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Award Winner Kevin Adams

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Curran Grand Master

Curran

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Beautiful evolution in your work.

 

Also, if there was ever a shinsakuto tsuba meant for Jim Gilbert, this would be it.

I do not have a link to his photography website. Many here already know his other passion besides tsuba.

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Ted Tenold Mentor

Ted Tenold

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Well Done Kevin!  I see Red Wing Blackbirds and Bluet Damselflies perched on Cattails like this nearly every spring and summer day here in Montana. Looking at this tsuba, I immediately paint a mental picture of the local wildlife refuge where there are acre upon acre of cattails with Red Winged, and Yellow Headed Blackbirds, as well as the dozens of other flora and fauna.  It's a wonderfully peaceful and cathartic time for me every time I walk the trails there, and your work in this tsuba transports me to those moments.    

 

In Japanese fittings, this is the kind of connection that is lost on folks that have never been to Japan to see and experience in real time much of the imagery that artists were re-creating.  In this work, you've enabled that connection with something familiar, and the viewer can paint a larger mental picture of their own personal experiences.  

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Kevin Adams Community Regular

Kevin Adams

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Stephen, you sneaky so-and-so. I didn't realize you had posted this until I received a couple of PM notifications via email.  :P

 

Thank you very much for the kind words, everyone. I'm very happy about the result, and gratified that an original design of non-Japanese fauna was recognized in this way. Interesting side note - on the results document from the NBSK website, my tsuba has been described thusly: "Tetsuji Mukudori Tonbo no zu tsuba"...I wonder how the blackbird became a starling! 

 

Ted, you're actually not far off the mark. I've been trying to write a post in my blog about the thought processes that went into this piece, but there's so many that it's been difficult to keep them organized. But one of those is indeed the connectivity between the human experience and its reflection in art - I've been thinking a lot lately about how to put more of "myself" into my work. I DO love studying the Japanese imagery and technique in painting and metalwork, but I've lately acknowledged a bit of a disconnect when I go to make something. By tapping into subject matter that I'm familiar with, and relying on what I've learned of technique and aesthetic to influence what I'm doing, I'm HOPING that the result will be something more...intuitive?

 

You see why I'm having a bit of trouble writing this all down?  ;-)

 

To this end, I have a few other pieces in various stages of design that are from the same inspiration as this piece - those heady days of childhood wonder hanging with cool uncles beside rural riverbanks. :)

 

Thanks!

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