And just like that, it was over.
Thank you, friends and family, for following me to Japan. I can't believe my good fortune in having the opportunity to visit my spirit country two years in a row. The love I have for this place and these artists is deep and true. This adventure has enriched my life, fed my soul with extraordinary memories and given me a new sense of perception. I have seen great art, made life-long friendships and lived outside of my comfort zone.
Many have asked, "will you go back?" My answer will always be "yes".
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| Exhibition time! This is my piece, Ukiyo, which literally means 'floating world'. It was inspired by the concept of living in the moment. It is made with 31 small mixed media pieces of various sizes and shapes. |
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| My studio floor just before installing at the exhibition space aka The Brewery. |
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| Edmundo and one of his ink drawings. Dodo's work concerns themes of war and death. |
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| Yasmin with her hemp and clay sculptures. All of her work is made from organic and sustainable materials. |
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| Art work created by various artists from all around Japan. |
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| Gabi with her installation. Her work addresses movement through physical space and how we navigate in a constantly changing world. |
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| Margaret's installation, "The Burning Place". Margaret recently survived a deathly illness. She took selfies everyday while in the hospital to note her physical, emotional and mental changes. She then burned all of the photos as a symbol of the death of her former self. We all wore black at her 'funeral'. Here you can see the filming of the burning and the leftover ashes. We then celebrated with a full moon ceremony for her re-birth. |
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| Chika's organic drawings and paintings in the tea room. |
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| Berenika with one of her 'moon' paintings. Bee has been inspired by the Nihonga paintings of Japan. |
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| The Japanese custom of gift giving, 'tsumaranai mono desu ga', is the subject of Michael's conceptual piece. He placed postcards in 50 handmade wooden boxes, wrapped them in furoshiki wrapping cloth and set them on a table for gallery visitors to take. |
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| Detail of "Ukiyo" |
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| Painting of "Kinuya", by Natsuka Endo. Natsuka does not paint with brushes; hands only. Love to you, Edmundo, Michael, Berenika, Gabi, Margaret and Yasmin. See you again someday!!!!  |
Ring of Fire
Johnny Cash
Love is a burnin' thing
And it makes a fiery ring
Bound by wild desire
I fell into a ring of fire
I fell into a burnin' ring of fire
I went down, down, down
And the flames went higher
And it burns, burns, burns
The ring of fire, the ring of fire
I fell into a burnin' ring of fire
I went down, down, down
And the flames went higher
And it burns, burns, burns
The ring of fire, the ring of fire
The taste of love is sweet
When hearts like ours meet
I fell for you like a child
Oh, but the fire went wild
I fell into a burnin' ring of fire
I went down, down, down
And the flames went higher
And it burns, burns, burns
The ring of fire, the ring of fire
