Bamboo and Cho Ku Rei Print

With a new print completed I've come out of a slump. This design was created in my head months ago but it wasn't drawn on the lino until two weeks ago. It took 12 days to actually get the ambition to cut the design.  As some of you may or may not know I also am a Reiki practitioner. The Japanese symbol you see here is called Cho Ku Rei pronounced “Cho-Koo-Ray”. We use this symbol to increase our energy flow as well as for protection. It is a symbol of power but not one of creating someone powerful. Reiki is never used for ill or bad intentions.

I've always been fascinated with bamboo. It is one of the strongest woods in the world. A member of the perennial evergreens and grass to boot there are varieties of bamboo that can grow up to 39 inches in a day. Their straight postures are used for housing, piping (because they are hollow) & more.

So I've pared the strength of bamboo with the Cho Ku Rei symbol as inspiration for this piece. I hope you like it.