増田 俊樹

Trying out the good old culture of Japan where you can feel summer at home. This time it was a summery experience! Masuda: Every year, around this time, you were planning your summer vacation. “Single camping” is a trend, so it would have been nice if I could have taken a photo about 100 metres away from. (laughs) It’s difficult in various ways, so when I thought about how I could enjoy the outdoor image of summer at home, I thought it would be wonderful to experience Japanese culture again with wind chimes. I’ve blown glass before, so this time I tried painting a wind chime.

How did you feel about the challenge? Masuda: I was right next to her, drawing smoothly, but it was difficult. Rather than whether I was good at painting, there were technical difficulties such as handling the brush, drawing on the back of the glass instead of the front, and drawing on rounded parts. It’s especially difficult to measure the distance! Draw while looking from the front side, not from the bottom hole, so it’s over two glasses. I didn’t know the distance between the brush and the glass, wondering when the brush would come out.

Since it’s water-based paint, you can do it repeatedly. Masuda: I heard that story towards the end, so I was nervous until then (laughs). Nonetheless, I think that the teachers and craftsmen are sure to be able to draw quickly in one shot, and as the teacher said, “The feelings of the person who is drawing are conveyed.” I don’t think it’s a thing. I concentrated from the top of my head and went into it with the feeling that there was no need to redo it!

Why did you choose fireworks and goldfish as motifs? Masuda: I’ve always liked fish and fireworks, and I came here for the feeling of summer. Then, a goldfish that reminds you of a fair, or fireworks that reminds you of a festival would be perfect. I thought so and tried to draw it.

Fireworks ward of evil spirits, and goldfish bring good fortune. Masuda: No, it’s important! I put a lot of thought into drawing the goldfish! (laughs) My goldfish looks plumper than the goldfish that the teacher drew as a model, but I think it looks healthier than the tiny goldfish. And somehow, a plump goldfish is more likely to have a lot of money (laughs).

The surface of the water was drawn with a brush. Masuda: It felt good to draw that! It’s difficult to draw straight lines neatly from the backside, but I was amazed at how I could use the brush like that. It makes me happy that even an amateur can create such a beautiful gradation with just a little technique. The surface of the water is a good accent, and I feel that the wind chimes have tightened.

The torii you drew with your idea was also wonderful. Masuda: At first, I didn’t intend to draw a torii. But when we were talking about fireworks, I was from Hiroshima and when I said, “Miyajima’s underwater fireworks are also good,” the teacher said, “Let’s draw a torii.” The fireworks, the goldfish, and the torii are all separate things, but I was really impressed by how they came together as a single wind chime in the end. Instead of just drawing what I wanted, I was happy that I was able to create the overall picture while discussing it with my teacher.

Finally, please give a score for this experience and a title for your work. Masuda: It’s already 100 points. It’s an amateurish and clumsy drawing, but I don’t think I could surpass it even if I made another one, and I think I made a good one. The title is… it’s kind of ugly, but I guess it’s “Negai”. Now I can’t go out to watch fireworks, I can’t scoop goldfish at fairs, and I can’t even go back to my hometown of Hiroshima. I hope you come.