Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Aikido Scroll to the Northeast


This is an Aikido Scroll that went to the Northeast of the US. You can tell a slight difference in the second character. This is the older form of Ki, which the customer selected. This is also in a 3 step style, or Sandan Hyougu style. The simple framed picture of Osensei, Morihei Ueshiba completes a beautiful display.

If you would like a custom scroll made that frames a picture, print, or canvas painting please contact to Jonathan Maples at sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com

Monday, November 21, 2016

Aikido Wallscroll or Kakejiku

I have not posted many scrolls recently done for customers because I have been remodeling a house for a move from August until Mid October. Here are some scrolls that I did for some different Aikido practitioners.


This Maru Hyougu scroll provides a great backdrop for the meditation area.

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Oxen Rider Sumie Wallscroll

This scroll is for sale. It is painted by artist Mariusz Szmerdt of Poland.

It is about 3.5 feet long by 1.2 feet wide.

For price inquiries please contact to sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com

Monday, May 16, 2016

Artist Prints in Scroll

An artist from back East had an exhibition and had me make a scroll for her prints. It is two prints in one scroll, with the prints being an Alice in Wonderland theme, mixed with Japanese Kanji.


Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Bonsai Display Scroll Spring Poem

This is a Japanese poem that reads 梅華新発, which could be read Baika Ochita ni Hiraku. The essence of the meaning of the poem is the Plum and grasses that become, makes old things become renewed. I made this scroll small intentionally due to the backdrop available for the bonsai display.

The color scheme was kept intentionally as a green, to reinforce the renewal of color that occurs during this season. Although the scroll was made in a Maru Hyougu style, I made the Hashira (side pillars) was made thin to mimick the rinpo hyougu style. The ichimonji is a large, gold arabesque on a green background. The kireji (main cloth) is a light green with a silver and gold wave pattern. The hanging string is a darker green (uguisu), and the jikusaki is a Shitan Nuri (Rosewood Stain) wood.

The writing is in the sousho, full cursive style, and was written by Yoshimi "Ryugyoku" Yamada. Dimensions of the scroll listed below.

    Name in English Size in Bun Size in Inches
Ten 85 10.14
上一文字 Ue Ichimonji 11 1.31
紙本の幅さ Artwork Width 38 4.53
紙本の長さ Artwork Length 107 12.76
Pillars 3 0.36
下一文字 Shita Ichimonji 7 0.84
Chi 45 5.37
掛け軸の幅さ Scroll Width 44 5.25
掛け軸の長さ Scroll Length 255 30.42

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Ichinen Sanzen Scroll

This scroll is for sale at $150.00 (Shipping Included). To purchase this scroll contact to sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com It is a phrase in Japanese Buddhism which is described in the following link as http://www.sgi.org/about-us/buddhism-in-daily-life/three-thousand-realms-in-a-single-moment-of-life.html,
The renowned sixth-century Buddhist scholar T'ien-t'ai (538-97) developed a meditative practice to enable people to perceive the boundless extent of their lives at each moment. He also developed a theoretical system to describe this reality. He called this "three thousand realms in a single moment of life" (Jpn. ichinen sanzen).Ichinen sanzen demonstrates that the entire phenomenal world exists in a single moment of life.
The number three thousand is arrived at through the following calculation: 10 worlds or potential conditions of life, which are each mutually inclusive (10 x 10) x 10 factors x 3 realms of existence.
The scroll is made of a pure silk cloth with a green brown mandala type pattern in it. The blue ichimonji was used to symbolize the 3,000 realms. It is written in a Gyousou style.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Tansaku Kake Scroll

The tansaku is a size of paper. This is to hang shikishi that are in the tansaku size. It is a very narrow scroll. It is made of two shouken cloths. The chuumawashi is a cocoa with a diamond shaped karakusa (arabesque). The top is a golden hue pure silk.

The scroll is finished with a kokutan, (ebony) jikusaki and a kincha hanging string.

Mounting the scrolls in this styles allows one to change the pictures only and not the entire scroll. I have not put the painting in this scroll on purpose for the purchaser.

Dimensions as follows:


Friday, February 5, 2016

Small Tansaku sized Wallscroll

This was a refurbished scroll for a customer from the GSBF in 2015. It is a Yamato style looking painting with a poem, river and cherry blossoms.

It is mounted in the three step (Sandan Hyougu) style. The chuumawashi cloth is a dark brown with an Ivy and Chrysanthemum arabesque. The ichimonji has a wave pattern and is gold on white background. The ten/chi is a khaki colored benberugu cloth. It is finished with rosewood jikusaki and the Kodai Saniro hanging string.

Dimensions of the scroll as follows:
Name in Kanji Name in English Size in Bun Size in Inches
Ten 114 13.60
上中廻し Ue Chuumawashi 39 4.65
上一文字 Ue Ichimonji 12 1.43
紙本の幅さ Artwork Width 19 2.27
紙本の長さ Artwork Length 118 14.08
Pillars 18 2.15
下一文字 Shita Ichimonji 8 0.95
下中廻し Shita Chuumawashi 23 2.74
Chi 72 8.59
掛け軸の幅さ Scroll Width 55 6.56
掛け軸の長さ Scroll Length 374 44.61

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Chinese Calligraphy Scroll

Here is a scroll I made for Chinese calligrapher Richard Man. Getting older, I do not like to make these large scrolls, but that seems to be what people want.

It is simply done with a grey cloth and blue ichimonji in the maru hyougu style. It is finished with a navy hanging string and wood jikusaki.

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Hummingbird Scroll

This is a scroll of a hummingbird painted by Ronald Reekers. I met Reekers さん at the Golden State Bonsai Convention this fall in 2015. The scroll is in a Nidan Hyougu style with a border of ichimonji completely surrounding the painting. It is finished with a Rosewood Jikusaki (紫檀塗)and a Gold 金茶 Hanging String.

If you would like a custom scroll made for your bonsai display, home or karate dojo, please contact to sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com

Scroll dimensions as follows:
Name in Kanji Name in English Size in Bun Size in Inches
Ten 92 10.97
上中廻し Ue Chuumawashi 29 3.46
上一文字 Ue Ichimonji 2 0.24
紙本の幅さ Artwork Width 30 3.58
紙本の長さ Artwork Length 103 12.29
Pillars 8 0.95
下一文字 Shita Ichimonji 2 0.24
下中廻し Shita Chuumawashi 19 2.27
Chi 58 6.92
掛け軸の幅さ Scroll Width 46 5.49
掛け軸の長さ Scroll Length 303 36.15