Etegami by Meeah Williams

[Amy Irwen]

Meeah sent me her very first try at Etegami...what a great first piece...

Thank you so much Meeah....

[xx Jones]

So did google a bit and found some interesting information. I like the motto;  "It’s fine to be clumsy. In fact, the best etegami are clumsy!"  

"Etegami is a Japanese folk art consisting of simple hand-painted drawings accompanied by a few apt words, and they are almost always done on postcards for quick and easy mailing. The basic concept has been around for a long time; the tradition of handmade New Years cards testifies to this. But the present day surge in etegami popularity began after the work of artist Koike Kunio was taken up by the media in the late 1970s. Koike is the current president of the Japan Etegami Society, and may rightly be considered the father of the modern etegami movement. The etegami motto, which he made famous, is “heta de ii, heta ga ii” (roughly translated: It’s fine to be clumsy. In fact, the best etegami are clumsy!)" 

Maybe I will give it a go some time, I started playing with watercolour this year. :-)

[Richard Canard]

09.11.13..... Yes, as far as I know, the traditional art form of Etegami has  only resurfaced into the realm of mail art in recent years & primarily  via the delightful efforts of Dosankodebbie .  Naturally,  as Ms. Meeah Williams is a most capable & insightful artist, she is calling our attention to the fact.  

[Amy Irwen]

They are everyday greeting cards sent to friends and family with greetings or jokes or just fun facts...a simple hello or thinking of you...
The true Japanese style is with sumi ink, brushes and a certain paper....the outcome of the picture is to capture the essence and flow of your object...ie: flowers, fruits, animals, etc.
I use watercolor papers, inks and brushes that I already have....I am still a work in progress!

[xx Jones]

What is Etegami? I know I could google it, of course. Whats your take on it? 

[Suus in Mokum]

Like!