Real Red, True Blue & Fast Yellows: Using Ancient Natural Dyes to Create Lasting Beauty
10am-4pm class each day: Tuesday - Thursday July 12-14 COST: $435 - includes material fee.
Indigo, Madder, and Weld – the names are an incantation for the trinity of natural color in the ancient world of Europe and the Near East. Meanwhile in the Americas, they created amazing textiles and painting manuscripts with Indigo, Cochineal and Marigolds starting over 6,000 years ago.
In this three day immersion workshop we will delve into the potential of these 5 nature based dyes to create pure and long lasting colors. Each day will focus on one of the three primaries. Sourcing directly from the raw materials, we will create vibrant hues on cloth and paper.
This class will provide a strong foundation for working with natural dyes, including the science that makes it all work, how to best prepare fibers, and growing dye plants.
The students will work together creating a full rainbow of dyed cloth samples, and experience the alchemy of making pigment lakes that can be turned into inks and paint. Each student will take home a detailed instruction booklet, a rainbow cloth, and the dye portfolio they create for future reference.
(An optional small final project can be completed during the open studio hours outside of class.)
Tuesday: Royal Reds- Madder Root & Cochineal Bugs
Dye Session, and making a Madder Lake
Wednesday: The Sky and Sea – Indigo Blues
Dye session, and Mayan Blue pigment
Thursday: Yellow like the Sun- Pure Weld & Sacred Marigolds
Dye session and Weld Lake
BRING: Apron or studio work clothes, notebook, scissors. Please bring a sack lunch and/or snack. Hot coffee and tea provided. Optional items: a dip pen or personal paint brushes