I finnished the first stretch on Jonas's Shoki last weekend. The other arm will portray a Tora (tiger), as Shoki's companion and aid in the correcting of Oni (demons). I made Shoki's skin red in order to show the viewer how strong this character is. Usually, in Irezumi and other Japanese traditional arts, his skin has normal color. However, I saw an old piece by master Horiyoshi III of Yokohama showing Shoki with red skin and really liked the idea. The red brings a lot to the mixture of black and grey that is the image of Shoki.
This thing with the red color should be used with caution, so do not go ahead and color every strongman and warrior red just because it tickles your fancy. The decision has to be made with the confidence of someone who has studied the matter wholeheartedly and over an extended period of time.
Jonas is a young man and soldier who is going to Afghanistan as part of the Swedish peacekeeping operation there. My views being what they are concerning young mean going of to war, made it all the more important to complete this piece before he leaves. In Afghanistan many demons need correcting. But who are the demons? The answer is as obvious as it is cloaked in mist. The Heart knows.
I hope Jonas returns safely and that his path is a good one.
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