Kakejiku with Bible Verse

The writing for this is Trust in the Lord. Shu ni Shinrai se yo. It is a verse in Proverbs. this scroll is to be used for a Christian Mission Home in Japan. 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
The writing is in the Kaisho style and was done by Yoshimi Yamada Maples.
The brown Ichimonji was selected to match the brown decor of the room. The total scroll is about 6.5 Feet in length.
Dimensions in Bun and then estimate in Inches
Name in Kanji Name in English


天 Ten 120 / 14.31

上一文字 Ue Ichimonji 13 / 1.55

紙本の幅さ Artwork Width 110 / 13.12

紙本の長さ Artwork Length 444 / 52.97

柱 Pillars 25 / 2.98

下一文字 Shita Ichimonji 8 / 0.95

地 Chi 70 / 8.35

掛け軸の幅さ Scroll Width 160 / 19.09

掛け軸の長さ Scroll Length 655 / 78.14

Karate Scroll - Ichinen 一念

This scroll is going to Europe. It was purchased as a gift from one Matial Artist to another.

 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
 
The phrase Ichinen can mean one thought or determined purpose. Possibly used as motivation to continue intense training in spite of pain or discomfort.

This particular scroll is written in the Full Cursive style called Sousho, by Yoshimi Yamada Maples, whose Natori calligraphy name assigned by her Sensei is Ryugyoku.

The cloth is a silk imported from Japan that has a very slight ivy pattern in it. Because of the small pattern, I used a larger Karakusa (arabesque) pattern with the gold on cream ichimonji.

Dimensions of the kakejiku in Bun (traditional Japanese measurement), Millimeters and then Inches.
Name in Kanji Name in English Size in Bun Size in Millimeters Size in Inches


天 Ten 118 / 357.54 / 14.08

上一文字 Ue Ichimonji 8 / 24.24 / 0.95

紙本の幅さ Artwork Width 77 / 233.31 / 9.19

紙本の長さ Artwork Length 106 / 321.18 / 12.64

柱 Pillars 23 / 69.69 / 2.74

下一文字 Shita Ichimonji 4 / 12.12 / 0.48

地 Chi 78 / 236.34 / 9.30

掛け軸の幅さ Scroll Width 123 / 372.69 / 14.67

掛け軸の長さ Scroll Length 314 951.42 37.46

Bonsai Scrollmaking Class

On June 16th, 2011 I conducted a workshop for 8 students on how to make wallscrolls or kakejiku  at Bonsai in the Bluegrass in Louisville Kentucky. It was the most difficult but enjoyable time I have ever had because there was so much to do and so little time to do it in...

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 one of the demo pieces completed for the person in charge of the program. It reads 百花春至 Hyakka ha Haru Itaru. This means that Spring Begins with a Hundred Blossoms. The writing was done is a Gyousho style by Yoshimi Yamada Maples, Ryugyoku. The scroll was on the drying board for over a year. The person receiving the scroll selected an Enshu Shitan Jikusaki. The scroll was designed in mind of the bonsaiist that loves to display shohin Azaleas.

Pair of Kakejiku: 7 Virtues & Musashi 5 Elements

A pair of scrolls ordered from our neighbor to the North.

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 

The thing I like most about this order is that the customer knew exactly what they wanted and the entire order process only took about 20 minutes via phone to complete, and then it was hammered out pretty quickly.

I have done several scrolls of the dragon in the 7 Virtues of the Bushido, but never in the Tiger cloth for the scroll. The scrolls are complemented with a Black lacquer wood jikusaki and a Kogecha (almost black) hanging string.

Dimensions are:
Kanji English Size in Bun / Millimeters / Inches


天 Ten 118 357.54 14.08

上一文字 Ue Ichimonji 6 18.18 0.72

紙本の幅さ Artwork Width 54 163.62 6.44

紙本の長さ Artwork Length 223 675.69 26.60

柱 Pillars 18 54.54 2.15

下一文字 Shita Ichimonji 4 12.12 0.48

地 Chi 83 251.49 9.90

掛け軸の幅さ Scroll Width 90 272.7 10.74

掛け軸の長さ Scroll Length 434 1315.02 51.77

Migrating Geese Fukuro Hyougu

This scroll is no longer for sale. Artist is Darlene Dihel. It was purchased by a bonsai artist at the Bonsai in the Bluegrass convention.

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 is my favorite of the three. It is in the Fukuro Hyougu style with one suji in the Ten section and two suji in the Chi Section. I used the navy cloth to symbolize the night, along with the Kogecha kakehimo and black plastic Jikusaki to give the feel of night. The Orchid suji is used to contrast strongly with the dark cloth.

Dimensions as follows:
Kanji English Name Size in A. Bun B. Millimeters C. Inches


天 Ten 99 299.97 11.81

天 Partition Top 70 212.1 8.35

天 Partition Bottom 29 87.87 3.46

紙本の幅さ Artwork Width 70 212.1 8.35

紙本の長さ Artwork Length 106 321.18 12.64

柱 Pillars 19 57.57 2.27

地 Chi 61 184.83 7.28

地 Partition Top 19 57.57 2.27

地 Partition Middle 14 42.42 1.67

地 Partition Bottom 28 84.84 3.34

掛け軸の幅さ Scroll Width 108 327.24 12.88

掛け軸の長さ Scroll Length 266 805.98 31.73

Kakejiku Wallscroll for Judo

Finally a scroll for a Judoka. This was ordered by a Judo practitioner in the Western part of the US.

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 has the writing in a kaisho style with Judo as the main large two characters and the two concepts which are taken from the www.wikipedia.org website.
Central to Kanō's vision for jūdō were the principles of seiryoku zen'yō (精力善用^?, maximum efficiency, minimum effort) and jita kyōei (自他共栄^?, mutual welfare and benefit). He illustrated the application of seiryoku zen'yō with the concept of jū yoku gō o seisu (柔よく剛を制す, softness controls hardness^?):


The scroll is done on a blue cloth with Gold on Red Ichimonji. The jikusaki is a Kokutan (Ebony) wood and the kakehimo is takuboku.

Scroll Dimensions in Bun/Inches are as follows:

Name in Kanji	Name in English	Size in Bun	Size in Inches
天	Ten	131	15.63
上一文字	Ue Ichimonji	11	1.31
紙本の幅さ	Artwork Width	110	13.12
紙本の長さ	Artwork Length	445	53.08
柱	Pillars	14	1.67
下一文字	Shita Ichimonji	6.5	0.78
地	Chi	90.5	10.80
掛け軸の幅さ	Scroll Width	138	16.46
掛け軸の長さ	Scroll Length	684	81.60

Yoshimi "Ryugyoku" Maples Shihan Advancement

This week, Yoshimi's Parents called to inform her that she was promoted to the rank of Shihan through her calligraphy society. I am proud of her diligence to submit her works monthly, and her large Joufuku work annually. Regina Oberndorfer was also promoted to rank of Nikyuu. She was in the top three of her cohort for the month of April.