しゅう 字 （calligraphy)

I have been taking calligraphy lessons here in Japan for about 6 months now. I go every Friday night (or almost every Friday) for anywhere between one and two hours. (The class is from 7-9 and you can come and go for any amount of time between there). I find calligraphy to be relaxing and so enjoyable that I am usually there for the whole two hours!

About 3 weeks ago I received an email from one of my teachers who had set up this calligraphy class for me. My calligraphy teacher contacted her to inform me of an art showing in the area this summer. All types of art will be included-photography, calligraphy paints and sculptures-and my teacher wanted me to enter a calligraphy piece.

2 weeks ago at class I learned about my entry. It was 2 kanji that together means "moving lively." They are very pretty together. I will be doing a style of calligraphy that is more flow-y looking...almost messy (but that isn't the right way to say it). I practiced the proper stroke order and movement to learn the kanji. I failed more than usual (they are really hard kanji!) but eventually mostly to them down.

Last week at calligraphy class I learned my entry will be on a piece of paper that is 180 cm long (to give you an idea-I am 172 cm tall!). It is HUGE! The brush I am using is about as thick around as a softball and the bristles are kind of floppy. It was really hard to control and I would splatter ink everywhere. I was told that this was ok...it is part of the look of the piece.

I would spread the paper down and walk down the paper as I wrote.

I used a small bucket with watered down ink.

My feet were BLACK when I was done!!!
(a totally finished piece-not the best one but pretty good!)

The little kanji on the left side are my name kanji. My name in Japanese is ko-rin
My name kanji is:
子鈴
こ＝子 (meaning little)
りん＝鈴 (meaning bell)