Gone to Croatan

[ink-pedia]

[crossconnectmag]

Jed Henry & David Bull: Ukiyo-e Heroes

Jed Henry & David Bull are 2 American Japanophiles who were drawn together by their passion for traditional Japanese woodblock printing. Jed illustrates ukiyo-e styled scenes featuring comic & video game characters. David hand carves woodblocks & makes the prints in Japan, where he’s been mastering this artform for over 25 years. | via: YM Blog

“Not only are we making fun, meaningful art. We’re also working to save the Japanese woodblock community in a very real way. Through print sales, Dave has been able to pay a workshop full of apprentices & even employ seasoned masters in the craft!”

More Jed:  Facebook | Tumblr | Shop

Cross Connect on Twitter will leave a lasting impression on you.

Posted by Yellowmenace

[artemisdreaming]

Man’s Informal Robe with the Thirty-six Poetic Immortals Period: Taishō period (1912–26) Date: early 20th century Culture: Japan Medium: Silk, stenciled and paste-resist dyed Dimensions: Overall: 50 3/8 x 49 5/8 in. (128 x 126 cm) Classification: Textiles-Costumes Credit Line: John C. Weber Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art

Description from The Metropolitan Museum of Art: “Representations of the Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals harken back to a literary canon established by the courtier Fujiwara no Kintō (966–1041). When portrayed in the handscroll format, individual poets—in distinctive poses, and with recognizable attributes—are separated from one another by inscriptions of their poems. In contrast, Rinpa artists gathered these isolated, iconic luminaries into a single scene, a convention followed in this informal man’s robe. The visually complex composition was produced through a dyeing process that initially involved using a stencil through which a rice-paste resist was applied, creating thin white outlines around most figures. Colors were then added to accentuate the presence of five poets in particular—notably, one of five female poets, who occupies a prominent position at the upper center of the back of the garment. Her figure, however, is slightly obscured by the men that surround her.”

Artemis:  I’d love to get a better look at the detail of this piece.    I’d go to the Met to see it but it isn’t on view.  :(

[quoteinspirational]

[explodingrocks]

Hoshi Bashi Kabuto and Octopus Maedate. About early 19th century, Japan.

[thekimonogallery]

Kanjiro Kawai’s house.  Built in 1937, and now a museum in Kyoto, Japan.  Kanjiro Kawai is a renowned Japanese potter.  Photography by Takashi Yagi on Flickr

[bpdplace-blog]

[pureblyss]

These are the best and truest kinds of friendships.

[colchrishadfield]

Some problems solve themselves.

[ofthesmall]

This is Taoist. XD

[humansofnewyork]

"I don’t think the library is threatened. Circulation of physical books has never been higher. But I wouldn’t even agree that libraries are in the book business. I think they are in the information sharing business. And it just so happens that books have been the primary method of sharing information for half a millennium. The library isn’t going to compete with the internet. It’s going to be part of the internet. New York libraries have one of the greatest collections of information in the world, and one of our goals is to have it all curated, linked, and navigable.” "But once you’ve uploaded all your information, haven’t you made yourself obsolete?" "Absolutely not. Libraries provide a third space that is neither home or work, where people can come together and do thinking work. There will always be that need. And a third of New York depends upon the library system for not only free books, but free computers as well. This is especially important to immigrants, because you don’t have to prove anything to get a library card."

[nubbsgalore]

the village of shirakawa-gō in japan’s gifu prefecture is known for its gasshō-zukuri style homes built to endure heavy snowfall. the wooden homes face north and south to minimize wind resistence and maximize the sun’s warmth in the winter.  photos by sébastien durand, uno taka, head pipe, h_iwata_72, miyamoto y, walerian walawksi and nomiyama kei  

[rocketrictic]

Brandon Stanton, Humans of New York

[humansofnewyork]

Someone made my words look pretty.

[chattermaxunderthesink]

"i’m sad and idk how to feel better"

"i don’t know what to draw"

"i always mess up"

"BUT I SUCK"

[onlinecounsellingcollege]

1. Set aside some time to think through why you feel you’re not good enough, or don’t deserve to be loved. Then actively counter each of those reasons. This is a really crucial step for you to take. 2. Make a list of at least 10 of your positive traits and...

[ofthesmall]

This isn't necessarily "Taoist" but I want this blog to help people improve their lives and be happy and I think this could be helpful. :)

[ofthesmall]

On State and Society:

"There are three dangers in the world: To have many privileges but few virtues is the first danger. To be high in rank but low on ability is the second danger. To receive a large salary without personally accomplishing much is the third danger. So, 'People may gain by loss and may lose by gain.'" There are really more dangers than this, of course. :) But these name three that we may, on first assessment, associate with ease and luxury but that really end up not being good for you. We see these in movies fairly often - they are the sort of "And the moral of the story is..." sort of stories. But there is a very definite truth in all of them. If we get things that will make us lose sight of ourselves, it will lead us astray. If we receive things with great to-do but that we are not truly capable of following through with, it will lead us astray. If we get things we do not earn it will lead us astray. All of these things seem wonderful at first, who doesn't want to gain a lot with little cost? But the truth is, balance happens. The pendulum will swing back. The coke kings do sometimes get life in prison. You shouldn't address yourself as the glorious exception to the rule, that's a prideful fallacy that will most likely only cause you to fall harder.

Be honest, be real, be yourself. 

[ofthesmall]

On State and Society:

"What is right in one case is not what is right in another; what is wrong in one case is not what is wrong in another."

[ofthesmall]

On State and Society:

"Right and wrong are situational. In the appropriate situation, nothing is wrong. Without the appropriate situation, nothing is right."

[ofthesmall]

On State and Society:

"When benevolence is overextended, it becomes weakness; and if you are weak, you lack dignity. When sternness is overextended, it becomes ferocity; and if you are fierce, you lack gentility. When liking is overextended, it becomes indulgence; and if you are indulgent, you lack authority. When punishment is overextended, it becomes cruelty; and if you are cruel, you have no friends." Today's post is about balance. Even good things, like benevolence, become less "good" if they are in an overabundance. Things are cyclic and trans-formative. Too much benevolence isn't benevolence anymore, it's just weakness. Honestly, I thought of Facebook when "liking" was mentioned. If you "like" too many pictures and statuses your "likes" become less meaningful. You become to others someone who just "likes" everything they see. You're probably going to click that button whether you feel strongly about it or not. It might even become creepy. Ha. You no longer have any authority because what you're doing means less because you do it so much. But you didn't lose it, you've straight up given it away.  (Then again there are some situations in which, say, gentility needs to be thrown out the window as well. :) ) Even old philosophies can become very practically applicable in a modern world if they are understood correctly.