What is Sumi Painting?
Sumi-e is both an art form and a mindfulness practice. Sumi means “ink” in Japanese. The tools are simple—a brush, ink stick, ink stone, and paper. The ink is made by grinding an ink stick, primarily soot, against a stone with water until it becomes a rich, black liquid.
In Sumi-e, mastery of the brushstroke is only the beginning. The deeper aim is to let that skill—and all deliberate thought—fall away, creating space for clarity and spontaneity. Each stroke is permanent and cannot be altered, so every mark informs the next. The process is less about bringing a fixed idea to life and more about meeting the present moment, one stroke at a time.
The Attraction
I paint for those brief, elusive moments when eye, hand, and brush move together without interference from the mind—when letting go allows something else to flow through me. At first glance, it may look like I spend most of my time tediously rubbing an ink stick against a stone. Why not just use bottled ink? Because the grinding is part of the work—it gently wears away the noisy crust of thought. Gradually, the motion pulls me into stillness, and if I’m lucky, a moment of clarity arrives, and I step out of my own way.
My Teacher
For years, I passed an unassuming studio on the corner of Houston and MacDougal in New York City. Inside was Koho Yamamoto—her work, powerful and graceful, stirred something deep in me. Eventually, that inspiration led me to study Sumi-e under her guidance.
