Long Time Expat In Japan
A little over 2 years back I started shodo with my daughter. On the surface, it was all about helping her get over a slump at school. She had gotten a bad test grade in kanji, and she needed a boost. Or maybe it was about making it fun, or maybe she could teach her … Continue reading Testing Shodo
It's been a long time since I've leveled up in shodo. I've been plodding along for months now. One or two times, I was at the bottom of the pile even. You see, they rank your submissions. The better you write, the further to the right they put your name. And when they think you're … Continue reading Long Time No See – Level Up!
So what does summertime fun have to do with floating melons and submerged plums, you might be wondering. Well, I'm glad you asked. Another four character idiom for shodo this month. See the bit of kanji below (yes, my brush was a little too soaked with ink, but it was the best of the bunch): … Continue reading End of Summer Fun
Last week I started to carve my own hanko. My Sensei found me a stone. Don't know what kind. But one thing I can tell you is that it is very soft. You can smooth it down with sandpaper. Which is how I flattened it out to prep the surface. First with rough sandpaper. Then … Continue reading Making a Hanko
When I made the official application to be a calligraphy student, which means actually gaining ranks, I had to pick a name. My name in Japanese is usually written in katakana - most borrowed words and foreign words are. I thought I was just signing my name, but Sensei told me, If you're going to … Continue reading Pen Name
I started to learn Japanese calligraphy 2 months ago. My youngest was struggling a little bit in school; 2nd grade Kanji starts to get a little complicated and they need to learn a hundred or so. I thought it would be good to go with her, get some Dad-Daughter time and learn a thing or … Continue reading Learning Japanese Calligraphy
B.S. Donovan 