Happy Halloween!

This coming weekend we celebrate another turn of the Wheel of Life on October 31 - whatever it's called - Samhain, All Hallow's Eve or Halloween. 

188 Galerie window display for Halloween 2015

Whether celebrated traditionally or commercially, pagan or Christian, old or new world - the occasion marks the end of harvest season and is the harbinger of winter coming. 

So let us make hay and be jolly! Let's celebrate a fruitful bounty!

The Art of Washi

Washi is the Japanese word for the traditional papers made from the long inner fibers of three plants native to Japan  - kozo, mitsumata and gampi. 

The kozo plant (Broussonetia papyrifera) or paper mulberry bark is thick and strong. Its long, tough fibers produce durable, textured, stable papers that are the most commonly used in the making of Japanese paper or washi.

A craftsman makes washi paper at his workshop. (Hikaru Uchida)