‘Cos you need some pics of the Art Workers’ Guild in London. Including the toilets! Original Crapper’s.

Courtesy of a recent #shodō course I attended run by the amazing Rie Takeda.

Not held in the toilets if you’re wondering 🤦‍♂️

Good morning, Shop! Good morning, world!

#intro, since I haven't done one of these for awhile.

Me: USA person, expat in Europe, big into #Japanology with an emphasis on #sumo, #shodō, and as a lockdown superpower, I've also started #carving #StoneSealStamps.

I'm a cis het woman, married to Loving Spouse for over 30 years. In that time, he's had to deal with me #spinning, #knitting, and other #TextileArt #handcrafts.

We "met" via mail, and #ScienceFiction

So, Fediverse and Shop... I'm sitting here with my knitting, feeling at slightly loose ends because the place I go help teach #shodō has decided to stop all classes with immediate effect.

Strictly a volunteer measure, so far, but one I'm mostly happy to see.

So, here I knit, gently recalibrating my brain, for whatever the next thing will be.

@polyplacophora They also are great paper for impromptu #shodō!

@ghost_bird I wish I knew what you look like!

I can't tell you much about my appearance today - haven't yet dressed. But I plan on wearing a battered black straw wide-brimmed hat with a selection of enameled pins on it. And I might be knitting. Or spinning. Or doing #shodō.

Scheduling-wise, I'll be starting out in the Point Square, then going around noonish (?) back to the main convention center.

#DublinWorldcon So, got to bed *considerably* earlier last night, and am feeling much the better for it.

*checks the Irish language pattern creeping into my writing, decides not to bother "correcting" it*

I had a GREAT chat yesterday with @irina, and spent most of the last two days just doing #shodō calligraphy at public area tables - yesterday was in the crafting area, where I also earwigged a couple of workshops.

@guerrillarain It's like talking to Loving Spouse about #shodō brushes.

However, he's getting more... okay? with the idea. Also, unlike (most) flutes, at least sometimes I can point to a BIG brush and teasingly say I want it. (I don't have any truly ultra-big ones yet, but in time...)

*hands touching at fingertips*

#introductions

I'm a 50+ person, born&raised in the US, married 30+ years to Loving Spouse, a Delightful Dutchman.

We got together via #sciencefiction, discovered overlaps in other interests, now have a stable house hold with two #cats.

The interests include #spinning #shodō #Japan #anime #travel #knitting #crochet and other #handcrafts.

I've been told I can be a hard-ass by people whose opinion I care about, and consider that a compliment. But, most of the time, I like nice & kind.

@rottenmeier #shodō calligraph is done on a very fine paper - something that frequently can bubble after, due to the moisture of the ink. (I suspect better artists than I know how to get *just* the right amount of ink onto the surface, but I'm a long way from that.)

So, mounting involves getting two more sheets of the same paper (or near to), applying them one by one to the back of the original work.

There's a technique and then there's... luck. But, it keeps me off the streets.

@geckonori Hi there!

What kinds of art? Mine's mostly #shodō with occasional forays into #textiles mainly #knitting. (I don't really observe a strict division between art and craft.) I do most of my art posting from a second account on an art-devoted instance. (mastodon.art)

@shopbot @phildini I might be "plotting" a poster, about kanji/hànzǐ for #shodō - mostly trying out some sketches of how I want to organize my information, so that it looks nice and yet also accessible to the absolute beginner.

@Webster I have a Wacom tablet, and am using ArtRage.

The sort of thing I miss with this package is a way to emulate a #shodō brush... in this sort of thing, I'm not nearly technical enough to effectively tweak the available parameters, and haven't gotten around yet to asking anyone else for help.

Wheee... well, after the bad wobble from a few days ago, I had a Very Good day, at a small, planned #shodō related event. My brushes behaved reliably, my mind could visit "the zone" mostly when I wanted it to, and I have a couple of things I'm happy with that I then gave away.

I can tell it was a good day for shodō yesterday - today's session was slightly lackluster: a sign of having really spent a lot of that energy yesterday.

That's okay, too. Tomorrow, I reckon I'll be fresher.

@gannet #YarnTales I'm afraid my current project is a bit stalled, but I seem at least able to pull it out for the local knitting group on Saturday mornings.

OTOH I've gotten some good #shodō calligraphy done!

But, at least, I did get some #shodō done - nothing to make a headline out of, but still did some necessary exercising of those brush moves.

It'll be interesting to keep the momentum going after the structure provided by the class this semester. I have ideas I want to execute, and need to get my technique up to where those things are easily inside my comfort zone, not at my extreme.

Also, afterward, I "went down" for a nap - I intended to get up after 30 minutes to do some actual #shodō, but my body had other ideas. Like, I didn't stir for nearly 2 hours, and spent another 30 minutes kind of "emerging" (reading while horizontal).

So, recognizing that this rest was also necessary, was adulting, I guess.

Still trying to learn to how accept my needs, though.

@distel Good morning!

I've been missing you! Admittedly, I've been somewhat AWOL myself, but seeing you now, am glad to "have" you "back"...

I hope you have a good day!

(PS project we've spoken of before was sidelined by my semester of helping out with #shodō class, but that's over now.)

@janellecshane My special interest is #shodō, so I'd be there with my brushes and bits asking for a tutorial...

So, yesterday I was at #shodō class, trying to get into the groove - it should have been possible, as the teacher was concentrating on giving the (official) students feedback with relation to their upcoming exam.

But about 45 min before the end of class, my sore throat started to blossom, and - weirdly - I could feel the onset of inflammation in my body.

After realizing I felt pretty crap, I had a chat with the teacher, & left early.

My teacher has given me lots of #shodō homework from the other students to correct... so off I go to my table, soon!

(Good to dip back in for a bit, though.)