Last week I taught a class on Sumi-e painting. I brought in some orchids and this freesia plant as subjects to paint. This style of painting is always so lovely and relaxing. It also makes a great workshop because it’s very accessible to people who don’t consider themselves very adept at rendering an image to “look like the real thing.”

I usually talk a little at the beginning of the class, explaining that the intention of this style is to capture the essence of the subject, rather than focusing on the mimetic details. I wish I had brought my camera to the class because they created some wonderful images. For now, I’ll just share this sample I completed during the class. Enjoy!