Buy the Mount Fuji Art Print

I love Mount Fuji because it’s one of the best subjects for landscape paintings.  In my opinion, the majesty of this mountain is a great visual representation of sacred power.

In order to add contrast and accentuate Mount Fuji’s grandeur, I painted delicate pink cherry blossom branches.  The cherry blossom also balanced out the painting quite well.  I decided not to paint any Japanese calligraphy because it would have made the painting too complex.

You can read about my Mount Fuji climbing experience, and view another painting I made of this mountain, by going to my blog post ‘Satori (Enlightenment, Awakening) Painting – Art inspired by Mount Fuji‘. (more…)

Mount Fuji

Climbing Mount Fuji in the middle of the night, I was on a journey to catch the sunrise from the summit.  The increase in altitude made it hard to catch my breath as I was pushing my aching body to its limits.

I felt grateful for the pain since I knew this hike was more than a physical challenge.  I was challenging my inner strength.  When it came down to it, I was the only person on that mountain that could keep pushing me to take another step, and then another step, until I reached the top.

Challenges

Challenges, big or small, are the perfect training and reminder that you can rely on yourself when the tough gets going.  You are your best coach.  If you think that you’re not a strong individual, than I dare you to prove yourself wrong by getting out of your comfort zone and doing something you’ve always wanted to do.  People are usually much stronger than they think they are. (more…)

What is Zen? What is Sho? (Put VERY simply!)
Zen is a sect of Mahayana Buddhism that aims at enlightenment and emphasizes meditation, acceptance of the present moment, letting go of judgmental thinking, etc.
Sho means calligraphy and is an art based on writing.

Zen Brushwork
Zen Brushwork, a type of calligraphy, differs from other calligraphic disciplines because it focuses on achieving mu-shin (no-mind) through meditation. It is the practice and belief that true creativity is not the product of a conscious effort but develops from mu-shin, a state beyond thought, emotions and expectations. For those who are captivated with art, Zen Brushwork can be seen as a form of true artistic expression.

Demanding the highest level of spirituality, the ability to make one’s strength visible in Zen Brushwork comes only through dedicated practice. In contrast to other calligraphic disciplines, which use Chinese characters as a basis, Zen Brushwork is the expression of Zen through a brush, whether the end result is a single stroke, a circle or a painting. Using the principles of Zen, this art form represents the relationship between the mind, body and universe. (more…)