A restless night – probably over excited by the card game! Still I wake at 6AM and I will go out for yoga. I forgot about the dew. But I get set up. It’s cool, but enjoyable. The sun hits the far mountains that face to the west, but only comes up over the eastern mountains just as I will begin the Sun Salutation! I shift my mat so that I face the rising sun. There is a small tree above me. Birds. Cicadas. I breathe in deeply, and exhale loudly, fully with little puffs seen in the cool air. Perfect.
At one time I thought I would build a covered / uncovered yoga / table platform in my backyard. It would face east, and I get the rising sun here everyday. Maybe get that back on the project list.
Breakfast. Writing. Meet up at 9:30AM. Today we begin at the School of Traditional Arts, sister school of the school in Thimphu. Classes we see:
Woodworking NCII – although this is their first year of 3, if they continue to pass. A really informative talk with the instructor. They begin with their tools, when & how to use them safely! Chisels are sharp. Each student has a set of about 20 chisels. They begin with the first assignment of one of the 8 symbols as these are fairly easy. They certainly have learned an amazing amount in just over 1 year. They will finish this year in about 1 and 1/2 months.
Clay sculpture – level 1, then another classroom of level 2, and diploma. Level 1 looks incredibly difficult. Level 2 they are working on the metal structures to support limbs, heads, hands etc. Diploma level is mind boggling. The detail of a statues with 10 or 12 arms and hands and tiny, tiny fingers is utterly amazing.
Painting – we spend a lot of time – three levels again. They are of course working on traditional images to be faithfully reproduced. I love Class II working on mandalas. Their detailed brush work is amazing. Diploma level they are working on an image where they use a technique that reminds me of pointillism. These images – mandalas and the diploma will take them months to complete. We have some great conversations about many things:
In the details – for example the small white beads that seem like a necklace – must they paint exactly the prescribed number on a crocodile for example? No, the painter makes choices on these small details.
The paint used? In Level 1 they will use a less expensive acrylic type paint. At this higher level they will mix / make the paint. They get the pigment in beads from India, which they pound to a powder. They boil dried pieces of cow skin / hide to get glue, and mix these two with water! They will make basic colours and then mix these as they paint and also use more or less water to get the density of colour. Oh my! I am just astonished and over joyed and thankful to be here. I wish, I wish Anda was here with me. Everything is so, so traditional but at the same time so exciting!!
We are off to metal fabrication. There is a fire burning in an outside fire pit that has air directed at it to keep the fire hot. They heat the copper pieces, to further pound and shape them. This is diploma level and they are working as a team on a final piece – the top seen on the monastery buildings. Each piece made by hand, but each piece needing to be exact to match with the next.
We met this instructor earlier in Level 1 – the students working on their first pieces. They make this large (14″) mound built up of clay and then tar. This is heated and then a piece of copper plate (this project 5″ x 3″) is pounded into it. A white piece of paper / material is placed over the copper plate and a design drawn on this. The student then uses a series of small tools & a hammer to pound this pattern into the copper plate. Once completed the plate is turned over and areas will be pounded to create relief. (I did something once like this as a kid!)
The metal work is really exciting to watch.
Off now to tailoring – Level 1. They are making the blouse for the traditional woman’s dress. Lots of conversation. They will begin the project measuring the person the item is for – this is tailoring and not just sewing. I watch a student making a really neat seam – a type of french seam. I’m hoping to remember it and try it at home. Lots of laughter in this classroom.
This institute is so amazing – and I do enjoy it more than Thimphu. The buildings are newer, so the studios larger and bright with natural light. The location also lovely. (Also as it is outside a small town it is like an independent college campus.)
Outside a group of diploma students is painting a statue. They are using an acrylic paint – and when I ask – yes it does dry really fast in the sun! They’ve done a great job.
(Oh, metal working included silver and gold, which some figures – Buddha – would be covered with, or made from.)
Off to the Show Room. Oh, oh – shop! $ 18,000 NU (about $ 300 CAD) later I have 10 pieces of hand embroidery, several small metal pieces from Level 1 that are the 8 symbols, 1 clasp for a ladies full kira, and a real treasure – a mandala painting about 2′ x 2 1/2′. I had looked at the other paintings in the shop, but did not see any mandalas. I just happened to ask – and there was a roll of about 10 stashed carefully away. (As I write this my friend here in Powell River has mounted this painting on a stretcher and made a lovely frame. It looks great!)
This has been an incredible morning. Anda again I think of you! But how to get you here – the roads!
To lunch. Lovely veg dishes as Jamyang has told them I do like my vegetables. Asparagus (made like in Khoma), squash (Khoma), cabbage, red rice, boiled eggs, with a lovely sauce. Car cookies. The lunch has been served in the traditional wood bowls with lids that are part of the tradition of dapa here in Trashiyangtse – wood turning. (These bowls are taken out for special occasions and for guests. What an honour for me.) We will head out to see this after a rest.
One of our hosts – young man – will come with us to scout some wood turners and studios. Turns out this is not the season for this work, usually summer, the monsoon season. But after a few stops, great views, walk through the rice fields now almost ripe so golden not lush green, we do arrive at a man’s shop. Lots of discussion – yes they use burl, demo, videos, we are off to a shop in town. This wood worker sells all his pieces, as do most others, to this shop.
The shop is not at all what I expected – there are thousands of pieces. This of course, as many Bhutanese will buy these covered bowls in particular, use for special occasions to serve food – as we were today! I make the mistake of asking why there are a few pieces under glass in a small display case? These are the better ones – collector pieces – well beginner’s collector pieces I find out later! These are mostly small bowls (max 5″) and quite small (2″). They are so beautiful – and the quality so lovely – the finishes so good. I do not buy the bowls that are $ 30,000 NU ($500 CAD), nor $80,000 NU ($1,700 CAD) and decide to try to stick close to $ 10,000 NU. It’s hard as I would love a bowl about 5 1/2″, but the ones that really have a smooth, perfect finish start at $ 25,000 NU. I decide in the end to go with 3 small bowls that have a lovely finish, and a colour I really like. I have to borrow $ 3,000 NU from Jamyang so that I have a bit of cash left. I might have been able to use some USD but it was getting complicated and Jamyang suggested this solution. Thank-you!!
Back at the hotel to organize everything as Kinzang will be taking some of it with him. (Kinzang will drive back to Paro and Jamyang and I will fly.) A fitting for the kira I wore in Thimphu – all this rice! I can barely wear this!! But I would like to wear it on the plane day after tomorrow.
Trashiyangtse has been a very good trip. I was not so sure yesterday – but today has been so, so wonderful.
The motto at the School of Traditional Arts: 1 + 1 = 0
Read a little. Dinner. Cards. Jamyang is not going to forgive me! Up tomorrow early and off at 8AM.