a walk round the local area

Today was the first day that we have explored the local area. We were all too tired from the week to do very much yesterday, so we rested. Here are some pictures from todays walk.



This image is from a temple, where it is a requirement to wash one's hands before entering. The water must be poured over one's hands and onto the floor, not back into the fount.

This is from the graveyard over the road from the temple. This is a very ornate grave with many tiny graves making up the collection. We took a wild guess and thought it was probably a local family's site.

On Awaji, a lot of the residents are farmers. This grave is marked with the farmers hat and walking shoes, used in the fields with the sticks probably used to demarcate his crops.

Here is the entry to another local temple where we met the monks. I bought a beautiful book of ink drawings that the monks had made.

Here the rice is drying ready to be harvested.

This area was outside the temple. This bridge had many prayer plaques hanging off it.

This is on the walk back home to the residency showing typical Japanese country architecture.

I found the colours on this flower amazing. It looked like it was lit from within.

More rice fields being harvested.

Tomorrow we have a 'self-study' day before the master carver arrives on Tuesday. I decided before the residency not to plan any new work, or bring any of my ideas with me, but instead respond to the locale. I am glad I made this decision. Things in Japan function with what is known as 'katachi', which means form. From bonsai, to greeting people, to making tea to martial arts. They are all governed by strict rules of how things should be. At first they can seem a little strict, but it is gradually becoming clear that these structures and forms are reflections of nature and are actually very natural and make total sense when one knows the reasoning behind them. So, my work in Japan will be an investigation into form and structure. Of what, I do not know as there are so many forms to observe, from the geometry of the landscape to the interiors of houses and everything inbetween, that it is hard to decide. It will become clear when I start drawing tommorow.