Tansaku Ode to a Cascading Bonsai

This Scroll is Sold.

This haiku was created by my wife. Her ability to manipulate characters to derive meaning is truly a gift. This is how it reads...Sorry, but you will need to install the East Asian Language pack to read the Japanese. The beauty in this poem is the change of the character Kyousei. This is typically read as 強制 which means to compel or force. But changing the character to 強生 it transforms the meaning to be that the wire does not compel the tree to bend or shape, but that the shaping of the tree strengthens it's living essence. The beauty of a cascading style bonsai seems greater than Nature itself and hence the last line.

針金に強生されて超自然　
はりがねに
Harigane ni
Through the wire

きょうせいされて
Kyousei Sarete
A Strong Living Bonsai

ちょうしぜん
Choushizen
Beyond Natural Means.

Matsuo Basho Haiku drawn by Teiko Applebaum

This Scroll is Sold.

The writing on this scroll is a famous haiku 　俳句 poem by Matsuo Basho. It reads

Shizukesaya
閑けさや
Oh in the quietude

Iwa ni Shimi iru
岩にしみいる
Seeping into the rock

Semi no Koe
蝉の声
The voices of cicadas.

Haiku poetry is formed by a five/seven/five mora pattern. It typically must contain some mention of the season of the year. In this case, the deafening sound of the Cicaida emerging is an event that happens every year in the summer.

In order to complement this poem, I used a leaf pattern of the cloth. This scroll is in the Maru Hyougu style with the Ten, Chi and Hashira surrounding the work with the Ichimonji. I used two primary colors, the Red Kinran and Blue Kireji, to provide a strong contrast for the centerpiece of the scroll. The blue leaf cloth I have had for some time, and was looking for the correct time to use it. The Semi in this work standing on the leaf stem was a good match.

This picture was drawn by Sumi-e artist Teiko Applebaum of Seattle. I have grown to love her style of painting which is both plain and straightforward.
The scroll measures roughly 2 Feet long by 1 Foot wide and is priced at $78.56 including all taxes and shipping within the United States. For questions on this or other custom scrolls e-mail to http://www.blogger.com/sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com