Butterflies with Purple and Lilac cloth Wallscroll

 

What a beautiful painting of butterflies with some elegant purple cloths. This would be a perfect gift for a home or room. If you would like to purchase this kakejiku or have a custom piece made download the scroll design workbook to learn more.Tthe price for this is $100.00 and text/call 801-214-4064 or email to sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com 

Bonsai Tapestry Frame

 

This tapestry frame was made for a bonsai practitioner that wanted a scroll that he could paint his own items in order to use for bonsai displays. The middle blue cloth has a white flower karakusa and is a benberugu (mixed silk) cloth. The top and bottom cloth is a taupe shike cloth. It turned out very nice. If you would like a custom scroll made please contact to support@tapestryframe.com or call/text to 801-214-4064

Kakejiku for Girls

 This kakejiku was another order from the Nihon Matsuri in Salt Lake. This was for a girls room with the character Suki (to Like). She selected a cotton cloth with girls in kimono playing, that I purchased from Numaya in Japan. It is paired with a Green Ichimonji, Ivory Plastic Jikusaki and a gold hanging string. If you are interested in having a custom scroll made, please contact to sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com or call/text to 801-214-4064.

 

Beautiful Japanese Shodo scroll with the words Orange Grove. This was written by Yoshimi "Ryugyoku" Maples for a customer at the Salt Lake Nihon Matsuri. I loved the cloth selected for this Kakejiku. It is an elegant Donsu silk. If you have questions about wallscrolls, please visit our site at www.customjapanesecalligraphy.com 

Family Name Nakai Kakejiku

 This custom wallscroll order was made for a customer in Texas. It is written in the full cursive (sousho) style of calligraphy. This is in a three step style scroll format. It has a gold Ichimonji with a Blue with Gold Flower Arabesque Middle Cloth. The Ten/Chi (top/bottom) cloth is a mixed silk, synthetic cloth. It is finished with a resin ivory looking jikusaki and a light gold hanging string. If you would like a custom wallscroll ordered please contact to sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com or text 801-214-4064. We also do these types of frames to hold photos which can be purchased at www.tapestryframe.com

Koi No Yokan Final

 Here is a pic of the scroll in the final hanging place. Love the ambiance and feel. My pic, versus customers pic....Customers pic much more lovely.

Flower Sumie

 This is another painting by Vinh Bui. He painted this flower. I like the mix of shades between the dark and light. This scroll was made in the Sandan Hyougu style (Three step). It has an Orange and Gold Arabesque Ichimonji, with a wicker design green middle cloth. It is finished with a light tan top/bottom cloth. If you would like to purchase this kakejiku or a custom kakejiku email sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com or call/text to 801-214-4064

Simply Green Tapestry Frame

 This Tapestry Frame is a simple green cotton, nothing fancy but elegant and would pair beautifully with any 8x10 portrait photograph. Go to www.tapestryframe.com to purchase or email to info@tapestryframe.com or call or text to 801-214-4064.

No Excuses Only Victory Kakejiku

 

This Kakejiku is a Hanshi size scroll. In English, the customer asked us to translate No Excuses, Only Victory. In Japanese the characters are 

不言訳　有勝利

「言い訳せずに、勝利あるのみ」Iiwake sezuni Shori arunomi

This is how it reads in Japanese. The customer wanted an orange Wallscroll. So I used the bright Orange and Gold cloud Ichimonji, with a Pure Silk cloth that has a burnt orange background. It is a very elegant scroll. It is finished with Plastic Ivory Jikusaki and a Kodai San Iro hanging string. 

If you would like to order a custom japanese scroll, please visit our site at www.customjapanesecalligraphy.com or email sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com. Phone or text available at 801-214-4064.

Customer Shikishi Kake Order

 This is the order of a Shikishi Kake scroll. It is in a two tone with a silver/gray wave pattern, and a solid tan top and bottom cloth. If you would like to order a custom scroll, please go to www.customjapanesecalligraphy.com and download the scroll design workbook. Also, feel free to contact sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com or call or text to 801-214-4064

Quarter Moon Sumie Fukuro Hyougu

 

This quarter moon sumie was painted by Vinh Bui. This kakejiku or wallscroll was made in the Fukuro Hyougu format. It is the most informal style. You can view a light blue suji surrounding the entire painting, with a rose colored cloth, that has a small cherry blossom arabesque pattern. It is a mixed silk cloth. It is finished in plastic ivory jikusaki, and a gray hanging string. 

I wanted to discuss a theory in selecting cloths when making a Kakejiku. In Japanese, there is the term cool colors (Kanshoku) and warm colors (Danshoku). When I see the moon as the subject in the painting, then I feel cool. To offset the cool feelings from the painting, then you want to counterbalance that by utilizing warm colors in the cloths of the kakejiku.

If you would like more infomation please go to https://customjapanesecalligraphy.com/shop or email to sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com or call or text to 801-214-4064.

Cloudy Autumn Moon Sumie

This painting is by Vinh Bui. It is a Full Moon Sumie which is an Autumn motif for display. It is in a Rinpo Hyougu style. The Ichimonji is a bright orange, with an intermediate cloth called Chuumawashi being a rust orange color that has a large flower arabesque pattern. These two colors are more warm, but are traditional Autumn colors in the West. The Ten/Chi is a solid bronze synthetic cloth that has the look and feel of silk. The scroll is finished with plastic ivory jikusaki and a kodai san iro hanging string. The length of the scroll is 36.5 inches and the width is 8", (10" with the jikusaki).

The price of this scroll is $150.00 including shipping to the US. If you would like this or another scroll made please contact to sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com or visit our website at www.customjapanesecalligraphy.com  

Wallscroll Man Sitting Stage 2a

 

This is the photo of a Maru Hyougu format scroll in Stage 2a. I used the Dark Brown Ichimonji (Cloth strips bordering the top and bottom of the artwork) to provide a strong contrast to the light green, yellow wicker pattern cloth. I used green as the cloth color to help offset the deep, strong reds in the sumi painting.

Please reply and tell me what you think of the kakejiku (wallscroll) in this beginning stage by commenting. 

If you have questions about Japanese art mounting or would be interested in having some artwork framed please contact to sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com or call/text to 801-214-4064. You can also view my photo framing options at www.tapestryframe.com

Companionship of the Holy Ghost御霊を伴侶に

This calligraphy was written by my wife. As our world moves to more division and dissension, I felt this was a very appropriate piece of art to frame. One of the purposes of this mortal life that Heavenly Father gave to every one of his children, is the agency to choose. We are free to choose. What we decide in this life, shapes us every day. The entertainment we select, the food and drink we ingest, the people we associate with and their opinions and ideas, the clothing and adornment we select for our bodies, the work we engage in (or shirk) all affects us everyday. But just like our earthly parents, our Heavenly Father provides us with guidance to help us to make good choices. That guidance is through the Holy Ghost. But we must learn to recognize and allow the influence of this great power and gift to be a part of our life. These are some links to talks about how to recognize the influence of the Holy Ghost in our life.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/04/45nelson?lang=eng

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/04/his-spirit-to-be-with-you?lang=eng

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2017/04/let-the-holy-spirit-guide?lang=eng

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2017/04/how-does-the-holy-ghost-help-you?lang=eng

Now let me explain how I framed this calligraphy piece. In Japanese arts there is system of classifying aspects of the art based on Formality ranking. This calligraphy was written in the Gyousho （行書）style, which is semi-formal. This particular scroll style, called Fukuro Hyougu （袋表具）is an informal mounting style. Although, most religious themed artworks would be framed in a more formal style, I felt simplicity in the mounting would provide a more accurate, symbolic depiction of how the Holy Ghost communicates with the children of Heavenly Father. In the piece you see 3 lines of Suji (筋). I used these three lines to represent each separate member of the Godhead. 

1. The top in the Ten (天）or Heaven portion of the scroll is representative of our Heavenly Father. 
2. The first Suji in the Chi（地）or Earth  portion of the scroll represents the Savior, Jesus Christ, who came to this Earth to minister, teach, and fulfill Heavenly Father's Plan of Salvation for us all by fulfilling the Atonement becoming Resurrected. 
3. The second Suji in the Chi（地）or Earth  portion of the scroll represents the Holy Ghost, as he is omnipresent on this Earth, providing the power of our Heavenly Father to be present with us always.  

The three lines of suji are straight and narrow. That is the path that leads us back to Heavenly Father.

If you look close, there is also a suji that surrounds the entire calligraphy piece. Another title given to the Holy Ghost is the Comforter. During these troubling times of dissent, rebellion, economic uncertainty, health crisis; Remember that the Holy Ghost will surround you with a comfort, and peaceful surety of a better future.

The color of the cloth was selected to represent the etheral nature of the Holy Ghost, meaning it does not have a body of flesh and bone. It was also chosen to represent dark glass....(but that I will leave to you to study and ponder on your own.

Looking at this writing by my wife everyday, reminds me to strive to be worthy to have the Companionship of the Holy Ghost everyday in my life.

Mokumegane Wallscroll or Kakejiku

This scroll has the phrase Mokumegane. The definition of this word was taken from Wikipedia. 
Mokume-gane (木目金, Mokumegane) is a Japanese metalworking procedure which produces a mixed-metal laminate with distinctive layered patterns, as well as that laminate itself. Mokume gane translates closely to "wood grain metal" or "wood eye metal" and describes the way metal takes on the appearance of natural wood grain.^[1] Mokume gane fuses several layers of differently coloured precious metals together to form a sandwich of alloys called a "billet." The billet is then manipulated in such a way that a pattern resembling wood grain emerges over its surface. Numerous ways of working the mokume gane create diverse pattens. Once the metal has been rolled into a sheet or bar, several techniques are used to produce a range of effects.^[2]

Mokume-gane has been used to create many artistic objects. Though the technique was first developed for production of decorative sword fittings, the craft is today mostly used in the production of jewelry and hollowware.^[3]

I will not go into the personal details of the customer's reason for wanting this phrase on a scroll, but light (sky) blue has always been one of my favorite colors.

The writing for this scroll was brushed by my wife Yoshimi "Ryugyoku" Yamada. 

If you would like a custom scroll made, please contact to me at sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com.

Mui Scroll

This is another scroll brushed by Richard Man. It is the character Mui, which in Japanese means Idleness or not working. I do not know if it is the same meaning in Chinese. Hopefully, it is not a reference to how late it was to get these works back to him. I want to get them right, and the size that he demands tells me I need to take more time.

The wallscroll is completed in the Maru Hyougu style. With a gold on green Ichimonji and a Shike cloth that is a reed brown for the Ten and Chi. The hashira are narrow, but the 7 bun typically is wider than that seen on a Gyou no Gyou style scroll. A red lacquer wooden jikusaki and the Old 3 color hanging string complete the work.

If you would like a work mounted please contact to sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com

Dimensions as follows:

Name in Kanji	Name in English	Size in Bun	Size in Inches
天	Ten	90	10.74
上一文字	Ue Ichimonji	15	1.79
紙本の幅さ	Artwork Width	163	19.44
紙本の長さ	Artwork Length	272	32.45
柱	Pillars	7	0.84
下一文字	Shita Ichimonji	8.5	1.01
地	Chi	52.5	6.26
掛け軸の幅さ	Scroll Width	177	21.11
掛け軸の長さ	Scroll Length	438	52.25

Bushido and Seven Virtues

This scroll was commissioned to the South East for a martial artist. It is written in the kaisho (block print) style and has Bushido and then the seven virtues on the left hand side. The customer selected a very beautiful cloth that goes well with this writing. The Ichimonji is also a very beautiful kinran.

Dimensions:

Name in Kanji	Name in English	Size in Bun	Size in Inches
天	Ten	117	13.96
上一文字	Ue Ichimonji	12	1.43
紙本の幅さ	Artwork Width	112	13.36
紙本の長さ	Artwork Length	430	51.30
柱	Pillars	20	2.39
下一文字	Shita Ichimonji	9	1.07
地	Chi	75	8.95
掛け軸の幅さ	Scroll Width	152	18.13
掛け軸の長さ	Scroll Length	643	76.70

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

Progress by Day Walk by Night

These characters were submitted for monthly progress with Yoshimi's calligraphy society. She really liked this phrase. It means that we can improve little by little a day at a time.

Sometime's in life we feel that we may be very frustrated with our own lives. Perhaps our plans or expectations have not come to fruition. It should always be recounted the little steps that were taken to accomplish the obstacles in front of us are the greatest journey.

This was written in a semi-cursive, gyousho style. I selected this cloth because it matched the symbolism of the charcters Sun 日 and Moon 月 The characters on the bottom have been separated, but written together as such 進歩 it reads Shinpo or progress.

We should always wish upon a star once in a while and then walk in the day to get accomplished our tasks.

This beautiful Maru Hyougu stlyle scroll is for sale and it is accented with black plastic Jikusaki and Gold Kakehimo.

Ruyi Scepter Scroll

This Scroll is Sold.
Scroll completed June 19, 2009. It measures roughly 2 Feet by 2 Feet. Additional details available upon request. To inquire about purchasing the scroll contact sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com

Background:

This is the Ruyi Scepter, which is a symbol of achieving prosperity in fengshui practice. Ruyi, which is transalated in Japanese as Nyoi literally means "as [you] wish". It is a curved decorative object that is a ceremonial scepter in Chinese Buddhism or a talisman symbolizing power and good fortune in Chinese folklore. A traditional ruyi has a long S-shaped handle and a head fashioned like a fist, cloud, or lingzhi mushroom. (Source: Wikipedia.com )

The Sumie was created by Ren Adams and is an original work. I will explain the theory behind how the scroll was framed. There are three primary principles involved when creating a scroll.

1. Place

2. The Work and it's Contents

3. The Artist

1. Place:

Involves where the scroll will hang. Some of my works are commissioned, but this was not and hence I used Feng Shui Principles of the Ba-Gua to guide how I wanted it to be placed. The color black is associated with the North element of Water, which deals with Career and Path. The Red symbols within the cloth are associated with the South element of Fire, which deals with individual Fame and Repuation. Therefore my hope is that hanging this piece in the North or South area of your home would help career and individual reputation.

2. Contents of the Work

The background of the Ruyi Scepter is explained in detail above. It was used by royalty. For that reason I tried to use the Gold ichimonji with the green to symbolize the wealth and austerity of a royal court, while providing a startk contrast between the black cloth and the black scepter.

3. The Artist

I have seen this artists studio and it is a very creative workplace. I used a non-solid pattern to reflect the feelings emoted when meeting Ren in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As a hyousoushi, I try to think about the artists personality, their vision within the work, the desired feeling to be emoted and where the work was created. These principles help me to decide how to choose the cloth and design of the scroll.

If you have other questions, please e-mail to info@customjapanesecalligraphy.com