Ink Brush Paper 

    The simple things in life are often the best... The tiniest thing can profoundly change your life... Fundamental truths cross many cultures.

    These three concepts inspired the artworks found in this calendar which combines two artistic elements: one ancient with another totally new.

    First is the powerful kanji character of the East which speaks loudly for itself. Along side is the related proverb or saying form another culture written in trademark Inkslinger style, ie. Roman alphabet with brush and ink. 

    For example, the character for Sake (alcohol) with the Latin proverb "In vino veritas" - In wine, truth.  

The Road to Success is Full of Parking Spaces 

    A motivational calendar for the wry at heart.

    Just as the Japanese read calligraphic verses in their own language by picking out a few legible words and guessing or remembering the rest, this calendar presents the same opportunity for us in the West.

    Take the Inkslinger Challenge!

    Try to decipher the squiggly brushstrokes - All in English, written vertically from right to left -  before the end of each month. (or cheat if you must, by reading the small print at the bottom)

    This calendar showcases a selection of provocative Quotations from around the world. A dash of wit, some cross cultural collisions and the odd motivating prod make this calendar a wickedly inspirational gem month after month.

Coffee Ceremony

   Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony can be defined as taking an everyday thing (a cup of tea) and elevating it to a Fine Art of national cultural significance. In the Tokugawa period, the Way of Tea permeated all levels of Japanese society and made an aesthetic culture available to all.

    Similarly, Pop Art can be considered as the taking of an everyday thing (a tin of soup) and elevating it to Fine Art. Pop artists drew upon their own contemporary cultures and created an art which celebrated the broad spectrum of their society.

     Today, a widespread cultural trend which has parallels to both of these might be The "Way" of Coffee. Thus 'Coffee Ceremony'. Presented here in twelve easy steps,  consisting of a colorized photograph complete with directions, is the inaugural Coffee Ceremony from my tiny apartment in Tokyo.

Zen Nature

      Zen came to the West mostly by way of scholars and popularisers like DT Suzuki and Alan Watts, who infused it with a philosophical bent which has been hard to shake. In Japan, Zen is not a philosophy but a monastic practice, which culminates with a transmission ceremony in which teacher acknowledges disciple.

      Zen-like meditation in beautiful, serene natural surroundings, perhaps contemplating a wise saying is the closest most of us get to actually practicing Zazen, this Calendar provides both. The quotes are all English translations of true Zengo (Zen phrases). They are legible when read vertically from right to left, but like true enlightenment, some may take years of contemplation to decipher!