While finishing up postcards series of paintings of international postboxes from Nepal, Greece, Oman and the Vatican, Dave gleefully riffs about the “finishing touches” including paper choices, inky stamps, Sri Lankan elephant dung paper, scribbly calligraphy letter, an extra card, something about art dossiers and even remembers to tell you he’s having fun and offers a couple of web addresses to get in the time travel.
DaveO (with pyjamas and robe and coffee) invites you to purchase and encourages with various inky and postal stamps and treats &/or support monthly with automagic thrifty amount to receive a bevy of digital and analog treats.
+ Postbox Haiku Exhibit at the Goat Farm: In which I combine love of poetry, painting and postal mail and recaps an exhibit at buddy Mac’s goat farm.
So happy to share my mixed media project with a new audience at a very special place
Gist: Produced by dDesign to promote Okayama design, tourist and culture, the campaign included a painting in Shibuya as well as paintings of post boxes and office in: The Vatican; Kathmandu, Nepal; Olympia, Greece; and, Muscat, Oman as well as a new haiku on a postbox about “nonconfidential postcards” along with a book of paintings, a book of postboxes, and postcards of well… postboxes with poetry – both painted and functional.
DaveO at Goat Farm with postbox haiku, both sides now sport a custom poemTransported the paintings in a velvety suitcase (notice the key for keeping them imaginary safe)The paintings of postboxes had custom postcards with shodo ink by Junko Fujita and decorated up with appropriate postal and inky stamps by me
Quickly before running a bath, Dave – regaining equilibrium – discusses creation of a slightly-delayed but very-pleasurable project, ergo: “Time Travelers“ handmade cards including outfits, printing techniques and paper choices, fire hazards, inky & postal stamps, and fingerprints.
Plus riffs about carrying on in strange times, wonderful events, fountain pens and puppets. And expressing gratitude to friends who sent cards and letters, often reciprocated by Hokusai woodblock prints and/or “cheap and cheerful” time traveler cards.
Just a few quick snaps from the mellow New Year’s time at the Fujita household – just me, Ryoko, baby Ichiro and our wonderful grandma and grandpa, sitting around the house, eating special food, with bits of TV and music and, importantly, fire in the woodstove.
Ichi & Grandpa clearly having no fun 🙂
Having a bit of a snack / Sushi & Osechi variety box of treats New Year’s Day
The year begins with Ichiro Stanley pensively observing a few flakes of snow floating down at Tsuchida Cottage. They disperse before landing (Like all of your hard ships will this year).
Photo by magic mama Ryoko OlsonZouni soup with fish, greens & most importantly, mochi (sticky rice) Year of the Ox cookie
Typed for the record and placed on the altar of importancy
Intentions (some, not all) and Annotations (various) for 2021 / Reiwa 3
Did a little live streamed hang out while banging out some big picture themes and a bunch of practical to-do tasks {as well as a note to self}.
Fiddled with Lettera 34 typewriter to get it operational and then talked my way through various big thoughts and practical plans for the year ahead including a “note to self“ that I won’t get all these things done but I’ve *come so far so fast – so, so “steady on davey, steady on.
Anyway, lovingly – if not perfectly – typed on hemp paper on my erstwhile custom letterhead / and now up on the altar for the kami to help.
{embed not possible due to background music it seems / incidental fair use?}
Summary: Evolutions, not Resolutions, slowly slowly > Your creativity is not going away anywhere, you have decades ahead, first build a foundation & then castle that’s above
The Results ^ note: please lend me a hand – whether it be practical or encouragement – I am wide open to advice and good vibes, truly.
We won’t quite make it till midnight so… as we cuddle in at Tsuchida Cottage (in always sunny Okayama, Japan), Ryoko, Ichiro & me wish you The Best Year Ever in 2021 / Reiwa 3.
Happy Merry Any Festive Every Joyful All of the Moments
Peace – Health – Happy to all of us, all of you
Ate nabe stew, warmed by woodstove, bath then slept
Fondly from Dave, Ryoko & Ichiro Stanley Thorvald of Tsuchida Cottage, Okayama, Japan on a usual Friday, Dec. 25, Reiwa 2 / 2020
Tradition is what you are doing in the present tense. Every moment a spectacular event. You are a miracle, truly, enjoy. (& If you ever forget, we’re here to remind you.)
Today is regular Friday here on Japan > we are on a mysterious mission {explain later} but along the way, saw an old rolling stock – ran the trams from 1910-1962 / lot of change witnessed in that period.
Ichiro & Ryoko with classic tram car in Saidaiji (on a special quest)
Sometimes you feel like a person left in the “lost luggage” room… You sit, you wait for the person to come ~ sometimes someone comes by but for another reason and you just sit and you wait. Eventually, a train comes, sometimes you find a seat, sometimes with window and you go.
Ghosts of Festive Losts – you wait, sometimes miracles arrive or ring or you are just lost (Lanka 2017)
Other times, a friend is someone who comes to help you for a rather different purpose than the “help you seek“ yet somehow, maybe unbeknownst to you & them, they help & you appreciate, admiration is mutual, then each drift into life, better than before, or at least different.
I’ve spent more Christmases {or whatever} either working jobs, in hospitals, lost alone, holed up in hotels, hiding in cabins, or movie theatres, on road hitching, or with strangers etc. than have with family or familiar. Best stories. Fortunately none in jail. Hear you if alone.
Tradition is what you are doing in the present tense.
Me and the new intern are progressing well. Six months tomorrow. Best best best #io
Renewing his contract definitely
He’s got a tooth and a bank account, and overalls… What else does he need? Running shoes or ice skates next?
He’s a super adaptable little guy and we take really long baths together
Really amazing – each day more handsome! and now suddenly crawling around. the way he raises his eyebrows at me slays though
Advice from AA: “Get a notepad, Ichiro. Your dad talks quickly.”
PS Oh you can see scrapbooks and other interestingness on my bookshelf including new calendar of sento (public baths) and Douglas Coupland, Generation X (guidebook for “quarantine” life)
Also the chair was free and the desk 2nd hand, also couch, blanket gift from Kemp &’say hello to Richard Brautigan.
mixed-media art library, global diary, project dossier and whole life documentation
