25 years today

Golden week in Japan!  it is the anniversary of my arrival in Japan, 25 years ago today. 

 Perhaps I should bake me a cake.  

This Golden Week I have 5 Golden Days, and intend to spend them downstairs in my studio painting  for the wall of an old Sake brewery shed deep in the wilds of Gunma, where a dance will take place. The wall is over 13 meters long.  I wonder how it will look?  I will not know until April, as my painting space is only 2 meters and a half long and 2 meters wide.  I will paint it a piece at a time.

I will not dance in April, but I  am painting, a creature for the wall.  And in April I will get to see how it looks all strung up.

it begins

Group show in Yanaka

Come one come all! 

We will have an exhibition of local artists and thinkers.  April 1 - 6

It is in Yanaka in Gallery Kingyo, near (HebiMichiDori, snake turn road) near Nezu or Sendagi stations of the Chiy

raw copper

 

 

A fresh cut copper plate, an engraving before it is inked,  Like a new born child, fresh and new, ripe with possibilities.

I may never ink it at all.

scales

It is early yet, but I've already started practicing my scales.

Yanaka at night

These are they guys that wake up a 5 AM to start the morning chant.   It is part of living in a temple section of  Tokyo..  I wonder how many centuries they have been doing this on the coldest days of January.  They keep it up for more than a week, probably the full cycle of 12 days, but that is just a guess.  I know it runs more than a week

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CUyvUQFDD64

m.youtube.com/watch?v=WNkqpmHtFGo

They cover most to the temple section, stopping at every Nichirin Temple.

Who's Picasso now?

Young children  are impressive.  They are true scientists, doing everything they can to unlock the mysteries that surround them.  They want to discover how everything works.

They also are not shy to express themselves with art.  Picasso said something about being able to paint like an old master at 16 and spending the rest of his life trying to learn to paint like a child.

I had fun at Tokyo Kase University yesterday, at the kids center running a workshop in ink painting.  And I will truly say that these young kids put Piccaso to shame.  Direct attack, use of line and marks and space.

Night ride

Coming home from the public bath, thinking it is hard to go out on a cold night, and the baths keep closing and are further and further away, but what a night. I don't envy anyone stuck in at home with their tv on and a hot bath waiting.  To have missed this night under the stars riding home from the sento would have taken something very important from my life.  I am quite thankful that I don't have a bath.