One Stroke: A Turquoise and Shino Platter

I have been blessed, on multiple occasions, to be a student of the great Zen master, scholar, peacemaker and artist, Kazuaki Tanihashi, who is very famous for his ‘one stroke’ paintings, executed in a single breath and in one action of the brush. Kaz is very aware that each small action we engage is an act with vast strength, reach and meaning. “Each line we draw carries our wish for our children and their children.” he writes in one of his many books. My own notes from working with him include this: “Each line has a beginning which is more than a beginning and an ending which is more than an ending.” The line of my life is rooted in so many others, and hopefully offers energy to lives far beyond my own. This platter is my first execution of a “one stroke” painting on a ceramic body. Calligraphers will see the lines beginning beyond itself and the end which does not end. About my favorite item I produced this year, and I will hope to see this line again in coming years.