Hi everyone, I hope you are enjoying the change of the seasons, the stunning autumn colours and the warm lantern at night. Today I am sharing the new dates for the online autumn term and coming up workshops till the end of the year. The workshop in-person in London will take place possibly in November, I am waiting for the confirmation of the room. I will keep you updated.
As you might’ve read, my Shodo book will be launched soon in the middle of October. I will write about it more detailed in my next post. So exciting! Yes, it is a beautiful book. You can read the teaser here and pre-order the book. Shodo book : https://www.shodocalligraphy.com/my-book.html
Here is the new date for the Autumn Course and workshops. You will learn the art of Shodo with me, based on the original mindfulness method. Very interactive and meditative.
○ Date : 04.Oct / 18.Oct / 08. Nov / 22.Nov / 06.Dec ○ Time : Tuesday, 19.00 – 20.30 (UK time/GMT) ○ Course : 5 sessions x 90min ○ Fee : £170 / €170 / $200 ○ The course includes:・Template / Mindfulness-based basic brush movements ・Template /Two foundational brush strokes (side brushing + direct brushing) + other original exercises ・5 Shodo template every session and – extra home works on request. ・Correction and feedback ・Access to the recording *more info, check the link :
I hope you are well and – you’ve all had a wonderful year (despite the pandemic).
This year, I’ve just made a Christmas-tree design with Japanese Katakana! Yes, it goes horizontally from left to right. (Last year it was in vertical) I’d like to share with you, – some of my Christmas archives from the past years!
Merry Christmas in Katakana 2021
Merry Christmas in Katakana 2020
I’ve been working on my new Shodo book in the past weeks which will be published next year! So exciting! It is not easy to transform all my mindfulness method and detailed structures into neat words and illustrations, but I think I am getting closer to the core elements which I would like to share with learners…. I will keep you updated!
For your info, I am hosting the Kakizome, the New Year’s Calligraphy event again in the new year. (Online event / Sunday, 02.January 2022). You can already check it out and save your place via the link. It is donation based event. I’d be very happy to see you at the Kakizome and celebrate the new year of the Tiger / Tora together! https://www.shodocalligraphy.com/kakizome-calligraphy.html
For now, – I hope you will have fun looking at these archive Christmas images below and inspire you to have a joyful pleasant Christmas time & holiday weeks! Thank you very much for your support, compassion and inspiration. Arigato.
Hi everyone, I hope you are enjoying the Autumn colours (or Spring colours if you are in Southern hemisphere).
I would like to share the good news, my Shodo book is released this week! – now available to purchase at all good book retailers and your local online stores worldwide. Check out your local book shops and see my book page below!
“Shodo” 〜The practice of mindfulness through the ancient art of Japanese calligraphy 〜 by Rie Takeda
I hope this will become a musst-have-guide book for all calligraphy learners and people who are interested in art, illustrations, culture, mindfulness, meditation, body-mind connection…
Looking forward to seeing your feedback & calligraphy works in the stories and posts. Don’t forget tag me or mention, so I can see then live.
Lastly, an update for London / UK based learners and interested, I give special Shodo session in London at The Art Workers’ Guild in Russel Square, (6 Queens Square, London WC1N 3AT) on Friday, 04. November, 2022. It would be only two attendees max three each session. Check out more details and book your place as soon as possible :: https://www.shodocalligraphy.com/london-session.html
Hi everyone, I hope you are healthy and had a good start of the year! Are we ready for the Lunar New Year on the 1st. February?! Are your tigers ready for 2022? Or – Already up and flowing?
I had a wonderful New Year’s Calligraphy Kakizome event on the 2nd January. Thank you very much for joining me and celebrating together! It was such a great fun! Arigato.
If you missed the Kakizome event, no worries! I share with you some videos I created, so you can practise at home at the Luna New Year!
Tiger in Sosho, cursive style
Tinger in Gyosho, semi cursive style
Like every new year, I’ve made a new year’s card with a zodiac symbolism. The tiger palm is designed with Enso movements, Ten/Point and Hane/Jumping techniques. You see the Hiragana calligraphy TORA とら on the right hand side.
You can also see how it was done in the video below.
Finally – I have also completed the online new workshop + course plans for 2022.
The first workshop for brush-up is on Sunday, 06. February with the theme ‘Celebration 祝賀 Shukuga’ celebrating the Luna New Year arrival. We are going to practise two calligraphy styles, in Kaisho and Gyosho. It would be very inspiring and mindful! I love the combination of these two Kanji characters, very dynamic and elegant.
Some of you have already signed up for coming spring term. We are going to restart from the 8th February. There are still some space left, you can send me a sign up form. Here is more Info: https://www.shodocalligraphy.com/shodo-online-course.html
This year there will be limited 5 workshops for beginners. It is online-interactive program. It is now on Saturday afternoon in Europe. So I hope it works good for everyone all over the globe. If you are interested, hurry up and book your place. Book https://www.shodocalligraphy.com/shodo-online-workshop-for-beginners.html
Saturday, 15.00 -18.00 (GMT/UK time)
12. February
02. April
04. June
24. September
19. November
I’ve been working on my new Shodo book since October, trying to represent my mindfulness method and techniques in a different format. It is not easy but I think it is absolutely worth putting effort! It will be published sometime in September-October, first in English and the other languages! Will keep you informed! Apart from that, there will be two exhibitions and some very interesting projects and collaborations coming up this year. I am so pleased to plan the exhibitions again and work with other artists and musicians soon – No art no life!
Before I say ‘enjoy the Lunar New Year’, I would like to share the poem by Thich Nhat Hanh who taught me about Mindfulness’ and has just passed away on 22nd January. I did a brush stroke below just after I read this poem.
“Oneness by Thich Nhat Hanh”
The moment I die,
I will try to come back to you
as quickly as possible.
I promise it will not take long.
Isn’t it true
I am already with you,
as I die each moment?
I come back to you
in every moment.
Just look,
Feel my presence.
If you want to cry,
please cry.
And know
That I will cry with you.
The tears you shed
will heal us both.
Your tears are mine.
transcends history.
Spring and Winter are both present in the moment.
The young leaf and the dead leaf are really one.
My feet touch deathlessness,
and my feet are yours.
Walk with me now.
Let us enter the dimension of oneness
And see the cherry tree blossom in Winter.
Why should we talk about death?
I don’t need to die
to be back with you.
In Call Me by My True Names by Thich Nhat Hanh (1993)
I hope you are well and enjoying the spring breeze.
– Have you already seen your first cherry blossom of the year ?!
In March I’ve given a Shodo workshop with the theme word YOZAKURA 夜桜 – Cherry blossom at night. We’ve practised YOZAKURA in two styles – Kaisho (block) and Gyosho (semi-cursive). I was very impressed by the mindfulness process of all participants.
Sakura cherry blossoms are without a doubt the most loved flowers in Japan.
As many know, cherry blossoms have a very short life in high spring time like in March and April.
As Sakuras are in full colour full bloom, might stay for a week or two – however a strong spring wind can instantly blow all blossoms away within a moment.
One night, Sakura is presenting its height of beauty, the next morning the pinky blossom could be all gone. One could absolutely never tell how long the breathtaking Sakura reminds in a full bloom.
Therefore the Japanese see and reflect the impermanent beauty as their own life circle.
And they see the whole transformation of Sakura as beauty – even it is withered just like their life-circle. That’s why they gather and celebrate the arrival and the momentum beauty of the spring under the Sakura trees, called HANAMI Sakura viewing. Capturing the momentum of beauty and appreciating the present moment.
Thus Sakura also strongly presents the Ukiyo ’floating world’ as well as the Wabi-Sabi philosophy, the quintessential Japanese aesthetic which is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent and incomplete.
In my sessions/workshops, I encourage my students to envisage the feel of these Sakura elements specially the Wabi-Sabi aspect – so impermanent and sentiment and to bring the input into the movement as they do the Seisho at the end. (Seisho is the calligraphy with clear mind done at the final stage of Shodo practice)
Hi everyone, I hope you are all fit and inspired. I’ve planned five online-live-workshops with a different theme this year in addition to the beginner’s workshop. The next one is on Sunday the 21st. February. The theme is called KINTSUGI.
ABOUT KINTSUGI “Golden Trace” It’s a gilded new beginning. “Kintsugi 金継ぎ” comes from Japan and means “golden repair”. It is also called Kintsukuroi (金繕い), literally Kin is gold and Tsugi is repair or joinery. When a precious bowl, plate or vase falls and breaks into pieces, it is put back together. Not without visible cracks, that would be impossible. Every break is unique and instead of repairing the broken bowl like new, the 400-year-old technique actually highlights the break -“scars” as a part of the design. The break surfaces are not only patched up with special lacquer varnish, but also with gold dust. The breaks look particularly precious, the whole ceramic piece is new and different, it shines even. Every restored part shows: I am broken in different places. I’ve survived a lot. It took time and effort to become whole again, to be able to be filled again. But that’s exactly what makes me unique. We could see the Kintsugi as a metaphor for healing ourselves and it teaches us an important lesson: Sometimes in the process of repairing things that have broken, we actually create something more unique, beautiful, resilient and more valuable. This is the transformative repair. Kintsugi – it can encourage us to start a new search – for golden traces.
Kintsugi white satsuma ware Edo 17th century
SHODO Workshop for all level : Live and interactive Connect your body and mind, experience your inner calmness
○Time : Sunday 15.00-17.00 (UTC+0/UK time) with a tea break ○Fee : £38 / € 38 / $43 ○Platform : Live Zoom / Interactive workshop ○Number of participants : limited only / Max.7 ○This workshop includes : ・My original Shodo Templates -mindfulness-based basic brush movements -themed exercise template in two styles ( Kaisho/block and Gyosho/semi-cursive) ・Correction and feedback ・Individual name and stamp templates ・Access to the recording ・Access to the limited videos ○You can see the package example below⬇️ ○Utensils & materials : you will get the list with info and the video links prior to the session, please prepare the basics by yourself. *The basics are : a brush, ink stone (preferably natural stone), ink stick, ink liquid, paper. You can see the image below.⬇️ ○I’ll be showing and teaching with my tree-camera-set up. 1st screen for the body posture and communication/ 2nd screen for the over head / whole composition / 3rd camera for the close-up/ detailed brush movement ○Check your time zone here : What time is it in my zone ○After attending the beginner’s workshop, you could move on to themed workshops or continuous course. ▶︎BOOK FROM THE LINK: https://www.shodocalligraphy.com/shodo-online-live-themed-workshop.html
Further dates in 2021 ; Themed Workshops Sunday : 15.00 -17.00 (GMT/UK time) We learn and practise the themed word in two calligraphy styles ( sometimes three styles) 21. February / KINTSUGI 金継ぎ: Golden repair 14. March / YOZAKURA 夜桜: Night Cherry Blossom 02. May / SHICHI-TEN-HA-KKI 七転八起 : Seven tumbles, eight stand ups 13. June / IKIGAI 生き甲斐 : The sparks of life 11. July / BOKUGYU 牧牛: The taming of the ox (zen) Summer break
MORE INFO, PLEASE VISIT THE SHODO SITE ttps://www.shodocalligraphy.com/shodo-online-live-themed-workshop.html
Happy New Year of the Ox 2021! I hope you all had a relaxing holiday!
Ox in Gyosho
My year has started with the Kakizome event on the 2nd. Jan. Thank you to everyone who attended the event. It was great fun! And I was very happy to see you all and share the Kakizome experience together.
A few days later, I did the ‘Kakizome on snow’ with my daughter! I share some snaps with you too! ARIGATO.
ABOUT KAKIZOME The New Year’s Calligraphy called “Kakizome 書き初め” in Japanese. It is translated to the first calligraphy of the year, literally means ‘first writing’. That’s when the new zodiac character, one year’s aspirations, auspicious words in Kanji characters and the individual wishes, resolutions, theme for the new year are Calligraphy-ied at the beginning of the year on the 2nd of January. KAKI 書き: writing, to write ZOIME初め: first, to start, the beginning
Origin of Kakizome The original “Kakizome” was celebrated as a court event since the Heian period. (794-1185) It was then called „Kisshohajime吉書始め“ which literally means first auspicious writing. The process of ceremony began from creating dissolving Sumi ink with using the WAKAMIZU 若水 the first sacred water drawn from the well in the morning on the first day of the year. Then the celebrations and poems were written facing a fortune direction of the year (where the god of that year was supposed to be). This custom kept alive for the next several hundred years and it widely spread and became popular among common people in the Edo period after the temple school houses (寺小屋)were established. In the Meiji period, the Kakizome was introduced also in schools. The process of Kakizome has changed and a different way was adapted from the one at the court in the Heian era.
Ox in Kaisho
Purpose of Kakizome custom Traditionally there are three points why Kakizome was celebrated.
1.Transforming one’s wishes, goals, aspirations into hand-written words
and intending to achieve these aspirations by calligraphy-ing on paper at the beginning of the year.
2.Showing the gratefulness and joy
3.Dedicating the calligraphy to the gods so one’s calligraphy skill could be improved
The Kakizome calligraphy works are burned at the ‘Dondo-Yaki’ festival, which is a traditional event in Japan held around January 15th. People build a tower with green bamboo, cedar, straw and reeds in an open area such as the grounds of a temple, a riverbed, rice field or other crop field and burn New Year decorations and Kakizome. It is believed that your handwriting skill will improve and you will grow wiser if your Kakizome burns and soars up high into the sky. The higher the paper soot soars up, the better the calligraphy skills become. No worries, you don’t have to burn the calligraphy piece!
The Japanese are vigilant about “firsts“at the beginning of the New Year. There are lots of “firsts”. The first sunrise (hatsuhinode), the first visit to the shrine or temple (hatsumoude), and the first dream (hatsuyume), are among the essential “firsts” in Japan.
In addition to Kakizome celebration, I also tend to welcome a new brush and a new Sumi stick at the new year, a day before the Kakizome day on the 2nd January or on the Kakizome day. The first one is called Fudeoroshi: first use of a new brush and the latter is Sumioroshi : first use of a new Sumi. I love doing those ceremonial input often at midnight or early morning on the first day of the year. It is such a precious moment – very meditating and mindful.
Picture of the Fudeoroshi from this yearPicture of the Fudeoroshi, soaking the hair parts in the water
Like every year this year could be more than the previous year – I’ve enjoyed the absolute quietness on the first day and I’ve mindfully welcomed my brush, Sumi ink and the year of the ox. Hoping that I will be beautifully able to tame them throughout the year.
Thank you for reading. Have a good start of the year.
Happy Practice!
Rie
*Here I share some video links with you. You can see the Ox in different styles below.
I hope you are all well and fit – enjoying the holidays right now. – I’d like to thank you for your support, compassion and inspiration. THANK YOU! It’s been a challenging intense year for all and also for me as a freelance artist/calligrapher. I am very glad that I managed to finalize my SHODO-Online program this summer and I’ve been developing the context and the structure as an ongoing project. As the way of my mindfulness based method is quite unique, it needed a long time and much effort – but I will keep working at IT, and making IT more interactive and effective. Here is my little Christmas greeting video for you! See the youtube channel link below.
And- still – I am happy to be here and now – again.
I wish you all … HAPPY CHRISTMAS!
+
Happy Practice! Rie
If you are interested in Kakizome, the new years’s calligraphy event on the 2nd January 2021(15.00 GMT /UK time), you are more than welcome to join in. More details, please have a look at the link below. https://www.shodocalligraphy.com/kakizome-calligraphy.html
Hi everyone! I hope you are well and inspired. As you might’ve seen I’ve been very busy with online events and creating new works during the summer time. Finally I am happy to inform you about the new autumn course for beginners. It is one of my new Shodo-Online programs.
Online-Live : Autumn course for beginners :
○Date : 13.Oct / 27.Oct / 10.Nov / 24.Nov / 08.Dec ○Time : Tuesday 19.00-20.30 (UK time/GMT) ○Course : 5 Sessions x 90 min ○Fee : £170 / $200 (or £35 / $42 per session) ○Inclusive original PDF Templates / Texts / correction / individual name and stamp templates / access to the video recording (1 week)/ access to the limited videos *Utensils & materials : you will get the list and info video link prior to the session, please prepare the basics by yourself.
☑️To book, please visit my Shodo website and proceed the payment and you will receive the confirmation, additional info, link and the file.
Hello – Konnichiwa everyone,
Today I’d like to share one of the essential concept, called ‘MA’.
[間]ま、あいだ、カン、ケン : Ma, Aida, Kan, Ken : Pause, while, time, interval, stillness, space, chamber, room, leisure, chance, entr’acte
And ‘Ma’ in three calligraphy styles here↓
Sosho⬅️Gyosho⬅️Kaisho
About 「MA」: important concept of Japanese art and culture – the inner pause, the fulfilling emptiness, the bonding silence. 「MA 」between/with time, space, humans, body, mind, soul…
In the last months, I’ve been additionally re-filtering and questioning lots more about the MA– between/with materials, nature, economy, spirit..
Have you done the Zodiac calligraphy yet?!
Or
Are you already moving on to a spring text?!
Here I’d like to post some fantastic zodiac calligraphy works from my students – (both private sessions and workshops in January)
As you might’ve seen 2020 is the year of the rat, started from the 25th.January.
The first calligraphy of the year : KAKIZOME was 子、鼠 / Rat in zodiac and pictographic Kanji accompanied with 世界平和 / World Peace.
Technically we focused on basics and clear transparent lines.
Another focus I really wanted my students to concentrate on was the deep inner input of mindfulness while we did the text 世界平和 / World Peace.
All practised so beautifully….
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If you are no more beginner, you could practise Sanshotai 鼠.
When you do, please practice these three styles always in a loop circle from the right hand side: Sosho←Gyosho←Kaisho
This is the practice which has a light systematic flow so we can learn not only the different brush movement from Kaisho to Sosho but also the different energy evaluation quite effectively.
Thank you for coming to the last Shodo workshop of the year in Basel(CH) /Bad Saeckingen (DE) area.
Our Shodo text was ;
“EIYA 永夜 “means long nights symbolizing the winter nights.
It can be read “nagai yoru”
•EI : 永 / eternity
•YA : 夜 / night(s)
”永“ is an extremely important Kanji character because it includes eight basic yet fundamental brush strokes for Kaisho/Block style – it called eight rules (八法)
Even if you are already intermediate level or advanced level practicing Gyosho style, winter season is a good time to reflect and review the basic strokes and techniques. You will see that each brush movement would become clearer and more developed after a few practices.
Here I put two images ; extra information about Kanjj science and background if you are interested.
Over the last 20+ years, through my exhibitions, events, art projects, courses and workshops, I’ve met so many interesting mindful people in Europe and also Japan.
My pages and SNS have connected me with people all over the world.I’m so grateful to have both sides of artistic skills. Thanks to my two passions – calligraphy and painting. Without them I would not have discovered my own style of art form Neo-Japonism, nor created the unique Painted Poem series.
The poem shown here is a total inspiration-circle of calligraphy/ brush movements synchronised with our ways of life.
A restless journey A non-stop Kotobuki-life Flow to fly Turn to sink Pull to sweep – and stop – Circle around to the above and swim up Long and slow – we are going up again
KOTOBUKI 2010 LIMITED EDITION is available at the moment at the Sway Gallery, London till 18th March
School of SHODO 