Today I wanted to share a bit more about this journey and the people behind the Walnut Brush Holder.
It’s important that you know more about this special object because my main objective wasn’t just to create a storage solution for the brushes – it was to work with this very particular artisan. His talent and his wood works aesthetics make this object an art piece that we can use with our brushes.
Working with Mr Iwata surpasses my wildest dreams! These are moments that I wish I could share with you in real time so that you see him at work.
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I am forever grateful to Mr Iwata for his determination to make this brush holder such an extraordinary piece, and to all of you, because without your understanding and appreciation this wouldn’t have happened.
It was challenging, it’s an item with many pieces and many steps, handmade, it required a long production time and since it’s made by someone truly special and renown, the production cost is obviously very high.
I hesitated to pursue with this project due to the cost and the effort, but our connection was one of a kind and we had to try!!! We were fueled by our passion and we were hoping that someone out there would understand and appreciate it.
It was intense when the Walnut Brush Holder launched, I was so excited, it was risky to launch such an expensive product but working with such a master artisan was a blessing and so worth it. We are both so grateful to you all for your supportive and encouraging feedback!!
Later, I shared a different design with Mr Iwata, he thought this new design would be fun to work on and we were very excited. As we made progress, we realized we could only envision this new piece for a Limited Edition release and this is the Cranes over Mt Fuji brush holder.
It really is about the story, about the connection with the people that I work with and all of this is only possible if I have a sincere connection with you in the first place. I always said I could never thank you enough and that is a fact.
If you have any questions about the usage or the process, or anything else, please do not hesitate to ask! Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for your trust, also for your precious support and for your patience!
THANK YOU !!!
9 comments
Hi Sonia, thank you for this informative blog. Your grandfather sounds like a wonderful man & I know that he must have been proud to have you as a granddaughter. Your generous spirit shines through & the attention you give to your customers/admirers/followers is unparalleled. Thank you dear sweet Sonia
Thank you Debra, he was indeed, I feel blessed to have been raised by such a wonderful man, if that shines through it’s the best feeling in the world, so thank you for saying this, it means a lot. I don’t know if he was proud but he used to say I was so kind and so evil at the same time 😀 a “sweet kind of evil” -hence the name of the blog. It’s my pleasure to share these stories with you and thank you for taking time out of your day to read and comment! Sending you lots of love <3
Thank you for sharing such personal stories and your process with us! I already appreciate and admire your products, but knowing the back stories make me treasure them because they were not easy to make into reality. It seems that every step of the way, they could have almost not happened!
Hi Yelena, actually you are right saying that they could almost not have happened 🙂 that wasn’t far from that I admit.
Thank you so much!! means so much that you are reading, love the Fude community!!
Dear Sonia
Thank you for your wonderful blog post – I have been reading your blog for some years and recently purchased your Pro and Sky eye brushes this year. I ordered the cloth from Beautylish and cannot wait to use it – what a beautiful and unique artisan piece. Excited to see what you have in store. I have a severe nut allergy and cannot purchase the walnut holder because of that. I am wondering if the new Holiday wooden handle brushes are also walnut or any other nut tree wood please? Thank you again
Emma
Thank you so so much for inviting us into your world.
Thank you so much for sharing your genuine thought processes of your brush journey and interactions with your artisinal suppliers.
I hear there is a holiday version of your brushes coming out in December. Tell us more!
Also, what does the symbol on your brushes mean?
Thank you so much for providing such a thoughtful and detailed blog post! It was a joy to read. I love that you, like me, appreciate craftsmanship and tradition. So often, the old ways are being replaced by cheaper and mass-produced methods and the beauty is lost.
I am really looking forward to Beautylish restocking the walnut holder, and I am excited to see the crane and Mt Fuji design as well! For your next project- perhaps you can consider working with your artists and creating a stand or box or some sort of display to hold our precious kinoko brushes.
Take care!
Holy moly I’m in tears! I can’t believe the lovely story behind this cloth and I’m even more happy to have it in my collection! Thank you for sharing this and OF COURSE they were going to love you!!! Your passion alone is something people want to support!
What a beautiful story behind the brush towel, I felt an emotional connection reading your story. I bought 2 towels, and I love them!