issa's cows

Haiku inspires many of my etegami. The poems of Matsuo Basho are favorites of mine. But he doesn't mention cows very much, and after my recent purple cow post, I was itching to draw more cows. You know who mentions cows time and time again? The haiku poet Kobayashi Issa. This fact was recently brought to my attention by @Cow Lady when she sent me this link. I took up the challenge and, although I didn't necessarily use the translations provided on that page, I tried my hand at illustrating some of Issa's cow haiku with etegami collages.




In my next post, I'll show you some etegami I did that were inspired by cow proverbs. heh heh. Can you tell I'm having fun?

illustration friday (acrobat)

Let's just say I was feeling silly. The cow was shot into space from a circus cannon (can you tell?). What started out as a traditional etegami turned into a collage that couldn't decide between being a purple-cow parody or a cow-jumped-over-the-moon parody.

illustration friday (proverb)

Early in 2010, I resolved to make etegami of at least 100 Japanese proverbs before the end of the year. So this week's IF topic was perfect for me. The one shown here is an etegami/chigiri-e hybrid. I painted the frog as I usually do, on a soft washi card in the traditional etegami manner. Then I cut it out and glued it to a sheet of handmade, hand-dyed washi (such as used in the art of chigiri-e), which in turn was glued to a sheet of paper made from various grasses. The proverb is an oft-quoted one that translates roughly to: A frog in a well cannot conceive of the ocean.

bursting chestnut

The awful, record-breaking hot and humid weather we've been suffering through has suddenly become fall-like. There isn't a whole lot of time for those of us in Hokkaido before the long winter comes 'round the corner, so I plan to wallow in the sights, sounds, smells, textures, and tastes of autumn while I can. Here's a chestnut for you. The words translate to "Under a Spreading Chestnut Tree," the first line in a popular Japanese children's song.

thunder and lightning

A few weeks ago, I received the happy news that a baby boy had been born to friends of mine in Canada. They are not Japanese, but they have a passion for Japan, and they chose to name their son Raiden, the Japanese word that can mean thunder and lightning, or used as another name for Raijin, the mythical creature that controls thunder and lightning. I don't know the story behind this name choice (it's actually his middle name), but I do know that it is evidence of their love of Japanese culture.

Well, I went and promised my friend that I would draw an etegami to celebrate his son's birth. Coming up with a design turned out to be more difficult than I had imagined. After dozens of problematic attempts, this is the etegami that I decided I would have to settle for. It represents Raiden/Raijin in the stormy clouds with the ring of drums that he hits to produce thunder-- Altogether too dark and stormy an image for a newborn baby boy. But he won't be a baby for ever. What I wish for him is that he will grow up to have the mental and physical strength of Raiden, and that like Raiden, he will serve a meaningful purpose on earth and for humankind.

illustration friday (dessert)

I was fantasizing about a galaxy where the planets and asteroids were pies of different types, and that led to the twist on the saying "pie in the sky," which is apparently a cynical way to refer to heavenly rewards (a cynicism I do not share).

video clip of summer etegami

I found this video clip of summer-themed etegami on YouTube posted by guu8211. I assume this person is also the artist, but the works themselves are signed with the mark for "se," which, according to etegami tradition, indicates that the artist's personal name probably begins with that syllable. (If I ever find out the full name, I'll let you know.) Since I want you all to be exposed to as many different etegami styles and personalities as possible, I've posted it here for you to enjoy: