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Foundations in Natural Dyes with Kathy Hattori is back!

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The Latest from our blog

Mordant Monday: What is Dunging?

April 21, 2025April 21, 2025

Sunday Visit: Kalen Kaminski of Upstate

April 20, 2025April 20, 2025

multicolored dyed eggs in a green ceramic bowl

Dye Easter Eggs With Natural Dyes

April 17, 2025April 16, 2025

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botanicalcolors

Ancient dyes for modern times. Your resource for natural dyes, education and natural dye production.

There are still a few seats open for @nataliestopk

There are still a few seats open for @nataliestopka ‘s A Handmade Palette: Natural and Historical Watercolors

July 10-13, 2025
Botanical Colors HQ
503 S Michigan St
Seattle, WA 98108

Where does color come from? It’s a story of rocks and minerals, plants and insects, and artisan ingenuity in the service of chronic chromophilia! In this workshop we’ll delve into the history, chemistry, and hands-on practice of pigments and paint-making. Together we’ll concoct a palette of 12 handmade watercolors for participants to take home in a trusty travel paintbox.

These are inspired by pre-industrial artists’ recipes from the 14-17th century. Much of our focus will be on the glorious shades of botanical colors: lake pigments and Maya blue made from scratch. We’ll also process earth pigments and charcoal, before mixing natural paint medium and mulling our pigments into paints. Along the way, we’ll also mull over the socio-cultural and ecological entanglements of color, with stories from the artist’s studio, monastic scriptorium, and alchemist’s laboratory. Participants will leave with a paintbox of 12 watercolors, a sketchbook of recipes and swatches, and the knowledge to continue expanding their palette with thoughtfully foraged and homemade pigments.

Every shade in our paintbox tells a story through its rich, characterful, handmade color.

Outcomes
* How to extract, precipitate, and wash lake pigments
* Historically-inspired recipes for 5 different lake pigments, sap green & Maya blue
* How to make natural watercolor medium
* Making watercolors: pigment grinding & paint mulling
* Best practices for lightfastness
* Riveting true tales from the history of art and chemistry!

Celebrate Earth Day with "Book of Earth" by Heidi

Celebrate Earth Day with "Book of Earth" by Heidi Gustafson @heidilynnheidilynn

This Earth Day, Botanical Colors invites you to deepen your connection to the planet by exploring the extraordinary world beneath your feet. There is no better companion for this journey than Book of Earth by Heidi Gustafson—a stunning, heartfelt homage to the pigments and stories held in the soils, stones, and ochres of our Earth.

Heidi Gustafson, known as the “ochre whisperer,” opens a rare window into her archive of over 600 natural pigments gathered from every corner of the globe. Her book is part art guide, part anthropological study, and part how-to manual, offering a poetic and practical exploration of how earth’s colors have shaped human history, culture, and creativity. Gustafson’s passion radiates through every page, inviting us to see the land not just as scenery, but as a living palette—alive with memory, meaning, and possibility.

Book of Earth is more than a book; it’s an invitation to slow down, to notice the hues in the ground beneath us, and to rekindle a sense of awe for the materials that have inspired artists and cultures for millennia. Whether you are an artist, a naturalist, or simply someone who loves the earth, this book offers practical recipes for making your own pigments, as well as reflections that challenge us to honor and protect the natural world.

Available in our books section.

MORDANT MONDAY: What is Dunging? The scoop on anc

MORDANT MONDAY: What is Dunging?

The scoop on ancient poop....

Natural dyes and their processes can be really, really natural. We use substances like tree sap, crushed minerals, rusted objects and foraged materials. Our ancestors learned how to apply color to animal and plant fibers through trial and error and careful observation.

Some of the most skilled dye technology involved cracking the code on how to dye cellulose fibers. The cellulose mordant process evolved as dyers discovered better ways to fix plant color to fibers, and it was very different from dyeing wool or animal fibers, and involved quite a bit of ingenuity.

One of the ancient methods to fix cellulose fiber mordants is a process called dunging. Like, animal dung. When we discuss this term, usually a few eyebrows are raised, so let me provide a bit of backstory…

To read the whole post - head to our stories and blog!

Happy Easter! In Celebration of pastels and beauti

Happy Easter! In Celebration of pastels and beautiful colors we bring you the world of Kalen Kaminski of @upstate___

A vibrant New York-based studio renowned for its handcrafted textiles, apparel, and glassware. With a background in set design and prop styling, Kalen has cultivated a unique aesthetic that blends whimsy with sustainability. Inspired by nature and global travels, she crafts one-of-a-kind pieces that reflect her passion for color and experimentation. From her early days as a prop stylist to founding Upstate, Kalen's journey is a testament to innovation and collaboration, as she continues to push boundaries in design while advocating for environmental responsibility. Join us as we delve into her artistic process, her commitment to sustainability, and the inspiring story behind Upstate.

Head to our blog to learn more!

#Upstate #KalenKaminski #Sundayvisit

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