Helpful Resources
If you have a favorite link you would like added here, please mail takasumiesociety@gmail.com with the link, details about the site and how you found it useful.
Seasonal etegami post cards by Sensei Takashi and Karen Straus
Japanese Friendship Garden San Diego
Information about the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park is available from Japanese Friendship Garden (niwa.org)
San Diego County Fair - Fine Art Exhibition
Enter one or more of your masterpieces in the Fair’s Asian Brush Painting portion of the Exhibition of Fine Art competition. This is a juried competition. The artwork includes many variations of drawing, painting, mixed media, sculptures, ceramics and more. Enter your art into the Asian Brush Painting portion of the competition. Entries must be submitted by mid-April. See Exhibition of Fine Art (sdfair.com) for Important Dates, Entry Instructions and Registration.
Gasenshi (Etegami post card paper)
Japanese etegami post card paper is available from www.jetpens.com or www.amazon.com or Oriental Art Supply www.orientalartsupply.com.
These post cards come in single to tripled layered paper that give ink (sumi) and Asian watercolors (gansai) the desired “bleed” (nijimi) that is prized in etegami. The Japanese post cards come in 5 bleed strengths, 1 to 5, with 5 being the bleediest.
Dosankodebbie and Etegami Fun Club
This website and blog is priceless for etegami inspiration from around the world, etegamibydosankodebbie.blogspot.com
On the Laws of Japanese Painting, by Henry P. Bowie (Dover Publications, 1952)
This book, first published in 1911, is now available free online at www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35580
This is one of the books that 10-year students study, but students of any level will benefit from reading about the “why” of what we paint seasonally, as well as the laws of the techniques. The online version can be downloaded in various formats.
Yasutomo Mingei Crafts
Japanese Folk Arts by Karen Thomas (Yasutomo, ISBN 1-56231-742-3)
This craft booklet shows how to make various Japanese paper crafts, from small books to greeting cards to jewelry. I bought the book at the Mingei Museum, Balboa Park, several years ago, but the book is also available online at Amazon. FYI, the Mingei Museum gift shop (free admission) is an excellent resource for books on Japanese arts and crafts and origami paper. also visit the Yasutomo painting supplies website, yasutomo.com
Oriental Art Supply
This company, based in Huntington Beach, CA., offers high quality brushes, ink, paper, paints, and more, orientalartsupply.com.
OAS offers mostly Chinese style products, and is an excellent resource for custom Hanko or Name Seal-Chops and Japanese etegami post card stock. OAS stocks the small accordion-style books that make an attractive way to display a collection of your small paintings and calligraphy. The OAS newsletter is always informative, as is their website. It is well worth getting on the OAS mailing list for the enjoyable newsletter.
Blick Art Materials
Blick Art Materials is located in Little Italy, San Diego, or online at www.dickblick.com.
Blick has a large selection of art and craft papers, watercolor paper card stocks and artist trading cards. The store has a selection of Asian painting supplies, and stocks Nori Paste glue, which is used for stretching and mounting rice paper paintings.
The store is located at:
1844 India St
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: (619) 687-0050
Monday thru Friday 10-8, Saturday 9-7, Sunday 10-6.
Artist & Craftsman Supplies
Artist & Craftsman Supplies is located in Hillcrest and offers a selection of art and craft papers, backing paper, watercolor paper card stocks and artist trading cards. The store has a selection of Asian painting supplies, and stocks Nori Paste glue, which is used for stretching and mounting rice paper. There are many stores around the county, with online access through www.artistcraftsman.com. See the Find a Location > tab and use the Map to navigate to the Artist & Craftsman Supply San Diego entry, which contains a local e-mail address, Facebook and Instagram entry.
The store is located at:
3804 4th Avenue,
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 688-1911
Monday - Saturday: 10am to 7pm, Sunday: 10am - 6pm
Ace Hardware Store
Ace Hardware stocks the indispensable Titebond Liquid Hide Glue used by brush painters to create washes for rice paper paintings. If the glue is not in stock, Ace will gladly order it for you. The glue can also be purchased online at Amazon. Amazon offers only the larger bottle, Ace offers the smaller bottle. Since the glue can spoil if not used quickly enough, We recommend purchasing the smaller size. Ace also carries repositionable/removeable blue tape which can be used for stretching and mounting rice paper paintings.
There are many stores throughout San Diego County and the entire United States.
Amazon.com
If you prefer not to drive around San Diego for hard-to-find-items such as Titebond Liquid Hide Glue and Yasutomo Nori Paste glue, both are easily found at www.amazon.com It is well worth being a member of Amazon Prime for free and speedy delivery of these necessary items. Both glues go stale if not used often enough, so be sure to check your supplies before you start mounting your masterpieces for the annual FOS Spring and Fall shows. Nori Paste needs to be refrigerated once it has been opened. We recommend buying small bottles of the glues to avoid them going stale.
Blue Heron Arts
Blue Heron Arts, www.blueheronarts.com, offers a large selection of Chinese paintings supplies as well as online video tutorials. Some FOS members mount their masterpieces on Silicon Paper for Dry Mounting, which FOS sells by the yard at out Saturday workshops. Blue Heron has an excellent online tutorial and youtube videos on how to use silicon mounting paper. FOS members also demonstrate how to use the paper at Saturday workshops as our annual show approaches.
Hiromi Paper
World of Washi newsletter
The store, located in Culver City, CA., stocks a large variety of the highest-quality art and painting papers, with an emphasis on Japanese products. The newsletter and online store website are well worth reading and visiting.
Hiromi Paper Inc.
9469 Jefferson Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
(p) 310-998-0098
(toll free) 866-479-2744
True Art Information
This site explains materials, manufacturers, and hazards of artist materials. www.trueart.info
Finding Mounting Supplies Locally
Mounting supplies such as backing paper are available locally from Blick Art Materials in Little Italy and Artists & Craftsman Supplies in Hillcrest. Blick and Artists also carry Nori Paste. Friends of Sumi-e sells silicon backing paper during our monthly workshop meetings. See above for links and addresses to Blick and Artists Supply.