my first post: washi paper maker from japan

Hello Steemians.　*記事の概要の日本語訳が下にあります。
My name is Rogier Uitenboogaart, I am a Japanese papermaker and artist.

http://rogier.jp This is my artist website.
http://kamikoya-washi.com This is my studio/guest house/workshop website. I am running this with my family.
　　
I am Dutch, 38 years ago I moved to Japan to learn the art of Japanese washi-paper making, and have lived and worked in the Kochi prefecture on the island Shikoku since then.

(This kind of paper is called Unryu-mizutama shi, dragon cloud paper with waterdrops. A paper like this made me become interested in Washi and Japan. )
　　
This is my first post on steemit, my introduction post. It took me a few months before my first post now after my son told me about steemit. Still I do not completely understand yet the blockchain and “crypto world” but if steemit is the new media platform on which we will be encouraged to post good contents of value that contribute to a better understanding art and crafts and traditional culture worldwide and that there will be a possibility to get support for being involved with that and to be able to support others, that would be great. I think that moving forward with this traditional art in this modern area depends on how much I will be rooted in the tradition and at the same time how well I can connect with various other disciplines and be inspired by it. I hope that this platform will be an inspiration.

(This is the place where we live. At the foot of the Shikoku karst plateau and at the source of the Shimanto river.)
　　
We would like to introduce the world of traditional washi-paper making. Not only about the actual making of the paper but also as part of the traditional local mountain culture; the way of living, nature, food, and festivals etc.

(The technique of making traditional Japanese paper is called nagashisuki. The mold is supported by ropes hung from bamboo rods that can move up and down.)
　　
Also, here in Japan there are nowadays considered to be four seasons. That is maybe enough if you live in a city today, but in the past, they said that there are 24 seasons or even 48. Traditional washi - paper making is very much connected to and influenced by nature. I hope to follow as much as possible the rhythm of nature and write posts about that.

(Papermaking in Japan depends on nature a lot, water, plants etc. In our garden, we have the "big three plants/trees" for us: Holland, Japan, papermaking. This year they did bloom at the same time. From left to right, Tulips, Japanese cherry blossom Sakura and one of Japanese paper fiber plants; Mitsumata.)
　　
Thanks for reading and I hope to be back soon.

(This piece is made with the pulp painting method. Cotton and washi fibers)

Here is a quick translation in Japanese by my son.
steemitの皆さんこんにちは、私はオランダ出身の手すき和紙作家ロギール・アウテンボーガルトです。高知県在住です。
http://rogier.jp これが私のアーティスト・ウェブサイトです。
http://kamikoya-washi.com これが私のスタジオのウェブサイトです。紙すき体験のできる民宿を家族で運営しています。
息子にsteemitのことを教えてもらってから、この初投稿までに数カ月たちました。まだsteemitのこともブロックチェーンのこともはっきりとは理解できていませんが、これが私の創作活動のいい刺激になれば素晴らしと思うし、私が関わっているような伝統的な世界にとっても、これからこのような新しい技術は必要なことではないかと思っています。
このブログではこれから、伝統的な和紙作りについてはもちろん、その背景となる自然や文化、精神世界についても書きたいと思っています。そしてまた、よく日本には「四季」があると言われますが、里山では４８季あるとさえ言われていますので、その様子もお伝えできればと思います。
読んでくださりありがとうございました。よろしくお願いします。