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Unlike Feng Shui, Wabi-sabi represents different flow to aesthetic system. It sustains a visual world to the unassumable with cousin to Zen (minimalist). It allows the seerer to "Fill in the blanks" through open thought and space. For architecture, the simple yet clean medium ignites the soul boundlessly. Wabi-sabi generates insights that transcends further than traditional Feng Shui. Going beyond into the subtext yields the revealed realms of transparent that draws deeper into surfaces and content,... it springboards richer possibilities. These intuitive sensory experiences hightens the touchless touch of aesthetic awe to our deeper inner being.

Wabi Sabi principles outlined below

Wabi-sabi may root to japanese aesthetics, but does not necessary emulate eastern genre design. The principals actually compliment multi-ethnically with all contemporary styles. Wabi-sabi is an appreciation of the subtle details of everyday life, away from falling into obvious. The inconspicuous and often overlooked aspects of nature draws presence to our sensory awareness. While our eyes dazes within the hidden vignettes, the results draws to rich sensations. It is the art of being borne in the world with both wonder and discovery.

Experience evokes from simple observation of nature. While everything comes and returns to nothingness, observing nature allows one to accept the inevitable and finds the astounding marks of charm left through time. Melancholic beauty become redefined through irreversible causes. Time does not measure anything as long as humanity welcomes a world in flux. Many materials become embrace through natures rhythm, both young and old. Through immortality, time is not frozen, it is ever changing and impermanent in all materials. The benefits are more than just esthetics, it allows free maintenance from most traditional industry products.

Having delicate impacts left with blemishes is nature working itself with timeless care and quality. This aging, weathering and raw exposure showcases differently with various materials. Metals create green or brown patina while hand worn wood becomes a rustic polish. Other materials color and textural surfaces go through metamorphosis of change through weathering. These changes occur in patterns caused in nature such as the cracking of dried clay and erosion of other organic matter that follow no symmetry. Nature has infinite forms that represent eternal spectacle of change as enduring through time itself.

The rustic earthiness rises the elegance of things. Dignity is found lowly, but not necessarily insignificant. Modesty is not poverty, rather honoring things that fall in place with time. Primivist is not barbaric, rather maintains reverence and innocents. One lets the architecture venerate by rising to its highest, sustaining absence from judgment or resistance for what it is. The organic richness begins to grow from obscurity of a canvus of hidden vials, thus finding the true gems of awe to beauty. Abound in nature & catching subtlest moods, the being close to it all is treasured through natures whispers.

Aesthetics and beauty are synthesis that are often thought of as operating as one as identified in principals of Zen. The imperfect, impermant and incomplete moves from a modest humble level that transitionally invents sophistication on its own. Driving for mental stimulation kills grace and ease where objects can really shape from ones very own innate of insight. Once one masters the distinctions of art, it transforms a world of appreciating the unpretentious, the intimate, and irregularities as natural as the air we breath. The results to simple design methods becomes overall cost-effective.

In Wabi-sabi, the pallet of colors for example can represent change of the seasons. These seasons themselves find a pace of natural rhythms rather forcing into monochromatic. Colors or textures begin colliding, bleeding into each other that develop uneven textures of crude chromatic variations. Yet, many colors in Wabi-sabi principals play with transitional monocramatics, but through soft earthly pastels. The subdue allows our experience in gives rise to the shape to things. The muted colors with soft transitions perpetuate the continuum of energy flow. Yin may reveal sparseness while the yang prevents stagnation from the over simplified color schemes. In this case, Wabi-sabi occasionally and surprisingly invites bright colors to splash accents and punctuate while also not overpowering the immediate surroundings. The Yin / Yang vocabulary bridges the two worlds in complete balance. For accents (Yang/masculine), most colors work if used sparingly (Yin/ feminine) with compatible pallet for each room.

Not only do we live with our past ancestral treasures, we also live in modern times. Furnishing, materials and finishes can reflect the balance of both the old and new and remind our coexistence which marries the two. The slick, glossy manufactured items can warmly collide with rustic materials as they interplay with space. More importantly, maintaining open space produces a subdue and tranquil feeling of flowing air (Chi). Simplicity and sparseness is implicit without restraint. The soul can move in and out to claim itself in the open air. By diminishing gaudiness, the less ornate falls freely. In this open space, there is energy coming from nowhere, yet feeling like it is lifted everywhere. Utilizing used or recycled materials supports the concept of Green Architecture.

Wabi-sabi concepts correlate with Zen, the precincts of Taoism (Daoism). The Yin Yang principles were carried later around 12th century into the Japanese culture. Tea masters and monks practiced Zen principles and brought the living philosophy as synchronistic esthetic discussions. The ancient orient cultures emphasizes "direct, intuitive as transcendental superhighway while removed to overload of intellectual inquires." At the core, Wabi-sabi easily awakens the transcending ways of looking and experiencing things that coexist with change. The Wabi-sabi ways may go beyond physical appreciation to even find a romantic way of living and rising humanity. When living Wabi-Sabi, one can easily grasp and enjoy a simple unencumbered life.

Contact: John Salat at freeingwinds@earthlink.net or call 949-235-4847

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