A black walnut ink and graphite illustration of a medieval tower rising above the tree tops. In the foreground, in partial silhouette, are the tiny figures of a woman and a cat seated on the top of a large tree looking at the tower.

Decided to try something a little different with the ink last night, and finished it up this morning. I'm really happy with how my style is developing with practice. It feels like it's really coming together!

#art #blackwalnutink

Dried succulent with woody texture.

3x3 square with black walnut ink washing a circle. Vertical ink lines on top with added color in browns and yellows.

This dried piece of succulent has a really neat texture of lines and cavities and inspired this doodle. A base of black walnut ink wash, added black ink along with some added color from alcohol markers and voila! 🎨🌱 #intuitivedoodle #blackwalnutink

Love
Watercolor, ink.
#swan #traditionalart #heart #love #waterways #tidalwaters #birds #watercolor #ink #valentines #blackwalnutink #homemadeink

Two circular and two hexagonal shapes on watercolor paper painted with black walnut ink washes in a sepia brown tone.

Ah! I remembered that I have black walnut ink I made last fall, so I painted a few more of my doodle backgrounds. I really like the one that I partially painted with water and then added ink to. I tilted it to let the pigment flow and let it dry. 🎨 #blackwalnutink

The Old Peach Orchard
Watercolor, ink,quick sketch.

#oldorchards #peachtrees #peaches #hintsofspring #gnarled #watercolor #ink #sleeping #winter #snow #traditionalart #nature #fruitorchards #supportlocalfarmers #blackwalnutink

Kevin in front of a mirror with his whole “you cannot know the feeling of the embrace.” Quote to the side

KEVIN ANGST KEVIN ANGST
Why was this the first thing I drew with my black walnut ink
#htp #huntertheparenting #htpkevin #thegreatandmightykevin #ink #traditionalart #art #htpfanart #blackwalnutink

Strips of paper dipped in the dye at various points.

Ink test swatches at various stages.

Finished T-shirt and cord after washing.

Finished tshirt and cord after washing - in different lighting.

Results! I rinsed the fiber and the color was a beautiful, medium brown. After washing and drying, it lightened a bit. I also reduced some of the dye to make ink and noted some swatches in my sketchbook. To prevent mold growth, I added about a tablespoon of alcohol to the ink. #blackwalnutink

Black Walnut Ink
Gathered a bunch of them to make a batch of ink. It’s been years since the last batch.
You can make different shades as you boil it down. I’ve had it last over 20 years.
#ink #blackwalnutink #fromnature #differentshades #makeityourself #naturesbounty #free #EastCoastKin #ArtYear

Square painting in various saturations of brown over a white background. Brush work ranging from thick lines to light washes. Central figure of a mermaid with her tail reaching out of frame and fins appearing in top right corner.

Mermaid painted with homemade black walnut ink years ago in Poughkeepsie
🖤
#walnutinkpainting #illustration #mermaid #mermaidpainting #blackwalnutink #thelittlemermaid #inkdrawing #seapainting #mermaidillustration #painting #walnutink

This is the next ink wash painting for The Oracle Project by Erika Karl. These pieces are painted in black walnut ink and make up each card of an Oracle deck. This portrays a cell tower with a gaping mouth. Parrots are flying out of the mouth to represent noise and confusion. The painting is in progress and will be completed soon.

The next piece for the Oracle Project is taking shape. The 2nd hardest part of this process is waiting for it to dry before adding more layers of ink wash
#oracleart #oracleartist #fineart #inkart #inkpainting #blackwalnutink

Rook: The Rook is a crow-like bird often seen as a messenger. Not necessarily of death, but could be a warning of something tragic or demanding that causes a change. You will achieve reaching your better self after going through something difficult. The change is for the better and the future is good after transitioning. The trillium flower represents hope and/or rebirth. It also has meaning in its 3 petals. After going through 3 phases you will reach a place of grace and elegance. I'm sharing the process of creating a new oracle deck as I complete each card. I'm creating the imagery for this divination set through the use of my own hand-crafted black walnut ink. As I create each card, I hope to offer a meditative aid to anyone who uses this deck. Whether it be for soul-searching, story-telling, or self-reflection, my goal is to create something that allows the viewer to connect with their inner story and gain clarity on their journey. This is a 8x12" ink-wash painting. I used black walnut ink on cold press watercolor paper. Reproduction prints are available until the deck is complete.

This is the first piece I did that lead to the Oracle Project. Rook is a type of crow and is often seen as a messenger. The trillium flower is a symbol of hope with the 3 pedals for 3 phases. #oracledeck #oracleartist #oracleart #inkpainting #blackwalnutink #fineart
www.erikakarl.com/shop/p/rook

somebody roll the windows down #calligraphy #blackwalnutink #inkdrawing

Anima & Animus: The concept of Anima & Animus reflects the soul, as inspired by Carl Jung’s psychological explorations. It symbolizes the union of the feminine and masculine energies present within us all, regardless of gender. Traditionally perceived as feminine, the Anima offers empathy and understanding while highlighting qualities such as intuition, emotional depth, and creativity. Conversely, the Animus emphasizes masculine energies such as rationality, courage, and determination while inspiring action and conviction. This card encourages a blend of these energies, symbolizing the balance and unity that is achieved when we acknowledge and accept all aspects of our being. For those who identify beyond the traditional binary, the Anima & Animus card is a celebration of the fluidity and diversity of the human spirit, offering a message of completeness and self-acceptance. I'm sharing the process of creating a new oracle deck as I complete each card. I'm creating the imagery for this divination set through the use of my own hand-crafted black walnut ink. As I create each card, I hope to offer a meditative aid to anyone who uses this deck. Whether it be for soul-searching, story-telling, or self-reflection, my goal is to create something that allows the viewer to connect with their inner story and gain clarity on their journey. This is a 9x12" ink-wash painting. I used black walnut ink on cold press watercolor paper. Reproduction prints are available until the deck is complete.

Anima Animus - I thought this piece is appropriate at time of so many phobias. Maybe it's time to face what scares you about it to see it's not frightening at all. #oracleart #oracledeck #oracleartist #inkpainting #fineart #painting #illustration #blackwalnutink
www.erikakarl.com/shop/p/anima...

Event Horizon: The Event Horizon card portrays a moment of cosmic surrender, drawing from the powerful gravitational pull of a black hole. Its message is a stark reminder of life’s irreversible thresholds, a point of no return that cannot be undone. Crossing this line signifies an unsettling transition, where the only way forward is to embrace the new reality that lies beyond. This journey through darkness can lead to the most luminous of dawns. If standing before an event horizon, here is where a critical choice is to be made. Push forward, or stay back. If you push forward, you will be stretched to your limits and challenged to let go of what was. In the process of being swallowed and reshaped, you will need to surrender or risk being torn apart. Only you know which choice is right for you. Take time to consider the consequences. I'm sharing the process of creating a new oracle deck as I complete each card. I'm creating the imagery for this divination set through the use of my own hand-crafted black walnut ink. As I create each card, I hope to offer a meditative aid to anyone who uses this deck. Whether it be for soul-searching, story-telling, or self-reflection, my goal is to create something that allows the viewer to connect with their inner story and gain clarity on their journey. The Oracle Project is a creative and profound endeavor for me. Through my process, I can connect with my past experiences and my intuition to create something very personal. As I work on this project, I'm reminded of the importance of storytelling and how powerful it can be. I'm also drawn to the magic of symbols and how they can help us make sense of our lives. Each card will have my own take on the characters and archetypes they portray. By creating this deck, I hope to provide aid for anyone who is seeking clarity or insight. This is a 9x12" ink-wash painting. I used black walnut ink on cold press watercolor paper. Reproduction prints are available until the deck is complete.

Event Horizon from the Oracle Project... a point of no return. It's an 8x12" black walnut ink-wash painting on cold-press watercolor paper. #oracleart #oracledeck #inkwash #inkpainting #divination #blackwalnutink #fineart #illustration #painting #oracleproject
erikakarl.com/shop/p/event-horizon

A few of my more recent black walnut ink paintings. 🌰🌰🌰 #painting #blackwalnutink #worksonpaper

Magnetism: Positive and negative behaviors & emotions. Attraction to the opposite and repulsion of the same. What are you aligned with and what do you stand against? Think of a compass, always aligned with the Earth's magnetic poles. In reality, your compass is not actually pointing north. The poles are not a static geographic location. They drift and sometimes flip direction. If your current direction is becoming uncomfortable, maybe even unbearable, then flip flopping may not be unheard of. Adjustment and fluidity may be required to come into alignment. I'm sharing the process of creating a new oracle deck as I complete each card. I'm creating the imagery for this divination set through the use of my own hand-crafted black walnut ink. As I create each card, I hope to offer a meditative aid to anyone who uses this deck. Whether it be for soul-searching, story-telling, or self-reflection, my goal is to create something that allows the viewer to connect with their inner story and gain clarity on their journey. The Oracle Project is a creative and profound endeavor for me. Through my process, I can connect with my past experiences and my intuition to create something very personal. As I work on this project, I'm reminded of the importance of storytelling and how powerful it can be. I'm also drawn to the magic of symbols and how they can help us make sense of our lives. Each card will have my own take on the characters and archetypes they portray. By creating this deck, I hope to provide aid for anyone who is seeking clarity or insight. The process of creating this work has been an adventure of magic, mystery, and serendipitous revelations. I hope to inspire others to embark on their own journey of spiritual growth and self-discovery. This project will be a reminder that we have the power to create our own destiny and that sometimes the answers we seek are already within us.

Here is another card from The Oracle Project. Magnetism: Attraction to the opposite and repulsion of the same. It's actually my sister's face.
#oracledeck #inkwash #blackwalnutink #oracleart #divination #magneticfield #magnetism #illustration #painting #fineart
www.erikakarl.com/shop/p/magne...

Here are some shots of me making black walnut ink. Making ink is almost free. Well, minus the effort to do it. Here is a link to my recipe if you want to know more. I love that @bsky.app lets me share here instead of "see link in bio"
www.erikakarl.com/blog/black-w...

#inkmaking
#blackwalnutink