Creating kimonos by hand, day one

I’ve spent a couple of years deconstructing kimonos. I wondered what it would be like to make a kimono. I found the perfect class at the Workshop Residence in San Francisco. These photos are from the first day of the four day workshop.

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Tsuyo Onodera has devoted fifty years of her life to the art of kimono making in Japan, having trained hundreds of students to become licensed kimono makers during five year long apprenticeships at her school in Sendai, Japan. She serves as the president of Miyagi Kimono Association, and in 1982 invented Mai Yamato, a pre-tied kimono and obi system.

Collaborating in Onodera’s Workshop Residence project is her daughter, Sonoma based artist Maki Aizawa. Maki grew up in her mother’s kimono making school surrounded by creativity, studying floral arranging, calligraphy and studying the musical instrument the Koto.

An exquisite shop in an enchanting town

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We were hot, sweaty, and a bit jagged, after having just arrived on the “jeep-boat-jeep”  from Monte Verde, Costa Rica. One of the first things we were told when we got to Essence Arenal Organic Farm and Hotel, was to go around the corner to La Gavilana art gallery and shop. Hotel concierge Vanessa, (the once ice skating girl from Chicago, now expat) said, “it’s owned by an American girl and it’s very nice.”

Be curious, adventurous, and let Mother Earth hold you

A million shades of green

What can I say about the rainforest? It is beyond describing. Hiking through the Santa Elena forest for 4 hours was transforming. The sound of the rainforest birds and animals is unlike anything else I have heard. The two of us were almost the only humans within sight for hours. We walked looking up at amazing trees, vines, bromeliads, birds, and butterflies. we walked looking down at beetles, centipedes, and ants. I felt a detoxification and healing happen as we were immersed in the magic of hundred year old trees. I picked one beauty, I think a Ficus, to have an energy exchange with – what a moment of purification and gratitude.

Jungle night life

Who knows what goes on in the dark? Well we have a better idea after going on a night hike in Monte Verde, Costa Rica.

A group of 14 of us, (including an infant), tramped up and down hills with flashlights for 3 hours. Costa Rican guide Alex was a terrific spotter, and a funny guy. Surprisingly we came upon a fair amount of critters. I know we would have never seen the viper in strike position on the tree branch on our own. We wouldn’t have known Mrs. Tarantula was in that hole in the dirt. And I finally got to see a sloth in the wild! The two toed variety was hanging upside down munching down on leaves.

My partner almost got lost when he was videoing leaf cutter ants on his hands and knees. He accidentally joined another tour group in the dark. After I yelled his name to no avail, our guide had to go retrieve him. After that episode our leader started counting our group every few minutes.

In addition to the sloth, the other exciting furry mammals we got to spy on were olingo, kinkajou, and coati – kinda raccoon-monkey-catlike beings that were all crawling around high up in the trees. Then there were the lizards, frogs, and lightning bugs.

It was all a great time running around in the dark like in a “Blair Witch” movie episode,
but more educational and fun!

Kinkajou

Finca La Isla Botanical Gardens

A highlight of our trip to Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica was visiting a working tropical farm in the jungle. Here a father and son raise pepper, cacao, tropical fruits, and ornamental plants. We had a lesson and tasting of local fruits and learned how chocolate is made.

Early morning nature

Before the voices of the hawkers,the zooming of the cars, before the booming of the reggae music;

Mobile art

An amazing woman of the ocean mural that’s mobile!

Earthly powers

I wish I knew who the artist is of this gorgeous mural in Montezuma, Costa Rica.

Costa Rican arty fox

It’s always a delight to find a fox! This one is part of a series of painted metal animals on a walking street in San Jose, Costa Rica.