I started to formally take up seal cutting in the third grade. This is an ancient Chinese art. Drawing upon my foundation in calligraphy, I also learned how to transform the art of paper and pen into a more permanent art of knife and stone. At a young age, my teacher allowed me to use a knife to carve cartoon patterns on soft rubber to get the feel of handling a carving knife. However, it was not until I grew up, gained strength in my hands, and reached the required level of skill in calligraphy that I started practicing seal cutting. Studying the work of some masters, I would work on my own technique. I would think about the characteristics and possible effects of the stone for each cut and finally carve the desired wording on the stone. This process requires a great deal of patience but can also be very stress-relieving.
