円相 Enso Circle of Emptiness Kakejiku or Wallscroll

The Ensou Circle or Enso is the ideal of emptiness in Zen Buddhism. Meditation exercises are a common discipline used to train acolyte priests to reach this state of emptiness.

If you would like to order a custom scroll there are three ways to get started: 1. Go to my shopping site at www.shop.customjapanesecalligraphy.com 2. Download my scroll design workbook from my website at www.customjapanesecalligraphy.com to read about the concepts behind kakejiku or wallscroll design. 3. E-mail to me directly at sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com

How does one empty the mind to not be worried with outside worldly trappings? Can inward solace be achieved in this fast paced, critical world?

One reason that I decided to start this business was because making the scrolls to gain this peace. Framing the artwork takes time, concentration and creativity when working on the design. I hope that those same feelings and emotions are conveyed to the viewer of the artwork.

There are some that have told me that the Enso circle should start at the top. I do not know the technical reasons, nor do I know if this is actually a true or factual statement. I have seen many different artists begin the brushstroke at different areas. Some begin at the top and some at the bottom. Regardless, it takes a significant amount of practice and discipline to develop the skill necessary to draw a beautiful circle. Ryugyoku has shown that skill.

I chose the white cloth to give a light mood to a sometimes somber artwork. It is not the case for all people, but often when I reflect internally, the mood can be somewhat subdued for me. So I wanted a white cloth to help make the scroll more bright and cheery. The leaf pattern in the cloth provides me with a sense of being in nature.

This scroll is for sale at $55.00 plus $15.00 for shipping, handling and taxes.

Ichii Senshin Kakejiku or Wall Scroll 意専心掛け軸, 又表具

If you would like to order a custom scroll there are three ways to get started: 1. Go to my shopping site at www.shop.customjapanesecalligraphy.com 2. Download my scroll design workbook from my website at www.customjapanesecalligraphy.com to read about the concepts behind kakejiku or wallscroll design. 3. E-mail to me directly at sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com 

Ichii Senshin


一意専心

This character phrase means "concentrating with a single heart by utilizing one's will". This is a phrase for martial arts which reminds that concentration and a single will are required to accomplish individual goals and desires.

This has been true for me in my personal struggle as a business owner, trying to get people to see the vision of my works and to spread my vision of the world both wide and far. It takes tenacity and drive to get others to believe in your vision. It also requires one to possess both patience and wisdom to see a project to the end. That is why I continue to work on scroll making every day. Every problem that is encountered provides me with new insight on how to fix a problem or repair it to improve the process on future works. Dedication of the heart requires both concentration and a will to see the journey until the final step.

I wanted to make this scroll with the dragon scale cloth. When I think of the word dragon the first word that comes to mind is tenacity, and embodied all of the principles of Ichii Senshin. This is written in a Gyousho style by Ryugyoku.

This handmade scroll comes with a certificate of authenticity and is for sale at $75.00 inclusive of all taxes and shipping in the US. If you would like a different scroll made to specification please contact sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com. I follow traditional methods and techniques that I learned from my Sensei in Japan to make each scroll as individual as you are.

A word on Computer Generated Japanese to English Name Translators

There are many sites that offer computer generated translation of names into Japanese or Chinese characters. What happens is it spits out characters that will phonetically match the desired name. Custom Japanese Calligraphy believes it takes more thought and care for the translation of a name.

For example, recently we had an order for the name Jacob.
The automatic site translator gave the following. Ji ei ko bu
治頴功武Rule Intelligent Success Warrior

You are an intelligent warrior whose mighty rule brings success to all his people.

This is a fine translation if you are a martial artist or polititian, but this was for a less than 1 year old baby. As a result, we decided to use the bible phonetic spelling of Jacob, which is Yakobu. This gave us characters more suited to the sitution.
Yakobu-家鼓舞
We translated it to mean This House will be Inspired (Because of this Child)

You can choose for yourself, but we feel that our human service, which is a little slower will be much more authentic and match your interests and personality. You can go directly to our shop site for name translation services at http://www.shop.customjapanesecalligraphy.com/product.sc?productId=54&categoryId=20

Competition

There are competitors that use tricky tactics to maintain their top page rankings in Google...For example, I know at least three sites that use Custom Japanese Calligraphy Scroll in their keyword phrases. I find that funny...Is a single person such a threat, that they feel they need to use another's company name in their keywords?

I am proud of my work and will gladly explain the differences of scrolls. In fact one competitor in particular says they create Custom Japanese Scrolls. Yet they utilize a clearly Chinese Hanging String and it is hung with the makihimo on the outside of the scroll. This is never the way a Japanese scroll is hung.

There are many excellent calligraphers in the US, but my wife submits on a monthly basis her works to a Japanese Calligraphy Society. We let the old garde in Japan judge her works, and they have found her writing sufficient to be warranted as a Shihan Kaku. A variety of styles are practiced every day, Kaisho, Sousho and Gyousho as well as kana, which is a style native only to Japan.

Now, I am not Japanese, but when making a scroll by hand I try with every intention to follow my Sensei's pattern and spirit to the tee, and create something beautiful. If you have questions, or would like to download a booklet on how to design your own scroll please e-mail to me at sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com

But me talking is like

翌檜会 Asunarokai Scroll

This scroll was ordered from Greece. Asunaro is an idiomatic expression in Japanese which means, "Tomorrow, let's become Cypress Trees". Kai is a group, organization or meeting. Cypress tree wood is valued tremendously.

If you would like to order a custom scroll there are three ways to get started: 1. Go to my shopping site at www.shop.customjapanesecalligraphy.com 2. Download my scroll design workbook from my website at www.customjapanesecalligraphy.com to read about the concepts behind kakejiku or wallscroll design. 3. E-mail to me directly at sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com 

This scroll was made for an Iaido (Katana) school in Greece, but it would also work for a Bonsai club as well. The deep green of the kireji very much brings about the forest feel in standing under the trees you see in Japan. The red ichimonji just seems to make the scroll be very beautiful and large and accentuates the beauty of the Kaisho, block print style written by Ryugyoku.

If you would like to design your own personalized scroll, contact sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com

Gift Wall Scroll or Kakejiku

This scroll was commissioned as a gift.

If you would like to order a custom scroll there are three ways to get started: 1. Go to my shopping site at www.shop.customjapanesecalligraphy.com 2. Download my scroll design workbook from my website at www.customjapanesecalligraphy.com to read about the concepts behind kakejiku or wallscroll design. 3. E-mail to me directly at sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com 

It reads 詩宗 Shisou with the name David St. John, as the names appear in the Japanese Bible written in katakana on the left hand column.  Shisou  means master poet. This is a gift for a prominently published modern poet, David St. John. You can read about him at the following link. http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/149 The third left hand line bears my wife's calligraphy signature name Ryugyoku and her Hanko.

What stands out most about this scoll, is the use of black cloth. Athough not common, it is not unheard of. The ichimonji selected has a very large karakusa pattern, and is a gold on creamy white. I make this extra large for several reasons, but primarily to give good spacing between the Honshi and the Kireji.

I not only enjoyed making this scroll, but got introduced to some good poetry in the process, which is always educational and inspires me to become better.