The art form is Japanese Calligraphy (SHODOU in Japanese).It is practiced by all children in school in Japan. It is one of the Zen Arts like tea ceremony and flower arrangement. The artist who follows this path practices everyday. The mind is emptied of all thought and only the word that is being written is considered. I will be demonstrating the practice at the opening on February 28. People will also be able to sign up for an introductory class given at the library. I began my practice in the 1990’s with Aya Itagaki from Hokkaido, Japan. She was living at the time in Fairlee Vermont. I knew I wanted to study further, so when I moved to Yokohama, I continued my studies with another teacher, Kazuko Makino. Finally moving into the countryside of Japan, I found my final teacher, Ooba Sensei. He taught in the Chinese tradition of Toseu Calligraphy and gave me a deeper understanding of this art as an expression of spirit and not just form. He also stressed the origins of calligraphy as coming from stone carving, thus instilling great strength and movement in each written form.
CANCELED Artist demonstration Tuesday, March 6th, 6:00 PM