You may remember Rick Daddario the wonderful photographer, artist and poet from Hawaii who has been a guest on my blog previously.
Today I am writing about Rick’s new (2012) book of art and poetry in the form of Haiga called This is Not That – They are Just Connected (Becoming Haiga ~ Haiku within Image).
Haiga is a haiku placed within an image to create one work. The image and the haiku can individually stand alone, but there is an added magic when taken together. Ideally an interaction of sorts where the sum is greater than the parts.
Rick talks about the process in the introduction:
… a process of discovering relationships between image and words. Ideally the end result will engage the mind. I enjoy creating haiga. I learn by doing, as well as by seeing what others do. It’s also fun to simply play – which to me is an intensely focused way to create.
What better person to produce Haiga than Rick who is not only a talented artist but an experienced and skilled writer of haiku. Each page in the book is a sumptuous combination of art (or photography) with one haiku.
Reading the collection is akin to experiencing exquisite moments where one is suddenly awakened to the now; a meditative excursion in time and space through the eyes of an aesthete, eyes which are attuned to capturing the essence of life’s ups and downs, beauty and sadness. A book of Aha moments where there is sudden clarity in the mist.
I love this book 😀
It is a pleasure to have this collection of Haiga on my bookshelf and to be able to leaf through the pages when in need of inspiration and hope. If you want to see more examples of Rick’s work or to find out about the availability of his new book just pop over to his 19planets blog.
Today I would like to introduce you to a wonderfully creative blogger Rick Daddario who resides in Hawaii (lucky him 🙂 ). He is a visual artist, photographer and poet who blogs at 19 Planets Art Blog.
His work ranges from drawings, watercolours, acrylics, sketches, mixed media, digital drawings and paintings, digital mixed media collage, photographs and altered photographs, haiku and haiga ( ie., combination of image and haiku), mail art or postal art.
I am a big fan of his blog and find his work calming and meditative, with a focus on seasonal changes, nature, observation and simplicity. His blog is like a resting place next to a clear, serene pond with beautiful water lilies for company.
I asked Rick my usual two questions for guest bloggers:
Why do you blog? What do you like best about blogging?
Here is Rick’s response:
Rick Daddario
Why do you blog?
Until you asked, I don’t think I’d really asked myself this question. Maybe the answer to the follow up question will help?
What do you like best about blogging?
Or
Ten things I like best about blogging:
Liking something best is hard – because one day (one moment) it might be one thing and the next day it’s two other things. So ten things I like about blogging:
1. Most artists I know like to see/understand how people respond to their work. I’m like that. Blogging helps me to know how people respond to my work without the stress of “showing” – as in a Gallery setting or selling, although I like to do both of these at times too. Blogging allows me to show my art; Visual Art (maybe I should include flash writing too) to people related to my field as well as those interested in what I do. Knowing I have a place where people can find and look at my work is one of the things I like about blogging.
2. I also like the interaction that can occur. Something I do may excite someone else to do something of his or her own. I like that. Seeing what others do can have the same effect on me. I like that kind of exchange.
3. There is also the idea of connecting around the planet. Being in contact with people from all over this planet appeals to me. Maybe it’s the sense that we are all one, that is most often reinforced through this connection, that I like. May be it’s the sense that the world is a big and amazing place with a lot of different points of views and ways of seeing/living on earth that excites me about this connecting. Connections – yeah, I like that about blogging.
4. Seeing my work outside of the environment where it is created helps me to take a more critical look at what I’m doing. Blogging is one of the ways I can do this.
5. Blogging is an easily approachable structure that facilitates collaboration. I like working on collaborative works and/or projects. By blogging I can often pick and choose projects and collaborators for future work – or others can pick and choose me if what I do appeals to them. I like when someone approaches me with ideas and possibilities in this way.
6. I also like when people ask questions. Sometimes responding to a question is a good way for me to know myself – what I think, or how I might do something. It helps me to explore my world – my knowledge, thoughts, work process etc. I often find out what I actually think when I respond to a comment. I like that.
7. I also like when people tell me what my work brings up for them, what it makes them think of – a memory, or an idea, or something they’ve thought of because of what they see in my work – how my work might connect to them.
8. Eventually (soon I hope – which I’ve been saying for a long time) I’d like to link my blog up to what I’m thinking of as an Access Gallery – a way I can post work in different formats for affordable purchase. I’d like to integrate my blog into part of that process although not as a predominant component because I don’t want to get trapped into making what I think might sell. I like this idea and the web and blogging seem to me to be an easy and informal way of approaching this.
9. I think blogging also helps me stay on track creating. I find what I like to do and I do that. My interests change, as long as I keep going where my interest is, I know I’ll want to keep exploring my creating process. The blog allows me to do this in my own way because I’m not required to blog under a predetermined condition or constraint. I like that freedom. Free to be myself – blogging allows me to do that.
10. Yeah, too, I think I have found some great friends through blogging, as well as co-workers, collaborators, peers – and teachers – and those who can teach me too. Blogging allows me to see that there are a lot of terrific people in the world – I like that.
I’m sure there are more things I like about blogging. As soon as I think I’ve said the main things I like best, I seem to think of something else I like about blogging. As you know, I am quite capable of rambling on and on until I get to some place or thing that I like. It seems to me the reason I blog is somewhere within these things I like about blogging. When blogging is no longer fun, I’ll probably stop blogging. Oh, yeah, another thing I like about blogging – it’s fun.
Artist Rick Daddario from Hawaii has created a haiga (ie., ‘image with haiku as one work’) over at his blog that conjures up images about treasures found in a school desk.
This got me reminiscing about the things I used to keep in my school desk.
When I was a kid the desks were wooden two seaters. I loved those desks.
In primary school I had a collection of teeth (my own) – the tooth fairy must have forgotten to take some 😉
I kept a few of these teeth in my desk, as you do. The teacher opened my desk one day and on seeing the pearly whites, groaned!
I had a thing about teeth (still do in fact) – my collection is quite large now (I’ve struck a deal with the kids tooth fairy).
I also had a really cool ruler that had a knife hidden inside it (a letter opener) – still have that as well. Mum bought it from a second-hand shop somewhere and gave it to me (or maybe I borrowed it 😉 ). No-one at school ever saw what was inside the ruler – just as well, I might have got in trouble (never thought about that at the time).
Throughout my school years the contents changed regularly but the desk always held an attraction as a place for hidden treasure.
Did you have anything exciting in your desk at school?
Gabe Feathers McGee 
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