As previously mentioned, I had the honor of creating two Award of Arms scrolls for a husband and wife with distinctly different personas. The wife, Oguri Tatsuko, portrays a Japanese persona and is well versed in all things Japan.
I really did not want to create a scroll for her which did not match who she was. I was fairly certain I could create a scroll for her which would capture the Japanese aesthetic and be pleasing. I also knew I wanted it to be in Japanese. I wanted the text to be fairly simplistic as I knew I would need a translator to create the characters for me. I have always shied away from online language translators as they don’t handle grammar and nuance correctly. I sought out the SCA Japanese facebook group and was able to locate a translator I felt comfortable working with. Not only was Ambrose the Gutless of Atenveldt quick to respond, but they were dedicated to making the text as accurate as they could based on the knowledge I provided. I used the following words:
“With deft hand and dependable heart, Oguri Tatsuko stands out among many. For many years she has travelled our Kingdom, serving as an archer, an embroider, a teacher, and a greeter. Her smile is welcoming and laughter infectious among our people. By our right as Tsar and Tsaritsa, we Ivan and Matilde do call her forth and make her a Lady of our Court, awarding her these arms:
Done this sixth day of January at Twelfth Night in the Barony of Endewearde.”
The responded translation was:
“Jōzuna te ya shinrai dekiru kokoro de
Oguri Tago ga gunshū no naka de kiwadatsu.
Naganen de kanojo wa ite, shishū-sha,
kyōshi, aisatsu-sha nado to shite
watashitachi no ōkoku wo tabi shita.
Oguri-san no egao wa kangai shite to
kanojo no warai wa densen-seidesu.
Tsusāru to Tsurina no zenryoku de
wagahai iban to machirude ga kanojo wo
shōkan shi, kanojo wo chōtei ni dōnyū
shite, kono monshō wo sashiagemasu:
Ichigatsu Muika jyuuni yoru ni, Baron obu
endeuerude de shomei sareta.”
Once the words were handled the fear kicked in. I knew pretty much from conception I was going to do the scroll on rice paper and in kanji. I had picked up a piece of sumi rice paper from Artist & Craftsman while I was in Portland. It had been stowed safely in a cabinet above my fridge. That piece of paper scared me a lot! Two very wise teachers both told me “do the things which scare you”. And with courage, I started.
I bought a pad of rice paper from AC Moore to practice a little, and some sumi ink. In trying to work with the ink, which needed to be ground and hydrated, I determined I was not getting the consistency I wanted to make the kanji easy to read and certainly not easy to paint. I got continuously more frustrated and finally gave up. Time being of the essence, I decided I would return to working with sumi ink when I had better ink before me.
I turned to my trusty gouache and began to work. I lined the paper carefully, hoping to keep my kanji lined well, and then traced them on. I felt more confident in having the shadow of the letters there for me to work with, than trying to freehand them. I suspect with more practice, I’ll feel better about freehanding them.
Finally finished, I needed to trim the page down. I folded the excess paper over a string and wet the crease down with a paint brush. Then, with the assist from a friend, we pulled the string through the crease in order to give it the feathered look along the edge to match.
To the right is my end result. There are a lot of learning moments in this piece. Lines matter. I really wanted the columns to be uniform. I think, should I do another scroll similar, I will use my light box instead of the ruler for two reasons. With the light box, I will get more defined lines. And as I discovered, pencil lines don’t like to be removed from rice paper much. I ended up taking fibers off even using my kneaded eraser.
Ultimately, I am not disappointed with the scroll. Do I want to do this again? Yea, I think so. But when I have more time to play and practice with the ink.
I sincerely hope the recipient appreciates it.
Paper: Japanese Sumi Rice Paper
Paint: Holbein Gouache
The Voice of Audrye Beneyt 