I knew that my middle son Maarten would come from Stockholm on Sunday night, because of his travel, but then my oldest son Roland arrived from San Diego last Friday night and suddenly, my youngest son Arjan and his fiancee Katie from Chicago were standing in front of me. We had some good time together. Unfortunately, Maarten arrived at 7pm and Katie had to leave at that same time to be on time at work on Monday morning. We had a wonderful dinner together and then Roland left at 4am to be on time at his work in San Diego on Monday morning. What a travel all around and with working children, but they all made it work to be together for some time!!!

Roland                      Arjan                                  Maarten

Maarten is now still here and tomorrow we will go to Yosemite for some days. This is my third week after the chemo and always the best. Although a little bit more tired. Next Monday the 22nd will be my 4th and last chemo!!!

Arjan, Swanica, Adriaan, Roland and Maarten.



.

And now back to work and returning to Japan to prepare for my exhibition at the Toko Gallery in Mashiko, Japan, from November 27 – December 9, 2010!

I am already preparing  my next show in November in the Toko Gallery in Mashiko. I had a show there also in 2007 and they show continually work from me. My theme for the show is: “Wings: Love is a bird, it needs to fly”.

So, I am doing some horsehair ceramics and sculptural works. Quite challenging.

We enjoy living near the sea and go often for a swim. The water is warm and quite clear. During the day, when it is nice weather, it is simmering hot and humid, but luckily in the evening we have a nice breeze. Sometimes it storms and rains, because of a faraway typhoon.
In my outside workshop I have a big fan and exhaust, which fans out the hot air especially when I fire a kiln. I glaze my ware early in the morning, because after the noon hour it is too hot.

Last week, I was sick, so, you take it slow and everything is too much. But luckily I am better again.
Today, I first went out for a cup of coffee and read Bill Geisinger’s book about Potters in Japan. Very interesting and enjoyable especially when you recognize potters, methods and work.
Then I biked to the Hachimangu shrine with the big pond, which was filled with the Lotus flowers. What a sight! I sat down under the shade of a Wisteria patch, felt the breeze on my face, saw dragonflies and a butterfly, a little bird on a big Lotus leaf and pigeons and the beautiful pink and white Lotus flowers.

I returned to my comfortable house and thought how lucky I am that I can live this life, thinking about the millions of people suffering from floods, landslides, illnesses, fires, hurricanes and earthquakes. I am really thankful.

It was held in the museum “Het Valkhof” in the city Nijmegen. This museum houses a major collection of Roman antiquities, old masters, and modern art. It is located at the edge of the historic Valkhof Park, which was once the site of a Roman encampment and, many centuries later the residence of Charlemagne. Today, you will find an excitingly modern structure for art and archeology. A long glass gallery with its undulating ceiling offers a panoramic —-My uncle busy in his workshop.—– view of the grand river landscape beyond.

My father was also born in the city Nijmegen and as young as 18 years old and later becoming a historian, he was already a tour guide for the “Valkhof Park”. And now I have some of my work in the museum!

For five generations we have artists in the family and it started with my great-grandfather Herman Arens, who was a photographer and art drawing teacher and his brother Arnold Arens, who moved to Antwerpen (Belgium). He invented and had a patent on a machine for a copperplate press for decorations.






The 3 sons of my great-grandfather worked together in a guild of the “Brothers Arens”. My grandfather, Rudolphus, was the oldest, Albert was the painter and drew a lot of the designs and Johan, also a goldsmith, was the youngest. They made a lot of art for churches of which you can see a photo in my blog of February 2, 2010.

A special necklace made for the mayor of the city Huissen in 1948 by the “Brothers Arens”.

My uncle and godfather, Rudie Arens, who is born in 1918, and the 5th child out of 6, first wanted to become a doctor, but then chose to follow in his dad’s footsteps. He went to the appropriate art schools and had practical experience with a lot of artists. He also became an art teacher and in his workshop he taught over 80 students for their practical year. Some of his work:

A silver seahorse on precious stone.

He crafted lots of sigilla/signs for university student organizations.

The design of a commemorative “Spoon” for the birth of “Prins Bernard”, one of the sons of Princess Margriet, sister of Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands.

Of course, I have to show you this swan, which he crafted beautifully on top of a leftover medieval staff.

This is another drawing of some fine jewelry, so beautiful that it almost looks real.

The granddaughter, Charlotte Rombouts Arens, the fifth generation, will continue the goldsmithing art.

My brother Ruud-Jan Kokke, who is a designer, my sister Alida Kokke, who is a floral artist and I are the fourth generation participating in this exhibition.

My sister Alida with “Primula” flower prints surrounded by “email” (color glaze) floral primula jewelry of uncle Rudie.

The cane and stool are designed by my brother Ruud-Jan and acquired, shown and sold in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Then my work: the “Angle” Kamakura Red Teapot and cup, the “Toward the middle” plate and an engraved white slip plate.

This is my grandfather Rudolphus Arens playing his cello, painted by his brother Albert Arens.

In this church he crafted the pulpit. Incredible!





This Art Deco style beautiful owl is standing on the corner of the pulpit.









Kind of interesting how I come back to my family via the research of Kamakura Bori all the way in Japan: life makes a full circle!







.

We had breakfast in this restaurant, a typical old style house.



We had a nice time together for one day and then I returned to Holland to return the next day to Japan.

My sister-in-law Inge, my son Roland and niece Esmee.













We played a board game from about a hundred years ago, which our grandfather played from my husband’s family side. It is played once a year on New Year’s Eve. It is about farmers being afraid of having to pay too much taxes. We play with old Dutch pennies not being used anymore because of the Euro.

Then at 12 midnight after wishing everybody a Happy New Year and drinking champagne, everybody rushes outside to light fireworks with a big bang starting the New Year! It is not organized. Anybody can light fireworks. It is everywhere around you!  Watch this YOU TUBE VIDEO!!

And it was snowing!

What a beautiful way to start the Holiday Season!

Odawara Castle had very strong defenses, because it was situated on a hill, surrounded by moats with water on the low side, and dry ditches on the hill side, with banks, walls and cliffs located all around the castle, enabled the defenders to repel attacks by the great warriors Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen. However, Toyotomi Hideyoshi took the castle in 1590, and awarded the holdings of the Hojo to Tokugawa Ieyasu, who in turn installed the Okubo clan at Odawara.

During the Edo period, Odawara’s strategic location on the Tokaido,  between mountainous Hakone and Sagami Bay, gave it great strategic importance.

Eventually, Odawara Castle was destroyed by Meiji government. However, present Odawara Castle was rebuilt in 1960. It serves as a museum and is designated as an important historical monument. Today,  a reproduction of the castle stands high on a hill above Odawara.

The moat around the castle is filled with koi fish.

My boys, Arjan and Roland, and Katie had fun being dressed up as Samurai and Lady.