The 'other' Carol.

Carol from California has sent me an etegami of a lemon, the message is somewhat cryptic until she explains that the lemon was "liberated" from a neighbours garden.
Now that turn of phrase takes me back, "property is theft", "didn't steal it, only liberated it", ah, the 'sixties!
Carol also notes on the back that this is her 21st etegami....getting better and better!
Thanks Carol.

Many shades of grey...

Hold on now! We are not talking about the latest notorious book out there but the intriguing etegami sent to me by Tatuaki . He has managed to capture the nuances of the subject by using only sumi and in the case of the pepper, the wrinkled desiccated look. It wil not be news to anyone that Tatuaki is a teacher of etegami and his years of experience in the Japanese tradition are plain to see.

The hydrangeas are lovely and I must try that technique of using a pencil for the outlines instead of sumi, it is certainly more immediate.
Thank you Tatuaki san.

A satisfying amount of Blobbiness!

Shay from Hawaii who has been doing an interesting series of etegami depicting a naughty octopus named Ollie, has paused to make this delightful drawing of Hawaiian shirts...Aaah such a satisfying amount of blobbiness!

Thank you Shay.

Fumiko, thank you.

Not only a postcard of the delightful lamp that Fumiko made and then painted but a very handy little etegami tool which I hope she can see I have already used!

Thank you Fumiko.

Chubby Checker eat your heart out.

Wow, I am on a real nostalgia trip with this lot of postcards. The words on this one were the anthem of my early youth.

 Thanks Char!

Another big day.

Yes four etegami in my mailbox today. The first is from a new friend from San Francisco, Matt. Mat is very interested in the philosophies of Zen Buddism and seems to be a seeker after truth. In reference to the fact that I had lived near San Francisco in the 1960's and visited there often, most notably in the 'Summer of Love' (1967, a time when Matt may only have been a gleam in his father's eye), he has made for me a very retro feeling scene of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Thanks Matt, keep 'em coming!

A scholarly 'walk'.

Shungo has made a stamp for this etegami, of what is I think are itinerant scholars dressed in traditional Japanese garb, tramping up a mountain perhaps seeking enlightenment?

Very effective, thanks Shungo.

Summer she's a'comin...

Yep Summer is a'comin, but not just yet a while so to keep me warm in these dreary days ( I couldn't say it is cold, I just THINK it is), Peggy from sunny California has sent me a sunflower to warm me up.

Thanks Peggy. Peggy has stamped her etegami with a small name stamp I carved but now she has a host of others carved by the master carver Shungo, I hope she will use those.
Thanks Peggy.

Merci Corinne.

Today's card from Corinne is truly a celebration of summer, colourful peppers are all about summer, salads and sometimes heat!

Thanks Corinne.

Art with a capital A.

Hideko has sent me two of her beautifully detailed cards which are really miniature works of art. I am so fortunate to know Hideko through the etegami Fun club and I have formed the opinion that she is a lovely gentle soul whose words are always wise. Thank you Hideko.

Splish splash!

Charline the irrepressible has sent me a lovely card celebrating the rainy season in Japan and asks if we have a similar season. We do Charline but much farther north than where I live, way up in Queensland and the Northern Territory. In any case I love the card even if our rain at the moment is anything but warm! Thanks Charline.

Always a pleasure...

Always a pleasure to gain a new correspondent, especially one named Carol!
Carol who lives in the USA has sent me her  third attempt at etegami and a fine effort it is. Nice to see someone who is embracing the fun of etegami and reaching out, Carol, may it give you just as much pleasure painting, sending and receiving cards as it does me. Thank you.