Your Custom Text Here
Hawks at the seaside, hoping for leftovers. Once a tidal island but now connected to the mainland, Enoshima is rather like a tiny Mont St Michel, complete with its own pilgrimage sites. Popular as a fishing destination, it attracts more than its fair share of hawks who hover optimistically, hoping for scraps. Walking along the causeway one can often see Mt Fuji rising into the clouds.
On a clear, cold day, if you are very lucky and you happen to be in the right spot you can sometimes catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji. Of course it is very lucky if you do.
According to Japanese tradition, every business should have a Beckoning Cat to welcome in good fortune. Such a creature is especially welcome in the New Year. Here is a friendly cat, already to welcome in health and prosperity. Ink and collage. At the beginning of my 2013/2014 Japan Sketch book. It was much too cold to sketch outside at the time and part of the pleasure of any trip is the remembering afterwards.
Camellia studies on Japanese paper and a little pile of fabric scraps calling to be sewn into something .
Finally back in the studio after nearly three weeks away, 2 in Japan and 1 in San Francisco. So nice to be back. Easing into the old routine, some painted pebbles depicting Otafuku, the Japanese deity of Mirth and all thing female, and her companion, an old man. (The two are often depicted together) plus a couple of foxes. Foxes are traditionally messengers of the gods so they are considered to be very good for business. I do not speak from personal experience but am crossing my fingers here. Acrylic ink on small stones. Eventually, when the weather warms up I will spray them and use them for chop stick rests.
The lucky beckoning Cat-maneki Nekko waves welcome as we embark for Tokyo. (Image from a 2008 travel journal on Japan ).
Lancelot poses for a formal portrait, prior to the Deign Studio's departure for Japan
Still working with charcoal and chalk. Here is a snowy landscape based on a photo I took years ago in Hakone. I mistakenly thought it was Kamakura but Kyoko identified as Hakone beyond a doubt. Thank You, Kyoko. Steps leading upto a Shinto Shrine. Charcoal, white chalk and acrylic ink for a little definition.
Lancelot, Agile and Wilfred Wetnose are getting ready to celebrate Setsubun. This is one of their favorite annual rites. According to tradition, the head of the household dresses up as an "Oni" or demon and the rest of the family scares away bad luck by throwing beans at the demon while shouting "Oni wa soto, fuku wa ichi" - roughly translated as demons go away, good luck come into the house. One is then supposed to eat as many beans as one's age. (Naturally Agile pretends to much older than he is since Lancelot and co usually use jelly beans or m & ms.) In order to be fair and to ensure as much good fortune as possible the three friends take turns pretending to be the demon. Here we are privileged to see them getting ready for the great day, which is this Friday, February 3rd. Lancelot swears by this ritual and encourages everyone to perform similar rites.
