I’ve been watching a lot of extraordinary YouTube videos of demonstrations of Sumi-e painting. This is the stylised oriental painting with Chinese brushes and (mostly) black ink. This is not just art. It’s philosophy, mindfulness and art rolled into one. It’s fascinating to watch and the resulting works are just stunningly beautiful. To be good at this takes years of practice and dedication.

I had no idea what I was doing yesterday when I had a go at the bamboo. I still don’t really know what I’m doing now, but I have a greater understanding of some of the principles behind the brush strokes. Bear in mind that I don’t have the correct brushes (although I’ve ordered some) nor have I had the years of practice required to do this seriously. But, as usual, having a go is part of the fun of this project. So, here are today’s somewhat clumsy efforts:

And, of course, how could I resist doing one on a teabag …

I’m enjoying this!