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TSURU (Crane): The Japanese red-crowned crane is considered a national treasure, appearing in art, literature, and folklore. The crane is regarded as
a symbol of good fortune and longevity because of its fabled life span of a thousand years.
It also represents fidelity, as Japanese cranes are known to mate for life.

In the mating season, males do a ritual dance in which they bow their heads and flap their wings and leap up and down with their wings outstretched. Females sometimes start dancing and at times entire flocks dance for what appears to be the sheer fun of it. The leaping dance of red-crowned cranes can be both a courtship dance or a sign of aggression.

“Why the interest in Asian art?” Education, travel, and employment with international companies led me to becoming introduced to oriental culture on a professional level. While entrenched in the workforce competing with Japanese manufactured product, productivity standards, Musashi, and management styles, I entertained the idea of embarking upon oriental culture on a personal level as well. Little did I know where this immersion would lead me, and how immensely rewarding the saturation would be. The journey has taken me on a study of Tai Kwon Do philosophy and form, ikebana, Japanese architecture and fashion design, tradition, and symbolism; all culminating in sumi-e and oriental brush painting. One of the most impressionable...