Bamboo Sketches
by Charity Lee Jennings
Lanterns’ Dance
While the city is outside celebrating, I’m in bed recovering. For days I’d been anticipating creating this drawing. I want to be strong and free, like the wind that gives these lanterns their dance – yet I could only dream…
A Forced Vacation
“Let’s schedule a call to talk about our trip to China,” the text from my brother read. After years of planning, Dan and Yvonne were coming to visit. I was excited, so excited, but unprepared. Dan and Yvonne are great guests, so it wasn’t hosting them in my home I...
Took Me Ten Years
Took me ten years. Starting, quitting, starting again. Learning to face my fear. Learning to persevere. Drawing daily. It’s finally a habit for me. When I first sat on the couch of my home with toddler by my side, and read that to paint...
A Snowy Scene
I pulled the camera from the pocket of my winter coat and took a picture of the two boys in the seat of the bus behind me, as they threw themselves into a pose. Then I tucked the camera away. It was the first time my mom had let me take it and I was eager to capture...
Christmas Came Early
Sipping my drink then glancing down, I frowned. Hot water would have been less disappointing. It was my third time to use the peppermint tea bag that floated in my cup. I drink my herbal tea sparingly, not knowing when I’ll get more. When someone is coming from Canada...
Captured Treasure
I felt an urgency to capture this scene. In the shifting sand of Chinese culture, there’s a stretch between the lifestyles of young men and their grandfathers and I wonder how long this pastime will last. I arrived in time to see an elderly man lean his bicycle...
At Home Art Class – Baby Bonsai
Fall means one Thanksgiving, then another. That’s how I experience it here in my international community – Canadian Thanksgiving in October and American Thanksgiving in November. I’m glad. I need this reminder to be grateful. And it was just last fall while...
The Bank Teller’s Chops
The woman behind me paced and ranted. “Tai man le, zhe ge lao wai.” I didn’t like it any more than she did. When I started this sketch I thought I was racing against time - five minutes, maybe ten to capture this display of chops, but over an hour later, when I was...
The Moments, The Hours, The Days
Homeschooling high schoolers is hard. “They can work more independently,” I hear, as though the difficult days are behind. While they often get through lessons without help from me, the new skills they must learn: writing research papers, meeting deadlines, stretches...
Mooncake Cookies
After all this time in China, I have yet to acquire a taste for mooncakes. It’s not surprising, I guess. I asked a Chinese friend if she liked them and she said, “they’re too heavy and oily. I just take a nibble to celebrate mid-autumn festival and remember what China...
Plant in Bloom
I’m full of ideas of places to draw to capture the scenes around me, but now, with the start of our homeschool year, I’m stuck inside. I know we’ll get into routines and I’ll be able to slip out, at times, but until then I have to be content with drawing from...
Take An Art Break
I often feel the tension between the demands of life and my desires to create. I know I’m not alone. In response, I’ve designed this simple project - something you can do over your coffee break. The simple lines and shapes stand out and I love how the silver gel...