Horticulture is Kazuhito Takadoi’s first love. Having studied at Hokkaido Agricultural and Horticultural College at Sapporo, Japan and the Royal Horticultural Society at Wisley, nature is his biggest inspiration.
Takadoi began collecting leaves and mosses from gardens, which he’d use to make embroidered greeting cards. After completing a BA in Art and Garden Design at Leeds Metropolitan, he quickly realised that Art was his true calling. Heavily influenced by artists like Andy Goldworthy and David Nash, his work is defined by his use of natural materials and contemporary appeal.
His detailed sculptures and pieces always exemplify his fascination with the intricacies of nature, preserving them for his audience to enjoy.
https://www.sofst.org/kazuhito-takadoi-woven-nature/
15 notes
·
View notes
Hamefura bonus short story : Tom the gardener
From the light novel 5 in english
Working as the Claes Family’s Gardener
Many a winter had passed since I had started working as a gardener for Duke Claes.
I was born in a poor village to the name of Tom Wisley, and for as long as I can remember, I was sent from one house to the next to work as a servant. What with my rugged face and my dislike of talking, I never made any friends and I always worked alone.
I was good with my hands and good around plants, so when I was still young, I started fixing gardens for nobles, merchants, and other rich people. After a while I turned into a fine gardener, but I still was bad at dealing with people.
Some folks would trick me out of my pay, and sometimes even raise their hands against me.
And then, one day, I met that boy. He looked about the same age as me, but much more handsome.
“Are you the one tending to this garden ?” he asked me all of a sudden, after I had just finished working on the plants around a noble’s house.
I could tell from his clothes that he was higher class than me, so I started to pay all the normal homages…
“There is no need for that. So, this garden. Are you the one tending to it ?”
I had done my best that day, as I always did, but now I was scared that there was something wrong with my work. “…Yes,” I told him with a nod, and his eyes started sparkling.
“This house’s garden has always been appallingly tasteless, but it is
unrecognizable now! You really are gifted !”
“…Th-Thank you very much…” His stare was so intense that I didn’t know what to do.
“Do you work exclusively for this house ?”
“…No, they just hired me for a one-time job.”
“So do you normally work for another family ?”
“…None in particular.”
I couldn’t get people to like me enough that they’d take me in to work for them exclusively, so I hopped from one garden to the next.
Then the boy got all worked up and said, “Then come to my home ! You shall be my gardener !” He brought me to Claes Manor, and years later, that very boy became the head of that manor.
He’d hired me kind of willy-nilly… but I really liked working here. The other servants were nice people, I had regular pay and vacations, and the duke was kind and forgiving. Everyone loved him ! I was still bad with people, and I couldn’t open myself up with the others working in the mansion…
But the duke would come to me casually and ask me to go with him to hang around town in disguise.
We went to do it once, and he liked spending time with me so much that we did it again and again after that. Before I realized it, he’d started calling me “friend.” Me ! A lowly servant ! At first I thought that it wouldn’t be proper to do the same, but after a while I ended up calling him “friend” too.
I wasn’t good with people, and I was bad at talking… So he was the first to call me that from the bottom of his heart. I wanted to always stay by his side, and I worked as hard as I could. Eventually, I was even appointed head gardener.
…And then, my friend became ill and died.
After that, my days felt empty. Nobody would come and praise my garden enthusiastically like he always had. I didn’t go to town anymore… The downtown we used to go to together.
I want to go where you are… I want to see you again, my friend…
I even thought things like that, until she came.
“I want to build a field in this garden,” she said, with her fierce blue eyes, looking just like him.
And that girl started coming to see me day after day.
“Mr. Tom ! I’m here !”
She talked with me, kindly and casually, like my old friend did. I had avoided going to town because the memories of him were too much to bear… but she asked me to accompany her “to buy materials for my projectiles !” and I found myself enjoying going there once again.
After meeting that girl, I didn’t feel the rush to follow my friend anymore.
“My dear friend, I have to ask you to wait for me a bit longer after all. But when I do come to see you, I’ll have a lot of stories about your granddaughter to share.”
11 notes
·
View notes