From the Sketchpad

Before departing for my three months abroad in England my dearest mother gave me a pocket-sized Molleskine travel journal. I used it to take many notes, write stories, and document my trips with as much skew and bias as possible. Two years and two Molleskines later I have much to share about the last few months, especially in picture form.

Himeji-Jou (1/6/2006)

Himeji Castle is one of Japan's best known. I thought it looked pretty menacing to ward off approaching armies. If that was the designer's intention, it worked...no army ever beseiged Himeji-Jou.

Banba-cho no ki (6/16/2006)

This is a lone, leafless tree I saw hanging on the border between a bamboo forest and rice field. Being the middle of June the sparseness of this tree with charcoal bark struck me, as it stood in a limbo with teaming greenery on either side. I thought it should have more life.

Ayutthaya, Thailand (12/29/2005)

Here is a window into the future provided by the lessons of past monachs. We are not invincible.

Kusatsu-shi, Shiga-ken (6/17/2006)

This is the night sky from atop a playground near our home in Kusatsu. At night the stars draw our maps.