Today I went for a walk, during this walk I came across a forest of Bamboo. There were stalks of Bamboo over 15 feet high. I made my way into thick of it. I had never seen living growing Bamboo that was not on television or the dollar store. I was completely surrounded and transported to another place. Bamboo is so alien to this area and must have been planted here many years ago and untamed. I harvested some stalks each about 8 feet in length. I have been reading about Japanese Gardens. The gardens that are maintained by the Japanese are unmatched, in their simplicity and beauty. The Japanese have many methods of pest control. The term for this is the "SHI SHI ODOSHI" or "Deer Scarer".
Sōzu is a type of water fountain used in Japanese gardens. Usually made of bamboo, it consists of a hollow pivoting arm attached to upright supports and a hard surface or object that the arm may come in contact with. Water pours from a tube or pipe into the arm. When the arm gets full, the weight of the water causes it to tip over and empty, making a sharp sound when it hits the hard surface below it. This noise is intended to startle any deer which may be grazing on the plants in the garden. The empty arm is then free to swing back up into position and refill. The rhythmic clacking sound punctuating the silence reminds visitors to the garden of the passage of time. Although simple in design, it is highly effective, and safer than most modern deer repellers. Some people collect them as antiques.
After harvesting these lengths of Bamboo I wanted to create my own SOZU. The idea I arrived at was to attach a Bamboo Brush on one side with ink below. After pouring the water the weight becomes more and gravity comes into action. This raises the side leaving a brushstroke where the brush had been. A large scale model is in production.
