Echizen Washi

 I visited his show about one and half years ago. I left a note on a visitor's book and he started writing letters to me. And I also kept sending him back.

Last month I had an opportunity to visit Tokyo. Then I suddenly remembered he had told me to stop by his house some time any time when I come near Tokyo. So I called him to ask for a visit on the next day. Too sudden, but he was glad to know that I was coming.

He is eighty-three years old. He went to Mexico when he was in his thirties and came back to Japan after forty years passed. What he does is ink art. I don't really like Japanese style for ink paintings, but not his. His work looks so energetic and original.

When we were talking in his house, I asked him to be a model for me. I made a quick sketch and after coming back home I did another painting based on the sketch.