Really, That’s it… just me in the kura studio, fiddling around making a mix cassette tape from a USB drive (weird right) with a story about the “Taos hijacking incident” – while also organizing some postcards, addressing some envelopes and that’s it… Really nothing happens but thought you might want to just come hang out.
PS longer version of the “Taos hijacking incident“ Choogle On episode
While in Pokhara, Nepal in 2017 for extended Ayurveda treatment, i generally, wasn’t able to go out and explore aside from a haircut/beard trim (all the oils from the treatment or a little unwieldy so I switched to a great mustache) and another time to get this magnificent custom-made, hundred percent hemp outfit made at Sabitri Hemp Shop (map).
I sort of explained all the advocacy work I’ve done for commercial applications of hemp cannabis over the years with Hempenroad film, dozens of articles especially about hemp in Japan, the “Practical Guide to Cannabis” for policymakers”, but really, *this wasn’t my gig* rather i was there to enjoy and support.
The owner was a jovial friendly sort and i had a good time explaining what i wanted and being measured.
Specifically, ordered a short sleeve collared shirt with a trim fit made to wear untucked, and a pair of trousers with the waistband finished like I like it and back pockets with buttons and all the little details.
While in Sri Lanka for extended Ayurveda treatment, and later rambling a bit, I met an earnest young artist named Rasika specializing in postcards, diligently hand-painted and reflecting visual motifs of his culturally unique homeland.
I, unsurprisingly, purchased many many postcards from him and struck up a friendship. He would come to my villa to work on paintings and I would sometimes visit him at his stand at the market in historic Fort Galle.
I mailed many of his postcards around the world so hope his spirit lives on refrigerators and in shoeboxes and scrapbooks as well as in hearts.
I purchased him a special ink stamp as a token of friendship and he also help me acquire a return address stamp.
A conversation about DIY constructing scrapjournals with board game backs, calendar paper fronts, mixed blocks inside, with a side sewing technique. Including: what materials to gather and adding a few treats to start so you “don’t get precious”.
Plus using a Tin Tin calendar as a substrate for a travel scrapbook with a ephemera (coaster, tickets stubs, boarding passes, maps, etc) from Thailand, Malaysia, Nepal, Greece, Rome , Istanbul (with space for Suez).
Plus a few comments about the Vatican’s reconciliation *campaign* with Indigenous people of current-day Canada. Lighting incense and sage in hopes of sincerity and action.
All from the “Giggling Piglet studio” in a historic storehouse barn in provincial Japan with *Special hellos* to Kim in Austin, Jason in Gifu, Dan in Mass, Vincent in Victoria, Aki in the islands, the students of a school near Yokota, and others along the way.
More Importantcy:
* Indian Residential School Survivor’s Society (donate)
* DownieWenjack foundation (donate)
* First Nations reconciliation & shame of residential school (poem)
While the second floor of my kura barn is well documented as a mixed media arts and craft studio, this first floor is getting rearranged to be more of a well, family style mixed media arts and craft hang out with musical instruments, record player, more books, records and CDs, as well as emergency/camping supplies, storage of tea ceremony equipment, extra supplies for pickling/fermenting, and other seasonal storage.
Here is my very important plan detailing the intentions and schematics.
UPDATE: coming along well! i’ll share a snap but the stereo is mostly working, the messes are tidied (except for the big pile of extra heaters to consider jettisoning), and shelves filling up with items. More to go but hey, we’re on the way.
UPDATE: panorama of hangout
Just hanging out at Giggling Piglet Studios – an historic kura storehouse in provincial Japan – taping and glueing ephemera, snapshots, stamps, postcards etc from a trip to Kyoto for Kominka Summit, plus stops at Gion Post Office and Ginkakuji temple – into an accordion-style scrapbook.
While listening to records by Sonic Youth, Iggy Pop, The Ramones, Husker Du, JFA… maybe something else.
No narration, banter (witty or otherwise) or “action” beyond, playing with papers, scissors, glue, double sided tape and whatnot.
Hang out if you wanna hang out.
Sorting, cutting and organizing scrapbook items – snapshots, insta-photos, fliers, brochures, stamps etc – from trips to Shimane and Kyoto in a historic kura storehouse barn (dubbed “Giggling Piglet Studio”) in Tsuchida, Japan.
While listening to records from Dan Mangan, Bob Dylan, and Courtney Barnett.
No chit-chat, narration or blah blah, just hanging out, playing with scissors, paper, scrapbooks, and cheap cutter knife.
Maybe you wanna hang out too? No big deal.
Very pleasing scrapbook session recently working on an accident triptych in similar type notebooks with similar decorations.
Getting my standard supplies at hand including: several scissors and pinking shears, a few glue, several widths & depths of double-sided tape, Photo corners, straight edge and a crappy cutting knife. Plus importantly, good records, and a phone to the wind.
Topics include: recent correspondence cards and letters; a trip to see money to a museum and aquarium; a trip to Kyoto for a workshop and a temple.Topics include: recent correspondence cards and letters; a trip to see money to a museum and aquarium; a trip to Kyoto for a workshop and a temple.
Assembling the raw material – Postcards, Insta snapshots, a few calligraphies, various business cards, couple of pamphlets and notations from a temple… then choosing a scrapbook that will fit *everything* and somehow connect to the aesthetic of little bit [Note to self and others: don’t overthink]
Then comes much cutting then sort of sort into piles by topics, themes – loosely around chronology, media and colors.
Best kind of mess. Then you start gluing, taping, floating, making little envelopes portfolios inside the notebook. Plus a special cover and back cover and often inside fly leaves, and an envelope to put all the odds and ends don’t quite fit right away.
Final step is writing in bits of narrative just enough to push the story along. In these cases, used various letter and date stamps to give a general sense of place and time.
I made some videos, eventually you’ll see some of them, maybe… Now that I think about this one you can see and I even talk about the letters and put it in the scrapbook so it’s the one before this one if you’re keeping score
Adding recent postcards, cards and letters to an “accordion” style scrapbook with various tapes and stamps in kura barn studio while listening to records (Aztec Camera and Belle and Sebastian) and discoursing on recent trip to Shimane, the role of monarchy in commonwealth countries, importance of friends, fondness for invitations, sending postcards to self, putting everything on casters, discarded records, and hats – many many hats.
Absolutely Nothing of interest, just tidying up – like Japan’s version of Marie Kondo – in the “Giggling Piglet Studio and Consulate” in a re-purposed storehouse barn in provincial Japan.
Music incidentally plays in the background by “John K Samson / The Weakerthans” something something ++ “Back Country New Road” album “Ants from up Here”.
Really nothing, except for a Nepali Topi hat and moving scissors and papers I suppose.
