YE OLDE CURIOSITY SHOPPE Color me enlightened Editor’s note: Each month we see lots of books. Some of the curious arrivals are featured in this space.
The Tibetan Art Coloring Book: A Joyful Path to Right Brain Enlightenment (Abrams, $14.95, 0810929074) is not, as you might surmise from the title, your average coloring book. No, you won’t find the Little Mermaid or Barney here. What you will find instead are line drawings of Sakyamuni Buddha and The Green Tara (Goddess of Motherly Compassion, in case you didn’t know). J. Jamyang Sing, a master of thangka painting, the traditional art of Tibet, here brings us, in a decidedly Western form, 12 thangka drawings to contemplate and color. He also includes an introduction in which he explains the ancient principles of Tibetan thangka art and the meanings of the symbols and deities that appear within the book. Real thangka paintings are painted with pigments made from semi- precious stones, plants, and other natural substances, but if you don’t have any of those on hand, color pencils will work, too. All you need do then, as Singe suggests, is Allow your natural creative instincts to guide you.
