Plum Blossom Yukata

Plum Blossom Yukata

digital (made with paper, paper 53)

Copyright 2013 by A. Dameron

A yukata is a Japanese robe.

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2013

Japanese Gate at Sunset

Japanese Gate at Sunset  

Chinese Watercolors  

Copyright 2013 by A. Dameron

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2013

Gambatte! (Onward!)

Gambatte! (Onward!)

digital (Paper 53)

Copyright 2013 by A. Dameron

Cultural notes: Baseball is big in Japan. This fan is wearing his favorite T-Shirt of his favorite team, the Yomiuri (Tokyo) Giants. Think something like the New York Yankees or Manchester United. Their colors are white, orange and black. This fan is also wearing a hachimaki ("helmet-scarf"), a white or red headband/scarf with inspirational quotes on it (and the Japanese 'rising sun').

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2013

Japanese-Style Men's Robe

Japanese-style Men's Robe

Derwent Inktense Pencils, Pencils

copyright 2013 by A. Dameron

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2013

New poetry collection available as a PDF download!

"Snow Falling on Chimes", a collection of Japanese waka poetry is available as a PDF download from An Eight Shot of Espresso's new website!

http://8thshotespresso.yolasite.com/

It will be free from the site until January 1st. After that date, it will be $1.00 to download from Smashwords.

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2012

New Art: "The Mysterious Groundskeeper"

The Mysterious Groundskeeper

colored pencil, oil pencil

© 2012 by A. Dameron 

New Art: "Fujiko"

Fujiko

acrylic ink

© 2012 by A. Dameron 

New Post: "Kirin/Girin"

"Kirin/Girin"

acrylic ink

© 2012 by A. Dameron 

 

A kirin (girin in Korean hangul script) is a symbol of prosperity and serenity in East Asian mythology. The Japanese version here has another name "The Japanese Unicorn". It has the antlers of a deer, the scales of a dragon and the tail of a lion. 

New Art (creative process, WIP and final): "You Promised..."

You Promised...

pencil sketch

© 2012 by A. Dameron 

 

You Promised...(final)

acrylic ink, watercolor pencil

© 2012 by A. Dameron 

Here are two versions of the same piece. The first is the WIP pencil sketch. The gravestone is based on the Japanese haka (family gravestone). The second is the final drawing after line art and inking. I posted both to show the creative process involved in this one.

Ladies from Asian Myth #2: Yuki Onna

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Yuki Onna

colored pencil, metallic pencil, marker, prismacolor blender

© 2012 by A. Dameron 

 

Yuki Onna is a spirit in Japanese folklore. She appears as a woman wearing a white kimono on snowy nights. The stories vary: sometimes she is a vampire, draining the life force from men. Other times, she takes the lives of unlucky travelers who freeze to death in the cold. Still other times, she represents the silence of the winter. In any case, if you see her in the night, prepare yourself for a one-way journey to the hereafter.

Ladies from Asian Myth #2: Yuki Onna

Yuki Onna

colored pencil, metallic pencil, marker, prismacolor blender

© 2011 by A. Dameron 

 

Yuki Onna is a spirit in Japanese folklore. She appears as a woman wearing a white kimono on snowy nights. The stories vary: sometimes she is a vampire, draining the life force from men. Other times, she takes the lives of unlucky travelers who freeze to death in the cold. Still other times, she represents the silence of the winter. In any case, if you see her in the night, prepare yourself for a one-way journey to the hereafter.

New Art: Japanese House at Night

Japanese House at Night

oil pastel

© 2012 by A. Dameron 

Sketch: Geisha

Geisha

pencil

© 2011 by A. Dameron 

New Art: Ameiko

Ameiko

pencil, colored pencil, Sakura pen 0.6 and 0.3, chalk pastel, prismacolor blender

 © 2011 by A. Dameron

"Under the Sakura Tree" now available on Scribd. com

My collection of Japanese poetry (waka) titled, "Under the Sakura Tree" is now available on Scribd. com.

Here is the link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/64022274/Under-the-Sakura-Tree

This collection includes haiku (5-7-5 syllables), choka (a long poem with stanzas of alternative 5-7 syllables each, and the last stanza ends in 5-7-7) and tanka (5-7-5-7-7). Subjects range from nature to tea and chocolate, from the thoughts of cats and musings on the night. Many of the poems are accompanied by original artwork.

Stop and by and take a look! Thanks!

Annie

The Tao of Book Layouts...

I'm currently in the process of putting together my e-book of Japanese poetry, "Under the Sakura Tree". It includes several forms of waka, or Japanese verse. The most familiar is the haiku, with on of 5-7-5. On literally means 'sound parts', which in English is translated to 'syllables'. Other forms include:

choka ("long poems"), which consists of stanzas of lines of alternating 5-7 syllables. The three lines of the very last stanza are 5-7-7.

Tanka ("short poems") have the pattern 5-7-5-7-7.

Finally, sedoka ("memorized poems") are 5-7-7-5-7-7. 

Last week, I went through my paintings, sketches and drawings to find artwork that matched some of the poetry. The challenge was to find a way to balance the text with the illustrations. I could have easily stuck the pictures randomly, but that would have ruined the flow of the book. The Japanese (and other East Asian cultures) put high value on harmony, whether it be relations between people or a nature painting.

Years ago, I spent long hours drawing layouts on graph paper, as the staff of my high school yearbook raced to meet publishing deadlines. I remember counting tiny squares, drawing straight lines with rulers, and labeling the locations of text and pictures. Everything had to be precise; if we were off by just one square in any direction, it meant starting over with a new layout. Obviously this was before desktop publishing and pre-Internet. Yes, it was time-consuming and tedious as anything. I learned hard lessons during those long hours...you had to be exact in your measurements to place items just right. 

Technology makes that a thing of the past. An author can use templates to make an e-book, newsletter, or website in moments. Gone are the rulers, the graph paper, and the frustration. Yet convenience doesn't excuse a jumbled mess: if a book isn't formatted correctly and appears to be slapped together at the last minute, I'm not inclined to go past the first paragraph. Form follows function, and vice versa. Balance between text and illustration, or text and white space help the reader along the page. He or she can easily follow your plot (or logical progression of information) without getting lost and frustrated. It makes it more likely the reader will read to the last word.

So I'll look at the pieces of my puzzle and put them together:

 

I gaze over there

of a soul's worth of poems:

Now to weave them whole.

Preview: Cover of upcoming haiku poetry collection, " Under the Sakura Tree"

 

                                                                              

"Under the Sakura Tree"

acrylic

© 2011 by A. Dameron

 

Here is the cover to my upcoming haiku poetry collection, "Under the Sakura Tree". Sakura is the Japanese word for cherry blossom. The tree and its flowers represent hardiness, beauty and grace. Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry. Although there are many variations of it, one of the most common (and familiar to Westerners) is the three line, five-seven-five syllable form. Five syllable for the first line, seven for the second, and five for the third. 

Haiku is a form of waka (Japanese poetry).

Choka is a poem with 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the second, and alternates 5-7 until the last three lines, which are 5-7-7.

Tanka is another form of waka, with the pattern 5-7-5-7-7.

Targeted date of release:first week of September 2011.

 

Some Haiku (Poetry)

original work © 2011 by A. Dameron All rights reserved.

 

Look into crystal.

A perfect sphere, so you think---

The image is warped.

*****

The brush touches light

as it paints the world in hue.

Good and evil born.

*****

An ocean's secrets

covered by layers of tide.

The moon laughs gaily.

*****

The cat is sleeping.

Bang! The rumble of the storm!

It flees for safety!

*****

Words refuse to come.

The earth has lost its rhythm.

Tears roll down my cheeks.

*****

The future is held

in chests of crystalline stars---

too many to count.

*****

Watching and waiting,

the breath freezes in the lungs.

Nothing is wasted.

 

Trying something new this season...

I'm eager to try new things, artistically speaking. I have a calligraphy pen with four different nibs, watercolor paints, black and gold calligraphy ink. The set's been sitting idle for the past year, since last Christmas. Lately, I've been reviewing both my Chinese and Japanese grammar and realized my kanji, katakana, hiragana, and Zhongwen are awful, since I haven't been practicing lately. My writing in English is decent (for a left hander, anyway), but you still need a decoder to read it.

So I'm back to practicing my characters with pen and ink. Earlier this week, I found some bottles of colored ink at Hobby Lobby for 40% off and picked those up as well. My hands aren't up to fine detail work anymore, but I  think I can manage to do some ATCs (artist trading cards) and postcards with them.

Wish me luck and that my hands will cooperate in this new undertaking. :-D

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010

Kabuki, Japanese Theater (Part II)

Kabuki is another form of Japanese classical drama. Unlike Noh, which follows strict traditional rules handed down from generation to generation, kabuki tends to be lavish, loud and includes strange characters and plot lines. Instead of masks, the actors wear the white powder make-up and exaggerated black eye and lip-liners.The Japanese expression kabukimono describes people who dress oddly and act in obnoxious ways.

Productions tend to be elaborate, with scenery changes and costume changes in the middle of the action! Like the Noh stage, actors arrive and leave by a walkway (called the hanamichi or "flower bridge") that extends into the audience. The stage rotates for transition between scenes, and trap doors are built right into the floor for dramatic entrances and exits. Characters also "fly" in the air by wires set into the costumes (similar to the wire-work effects in today's martial arts films). All of these stage techniques and tricks are collectively called keren.


For more information about Kabuki, Noh and other forms of Japanese theater, A Guide to the Japanese Stage: From Traditional to Cutting Edge by Ronald Cavave, Paul Griffith, and Akahiko Senda is a good resource to start.

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010