Nik & The Kids' Workshop

All the of the artists participating in KAIR got the golden opportunity of doing workshops with local schools. Nik decided (or rather, was convinced by one enthusiastic teacher!) to do his with 5th and 6th graders at Jinryo Elementary School.

He organized to come in and take portraits in a darkened space using a flashlight to highlight their scary or funny face of their choice. He edited the photos to harsh black and white contrast, printed them on heavy watercolor paper, and cut along the white bits with an exacto knife so they could be used as a stencil. The kids got to choose which part to use as the stencil, the white or black. They then used different techniques he taught them to paint in the missing bits with sumi ink and they of course got to add things like ears and poop.

They had a brilliant day and the results were phenomenal. Some of them turned out so good that the teacher decided to enter them into an art contest in Tokushima City. I'll get back with an update once we've heard the results.

PS. Most, if not all, children in Japan have calligraphy class so the kids were quite adept at using brushes. Nik was impressed with their fastidious ways with setting up and cleaning up after themselves. 

practicing

KAIR & The Royal Treatment

I want to take this bad boy home, power assist is a revelation!

To experience Japanese hospitality is to experience Japan. Everything is done with care and integrity. Even the small things. Who else can turn a small ordinary square piece of paper into an infinite amount of shapes? So it is with no exception that we have been treated to, well, the royal treatment.

Upon arriving, we discovered that all our needs were met before we got here. And whatever else we needed, Keiko made sure to get it for us. When we wanted to put a kiddy pool on the balcony for Hopper, we were given a hose. When we wanted a bigger play room table, Keiko brought it over the next morning. And, among all the normal things for living like bedding and dishes and the like, we have our own mama bike with an assist motor (it's mountainous!) and our own car. By this I mean, each artist has a car! (which I believe were even temporarily  donated by generous people in the community.)

And this is the just the beginning.

On the first weekend, the organization threw a party to commence the residency and welcome the artists. Food was prepped all day at a local camp ground and in attendance were a bunch of locals, the board of education and some teachers (grades 5-10 get seminars with the artists, a couple teachers were quite aggressive about getting Nik to come to their class, but of course in a sweet way), the KAIR workers and those who help, and even the mayor. 

We walked in to a standing ovation and were officially introduced. They had an interpreter on hand to translate the artists' speeches (thank god I'm in the wings) and then of course there was a raucous toast with some singing and rhythmic clapping. After some photo ops, the feast began and we ate and drank and soaked up the love. Hopper even got to play with giant ice chunks in the drinks cooler with some other boys and I met a woman who invited Hopper and I to come to the Mommy & Me playgroup that meets twice a week.

Never was there a more warm welcome. We were all just so touched that the community is so involved and excited to have the artists here. There are posters all over town announcing the residents and their work so we get recognized and given gifts left and right, in the form of food mostly, sweet potatos, pears, eggplants, cookies, limes, noodles (bags and bags- a freezer full) and even trout. It's just so glorious, to know that people want to wish us well and bring us and themselves good fortune by being generous and thoughtful.

Hopper, Nik, Susken, Sayaka & Keiko

boys playing with the ice chunks, Manus in background, and Keiko with the box

Nik's speech with translator

watermelon is a special experience in Japan (= very expensive)

end of the party footie with giant ice chunk

so many volunteered to help

Thanks KAIR and Kamiyama for a lovely fete!

Hopper's diggin...

...our bitchin ride

with a fair amount of direction, most of the water made it in

Nik's Studio

Though there are many outstanding things about being a part of KAIR, the most important is the studio for the artist. It was stated in the literature that of course every artist would get a space to work in, but it was unclear where they were and exactly what they looked like.

When Nik and I would talk about how everything would be here, we had considered that he may have a little commute to the studio, perhaps by bike or even far enough to warrant the car. So to find out it's just up the road, literally about 20 meters, that Hopper and I can walk up to visit and paint, created this sense of wholeness to our sphere.

It's an old preschool building, which hasn't been in class for about 30 years. So it's wonderfully dilapidated, though quite tidy and functional, and as we've learned during this intense rain (thanks typhoons 15, 16, & 17), a little leaky. (There is currently a man on the roof whom we suspect will try to repair some holes.)

The spaces had to divvied up among the 3 artists, and since there was only one space with both a wall and floor adequate for Nik's working practice, it's obviously the one for him. It's perfect, spacious, and has a lot of natural light. He was so happy to get in and get working. 

So that's what we do most days, go up to see daddy and have a little inking session and talk about the naughty mosquitos that hover around outside the door. Hopper's also taken to doing a little excited soft-shoe dance when the immensity of space strikes him. He knows the way and likes to lead me there while I pretend not to know where it is.

that's it at the end of our driveway

this is the 'road' that continues up the mountain, to the hotel with a trout farm

bottles of sumi ink

Stunning Kamiyama

The view from our kitchen and balcony

Ok, so I can't wait anymore. I had other posts planned from our adventures in Osaka and the rest of Kyoto but I'm just going to skip around a little bit. I just need to tell you about Kamiyama.

We arrived into the Tokushima City bus station and Keiko was waiting for us. She's part of the KAIR (Kamiyama Artist in Residence) organization and the central liaison to the artists. She is fantastic and speaks great English (studied in Missouri). As we've already been here about 10 days, she's been a real asset to help us all get acquainted with ways of life here and showing us how to get around. Plus taking us to the grocery store and reading labels.

After picking up some groceries and Hopper items, we got back into the car for the 45 minute drive through the mountains. It's difficult to explain just how beautiful it was, passing through villages on narrow winding roads, cutting through the mountains in tunnels, wrapping around their moss covered edges, and getting glimpses of valleys with houses and rivers and peaks completely covered in green, patches of lime green bamboo mixed in.

I was a little worried about Hopper getting car sick so kept engaging him to look around and talking about the scenery. Keiko was giving a running commentary on things as we passed, but it was hard to concentrate on what she was saying. It was just so stunning.

We turned onto our little street that, after you turn into our  complex of houses, continues up the mountain. The houses are old teachers' quarters from the 60's, now mostly used for the artists during the residency term. They're concrete and nothing special to look at, but we are living large for our normal standards. Big eat in kitchen connected to what is now a playroom, separate shower/tub and toilet, and 2 big bedrooms upstairs with a massive balcony. More than ample, and definitely more than we are used to living in.

Arriving just before sunset, we just spent the first hour in awe, dragonflies by the hundreds hovering over the small crescent shaped rice field next door, the sounds of cicadas, frogs and crickets filling the fragrant air. It's so idyllic that I cannot fully grasp it. But I feel home.

driving over the bridge to Shikoku Island

in Keiko's car

she brought a baby seat yay!

just leaving the city on our way to mountain road 21

our kitchen

what will soon be Hopper's playroom

full moon rising over the mountain, and our house, our first night, spectacular!

neighbors bonsai trees lining the rice field

and their eggplant plant

our house on the left

local hospitality, shaved ice with sugar sauce, she know toddlers (2 little boys live here)

sharing & the view

path down to the road, couple in foreground is Sayaka from Japan and her boyfriend Manus from Ireland (they live in Bos en Lommer, Amsterdam!!!)

Hopper's room

our room

breakfast

PS. We got a new camera, can't you tell?