Tag: japanese art

  • Paling camellia, wind-brushed magnolia, with a mallard for companion.

    Paling camellia, wind-brushed magnolia, with a mallard for companion.

    This week work on a new composition for the Tokyo 2024 international ink painting exhibition has officially begun. Until I feel ready to share more, this corner will be filled again with straight from the sketchbook, relaxing moments. Today, a late afternoon ink painting garden walk with my sketchbook, as the pink camellia start paling…

  • All that lies in a single cherry tree branch.

    All that lies in a single cherry tree branch.

    All the cherry blossom petals are gone and more and more green leaves are visible every day. All that was left to paint on this year’s cherry blossom composition were the connecting branches. There is always a small fear creeping up at this stage in any painting. What if that one missing element comes out…

  • Taking the wind as cue for this year’s cherry blossom season.

    Taking the wind as cue for this year’s cherry blossom season.

    Only a couple of days ago I could see full blossom clouds for the first time this year, and today the spring wind and rain are already undressing the lonely cherry tree. It will be a particularly short season this year. If I want to capture it on paper I cannot delay anymore.

  • On the Tōhaku trail (part 02)

    On the Tōhaku trail (part 02)

    There was only one must-do thing on my schedule for the first week in Japan. Yet, as it so often happens when I travel alone through Japan it was but the beginning of a journey within the journey…

  • Under fresh leaves, the heron waiting for the water to clear.

    Under fresh leaves, the heron waiting for the water to clear.

    After five years and 200 posts of #zenmondays it is time to go on a refreshing hiatus. We finish this series with one of my favorite summer scenes – a gray heron by the water in the iris and fresh leaves season. A scene that has been painted many times over in Japanese ink paintings,…

  • Through the last irises and the first lotus leaf, a floating island of color.

    Through the last irises and the first lotus leaf, a floating island of color.

    Thank you for reading another zen Monday. This year zen Mondays are going outside in the early summer. Follow the on-site stories through the instagram account handle: http://instagram.com/mtenente Every Monday is zen Monday. Always a weekly dose of Japanese ink painting coupled with one photograph from my archives.