December 09, 2023 through January 10, 2024
Sam Blair • Zenscapes
The goal of Zen Buddhism, simply stated, is achieving and maintaining the highest mental
state in life- equanimity. The road to that lofty ambition is living with simplicity, minimalism,
and non-attachment to ego and materialism. It also means living with the awareness that all we
really have in our lives is the present moment, referred to as “tada ima”, only now. When that
mental state is achieved, it creates a feeling of oneness and connection with the universe, and
is the well spring to the inherent joy, happiness, and inner peace within each and every one of
us. I have attempted to reveal that mental state visually with this series called “Zenscapes”.
My hope is that from your looking at the images I am able to share with you a bit of the peace and
joy I felt while making them.
Sam has a B.A. degree in English from the University of Denver, and a J.D. degree from Lewis
and Clark College of Law. He was a civil litigator for 35 years, with offices in Oregon and
Hawaii. When practicing, he was named one of “Americas Best Lawyers”. He also had a
weekly column in Kauai’s newspaper, The Garden Isle. He has taught as an Adjunct Professor
of Law at Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Or.
He is afflicted with wanderlust, and retired from practicing Law to pursue his passion of travel
and fine art photography. As a self taught photographer, he has explored over 90 countries,
and is the recipient of numerous photography awards. His images have been exhibited in
galleries in both the U.S. and Canada. His mission is to capture “the essence of things” in other
cultures, beaches, and the fascinating homo sapien.
He is also a haiku poet. His poems have been published in multiple literary anthologies and
journals. He teaches haiku poetry on behalf of the Writer’s Guild of Astoria, in Astoria, Ore.
Sam is a longtime student of Zen Buddhism, and trained in the Japanese martial art of Aikido,
where he earned a Black Belt. He lives in a Pine forest fronting Kyle Lake in Warrenton Or.