Creator’s description: Later in my art career, I attended a workshop for teachers, where we learned the simple abstract form called “enso.” The word enso means circle, and that’s just what it is: a simple circle drawn with one or two strokes of the brush. While it is interpreted in many ways, what struck me was the simplicity and directness of the brushwork. And usually the imperfections in the stroke are accepted as “perfect imperfection” or simply “it is what it is.” The enso has been part of the Zen tradition for centuries, but circles can be found in many cultures and traditions. And- they’re just plain fun to make.
About the creator: Tim Iverson is a retired art educator and artist, organizer of the Minnesota Stoics, and a former board member of the Mindfulness in Education Network. His most recent books are Calm and Curious: Mindfulness, Stoicism, and Philosophy for the Modern Classroom and Advice for Every Hour: Essays on Mindfulness, Teaching, and the Resilient Life.
This has a fascinating simplicity and the black ink on white stands out so starkly! I've been thinking a lot about negative space lately and the center of the circle illustrates this in a mesmerizing way!
I really enjoy looking at this. The motion of the stroke fascinates me. Strangely, the thought of Ouroboros came to my mind.