Last month, I visited a very special Japanese calligrapher (書道 shodō artist), who is not actually from Japan. The lovely Rona Conti maintains her studio in Belmont, MA. Rona is gracious, inviting, and informative, besides very talented! It was relaxing and so contemplative to watch her hand dance on handmade paper; each masterful stroke is the result of the eternal process of learning, passion, and patience.
To say Rona is a Japanophile would be perhaps an understatement. Specifically, Rona embodies the Japanese aesthetic in her daily life; whether it is the tatami mats under her feet, the ceramics adorning her studio, and most importantly, the discipline she embraces as she approaches her work.
See for yourself not just in the studio, but in her pieces as well:
[slideshow]
Rona’s did a fabulous “MU” character on our vintage shikishi boards with a wisteria design shown in the previous slide show. I loved the way the black sumi ink softened the floral design to a brocade effect. Feel free to call Paper Connection for more information about
shikishi and other fine papers for sumi-e and shodō .