I have always been interested in all things Oriental. The art of Japan is something I've always had in my home, any my furnishings (in at least one room) usually lean "East." So, it was no surprise to those who know me to see that when I ventured into my own e-business, I decided to use Japanese Kanji as my artform.
Mind you, I speak only the Japanese I remember from watching Shogun back in 1980 (geez, was it really that long ago?), and cannot read or write it.
One of the interesting things that I have noticed in gathering my Kanji symbols is that the characters themselves are as varied as the artists who draw them. Some are very basic or "blocky" in form and others are done with a great amount of flourish. In many cases the two do not even resemble each other.
Not being an artist I am forced to (gratefully) utilize the work of others, all the while not knowing if the symbol I've chosen is the correct one for the English word I'm representing. I am quite sure if it isn't, someone will instruct me of that fact, kindly I hope.
The next project? To actually begin learning to draw Japanese Kanji symbols myself, so that even if I cannot use them because of my flair-challenged hand, I can at least know that what I am looking at is the correct translation.
I choose to use the symbols very simply...the less-is-more, feng-shui approach. In my own home, I use the characters as reminders of certain attributes like faith, peace, etc... daily "affirmations" if you will. All of what I have done so far is simply use the symbol and the English translation as the canvas; no frills, no bamboo, pandas or red suns. So far, I'm satisfied.
www.cafepress.com/CupOfFaith
This business came about due to my love of Japanese Kanji script. All I've seen available are very artsy renditions of it; beautiful, but I prefer to let the stunning script speak for itself. To that end, I offer a vast array of tees, gifts and greeting cards using Kanji as my artform. Namaste
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