My foreign stones

A Kamo from this winter in display





Kind regards Yvonne

A little Kamogawa ishi again...this time a toyama ishi (mountain stone) standing 9.5 cm wide 6  Deep, and 5.5 cm tall. The daiza is carved from teak

The front


The backside is also a nice front


one of the sides

Kind regards Yvonne

The little Kamo mountainstone from 2013 has its own teak daiza now...
Standing 7.5 cm W x 5.5 H x 3.5 cm D

The stonequality is hard, has a pearskin-ish surface, most visible on the backside...a little more rubbing on the toparea will show off the hardiness of the stone, and add to the stones karakter

Kind regards Yvonne

The heavy Kamo-rock from 2 14 is in line for a daiza...To days ago in evening was it time to find a nice piese of wood ( teak), and make the first drawings...it would not be a easy job to ballance this stone in a daiza


After one day of work have it come to this point




The stone have a name now   ...."Devils Rock"....a devil have ben sitting on my shoulder all day saying...make it easy for your self, cut it...cut it...cut it... he is still talking  

Lets see what tomorrow will bring.

Kind regards Yvonne

Hi, Yvonne Graubaek
I admire you can do daiza well for your stone by yourself.
I have many suiseki but I don't know to make daiza for them, I have to pay to professional to make it for me. I think you will be able to make fine suiseki with exquisite daiza if you have enough stones in the futur.

Thanks for you share your daiza.

Best regards.

riversoul

Hi Riversoul

Many thanks...I hope to be a good carver one day. Still learning, and sometimes I make a new daiza for a stone I already made a daiza for...I do it if I am not completely happy with the result...maybe I never run out of stones   

Todays work is ower now, and the devil has still ben very much present...hope he will go away tomorrow.  









Kind regards Yvonne

In deeper....


Next step










Kind regards Yvonne

Thank and good step showing of daiza.
Yvonne Graubaek, would you kindly tell me what kind of tools you use to make you daiza ?

Best regards.

riversoul

Hi Riversoul

I could wish I had better surroundings for my daizamaking, but you know, money is a issue for most people...I do not complain, but I am standing by a table in a open garage, and is using a dremel with bits, sandingpaper and a regular saw to do the first ouside fitting....for my sawdust protection am I using masks bought in 100 yen shops in Japan.
As you can see, do you not need much to get started   

Kind regards Yvonne

Sanded...and standing wobble and stuck free   








after dye









"Devils Rock", standing 16 cm tall, 15 cm wide and 8 cm Deep


In display


Kind regards Yvonne....now, back in the garden with the stone   

Hi Yvonne... Can we see the stone partially-captured in the photos behind this plateau stone. It it has dark, horizontal stripes & appears to be limestone. Its layered stripes and contour are easily appreciated; likely, it will be much improved by a full viewing... :-)

Hi chris

I will add the stone to my suisekigallery soon

Kind regards Yvonne

Kamogawa ishi 2014 in a teakdaiza


Front...standing 16.5 cm w x 11 d x 10 cm tall







Kind regards Yvonne

My newest teak daiza for complicated Kamogawa ishi.
17 cm long, 8 high, and 10 cm Deep...


Kind regards Yvonne

In this little japanese stone from 2013, do I refind the motive from the picture.
2 out of "The seven seven gods of Japan" having fun
I carved the daisa from mahogni....standing 9.5 cm tall, and 13.5 wide




Kind regards Yvonne

What is the most important?...I had this tiny japanese stone for 10 years...I just found out, if it was placed difrent in the doban, it would show the very important image of the koi jumping up the waterfall, to finaly become a dragon...the bad thing about the image is that the waterfall contiue on the backside...
This is why I have up to now, used it as a mountainstone with a stream, as the stream does not run to the backside of the stone, but begin were the I found the koiimage...is the koi jumping more important?...what do you think?...I am planning to make a daiza

This way


Or this way

Kind regards Yvonne

Make every effort not to limit the view to one side or the other.

Hi David

There isa lot of air and space in your answer, my guess is noone can answer.

Kind regards Yvonne

Haha how true. Some possible answers to your question are to have it on something round, lighting from multiple angles, and not up against a wall- in other words elements that invite viewing from the dragon side and from the koi side.

are koi known to swim upstream like a salmon ?

i could be wrong, but i thought they prefer calm, placid waters

Known as the "koi Coach", I have spent close to 4 decades in the hobby.

so i share some thoughts from my background. A background of having lived in japan for close to 3 years and spent a lifetime of bring involved in their culture.

As a Student of japanese culture, Koi are Carp and as such are known for their strength. legend has it about the waterfall and turning into a dragon. You see lots of Koi banners flown on Boy's day in Japan with the hopes that sons grow up strong.

As a student of japanese rules in bonsai and suiseki display, It's helpful to understand their standards. The fact the "stream" continues around to the other side is a No-no. But the chances of getting a carp beginning their travels to the top of the waterfall is a once in a life time find.

Cherish the stone for what it is. You'll never find a better one to illustrate the strength of koi-carp.

when you study the concepts of Wabi-Sabi, you can appreciate that nothing in our existence is perfect, but if it has age and appeal, it can AND SHOULD BE be appreciated!

Thanks for that Dick. Learning about cultures is fascinating.

Hi David

You may not know the image of the "koi jumping up the waterfall to finaly become a dragon", the red color represent the fish


It is the same side of the stone that is being used for both the landskapestone, and the fish turning into a dragon.

It is not so much how  to show the stone, but more about what is most important...to have a fairly correct suiseki, with a stream image, you can find here and there...or a very rare found important image, with a not perfect backside of the stone.

Kind  regards Yvonne

Hi Dick

you say...Cherish the stone for what it is. You'll never find a better one to illustrate the strength of koi-carp....

Nice to hear an/your opinion.

Kind regards Yvonne

dick - thanks for explaining some of the extrapolation involved.

it is interesting, but i am not afraid to say that it is perhaps beyond the ken of my western mind