Ngan Siu-Mui Art School, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Ngan Siu Mui Art School

Artist Ngan Siu Mui teaches Chinese calligraphy and painting at her studio in Montreal, Canada. She offers small group classes and online private lessons, providing services for art enthusiasts worldwide.
No prior art education is required for participants; all that is needed is curiosity and an open mind.

Subjects:
- Chinese Calligraphy Lessons ⮚[Click here]
- Chinese Watercolor Painting Lessons ⮚[Click here]
- Chinese Seal Carving Lessons (Stamps) ⮚[Click here]
Number of students: strictly limited to 4 persons [please note that early registration is required]
Material: all required artistic material is provided

Calligraphy involves writing with the brush through the coordinated force of the entire body, where the lines created on paper are traces of movement. Much like practicing martial arts, mastering ball sports, or using tools, calligraphy skills must also follow clear principles of motion. Calligraphy can be divided into two realms:
- The Accessible Realm:
  Lifting the veil of mystery from this art; Chinese calligraphy is an art of line, conceived through simple mathematical logic, principles of balance, and common sense in daily life. It is a Line art which is pre-designed and sketched in real time with brush, water, ink, and paper as its media. It is executed while the body maintains a state of meditative calm, guided by the natural flow of breath and rhythmic momentum.
- The Abstract Spiritual Realm:
  Only after mastering the fundamental techniques of calligraphy—to the point where they become instinct—can one dynamically and vividly [transcend established rules to achieve artistic freedom.]
The five styles of Chinese calligraphy: Seal script, Clerical script, Cursive script, Running script, and Regular script. ⮚ [Click here]
What is Chinese calligraphy ⮚ [Click here]
Artworks of Ngan Siu Mui's students ⮚ [Click here]
More information on calligraphy techniques ⮚ [Click here]

Rooted in the brush techniques of calligraphy, the lines drawn not only delineate the form and substance of objects but also carry the immediate artistic intent expressed through the act of brushing. Through variations in shade, speed, and pressure, these lines capture the vitality and emotional essence of the subject.
The brushwork is rooted in the [Bone Strength] (骨力) of traditional calligraphy, infused with individual creativity and transformation. The brush movements are bold and vigorous, yet the lines remain warm, restrained, and subtly expressive—striking a harmonious balance between strength and softness.
The brushwork often emerges spontaneously, with the heart and hand in perfect harmony. Once the brush touches the paper, the stroke is complete and cannot be replicated.
The composition is rigorous, with meticulously arranged empty spaces. The brushwork is economical yet expressive—adding a single stroke would be superfluous, while removing one would leave it incomplete.
Ngan Siu Mui's Chinese painting' ⮚ [Click here]
Art material of Chinese painting ⮚[Click here]

[Treating the knife as a brush and the stone as paper] is the core principle of Chinese seal engraving art. This perspective demands the complete transfer of sophisticated calligraphic brushwork onto the seal, with fluid knife techniques that carve out the texture of ink and the nuanced variations in line weight and rhythm, transforming planar characters into three-dimensional stone inscriptions.。
Ngan Siu Mui's Seal Carving ⮚ [Click here]
More information on the origins and development of seal carving ⮚ [Click here]

Dates:
- Saturday or Sunday
- Duration: two and a half hours
- Please contact the teacher to fix the date and time

Tuition Fees
- $ 70 cad
- Fees are payable upon registration by E-Transfer or Paypal
Calligraphy styles [You can choose the one you like]
Subjects available to all students
You could choose a short motto to express a personal principle, goal or ideal.
For examples:
- "Perseverance" [2 characters]
- "Let things go and be confortable" [4 characters]
- "How can we small fry predict the ambitions of the great" [7 characters]
Subjects available to intermediate and advanced students
Under the guidance of the teacher Ngan Siu-Mui, students start learning calligraphy pieces from the masters in the past dynasties.

Dates:
- Saturday or Sunday
- Duration: two and a half hours
- Please contact the teacher to fix the date and time

Tuition Fees
- $ 75 cad
- Fees are payable upon registration by E-Transfer or Paypal
Chinese Painting Subjects available to all students
[Put your mouse pointer over a thumbnail to enlarge it.]
- Flowers
  
  Plum ~ One of Four Gentlemen
  
  Chinese Orchid ~ One of Four Gentlemen
  
  Chrysanthemum ~ One of Four Gentlemen
  
  Bamboo ~ One of Four Gentlemen
  
  Chinese Peony
  
  Rose
  
  Magnolia
  
  Hydrangea
  
  Daylily
  
  Iris
  
  Lotus
  
  Sunflower
  
  Morning Glory
Chinese Painting Subjects available to intermediate and advanced students
[Put your mouse pointer over a thumbnail to enlarge it.]
- Birds
  
  Bird on Bamboo
  
  Bird on Red Leave
  
  Two on Plum Tree
  
  Two Birds on Plum Tree
  
  Bird with long tail
  
  Bird on falling leaves
  
  Sparrows
  
  Birds on Pine Tree
  
  Birds in Snow
- Landscapes
  
  Yellow Mountain (Huangshan) ~ part only
  
  Cloudy Mountain
  
  Landscape ~ Voyage to the Peach Village
  
  Sail in Sunset
  
  Endless Cloudy Peaks
- Fishes
  
  Goldfish
  
  Goldfish
  
  Carp
  
  Fishes

Dates:
- Please contact the teacher to fix the date and time
- Duration: two and a half hours

Tuition Fees
- $ 85 cad
- Fees are payable upon registration by E-Transfer or Paypal
Seal Carving Subjects
- Name Seal (Student's chinese name)
- Studio Name Seal
- Zodiac Seal
- Leisure Seal (quotes or verses)
Example:

Dates:
- Lessons' date and time are scheduled according to teacher's and student's availability
- Duration: One (1) hour

Tuition Fees
- $ 60 cad
- Fees are payable upon registration by E-Transfer or Paypal
Technical Information
- The Zoom platform is used for the lesson
- A computer and a webcam are strongly recommended (tablets and phones are inadequate)