
This week: How to make an indigo iron vat, can dyes expire and washfastness
Explore the Botanical Colors blog for natural dye recipes, mordanting guidance, indigo techniques, expert answers, workshops and sustainable textile stories.
This week, we’ve got video from our live FEEDBACK FRIDAY featuring Wild Pigment Project. Here’s the Zoom recording: Wild Pigment Project supports the global art community to use pigments that reflect values of racial, economic, and ecological equity for all, by fostering a network of artists, foragers, designers, craftspersons, scientists, farmers, researchers, ecologists and others passionate about wild pigments. The project aspires to provide generous resources to facilitate learning about land stewardship through ethically gathered botanical, mineral and waste-stream-derived materials used to make paint, ink and dye. Head to Wild Pigment Project and enjoy Tilke’s site for so many resources … Read more
This week, we’ve got video from our live FEEDBACK FRIDAY featuring Kenya Miles and her Blue Light Junction Studio. Blue Light Junction is a natural dye studio, alternative color lab, retail space, dye garden and educational facility in central Baltimore. Kenya is also artist in residence for the Baltimore Natural Dye Initiative at MICA and Parks & People, an initiative to grow and process natural dyes in Baltimore city. This was part 3 in a 3-part series featuring the Natural Dye Initiative at MICA. Watch the recording here: PLEASE support Kenya’s Blue Light Junction Buildout on GoFundMe here. Catch part … Read more
This week, we’ve got video from our live FEEDBACK FRIDAY featuring Catharine Ellis. She even answered all your chat questions we didn’t get to (below!) Watch the recording here: You might know Catharine as the author of what many call their natural dye bible, The Art and Science of Natural Dyes: Principles, Experiments, and Results. Co-written with textile engineer and chemist Joy Boutrup, the book is a comprehensive guide that explains the general principles of natural dyeing to help dyers become more accomplished at their craft. She also has a fantastic blog that features all her experiments that’s a must … Read more
This week, we’ve got video from our live FEEDBACK FRIDAY featuring with Zapotec textile artist, natural dyer, researcher, educator Porfirio Gutíerrez. Porfirio Gutíerrez is known internationally for his exceptional devotion to the textile traditions of his home pueblo of Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca, a richly historic Zapotec textile artist community. His mission has been reinvigorating and preserving natural dyeing techniques for future generations. Gutierrez’s work brings awareness to a profound spiritual belief that nature is a living being, sacred and honored. Watch the recording here: If you are interested in exploring cochineal, which Porfirio talked about and is farming in … Read more
This week, we’ve got video from our live FEEDBACK FRIDAY featuring Baltimore-based Afrofuturist Kibibi Ajanku. Kibibi talked about being Baltimore born and raised, her art and dance work as well as how the silence around slavery and African people as related to indigo and other dyes needs to be better understood. She also talked about how some of her work with the Maryland Institute College of Art’s (MICA) natural dye projects delve into this and offer education, community and power. This is part 2 of a 3-part series with the Baltimore Natural Dye Initiative. Watch the recording here: As we … Read more
Check out our most recent live Zoom FEEDBACK FRIDAY with Botanical Colors’ Founder Kathy Hattori. Kathy answered about 25-30 questions on all subjects. You’re going to learn a lot. Watch the recording here: Kathy’s books she mentioned on the video: Lichens For Vegetable Dyeing, Eileen M. Bolton Lichen Dyes: The New Source Book, Karen Casselman Miriam Rice Mushroom Dye Books & Videos Alissa Allen, Founder of Mycopigments And that bucket heater for indigo! NEXT WEEK for Juneteenth on June 19th at noon… The Baltimore Natural Dye Initiative returns for part 2 of a 3-part series with Kibibi Ajanku. Kibibi Ajanku … Read more
This week, we’ve got video from our live FEEDBACK FRIDAY featuring Aboubakar Fofana. We got to take a walk through Aboubakar’s art and life’s work through a visually stunning slideshow as well as a mini-film featuring his farm in Mali, West Africa. We’ve never had more emails thanking us for giving access to such an inspiring human, and presentation as well as how honored they felt to be part. Thank you again Aboubakar. WATCH THE RECORDING HERE: Below is the introduction from today we didn’t have in the recording (because we almost forgot to record!) Many have asked how to … Read more
This week, we’ve got video from our live FEEDBACK FRIDAY featuring natural dyer and artist Cara Marie Piazza. Cara took us through her process foraging for and utilizing flower and food waste in Brooklyn. We also just opened up registration for two online classes with Cara Marie Piazza taking place June 6th and June 27th that you won’t want to miss. Watch the recording here: During this FEEDBACK FRIDAY, Cara discussed transforming avocado pits and peels, edible flowers, onion skins, nut shells, and other dye stuffs into dyes. We’ll also talk about how to set up your own home dye … Read more
This week, we’ve got video from our live FEEDBACK FRIDAY featuring the Indigo Shade Map with the Maryland Institute College of Art and the Baltimore Natural Dye Initiative. Watch the video here: The Baltimore Natural Dye Initiative brings together multiple agencies, including the Maryland Institute College of Art, as well as artists and designers to explore the cultural and economic impacts of growing, processing and using natural dyes in the greater Baltimore region. As part one in a 3-part series, we took a look at a newly created Indigo Shade Map, an evolving online, interactive site that maps the locations, … Read more