Painting Peace: Community Ensō Painting and Meditation
The Painting Peace event offers a creative opportunity for anyone to experience the basic meditation skills of centering and focusing on the breath through the movement meditation of painting a Zen circle. Even a few moments of meditation can help manage stress and fear associated with personal and societal struggle and nurture connection and understanding both internally on an individual level, as well as collectively. It’s easy to feel hemmed in. This creative process offers mental space to see the big picture and feel a bit of tenderness. It also gives people who don’t think they have a creative bone in their body the opportunity to hold a brush, dunk in paint and make something. This simple act can change an individual’s perception of what art is and isn’t and the possibility that they, too, could participate in a creative act.
Monica DiGiovanni has been an educator to people of all ages, teaching art, yoga, and meditation, and has also served as an elementary school substitute teacher in various communities. She has also created and facilitated creative revisioning retreats to help individuals and organizations expand perspectives and discover joy in possibility.
The community ensō painted in July 2025 in Waterbury, VT is now on view in Jack's Alley, 21-23 Stowe Street.
How to be with the painting if you have the chance to visit. Enjoy pausing before the piece. Breathe deeply, let your attention settle, and simply observe. Allow bodily feelings and intuition to surface. Thinking begins to rest while connecting with stillness, the earth beneath you, and the sky above.
Monica DiGiovanni has been an educator to people of all ages, teaching art, yoga, and meditation, and has also served as an elementary school substitute teacher in various communities. She has also created and facilitated creative revisioning retreats to help individuals and organizations expand perspectives and discover joy in possibility.
The community ensō painted in July 2025 in Waterbury, VT is now on view in Jack's Alley, 21-23 Stowe Street.
How to be with the painting if you have the chance to visit. Enjoy pausing before the piece. Breathe deeply, let your attention settle, and simply observe. Allow bodily feelings and intuition to surface. Thinking begins to rest while connecting with stillness, the earth beneath you, and the sky above.
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Project Details
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Downtown Waterbury
Saturday, July 26, 2025
Jack's Alley, 21 and 23 Stowe Street, Waterbury, VT
This project was generously supported with a grant from Waterbury Arts and in kind with Revitalizing Waterbury
Saturday, July 26, 2025
Jack's Alley, 21 and 23 Stowe Street, Waterbury, VT
This project was generously supported with a grant from Waterbury Arts and in kind with Revitalizing Waterbury
Montpelier Art Walk
August 2, 2024
T.W. Wood Gallery / Center For Arts And Learning
46 Barre Street, Montpelier, VT
This project was generously supported with a grant from Montpelier Alive
August 2, 2024
T.W. Wood Gallery / Center For Arts And Learning
46 Barre Street, Montpelier, VT
This project was generously supported with a grant from Montpelier Alive