Marina Soria - Empty space, womb of shape - Nov 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30, 2025

 Most of the time in Western art the Empty Space is considered as background or blank space. Something that is spared and must be filled in. Whole libraries have been written about the fear towards the empty space, the white canvas, so how do we start when we have a blank page before us? How do we intervene the white space?​

For Eastern art the Empty Space is the fourth of the principles of the Taoist Rules for Beauty. “Being and not being engender each other. We mold clay to make pottery, but it is in the empty space where the utility of the jug resides, therefore, we should take equally advantage to what it is, just as we recognize the usefulness of what it is not”. Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, XI.​

The Taoist painters treat the Empty Space as a positive matter, as the origin of form, the womb of shape. Considering these rules we will find new ways to work with space, to see the Empty Space! The balance between the use of positive and negative spaces is key to aesthetic compositions.​

This workshop will start from an experimental alphabet or a formal one with a personal twist and will work the space issues, trying to accomplish new compositions where space is not the blank portion of the paper.

Empty space, womb of shape
Marina Soria, Hosted by The Gentle Penman

Live (Also recorded for later viewing)

Nov 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30, 2025
7:00 AM - 9:30 AM Hong Kong time

Class cost: $1400 HKD or $180 USD

All Skill Levels

Registration Link : https://www.thegentlepenman.com/the-empty-space-womb-of-shape

Supply List:

You will need to bring a couple of your favorite experimental alphabets you could have developed in some other workshop or a formal calligraphy with a personal twist. Remember that we will not create an alphabet but work with the space and composition issues.

PENS:

BRUSHES:
• Medium-sized brushes (# in between 3 and 6) and a thin one to draw contours or outline. (BR26)

INK/COLORS:
• Bottle of Black Sumi (I70) Or 2-3 single tubes of preferably dark color gouaches, the ones you like best, White gouache. (WNG1) (HG749)

You may purchase your paper in the form of a block or separate sheets but if you chose the block, nevertheless you will need two big sheets of paper of around 56 x 76 cm (22”x 30”)

- Watercolor Paper. Size: 24 x 32 cm (9”x 12”) or A4 or letter. Weight: 90 lbs or 185g/m2. Underneath 300gs

Color: Natural white or off white. Surface: medium or smooth texture.

Preferably separate sheets not glued on all four sides or separate them before the class. (P134, PA112)

Arches or something alike. Remember Underneath 300gs (PS01)

BINDING

• One needle for a simple Japanese binding. Thread, matching the color gouache you have chosen. (S213) (S825)
• Awl. (S255) 
• Clips to hold paper on place while binding.
• A straight edge metallic ruler. (S270)

MISCELLANEOUS...