Salt art

Last week was Obon, a time for Japanese people to visit their families and remember those who have passed away, as their spirits return to the land of the living for a few days. It's one of the busiest and most expensive times to travel, and it's also one of the hottest times of the year. Many people have time off from work, as well as it being the middle of the school holidays, so popular places can be very crowded.

 

So what did this mean for the Monkey Household? As there are no public holidays for Obon, H went to work everyday as usual. My 2 classes were both cancelled, as most of the students are older women who would be busy hosting their extended families, and there were none of the usual swimming or yoga classes. In short, my diary was completely empty for a week, but I was on full-time Mother Of Two duty. I didn't really fancy going out much, due to the heat and the expected crowds, so we tried to entertain ourselves at home as much as possible.

 

Which is all a very long-winded way to say: K did some salt art last week.

 

It's pretty straightforward: draw a design on black paper with white glue, sprinkle salt over it and shake off the excess (as you would with glitter). Then prepare some watered-down paint and just gently touch the tip of the brush onto the salt. Don't rub at it or press too hard. The colour will spread across the salt beautifully.