Sumi-e and Shodo: Japanese Ink Painting
Wednesday, June 24, 2026 (6:00pm – 9:00pm)
Discover the meditative art of Japanese ink painting in this immersive 3-hour beginner workshop. Participants will learn the fundamentals of sumi-e, including brush handling, ink grinding, and expressive mark-making.
Through guided practice, explore the basic strokes of shodō (Japanese calligraphy used in kanji) and create simple characters alongside nature-inspired forms. Emphasis is placed on presence, balance, and the beauty of simplicity.
You will leave with several works and a new appreciation for this elegant art form.
No experience is necessary. Please dress for mess, as ink can stain.
$95 class + $20 material fee payable to instructor at the time of class
Beautifully Broken: Kintsugi Golden Joinery
Sunday, July 19, 2026 (10:00am – 1:00pm)
Kintsugi is a traditional Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the cracks with a golden bond. This practice emphasizes beauty in imperfection, celebrating history and uniqueness rather than hiding flaws.
While traditional Kintsugi uses lacquer and gold powder, we’ll be using modern materials to ensure a comfortable and accessible experience. For this reason, your finished piece is intended for decorative use only (not food/water/heat safe). Each piece becomes a one-of-a-kind work of art.
Materials may stain, so please “dress for mess”.
Please bring a box to transport the 6×6 stoneware bowl (provided, styles vary) home
$100 class + $20 material fee payable to instructor at the time of class
About the Artist
Leigh is an artist and educator whose practice centers on material exploration, process, and transformation. Rather than adhering to a single medium, she’s drawn to systems, traditions, and techniques—such as faux papermaking, Suminagashi, Kintsugi, and sculptural forms—that emphasize experimentation, repair, and the quiet intelligence of materials.
Conceptually, Leigh is interested in impermanence, accumulation, and the poetic potential of repetition. Her work frequently begins with simple actions—layering, breaking, mending—that evolve into objects and surfaces shaped by both intention and chance. Process is treated not merely as a means to an end, but as an integral part of the artistic journey. Her teaching and practice are united by a belief that meaning emerges through making, curiosity, and sustained attention to the physical act of creation.
While still active as a graphic designer, Leigh has enjoyed being an art educator in Bucks and surrounding areas for six years and believes that art should be accessible to all. Leigh Alison Art
Previous Workshops
