Bamboo in a Long Frame

When I paint in the sumi-e style, I start by placing essential oils into my bamboo diffuser and play a relaxing Zen soundtrack.

I then spend time grinding the inkstick onto an ink slate, while steadying my breathing and reaching my Chi.

When the ink has reached the correct deepness, I begin painting with a bamboo brush, sweeping my lines across the small canvas, mixing my ink with water to create gradients with the ink.

About Sumi-e: Sumi painting is a minimalist East Asian ink art form that emphasizes simplicity, expressive brushwork, and the spirit of the subject. Using sumi ink—made from soot and animal glue—artists work with varying ink densities, brush pressures, and empty space to convey mood, movement, and essence rather than detailed likeness. Strokes are deliberate and often executed in a single, confident motion; negative space is as important as the mark itself. Traditionally practiced with brushes, rice paper, and often accompanied by subtle seals or calligraphy, sumi balances technique with spontaneity, inviting both painter and viewer to find quiet presence in restraint. It values the beauty of imperfection, the poetry of suggestion, and the harmony between ink, paper, and breath.