Japanese Ink Painting & Nature Connection Session 2: Intuitive Painting and Enso
Japanese Ink Painting & Nature Connection Session 2: Intuitive Painting and Enso
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Join us for an immersive workshop exploring the art of drawing Ensō, a key element of Japanese calligraphy and ink painting. We’ll start with a guided breathing and body awareness exercise to prepare for intuitive movement. Then, we’ll take a short walk through OmVed Gardens, finding circular shapes that inspire our creativity. Participants will learn to use traditional sumi brushes, experimenting with expressive marks and gestures. Next, you’ll have the opportunity to create your own Ensō painting using a large floor brush, fully engaging your body in the process. This practice emphasises the harmonious flow of ink, brush, and movement, fostering creativity and mindfulness. Throughout the session, we’ll reflect on the symbolism of beans—their circular shapes and potential, tying into themes of sustainability and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The session will conclude with herbal tea, inviting quiet reflection in OmVed’s peaceful surroundings. Each participant will take home their Ensō artwork, along with insights into the 72 Japanese micro-seasons, and the potential of beans to improve human and planetary health. You’ll also receive a mindfulness booklet with exercises from the day to continue your creative journey at home. For those attending all four sessions in the series, there will be additional layers of exploration, allowing for a deeper engagement with ink techniques, materials, and the evolving landscape. Please dress comfortably, as ink may stain and the garden can be hot, chilly or muddy. Each session will have a maximum of 16 participants. Please note this course is for ages 18+ only please. Key skills you’ll gain from the session:
About the host: 
Vivienne Schadinsky is a Swiss-born environmental artist based in London. Her work explores nature’s transformations in response to climate change through Japanese ink paintings, printmaking, sculpture, and filmmaking. Inspired by the 72 Japanese micro-seasons, she captures subtle shifts in ecosystems, integrating scientific and philosophical research on climate change, biodiversity, and sustainable food systems. Her long-term projects invite reflection on humanity’s relationship with nature. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at the National Art Center in Tokyo, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway, and OmVed Gardens with Into The Seeds Of Time. A passionate art educator, Vivienne develops sustainable art curricula and leads workshops that foster environmental consciousness and creativity. She integrates the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), using art as a tool for sustainability and social responsibility. A self-taught sumi ink artist, she interprets traditional Japanese techniques with a personal approach. In 2023, the International Sumi Association in Tokyo invited her to join and exhibit at the National Art Center, where she has since received an award. Vivienne’s work is regularly exhibited, commissioned, and shared through teaching. www.vivienneschadinsky.com | @vivienneschadinsky About OmVed Gardens: OmVed Gardens is a garden, exhibition, events, and learning space in North London dedicated to exploring the connections between food, ecology and creativity for health and climate resilience. We are on a mission to inspire ecological awareness and action, and deepen our understanding of interconnectedness with the natural world. As a registered Community Interest Company, all our activities prioritise social and ecological objectives. Whether collaborating with chefs, creatives, gardeners, or schools, OmVed Gardens is a hub for education, connection, and action. We aim to inspire individuals and communities to reimagine their role in building a healthier, more resilient world. We work to increase biodiversity - of species, seeds, food systems, and participation, through regenerative gardening, seed saving, habitat creation, and ecological education. Our space serves as a living example of how urban areas can be transformed into thriving ecosystems that support both human and non-human communities. Sign up for our monthly newsletter for tips from the garden and kitchen and hear about our upcoming activities: | |
Subsidised Tickets: We have a few reserved tickets at a subsidised rate. If this workshop is not monetarily accessible, please write to us at events@omvedgardens.com to avail yourself of a subsidised ticket rate. Subject to availability. Refund Policy: These tickets are refundable up to 10 days before the start of the sessions on May 27th post which they will be non-refundable. |
Location
OmVed Gardens, N6 5JF