Oh boy!! My Painting With Fire Lesson came out today!

It’s really a mini-lesson, but the whole point of the ancient Japanese Sumi-e technique is its simplicity.

It’s a mystery to me why I never thought to combine Sumi-e painting with encaustic layering before because they are natural partners.

Here is the class description:

“Experience the harmony of two ancient artistic traditions in this hands-on mini-workshop for Painting with Fire, blending the fluid elegance of Sumi-e painting with the luminous depth of encaustic wax. In the first phase, participants will learn the meditative brush techniques of Sumi-e, painting expressive bamboo and leaves with India ink on paper. Then, in the second phase, we will transform our paintings with encaustic medium, adding layers of translucent wax, incised details, walnut ink washes, delicate patches of gold leaf, and a final red “chop” for a signature touch. This fusion of ink and wax creates an ethereal, textural effect that enhances both the spontaneity of brushwork and the richness of layered surfaces. No prior experience in Sumi-e or encaustic is necessary—just a spirit of exploration!”

One of the things I like about Sumi-e painting is the meditative approach that helps me slow down and quiet my overactive brain as I practice the simple bamboo and leaf strokes like a visual chant. The practice sheets themselves become a record of time, plus you can use them later in collages!

Once you are ready, the brushstrokes combine to form a complete “thought” about the stillness of the natural world.

And as I have just discovered, Sumi-e painting and encaustic are natural partners in expression, each rooted in ancient traditions that honor simplicity, patience, and the beauty of imperfection.

This PWF lesson was a delight to create. It comes in Week Six of the Painting With Fire year of encaustic exploration, and you can still join and have lifetime access to all the lessons created by many amazing encaustic teachers. I have another lesson coming up in November called “Synthography and Wax.”

HOWEVER – even if you are not one bit interested in encaustic, you can completely immerse yourself in the delightful practice of Sumi-e painting. I have a free lesson on Teachable called Sumi-e Painting: Simplicity and Serenity.

I encourage you to try it. As I said, it’s free. The slow, deliberate movements of the brush, the attention to empty space, and the surrender to imperfection invite a sense of calm and clarity. Sumi-e teaches us to be present, to let go of excess, and to trust that a single stroke can hold deep meaning. For artists feeling overwhelmed or disconnected, it offers a quiet refuge.

I’ll leave you with this from the Sumi-e painting site:

The Way of the Brush

Let’s see for example what happens when we want to paint bamboo with the sumi-e method: you sit down (but can also stand) with your back straight, you put a sheet of paper in front of you and concentrate on it, breathing calmly and naturally. You let all other thoughts fade until only a white sheet of paper remains in your mind. Next, you let the image to be painted appear to your mind. In order to paint the bamboo, you must feel its “consistency”, see its trunk, its branches, feel its light leaves stirred by a breeze or wind or wet, heavy with rain.

Your spirit is full of this and more; it becomes the bamboo, it is indescribable.