Kyoto in Shades of Gray; Tenjuan Garden.

Rght next to the very famous Rinzai Zen Temple Nanzenji, there's a smaller subtemple by the name of Tenjuan. It's easily overlooked as you walk by, but ever since I have found my way there, I've made sure to come back whenever I visit Kyoto.
This time I went there with Horikitsune (Alex Reinke) and we had a lovely stroll in the temple's beautiful garden. If you like Koi this is a nice place for viewing them up close. If you stand next to the edge of the pond they swim up to have look at you.

"A zen master's life is one continuous mistake."

Dogen Zenji (1200-1253)

Rorihachuko Cho JUn - Horimatsu Irezumi Adaption

Another Tomas from Umeå, but an exeption from the Koi rule. Here we have another Suikoden Hero, and this is based on perhaps my favourite woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi.
Progress have been slow but steady. Tomas skin needs slow treatment, which is not especially uncommon among western clients. We'll get there when we get there.

The upper arms are made by another tattooist, and I did the lower arms a while back. One was made about 4 years ago and the other about 1 year ago.

Spanish Conquistador

(click image to enlarge)
I found this on my hard drive while looking for something new to post. I don't think I've ever put this one up on the blog. I remember doing this one afternoon - probably spent 2-3 hours on it. Done in Photoshop CS3.

Approaching.

Emanuel came back last friday to have another section colored in. Now we can taste the sweetness of completion. As soon as we get there we wil probaly just wonder what to do with the rest of that blank skin. No rest.

Yet Another. Repetition Leads to Insight.

By some strange coincidence, this client's name is also Tomas, and he's also having Koi done.
No Sakura on this one, but Momiji instead. I have no preference when it comes to any of the designs. My work is to create the flow and try to maintain the link between Then, Now and Later.
Being a Horishi is merely being a ghost destined to disappear as soon as the last drop of Sumi is inserted into a clients skin. The purpose is to maintain the line, be a keeper of knowledge that hopefully will benefit future Horishi and clients. Being remebered after the action and reaction is gone, seems pointless.

This piece creates itself at an surprising speed. After four sessions we're close to finnished with the black and grey, having our noses up the behind of actual coloring. Can't wait to see what this will look like finnished. I never draw a whole piece on paper beforehand. Some stencils and mostly magic markers. Working like this is almost like having a baby. You won't see the final result until it decides to come out.

"Enlightenment is like the moon reflected on the water. The moon does not get wet, nor is the water broken. Although its light is wide and great, the moon is reflected even in a puddle an inch wide. The whole moon and the entire sky are reflected in dewdrops on the grass, or even in one drop of water. Enlightenment does not divide you, just as the moon does not break the water. You cannot hinder enlightenment, just as a drop of water does not hinder the moon in the sky. The depth of the drop is the height of the moon. Each reflection, however long or short its duration, manifests the vastness of the dewdrop, and realizes the limitlessness of the moonlight in the sky."


Dogen Zenji (1200-1253)

Zen in Sweden, Sweden in Zen.

Casually browsing through my favourite daily national newspaper Dagens Nyheter, suddenly this article on Zen buddhism (in swedish only) jumped right out and changed things this sunday afternoon.
I went to one of their introductionary workshops some seven years ago, and it marked for me the start of an ever increasing interest in Zen buddhism and the Way.
The smiling face of Sante Poromaa Sensei is something I carry with me every day, come rain, come income tax return.
Their website is here, and it's available in english too!

Koi and Sakura.

After two sessions Tomas is well under way with his Irezumi piece depicting Koi and Sakura (cherry blossoms), which is perhaps the second most popular design at the Horimatsu Studio.
Do I ever grow tired of doing the same designs over and over? Hell no! They never come out the same twice, even if I try my hardest.
Working with a client, it's inevitable that the indivudal personality of that human being gets mirrored in the Irezumi piece. It's not something I consiously strive for, yet it's always present when I look at the finnished piece.
Also, the constant grinding and polishing of the rock creates a smoother and more perfect result. Not that I think that this Koi wil be better or not better than any other I've done before, or any other about to see creation. There's no point in judging Irezumi like that. There is no real before or after. Only NOW. This Koi. On this Person. Created by this Horishi. None of these factors will remain tomorrow.
Thankfully.

Maiko.

Horikitsune and Myself went from Fukuoka via Hiroshima to Kyoto in order to experience it photografically once again. Horikitsune had visited many times before, but never with a good camera and photographic experience.
For me it was the fifth trip in four years, pursuing the ghosts of photography. One early evening I took Horikitsune up to the old quarters, Gion, and showed him where I stand and wait for Maiko and Geisha to appear as the sun is setting and the Kyoto night begins.
These are the images from the corner that night.

ooopps.........

Obviously I forgot to post a photograph with the text in my previous post (about Nakamura_san and Shamisenbori Irezumi).
If you kindly scroll down to the previous post, or go there in any way you see appropriate, you can now enjoy the post the way it was intended.

Kyushu Style Irezumi.

As mentioned in an earlier post, I went together with Horikitsune (Alex Reinke) to visit Horiyoshi III in Yokohama, Japan earlier this autumn. Our days were spent photographing Master Horiyoshi as he went about his creative life, images that will hopefully become a book next year.
There was of course some time for other pursuits and among other things we visited Nakamura-San in Fukuoka on the southern island of Kyushu. It's a six hour ride with the Shinkansen from Yokohama and it proved well worth the trip. Travelling together with us were Horiyoshi's son Kazuyoshi and his friend Horikazu.

Nakamura-San works in a different style and all the work is done using hand tools.
The technique/tool used is not called Tebori, but Shamisenbori (indicating the hand movement which resembles the way one plays the Shamisen, a traditional Japanese string instrument), and it was fascinating to watch Nakamura-San create wonderful Irezumi at speeds that would put any tattoo machine operator to shame.

Nakamura-San and his apprentices were gracious hosts and we had a very pleasurable visit.

"Set aside all involvements and let the myriad things rest. Zazen is not thinking of good, not thinking of bad. It is not conscious endeavour. It is not introspection. Do not desire to become a buddha; let sitting or lying down drop away. Be moderate in eating and drinking. Be mindful of the passing of time, and engage yourself in zazen as though you are saving your head from fire."

Dogen Zenji (1200-1253)

Oskar's Irezumi Donburi Soushinbori.

Mondays and tuesdays is when my deshi Oskar drives down from the town of Lycksele to be with me in the studio. His days are spent watching, listening and drawing and sometimes we even get the opportunity to work on his Donburi Soushinbori (full body tattoo without the opening, Munewari, on the chest). Oskar has absolutely fantastic skin for Irezumi and I enjoy simply getting the black and greys in there. Unfortunately he already had a bigger non-Irezumi piece on his back as well as some other stuff on his body when we started discussing his desire to get a Donburi Soushinbori. However, in imperfection lies some of the challenge and I intend to do my damndest with the rest of his skin.

MARVELS PROJECT #5 Cover

(click image to enlarge)

Previews of Marvel's solicitations for January 2010 have started to appear, and included is The Marvels Project #5. Here's what's going down in a few short months:

THE MARVELS PROJECT #5 (of 8)
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Pencils & Cover by STEVE EPTING
Cover by STEVE MCNIVEN
Variant Cover by GERALD PAREL
Marvel's ORIGIN story continues! Out of the ashes of the Project: Rebirth comes America's first Super-Soldier -- Captain America! Witness the first mission of Cap in New York...as Namor stalks the city streets and the Angel finds the hero killer he's been searching for. By the award-winning team of Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting.
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99


Once again trying to emulate the feel of the old pulp cover paintings.
Love that triangular shield!

Irezumi Monday. Grinding and polishing.

The creation and realization of Irezumi demands, above all, patience. I've been learning that ever since I first set out on this journey, and it has become a part of daily routine by now. Not only has the Horishi (tattooist) lead by his or hers example, but the client has to pick up the very same ball and run with it.
In Irezumi nothing is ever done in a jiffy. I work pretty fast and always try to squeeze every drop of working blood out of each minute of every session, but still the end result seems lightyears away.
This is where one has better to subdue the eagerness to finnish and simply be content with the moment. Time will as usually fly when you adapt this way of working, not trying to finnish and instead just do. Then you blink and the piece is completed.

Today saw another three hour session on Emanuel's 108 heroes of the Suikoden backpiece and as we approach completeness there is still no way of telling when we'll be done.

Black Koi and Kiku.

This photograph of Mia, showing her Koi and Kiku (chrysanthemum) was taken by me at the studio last year using professional lights and set up. It clearly demonstrates the difference in doing it seriously (photo and tattoo) as compared to a lot of imagery one finds in magazines, books and on the internet. Irezumi deserves better than compact camera snapshots using auto settings and ugly flash. I intend to photograph all my finnished work in the Horimatsu photo studio.

"In a mind clear as still water,
even the waves, breaking,
are reflecting its light."


Dogen Zenji (1200-1253)

The 108 Heroes of the Suikoden in Irezumi.

Irezumi wouldn't be what it is without the 108 Heroes of the Suikoden. In fact, it was the popularity of this old chinese novel of Robin Hood like brigands and bandits that laid the foundation for Irezumi (Horimono). Even to this day, the Ukiyo-e designs of Hokusai, Yoshitoshi and especially Kuniyoshi portraying the lives and events of these heroes, are among the most popular of the designs for the traditional Japanese tattoo.

At this present, I have 4 backpieces with Suikoden motifs being slowly tattooed in to my clients skin. Hopefully, I'll soon sink my teeth into further variations of the story.
The backpiece in the photograph belongs to Nils and is not yet finnished. I think will arrive at completion fairly soon, and then I'll take some studio shots and show you. The design is based on a famous woodblock print by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, and shows Roshishin (the Flower Priest) uprooting a willow tree with his bare hands.

If you want to learn more, get the exellent book "Of Brigands and Bravery" by Inge Klompmakers (Kit Publishers). I got my copy as a gift from a certain Mr. Castello.

Koi and Momiji again.

One of my personal favourites is the Koi and Momiji design. It offers limitations that triggers the imagination, and therefore leads to unpresedented creativity. When one has nothing else but fish, water and autumn leaves to fill a persons whole body, the heart and mind has to be in it one hundred percent.

My client Dan is slowly but steadily progressing with his sleeves after which comes the back.
This design in this photograph (captured using my compact Nikon P6000 camera, by the way) came out really interesting and we'll soon continue.

I'm quite tired of lugging my heavy Nikon D200 back and forth (a photographer should always carry a camera, I think), so I am trying my hardest to be content with image quality of this little pocketable camera. I am not sure yet, but usually image quality problems says more about the photographers skills than the camera itself. What camera one uses shouldn't matter. It's the photographer that captures the image.

"If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?"

Dogen Zenji (1200-1253)

Kintaro Finally Finnished!

So, we did it! Saturday morning, and in the usual strange anticlimax way, like it's really just the beginning of the rest, we completed Peter's backpiece. He's proud and so am I! Now awaits healing and a proper photoshoot, before we roll him over and get to the Ryu on the front.

MARVELS PROJECT #3 Preview Panels

(click images to enlarge)
A few preview panels from The Marvels Project #3 - due in stores today!

Dear Not-Tiring-of-Defeat-Leads-to-Victory-readers.

Apparently I did forget to post a photograph of Ida's Ho-o earlier today.
Since not tiring of defeat leads to victory I simply nod, smile and adjust.
I suggest You do the same.

There should now be a photo accompanying my previous post.

Ida's Ho-o Irezumi Backpiece Completed.

Horimatsu Irezumi rendition of a Ho-o based on a painting by Katsuchika Hokusai.
The Ho-o is one of the more popular Irezumi designs for women. Like most designs within the iconography of the traditional Japanese tattoo it's really a unisex one, but I prefer to draw it on the female body. However, as there is always exeptions to whatever rule one comes up with, I have used succesfully on men as well.
It's one of the Five Auspicious Animals, a group made up of the Ryu (dragon), Ho-o, Koi (carp), Shishi (chinese lion) and Tora (Tiger), and these are also the most popular designs among my clientele.
For more information on the Ho-o, please Go Here.

Ida has spent some thirty odd hours under the needles for this piece, full of deatails as it was, but never did she complain even once. I look forward to have her coming back for more.

After healing comes a proper studio setting photoshoot and then I will show it here in a way that makes it justice.

“If even one person practices with the strong determination to work for and serve the world, then the whole world will become this way.”

Dogen Zenji (1200-1253)

Yamamoto Kansuke.

Jörgen from Örnsköldsvik is one of the clients from up here in the north, that has been with me for a long time now. He started about 5 years ago with a Ryu (dragon) on his leg, followed by Koi on the other. Then he said he was going for the entire tattoo (the traditional full body). We talked for some time and then I suggested one of my favourite historical Japanese personalities, Yamamoto Kansuke, and Jörgen loved the idea. Even though the work on his back has stopped on and off in favor of other areas of the tattoo, I feel that lately we've been progressing great.
The full story on Kansuke and his destiny will be told upon completion of the tattoo. I can however reveal that the continium includes both historical Daimyo (samurai warlords) Shingen and Kenshin.

Eihiji.

Alex Reinke took me to Eihiji in sticky humid japanese September. My traditional Japanese clothes clinging to the skin and the camera bag heavier than usual. Pausing outside, smoking, trying not to rush it. I decided I was going to photograph the temple that Dogen founded using only my 105/2 Nikon prime lens. Alex and I didn't say much to each other. No words. Doing.

Days, weeks, soon even a month, has passed, but I still can't, will not, desire not to dress in imperfect words what has to be experienced.