守破離 "Shu-ha-ri" describes the 3-stage process of learning a skill or discipline. This 3-character idiom was originally a martial arts concept, but can apply to pretty much any discipline. The 3 stages are as follows: Stage 1: 守 = follow This is the beginning stage, when the student is learning the techniques. This stage isContinue reading "守破離 (shu-ha-ri) “Follow the rule, break the rule, be the rule!”"
茶 (cha) “tea”
As in my home country of the UK, tea is an important part of Japanese culture and everyday life. The Japanese tea master Sen no Rikyū developed the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, elevating the tea-drinking and the tea room to a philosophy and an art form: "The simplest object, framed by the controlled simplicity ofContinue reading "茶 (cha) “tea”"
まこ “Mako”
I was very honoured to receive a commission to create this artwork. "Mako" is the name of the client's beloved cat, named after the Japanese actor Makoto Iwamatsu.
夏雲奇峰 (natsu-gumo-ki-hou) “Summer clouds shaped like strange mountains”
Some seasonal calligraphy specially for summertime! The kanji are: 夏 = summer 雲 = cloud(s) 奇 = strange 峰 = peak It references the white fluffy clouds of summer which take many different shapes, including strange mountains! This phrase is a special kind of Japaneses idiom known as a 四字熟語 (よじじゅくご、yo-ji-juku-go), or 4-character idiom. AsContinue reading "夏雲奇峰 (natsu-gumo-ki-hou) “Summer clouds shaped like strange mountains”"
星 (hoshi) “star”
Early July is the time of Tanabata, known as the "Star Festival" in English. It celebrates the annual meeting of the stars Vega and Altair. According to East Asian folklore, these stars are separated lovers who are permitted by the gods to meet only once a year.
七夕 (Tanabata) The Japanese star festival
Often translated into English as the "Star Festival", Tanabata celebrates the annual meeting of the stars Vega and Altair, believed to be separated lovers who are permitted by the gods to meet only once a year, in early July. People celebrate this festival by writing wishes on small coloured pieces of paper and tying themContinue reading "七夕 (Tanabata) The Japanese star festival"
偶然 (gū-zen) “coincidence”
A calligraphy commission for a friend who very much believes in fate. Is there a certain word or phrase that you would like to see as a Japanese calligraphy work? If so, feel free to contact me to discuss commissioning a unique work for you, with absolutely no obligation to place an order. Check out myContinue reading "偶然 (gū-zen) “coincidence”"
文月 (fumizuki) “July” (archaic)
Like many countries, Japan uses a 12-month calendar. The names are very simple. January is literally "Month One", February is "Month Two", etc: 一月 = January 二月 = February However, before the Meiji Restoration (mid-1800s) it was common to use an older 12-month system. These months’ names referenced the weather and the seasons (similar toContinue reading "文月 (fumizuki) “July” (archaic)"
あおいうみ、さかなつり (aoi umi, sakana tsuri) “blue sea, catching fish”
Usually I write Japanese calligraphy in kanji, a logographic script in which each complex character has a meaning. The above characters are hiragana, another Japanese script. Hiragana is a syllabary - each character represents a sound, but has no meaning by itself. Kanji was invented in China, but hiragana is a purely Japanese invention. HiraganaContinue reading "あおいうみ、さかなつり (aoi umi, sakana tsuri) “blue sea, catching fish”"
Some more calligraphy practice
Although Japanese calligraphy is usually written in black ink, calligraphy teachers traditionally use an orange-red colour ink when marking their students’ work. The photo is my work from about 8 years ago. The black is my writing and the orange-red is my teacher’s corrections. Circles mean I did a good job 🙂
Calligraphy by Vicky 