Hanko stamps are personal name seals that Japan uses for signatures. Japanese citizens register their name seals with the government and use it to sign official documents such as bank accounts, buying a car, or receiving a letter. While name seals are part of everyday living in Japan, I’m going to discuss the use of name seals in the context of calligraphy from an artist point … [Read more...] about Hanko Stamps and Name Seals
Shodo
Shodo is a way to transmit and expose our inner spirit through brush and ink.
Should you sell your art on Etsy?
The Business of Art Part 2: Should you sell your art on Etsy? In my dream world, my studio is located next to my Aikido Dojo. The walls are filled with shikishi boards and hanging scrolls up for sale. Students sit around a big rectangle table as they practice their calligraphies of the week. Adjacent to the table is a rug covered with felt to brush Zen style calligraphies on … [Read more...] about Should you sell your art on Etsy?
The Business of Art
Part 1: There is no money in art The guy crushed my dreams of being a filmmaker. He was a recruiter from the Hospitality and Tourism College in San Juan. I met him in high school at a career day when I attended his session while accompanying a friend of mine who was interested in tourism. He spoke about hotels, tourism, and being a chef. Professional cooking caught my … [Read more...] about The Business of Art
Shodo is Zen. Zen is Shodo
Zen Calligraphy is my favorite style of Shodo. Although I firmly believe that learning the fundamentals of calligraphy is necessary to brush good art, I also enjoy the emphasis Zen training puts in developing bokki (ki of the ink or the manifestation of kiai in the ink) through breath and posture. This style of calligraphy does not emphasize the academic grounds of penmanship. … [Read more...] about Shodo is Zen. Zen is Shodo
Connection through body movement
Tai Sabaki is a Japanese term used in martial arts commonly translated as “body movement.” If we look at the Kanji, the first one, TAI 体 means “body,” and the second SABA(KI) 捌き means “to handle, to deal with.” Therefore, Tai Sabaki can also mean “body management, or body control.” During training, we learn techniques by breaking them down into steps. Step one: step forward, … [Read more...] about Connection through body movement