The Stroke of Zen
Zen painters believe in long, slow meditation before a brush touches the paper. Only after the artist understands the essence of the subject and reduces it to its most profound simplicity does the artist proceed to paint–quickly, decisively and with the minimum number of brush strokes. The above enso is a classic image for ink brush painters: a circle painted in a single breath, accompanied by vigorous and confident calligraphy.
Asian brush painting requires the artist to make the maximum commitment using the minimum touch. There’s no room for mistakes; the hard labor of eliminating extraneous details and exploring alternative approaches is worked out in the mind of the artist rather than on the paper. Painting by Noel Sickles. [via Link]
Thank you for a nice post, eÆsthete.
I would meditate before the long meditation, and during the painting and after that too. How could I stop meditating, and throw away all the beauty of the self, just for painting?
Maybe the painting is an expression of the light of the self, shining even without the brush in hand.