Erin Sparler

Abstracts and minimalism

“Photography, painting, art… is a form of meditation for me. A way to take a one moment to be still and breathe in deeply. After having children, I found I had less time to create the intricate layered images I had created in the past. I turned to minimalism. I decided to see if I could create a painting every single day for a year. But, for the first year, I was only allowed to use circles! In the second year, I allowed myself to add line.

One year turned into two. And two years turned into three.

Before I knew it I had created over 850 works of art and found a new style!

This meditative and accessible painting process was a revelation for me. It was a way to create with children, but it was more too.

It allowed me to explore minimalism and expand on an ancient art form dating back to the 1400s. This practice of using Enso painting as a form of meditation is sometimes referred to as “The Way of the Brush.

As I also study and teach yoga and Tai Chi it was a natural extension of the breathing practices. The practice of painting a circle or Enso in one breath and one stroke reflects this search for an inner quieting and stillness.”