I worked on the drawing I had posted yesterday. By now, I have good stock of various textures I made and photographed myself. Using appropriate textures and adding colors, both of which I usually enhance or change the hue, I finished the painting. Now I have something to give as a gift to those who will be blessed with a baby.

This is a line drawing for my next painting. I drew several times to get what I want, and when I did, I traced it with semi ink and brush on wash paper. The theme of the drawing is "fertility". I used the spiral of the fern, and the way it unfurls to symbolize the birth, which I think, is the blessing of something great in the universe, or as some say of god. Since I am a priest, I would like to side with the idea of god blessing the birth.

If you take a close look, there are two suns, but actually they are sun and moon. The process of fertility takes place days and nights.

As in the previous drawings, I will work on it with computer, adding colors and texture. At this point I only have a vague idea of how it will look like.

The painting is done now. I let it sit overnight, and saw it with a fresh pair eyes today, and made a little adjustments. I also came up with haiku inspired by this painting.

How jolly! -
walking up and down
a flower filled hilly path
花の山登り下りの気楽さよ

I wrote it in the hope that life's ups and downs could be like a walk among the flowers.

This drawing is based on my impression of sakura flowers at Mt. Yoshino, Nara, Jp, where the mountains are covered with thousands of blossoming sakura trees.

When I have the finished drawing, I trace it on washi(rice paper) paper with sumi brush and ink. I use washi because I like its texture. In the drawing, there are bleeding and blotting here and there, but I do not mind.

I then photograph the ink drawing and import the data to computer, and with Photoshop, add various textures and colors to make a painting. I only have vague idea of the finished look at this stage. I will find it along the way.



Here the drawing is on the computer monitor. Now the fun part of making a painting begins.

I am working on a drawing for my next painting. I usually finish painting on computer, but prior to that, I do drawings with pencil a lot.

Drawing is the process of organizing the idea and coming up with something you are looking for. In the process, you come to a point where you feel like "OK, I've got it".

This photo haiku might be too literal, but is good to illustrate what I just wrote.
I put an eraser and a pencil (erasing and drawing), a white round polished stone (symbolizing "it"). And the round dish( symbolizing the wholeness).

   Haiku is a very short form of poetry. Yet, it conveys a lot, thanks to techniques developed over the years. One technique is the season words, and another is juxtaposition ("cutting" included).
   As an painter, I find that the latter is most important, for the invisible poetic content that emerges from the visible elements on canvas is the heart of painting. A painting with this poetic content is what makes the artwork strong and everlasting. I think the same could be said for other forms of visual art, and possibly to music, literature, and what not.

I had a piece of cardboard that I was about to throw away. But before I did, I played with it a bit, and I kind of liked what I made so this paper sculpture is sitting by my desk, away from dustbin. Such is how a haijin makes artworks.

Three orders printed out and framed. Ready to ship

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Here is a link to the previous blog:

http://seehaikuhere.blogspot.com/