Buddha Board
"We should not complain about impermanence, because without impermanence, nothing is possible" - Thich Nhat Hanh
A creative favorite in our home is the Buddha Board. Satch LOVES it! It's similar to an aqua doodle, but the images produced are much more rich and vivid. I like this "lap top" version much better than the original because it's sleek and portable. It's so stylish, in fact, that we leave it out permanently. The brush is of excellent quality and almost exactly like my traditional Japanese bamboo brush. It feels good in the hand, well balanced and light weight. It makes lovely strokes of various thicknesses and glides across the board. It also fans out nicely for texture and returns to its natural shape. There is a built in water well at the base of the board which also serves as a rest for the brush. I think what I find most intriguing about the Buddha Board is the impermanence of the image and how it slowly changes and then disappears completely as it dries. It's exactly enough time to admire the image without becoming attached to it. This is something that seems to come naturally to children. I admire how they can whip out a beautiful painting and a moment later cut it up with their safety scissors with out a second thought. Every child who has played with Satchel's Buddha Board has found it magical...and afterward often ended up painting each other. But since it's only water, no one seemed to mind.
*As you may have guessed from the name on my sidebar, I'm going to have a guest blogger while I'm away next week. I'll introduce you tomorrow....
A creative favorite in our home is the Buddha Board. Satch LOVES it! It's similar to an aqua doodle, but the images produced are much more rich and vivid. I like this "lap top" version much better than the original because it's sleek and portable. It's so stylish, in fact, that we leave it out permanently. The brush is of excellent quality and almost exactly like my traditional Japanese bamboo brush. It feels good in the hand, well balanced and light weight. It makes lovely strokes of various thicknesses and glides across the board. It also fans out nicely for texture and returns to its natural shape. There is a built in water well at the base of the board which also serves as a rest for the brush. I think what I find most intriguing about the Buddha Board is the impermanence of the image and how it slowly changes and then disappears completely as it dries. It's exactly enough time to admire the image without becoming attached to it. This is something that seems to come naturally to children. I admire how they can whip out a beautiful painting and a moment later cut it up with their safety scissors with out a second thought. Every child who has played with Satchel's Buddha Board has found it magical...and afterward often ended up painting each other. But since it's only water, no one seemed to mind.
*As you may have guessed from the name on my sidebar, I'm going to have a guest blogger while I'm away next week. I'll introduce you tomorrow....
2 Comments:
We LOVE LOVE LOVE Buddha boards!!!!
When Ava was 1.5 years old I ordered one for her and then one for me. It's still one of favorites and I love giving them as gifts.
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