From my conversations with the Beyond Calligraphy community, it seems that a lot of people have a difficult time finding a good shodo teacher from whom to learn or any teacher at all. This means that a lot of students are trying to learn from books or streaming video services. This is a double-edged sword. The good point is that there are many people who have the passion for and want to learn this wonderful art. The bad point is that some of these learning mediums miss the simple things. Here … [Read more...]
Is it Bad to be Too Decorative ?
The famous German architect Bruno Taut, who influenced modern architects such as Le Corbusier, fled from the Nazis and lived in Japan from 1933-36. During his stay in Japan, he wrote many comments about various elements of Japanese architecture, but he was especially fascinated by the Katsura Imperial Villa in Kyoto; a palace which was constructed in the 17th century. From the name “Villa” you might imagine a gorgeous royal palace, but, in fact, the villa is, from my point of view, … [Read more...]
Climbing the Moon Tree, Part 2.
Continuing the story of the Hankeido (桂堂攀, はんけいどう, Hankeidō) workshop, the construction of maki fude (巻筆, まきふで) is most unusual. The first 3rd of the root of the tuft is wrapped and strengthened with a hand-made Japanese hemp paper, also known as washi (和紙, わし). Thus, the name maki (to wrap) fude (brush). Because of this, the hairs of the brush tip (the “spear”) have unusual flexibility and are extremely responsive. The brush’s loins are very stiff, and the relatively short hairs of the brush … [Read more...]