Par Avion

Drawing is the best way to really look. There’s nothing like trying to draw something to make you observe it properly.

Here are some quick postcard sketches from a recent trip to Japan.

Above is the courtyard garden of the Kanjiro Kawai house in Kyoto. The view is of the corner of the house - drawn from a bench just outside the ceramic studio. The space is really magical - incredibly quiet and tranquil.

Above left is a sugar-bowl and tiny vase in the charming Cleha coffee shop in the historic district of Kamishichiken in Kyoto.

And on the right is a detail from the Isamu Noguchi studio in Shikoku. Photography was not allowed, but drawing was welcome. Here are Noguchi’s tools of the trade - hammers and chisels all neatly lined up.

Above here are a couple more restaurant details - on the left the Yamadaya Udon restaurant in Aji, and on the right the Osaka railway station cafe.

And here a couple more views in Takamatsu - a garden detail and a view of the tranquil Seto Inland Sea.

And lastly below one of the ubiquitous wriggly tin buildings which you see everywhere. There is something about the faded colours and textures which is very appealing

The whole point of the drawing is the process of looking… so the final result is much less important than the doing of it… which means I’m always very happy to write an address and a message on the back of the card, stick a stamp on it and put it in the post. It’s a process of looking, drawing and letting go.