Welcome to the complete collection of articles published on zettl.blog. Here you will find essays on Chinese painting, calligraphy, Daoism, Zen Buddhism, aesthetics, contemporary ink art and artistic practice, together with reflections on travel, culture and creativity.
While the Arts and Philosophy Journal presents selected themes and featured essays, this page serves as a comprehensive archive, allowing readers to explore every article published on the site.
Complete Archive
-
How to Kill Your Muse
An eventful summer between painting, tax troubles, SEO, AI and book cover design. Somewhere in between, my muse took a few shots – but fortunately, she seems rather hard to kill.
-
From SEO to Water Lilies
This post covers two major themes from my summer. First, I share a refreshing trip to the Kuenringerbad in Dürnstein, a natural swimming pond where you can swim right next to water lilies beneath…
-
A Conversation with a Skull
In this post, I share one of my favorite Daoist stories: Zhuangzi’s “The Death’s-Head.” It offers a clear, direct perspective on life, death, and the burdens we carry. To accompany the text, I included…
-
Nature’s Calligraphy: The Art of Seeing
We see how we think. What occupies our mind directly shapes our vision. In this post, I share a series of photos of ducks and swans that document my artistic shift from visual abundance…
-
Visual Response to “The Last Rag” by Soundeagle
Can you translate the “ragged time” of a contemporary piano piece into a visual language? Following a casual comment on a previous article, I took on the challenge of graphically interpreting soundeagle’s composition. Moving…
-
Lang Lang in Vienna and Other Music Anecdotes
What happens when you go skinny-dipping in a Carinthian stream with jazz legend Don Cherry, or watch Friedrich Gulda attack an amplified clavichord with a knife and fork? This personal reflection looks back on…
-
Light as State of Being: Light in Painting and Contemporary Ink Art
“Light as State of Being” explores the depiction of light in painting – from the academic studio through the Impressionists to my own attempt to make Ur-light and cosmic light tangible in images.
-
Afterthoughts on the Yunnan Journey
Reflecting on a 3,000 km journey through Yunnan, this article explores the fascinating contradictions between the present, high-tech innovation and ancient heritage. From the deep “eyes of the earth” in Jianshui to the coffee-scented…
Browse by Topic
Chinese Painting
Explore articles on xieyi, brushwork, landscape painting, artistic traditions and Chinese aesthetics.
Browse Chinese Painting Articles →
Calligraphy
Essays on Chinese calligraphy, painted calligraphy, seal carving and the expressive language of the brush.
Daoism and Zen
Articles exploring Daoist philosophy, Zen Buddhism, emptiness, Wabi-Sabi and artistic contemplation.
Contemporary Ink Art
Contemporary approaches to ink painting, abstraction, gesture and artistic experimentation.
Art Theory
Thoughts on aesthetics, artistic concepts and the relationship between Eastern and Western traditions.
Travel and Culture
Essays inspired by journeys through Asia, museums, artists and cultural encounters.
Recommended Reading
If you are new to the journal, these selected essays offer an introduction to some of the central themes explored on zettl.blog.
- Nothingness in Color
- Wabi-Sabi – The Beauty in the Imperfect
- Emperor Huizong and the Spirit of Chinese Painting
- Light as State of Being: Light in Painting and Contemporary Ink Art
- What is Reality? What is Nothingness?
Related Pages
Continue exploring the ideas, artworks and artistic practice behind the articles.
Discover featured essays and thematic introductions.
Explore the philosophical background of Chinese painting and contemporary ink art.
See how many of these ideas are transformed into paintings and calligraphy.