Zen Again

I revisited a personal favorite this summer with these mixed media pieces inspired by the book, Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth. The original posts for this lesson can be found here and here. It is of course a great mixed media piece all on its' own (chalk pastel sky, painted moon and branches, printed blossoms, and drawn panda). But I absolutely adore the book it's inspired by. Stillwater, the giant panda teaches his new neighbors wonderful life lessons through stories that have roots in Zen Buddhist literature. My favorite deals with carrying around anger and baggage long after a grievance has occurred. Sounds pretty heavy for a children's book, but this book works on many levels.