The pen master ---- William E. Dennis

I was so surprised when I saw the pen art in Boise Art Museum on First Thursday last week because I always assumed that Americans care little about their handwriting, and certainly wouldn't ever spend time on pen calligraphy. Apparently I'm wrong! The pen art I saw was so delicate and intricate, its completely the opposite of the impression I had towards Americans in general.

William E. Dennis is considered by some as the finest pen artist of all times in history. I found this image on Internet, but it doesn't look as nearly as good as the original. There were other pen art from other pen artists on display in the museum, but I liked Dennis' the best; even though I didn't yet know about his fame.

I guess one of the reasons I like this kind of art is because I always like very detailed work, work that is complex but also neat and clean. Dennis' work definitely meets all those standards, but besides that, his work has something you cannot find in the others'. It might be the fluid of the lines, it might be the cheer from his pen, or it might be the elegance from his heart.

I wonder why American people are not doing this kind of art any more. Pen art or calligraphy has been popular in China since it started. Of course we don't draw flourishes, we mostly practice Chinese characters with different styles using the artist pen. Having good handwriting is considered a respectable thing; that's probably why both bush calligraphy and pen calligraphy are still popular in China. It is a good thing because this way the antique culture can keep growing and never disappear. It is interesting to see the old part of the American culture since the new part is so overwhelming that people, especially foreigners, forget or don't even realize that the USA actually had some good old cultural essences.