The calmness of brushstrokes movement in Japanese Ink Painting has always been intriguing to me. FillIng in my curiosity and discovering more about “The Four Treasures” of Sumi-e Painting at Atelierprojekt yesterday got me in awe. The art of Japanese Ink Painting lies not only on the outcome but on the technique itself! Artist and Art Teacher, Karin Fröhlich brought us through the steps so meticulously, from the setting up of “The Four Treasures” right to the end of our Bamboo paintings. Even with both my kids tagging along in the course, the whole learning experience was very Zen for me (hah, Mama-1 Kids-0). It’s definitely a technique I’d like to deepen my skills into and I am glad I know where to head to for it. Thank you again to the lovely Karin and her team at Atelierprojekt for a delightful two hours afternoon.

We will definitely be ‘swirling’ back to the Atelier again, soon!

1. Setup of “The Four Treasures” – paper (washi), brush (fude), ink stick (sumi) and ink stone (suzuri).
2. Then do a little self-check – elbow lifted 90°, fude held properly (rested on two fingers), sumi rubbed against suzuri in circular motion and slightly wet with fude… don’t forget a smile…now, ready to paint!
3. Painting swirls or spirals to begin the session, slowly progressing with learning new strokes along the way.
4. At the end, voila… All strokes combined into a bamboo painting!

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“It’s definitely a technique I’d like to deepen my skills into…”