Japan has its fair share of ghosts. The stories about them have been passed down through the generations, mesmerizing us with their mystery even as they scare a few years off our lives. Most are the stuff of oral legend, related to young children by an older sibling or friend (followed by a sleepless night). Like most oral traditions, much has been lost. It is lucky then, that Lafcadio Hearn collected so many tales of the weird in books such as “Kwaidan”. Mimi Nashi Hoichi is one such story. The full story is online here. Below is a summary, but Hearn spins it so well that it deserves to be read in full. Read the rest of this entry »
Holy Psychedelia, Batman! I’m poking my toe a bit outside my comfort zone with this piece and it’s ultra-bright color scheme. Considering how many monochromatic pieces I’ve done recently, I felt the need to inject some vividness into my work. 
Over the last few days, winter has finally gotten around to asserting itself properly in Tokyo. In other words, baby, it’s cold outside. I’m thinking that cold has crept into my work as well, by way of the color. I just realized today, while standing in our local train station, that many of my recent pieces have had alot of cool blue and white(ish) color schemes. At the same moment, I looked down and noticed that the tiles on the floor of the station are pretty much the same exact colors as this piece too. Hm.
It is very early in the morning on the wrong side of bed, and this piece is 100% done. After a little snooze, I’ll come back and try to find something interesting to say about it. ‘Til then, enjoy the misty midnight metamorphosis.
Butterflies and Caterpillars have it. Zebras’ or Tigers’ stripes help the animal blend into their environment. Why then shouldn’t a bird develop its own natural camouflage. Introducing the SkyBird: the first bird (that I know of) which blends into its surroundings; just so long as its surroundings are bright blue skies with little fluffy clouds. 
明けましておめでとうございます or, in other words, Happy New Year! A big Thank You goes out to everyone who read Papercuts and and enjoyed my artwork this past year. I hope that you all had a great holiday season, and are looking forward to another year of funky papery goodness. 
