Have a zen monday

copyright by Mafalda Tenente

Zen Mondays are a weekly feature inspired by my Japanese language (日本語) and Sumi-e zen ink painting (墨絵) learning journey.

Each post features a recent beginner sumi-e sketch (スケッチ) or postcard (はがき) accompanied by one Japanese word, paired with one photograph from my travel records.

Nothing else.

Casually, a standing heron appears. (6/11/2018)
Thank you for accompanying me on a full year of zen Mondays. Time to celebrate your all-time-favorites and share another special zen moment. (6/4/2018)
pahoehoe The only thing standing between any change of state is time. (5/21/2018)
new zealand Ground your place in the world anew. Look out to the ocean on a borrowed lens. (5/14/2018)
painting When mastery seems unlikely, think of it as a long walk. Pause for breath and take a new step. (5/7/2018)
sakura Wherever a free bird sings, there is my favorite place. A spring sketch series. (4/30/2018)
Tulip Wherever a free bird sings, there is my favorite place. A spring sketch series. (4/23/2018)
flower Wherever a free bird sings, there is my favorite place. A spring sketch series. (4/16/2018)
mushroom Wherever a free bird sings, there is my favorite place. A spring sketch series. (4/9/2018)
Wherever a free bird sings, there is my favorite place. A spring sketch series. (4/2/2018)
paris I’d rather be present in everything I see and do, every day. (3/19/2018)
Contemplate how many untold stories an old tree can contain. (3/12/2018)
brush pen drawing If most clouds feel familiar, some look as if they could carry you out of this world. (3/5/2018)
hagaki In the shade of splendorous blooms, it will take more than a crowd to faze you. (2/26/2018)
Few things are as sweet as raising images off the pages of a new sketchbook. (2/19/2018)
The lingering cold slowly gives way to the first blossoms. A zen monday tour of the Zurich Botanical garden. (2/12/2018)
shikishi The scent of a pine tree forest lingers through a bird’s first spring call. (2/5/2018)
postcard Variations further your learning, though not all are equally appetizing. (1/29/2018)
Silence awaits at the top of a snow-capped mountain. (1/22/2018)
plum Aspiring to a tree’s journey… resilient growth, cyclically filled with beauty. (1/15/2018)
The first moon of 2018 starts its ascent tonight. May it illuminate the beginning of a fantastic year for you. (12/18/2017)
bird In birds we tend to mirror our own cheekiness. (12/11/2017)
snow To be as serene as the glow of a landscape freshly covered in snow. (12/4/2017)
Feeling how the environment around you resonates within is where personal transformation begins. (11/27/2017)
kaki Whether it is a new composition or tool, experiment with the boundaries of your creativity. (11/20/2017)
Strive to make the temporary feeling of a beginner permanent. (11/13/2017)
chestnuts A sunshine peek on a fall walk can make all the difference to your inspiration for the day. (11/6/2017)
From the contrast of rounded berry shapes to a leaf’s prickly edges, we are always attracted to opposites. (10/30/2017)
You never know what remains hidden by each element of nature. (10/16/2017)
Wherever the sun shines let your eyes be drawn to the details it uncovers.  (10/9/2017)
japan Be surprised by a brief glimpse into a new season. (10/2/2017)
Garden Enter a layered tropical garden for a small feeling of paradise. (9/25/2017)
mushrooms On the forest floor, all waiting is relative. Blossoms can be hours or years away. (9/11/2017)
hydrangea Your daily observation routine is what allows you to connect the elements of a larger structure. (9/4/2017)
Finding satisfaction in the small changes of each practice. (7/31/2017)
Embracing diversity is admiring every unusual variation. (7/24/2017)
If each brushstroke is a moment of presence, then every composition is a collage. (7/17/2017)
Every dancer offers us a bridge to a new, exciting world. (7/10/2017)
In making a real effort to find your purpose rests a higher chance your delta will find you.  (7/3/2017)
Sharing a teacup with a friend in every season is one way to celebrate transience. (6/26/2017)
Beauty can be encountered everyday if you focus your sight on finding it. (6/19/2017)
Behind zen painting beauty lies the combination of nature’s order and chaotic display. (6/12/2017)
Building a precious heritage can be achieved by simply witholding a human touch. A wildlife zen monday. (5/22/2017)
Sometimes the best reflections happen amidst a lively, colorful crowd. (5/15/2017)
Danger sometimes depends on the angle you choose to see. (5/8/2017)
A zen journey can start anywhere. (5/1/2017)
Tree covered, misty hills are Earth’s cue to breathe. A zen monday pause. (4/24/2017)
iceland Taking a step back from the subject you often find a more surprising view. (4/17/2017)
A secure bird stands idly on the shore. (4/10/2017)
Nothing says Spring zen monday quite like dense, fleeting cherry blossoms. (4/3/2017)
In Japan, it is easy capturing green or Fuji-san. Zen starts where you find both. (3/27/2017)
What would it be like to balance atop a bamboo grove? A zen monday thought. (3/20/2017)
I wish every Monday to start with zen (3/13/2017)

2 thoughts on “Have a zen monday”

  1. Pingback: Thank you for accompanying me on a full year of zen Mondays. Time to celebrate your all-time-favorites and share another special zen moment. – Mafalda Tenente

  2. Pingback: I’m reading: Imperial Taste The Beauty of Painting – Mafalda Tenente

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