you can't do it well, it is fine to just try it again. I painted the background before applying the pen for drawing objects. For fine objects such as human beings, I used a ball pen rather than a fountain pen so that the lines would not be mixed with watercolours.

I played a bamboo six holes xiao flute, which is a birthday present I got from high school, in the evening. The temperament is different to that used in today's western music. The feeling is great to play an instrument you've owned for more than 20 years.

Music composition

 I got up early in the morning today and composed a lullaby. It's a long time since my last composition.

Brisbane's summer has eventually arrived. It has been rather bright after 5 am. Yeah, I don't need to copy or imitate those stage performers. As an amateur musician, I can develop my own style, the style that is suitable to play at home for self entertainment. Maybe this is what literati music should be like.

Mum watering the veggie patch

Yesterday I drew a picture of mum watering her veggie patch in the garden. The hard part of it is the water. But I finally thought of a way to do it. The secrete is colour contrast, which means to make the area outside the water stream darker.

A diary

Yesterday I painted a picture about the boys playing painting in the garden. It was not bad though many places still can be improved. The small size dip pen is necessary.

Using a clothe to surround the strings can mute the guitar to most extent. It is a good way to practise in quiet environment. I don't think playing with finger tips is a problem at all, especially I want quieter sounds. It also provides a level of flexibility to touch the strings. I don't have to copy others' techniques as I can develop my own ones.

A thought

 It is not hard to understand why classical music nowadays not as popular as popular music. Music to most people is to relax and to be entertained. But normally classical music in a concert hall requires you to dress formally, sitting in a good gesture there for a couple of hours, being not able to chat or record, and listening to music often with a theme relating to those tough topics such as life and deaths, war and peace, and etc, making it similar to attend a lecture.

Playing Guitar in the Porch

 After I finishing lunch, I tried to feed my baby. But he refused to eat. I couldn't make him open mouth no matter what methods I tried. Then I gave up. "Let's play in the garden if you are still not hungry." I then bought him to the front yard. It is great to have a patch of shadow area near the porch. I gave the bubble wand to the child and demonstrated a bit for how to blow it or shake it.  Then I passed the wand to the toddler and I myself then sat down on the staircases of the porch. I played the tunes on the guitar while supervising the child. How enjoyable it is.

First day of winter

 I should stop blaming my instruments. They are all good for my purpose as an amateur player. Think of historical musicians like Abing. No matter how poor my instruments are, they probably are still better than the rugged Erhu of Abing. Different instruments have different pros and cons. It is just a matter of how you can master it.

I should always keep in mind that, as an amateur musician, I shall never try to achieve perfect techniques especially the hard ones. Instead, I should focus on developing my own voice -- expressing my inner world through a form of beauty, which reflects my own understanding of life.