Saturday 30th January 2pm-5pm
The Buddhist Society
58 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1PH
The maximum number of participants is 20 on receipt of cost of £15.00 per person (cash or cheque only).
Bookings taken Monday to Friday by Librarian
All equipment is provided.

Course Description:
Sumi-e is the ancient art of creating Japanese ink pictures, or Japanese brush painting. Traditionally these paintings feature subjects from the natural world such as flowers and birds. The Japanese experience painting is a form of meditation that brings peace and harmony to the artist, and the finished pieces are intended to inspire the same sense of tranquillity and joy in the viewer.

This practical course will help you master all the techniques you’ll need to create striking paintings and discover the spiritual aspects of this unique art form. Respected artist and teacher Takumasa Ono will begin by looking at the ‘four treasures’ of sumi-e: paper, brushes, inks and the ink stone. The course will cover these basic questions:

• Why is Sumi-e painted only in black and white?
• Why is the colour black necessary for the painting?
• Why is the natural phenomenon of shadows not painted?
• Why is the energy of the body more important than the movement of the hand in Sumi-e?

About the Artist:
Takumasa Ono held his solo exhibition and sumi-e workshops as an official programme for JAPAN 2001, a year long celebration of Japanese culture in the UK, co-ordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since then he is holding these exhibitions of his artworks and sumi-e workshops across the UK every year. More than 5000 children and adults have participated in his workshops which were held in the National Trust properties as well as Cardiff Castle and the University of Oxford and Cambridge University etc.

In 2004, an exhibition of sumi-e, painted by English children at his workshops, was held at the Embassy of Japan in London. In 2005, his first book, The Simple Art of Sumi-e Mastering Japanese Ink Painting, was published in both the UK and USA.

In 2007, he exhibited his work and held Sumi-e workshops in Paris. Also, he has been commissioned to produce major pieces of his Sumi-e work for the Japan Room at the 106 million pound Wales Millennium Centre, one of Europe’s most exciting new arts centre, in Cardiff Bay.