First ever Sweet Potato Harvest (Fall 2009)

It's dusk and I just quickly dug up the first sweet potatoes from our first-ever sweet potato harvest. We planted 2 kinds of sweet potatoes in May 2009, and we are now a bit late getting them up as it is the end of November already. There has been lots and lots of rain this year so there are a few rot spots here and there. Overall these are perfectly edible and look quite nice for a first try. Should I make tempura or pie first? Or maybe the Japanese traditional "Daigaku Imo" would be a good use of these?

Beautiful People

I saw an amazing video today about the beautiful Omo people of Ethiopia, who use their own bodies as canvas, looking lovely in almost nothing except for the creative body paint, flowers and leaves they choose to decorate themselves with.

After seeing the video, I immediately googled the photographer, Hans Sylvester, but didn't find much on him except that he is an accomplished nature photographer. So then I went over to Amazon and found "Natural Fashion: Tribal Decoration from Africa."

I ordered "Natural Fashion" and can't wait to delve into it when it gets here! There was also a 2-book set by the same photographer: Ethiopia: Peoples of the Omo Valley. Nice but a little pricey at $78.00.

Also found a book by photographer Carol Beckwith called African Ceremonies, and I am sooooo coveting the 2-book hardcover edition!

The only reason I didn't order African Ceremonies is because Amazon for some reason refuses to ship this overseas. I have tried buying a used copy of the set from the various people listed on Amazon, and though there are several used sets of this book listed for about $40, none are able to ship overseas. I did find one seller selling this for $105 that would ship overseas, but when you compare $40 to $105 (not including shipping to Japan) the splurge becomes less enticing. Maybe I should have it sent to my mother's place in the USA and have her forward it to me?

Technically it's a sketchbook....

...but it is starting to look more and more like an art journal. Well, I actually don't know, so tell me- what is the DIFFERENCE?

One would think a sketchbook would be full of "sketches" and an art journal would be full of "art." One sounds more humble than the other, and one sounds somewhat pretentious. How do you know the difference? Oh, and by the way, I have never kept a "journal" of any kind in my entire life. I guess I never really felt there was anything about my life worth writing about. So when I think of an art journal, I think of there basically just being some art in it, with the journaling part being entirely optional.

When I look back at the sketches, or "art" I have made, I remember the ideas, feelings, and events that were going on and which inspired me to make the art in the first place. Is that not basically the same as what a journal does, i.e. remind you of the moment? I think rather than "Art Journal, " I might prefer the term "Visual Journal." It seems less highbrow and more true to the way I use it- as a visual way to remember important moments or feelings that have passed.

Self-Portrait Wednesday

It was a beautiful day for a walk in the rice fields with the dog. Couldn't ask for more perfect weather- sunny but not hot (the only kind of weather I really like). Many of the neighbors were out harvesting their rice, so the air was filled with the scent of freshly cut rice and the buzzing of tiny Japan-sized combines and trucks hauling the rice to and fro. Both the dog and I were very happy.

Silver Week

We are in the midst of "Silver Week" holidays. Silver Week is not really a week, but 3 days in a row of holidays strategically created by the Japanese government to give all us hard workers a nice break before the very busy Fall and Winter seasons hit us. The 3 days come right after the weekend, giving us a 5-day holiday this month. One other such string of holidays exists which straddles the end of April and the first week of May, and it's called "Golden Week."

I have been enjoying the extra time off by spending extra QT with the dog and kitties:

Charles David Wilson

I had to fly back to the USA in mid-August at the last minute to attend my father's funeral. He passed away unexpectedly in his sleep. The coroner listed the cause of death as "natural causes" but we think it was possibly a stroke, a seizure, or a heart attack. I just wanted to honor my father here by uploading a photo I took of him the last time I saw him alive this March 2009.

Charles David Wilson

November 28, 1952 - August 11, 2009

Interview with William Morris, Glass Artist

"You'll never be sure. You don't wanna be sure. It's not a matter of being sure, it's matter of having enough faith and love for what you're doing."





Interview at Road Trip Nation:
http://www.roadtripnation.com/WilliamMorris


William Morris Website:
http://www.wmorris.com/index.html