I have been as interested in calligraphy
as long as I can remember, even further back than pottery. My first real piece
of Japanese calligraphy was done by a famous Shotokan karate master back in
1977 while I was in high school. Over the years I have seen a lot of
calligraphy and thanks to a number of exhibitions, a number of which were
arranged by Steven Addiss, I have seen some great pieces from the 15th century
to modern day. It was only fitting that on occasion I would try to do
calligraphy on both pottery and paper, which I do every now and again for my
own amusement. Along the way, I have
sold pieces to some interior designers, a few martial arts dojo and to some
collectors to go along with my pots, but, in the end, I do this strictly for
fun.
Illustrated is a piece that was inspired
by the music of Vivaldi, specifically, The Four Seasons. I know to most it will
be hard to make that leap, but in my mind, that is exactly where it came from.
The four characters for spring, summer, fall and winter are all brushed atop
two large strokes of gold wash. Though the image appears slightly askew, the
image is perfectly centered in the rectangular sheet of paper.
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