So Happy Together
“So Happy Together” by Oi Yee Tai
It has been difficult for everyone during these Covid times, but at least we get to be around our loving family members. Let’s make the best of our times together….So Happy Together!
I’ve painted this with an Enso , the zen circle representing emptiness and form, void and fullness. The Enso circle is born from emptiness. However its center is full of potency and infinite possibility. We may be in bad times now, but there is inifinite possibility of better things to come
Just A Little Wish
Just a little wish that the world will be rid of the coronavirus, and everybody blessed with good health.
Artist: Tai Oi Yee
Website: oystudio.com
Good health, good climate, peace and harmony in the Year of the Rat
It seems the world needs the blessing of good health, good climate, peace and harmony in the Year of the Rat. Everybody keep safe, stay healthy, be thankful and be happy !
Artist: Tai Oi Yee
Website: oystudio.com
Happy Chinese New Year
Today is Chinese New Year’s Day! May you be blessed with good luck, good health, peace and safety in the Year of the Rat, with all your wishes coming true!
祝鼠年吉祥如意萬事順，健康平安福滿多 !
Greetings from Oi Yee Tai
Feather From A Thousand Miles
“Feather From A Thousand Miles”
I have received Christmas cards and gifts from afar. I love receiving good old mail. Also there is a Chinese saying “Gift of a feather from a thousand miles, it weighs little but means much” 千里送鵝毛物輕情意重. Thank you!
Artist: Tai Oi Yee
Website: oystudio.com
Journey Of A Thousand Miles Begins With a Single Step
My painting was at the International Chinese Calligraphy and Ink Painting Society Exhibition Oct 19 – 26, 2019 in Beijing, China. So thrilled that my painting won the “International Calligraphy and Sumi-e Society Award” .
Above is my painting at the exhibition which won an award. It is inspired by the Taoist quote by Lao Tzu – “Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” 千里之行始於足下
I sent my unmounted artwork to the head of ICCPS Ransui Yakata in Tokyo, and he brought it to Beijing and had it mounted for me. After the exhbition, he will send the painting back to me in Canada. My heartfelt thanks for his help, and also Casey Shannon who helped with the organization.
It was International Chinese Calligraphy and Ink Painting Society’s 9th annual 2019 sumi exhibition in Beijing, China. Sumi-e artists from around the globe will have their work on display.
October 19 to 26 2019
China New Ink Painting Institute Art Museum,
Guanzhuang Road,
Wangsiying Town 798
Chaoyang District Beijing, China
Artist: Tai Oi Yee
Website: oystudio.com
Happy Year of The Pig
Happy Year of The Pig! Feb 5, 2019 is Chinese New Year’s Day!
The Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, and the start of the year is based on the cycles of the moon, and this year it falls on Tuesday, February 5, 2019. The Chinese zodiac assigns an animal to each year in a repeating twelve-year cycle, and this year is the Year of the Pig. People born in these years are born under the sign of the Pig: 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019
By the way, if you don’t want others to know your age, better not disclose your zodiac animal 
artist: Tai Oi Yee 戴愛兒
website: http://oystudio.com
#Inktober
Today is the start of #Inktober. Every October, artists all over the world take on the Inktober drawing challenge. I won’t be able to do one ink painting a day…haha not even one a week, but I will contribute on the first day, and with the Inktober prompt of “Poisonous”.
Pufferfish, Porcupinefish, Blowfish, 河豚, Fugu are the different names. Most species are poisonous having tetrodotoxin in some of their internal organs. This toxin is up to 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide. There is enough toxin in one pufferfish to kill 30 adult humans, and there is no known antidote. The fish is considered to be a delicacy in various places in the world, especially Japan, but has to be prepared by licenced, trained chefs who know which part of the fish to be rid of without contaminating the meat (especially the liver, ovaries, intestines, skin, eyes). Nevertheless people still die from the adventure of eating Fugu.
#Inktober “Poisonous”
Artist: Tai Oi Yee
Website: oystudio.com
Another Name Seal that I carved
Just carved another name seal …added a couple fishies to make it more playful, and this time I signed it too with my carving knife. Will stamp it on my new paintings.
This is the Yang style, with the design protruding…more difficult than the Yin style with the design carved in.
Art by Tai Oi Yee
Just carved a name seal
I carved a seal this past weekend, not using the usual seal script but with my own calligraphy. Actually this is the first name seal I have done…the ones I tried before were animal seals.
I will start stamping my paintings with this new seal.
This is the Yin style seal carving, with the characters carved in, and the stamped effect is white characters with red background. I will attempt the Yang style carving later, with the reverse effect.
Here are my carving tools:
This is how I secure the stone:
Art by Tai Oi Yee, http://oystudio.com
Be Happy!
I have done a series for the Year of the Dog. Somehow they all turn out to be so happy 
I guess that reflects how I feel…just grateful to be alive and well.
Be Happy!
Happy Birthday To You in this Year of the Dog!
Happy Birthday to You! Today is the 7th day of Chinese New Year 人日and it is considered everybody’s birthday. So birthday wishes to you all in this Year of the Dog!
Happy Year of The Dog
The Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, and the start of the year is based on the cycles of the moon, and this year it falls on Friday, February 16, 2018. The Chinese zodiac assigns an animal to each year in a repeating twelve-year cycle, and this year is the Year of the Dog. People born in these years are born under the sign of the Dog: 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018
By the way, if you don’t want others to know your age, better not disclose your zodiac animal 
My painting at the 2017 International Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Society Exhibition
I have just received back from Tokyo my painting from the 7th International Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Society Exhibition. I sent the painting to Ryunosuke Ransui Yakata, the President of ICCPS in Japan who arranged to have it mounted, transported to China, and then back to me in Canada. Thanks Ransui ! Many thanks to Casey Shannon, the North American ICCPS director, who has worked tirelessly for the society.
“Just Sit and Watch the Rising Clouds” is a variation of a previous painting of mine. I did it this time with colour ink and according to the dimensions required by the exhibition in China. The rice paper was white and I used black and blue ink only. So whatever shows as white is the original paper colour.
My painting won the Head Office President Award 🙂
Artist: Oi Yee Tai
Website: oystudio.com
Photos From Purchaser Of My Art
It is always so good to hear from buyers of my art. Robert from the Czech Republic ordered a print from my online shop and also bought from me a couple original enso paintings. He just sent me pics of my art now framed and displaying in his house. Thanks Robert!
Tai Oi Yee
Woodburning
Besides inkwash painting, I also love other forms of art such as pyrography. This is a piece of woodburning art I created for my garden.
I burnt my design with a woodburning pen (pyrography pen) on a piece of wood, stained it, and nailed it to my garden gate. The pen is just like a soldering iron that you heat up and then burn the art on different materials like wood or cork.
Wood burning by Tai Oi Yee
Tai Oi Yee
Enso
I have been asked what is that ink circle that you draw? What does it represent? It is called Enso and represents the way of Zen as a circle of emptiness and form, void and fullness.
The Enso 円相 is born from emptiness. However its center is full of potency and infinite possibility. One dip of ink, one fluid brush stroke, I experience the profound changes and limitless possibilities. As the brush trails off into nothingness, leaving an open circle, it is also the acceptance of imperfection as it is.
Oi Yee Tai
http://oystudio.com
Sit and Watch the Rising Clouds
Artist: Tai Oi Yee
Website: oystudio.com
This is the latest painting in my ink “Flow” series. It is inspired by an ancient Chinese poem by Wang Wei (699-759). The two phrases I have written on the painting is from the poem: 行到水窮處，坐看雲起時 “Having reached the water’s edge and there is no more path, just sit and watch the rising clouds”. When faced with adversity and feeling that there is no way out, I often think of these two phrases, then just take a breath and see things in a different light. There is always light at the end of the tunnel and rising clouds at the water’s edge.
Year of the Rooster
2017 is the Year of the Rooster. The Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, and the start of the year is based on the cycles of the moon, and this year it falls on Saturday, January 28, 2017. The Chinese zodiac assigns an animal to each year in a repeating twelve-year cycle, and this year is the Year of the Rooster. People born in these years are born under the sign of the Rooster: 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017.
The Seal I carved for the New Year
I bought a seal carving stand a couple years ago but haven’t done much with it. Just carved a fish seal and decided to make one for the Year of the Rooster/Chicken
Here is the fish seal I carved in 2013:
Chinese Calligraphy for Year of the Rooster
While I am on the subject of Chinese calligraphy, here’s some info.
Chinese writing dates back to over 5000 years ago. Chinese characters evolved from pictographs to more abstract ideograms to the modern-day character, which bears a slight resemblance to its pictographic origins. The characters are divided into 3 main categories : pictographs , ideograms , phonograms.
Since 2017 is the Year of the Rooster/Chicken, I will show you the progression. “Chicken/rooster” 雞 is a pictograph. You can see the evolution of the character with my calligraphy on the left: from the pictorial seal script (the first one at the top) to the modern day character (the second one) and also in my grass style( the third one).
On the right is my interpretation of the origin of the word. From the pictorial seal script, I turned it back into a design of a chicken.
Heart Sutra Calligraphy 心經
Starting the new year with some peace and tranquility. Even though I am not Buddhist, I find writing the Heart Sutra very calming.
The Heart Sutra (The Heart of the Perfection of Understanding) 心經 , is one of the most important Buddhist scriptures. One of the more well known verses is: “form is emptiness and the very emptiness is form…”
Toronto Zoo selling my Limited Edition Prints
The Toronto Zoo is now selling my framed Limited Edition Prints at their gift shop. These special prints are custom designed with the names of the Toronto pandas Da Mao, Er Shun, Jia Panpan and Jia Yueyue. Do visit the zoo if you have time
Artist: Tai Oi Yee
Website: http://www.oystudio.com
#TOPandaCubs
Click here to see my other panda paintings
My paintings
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