Blue

The New York Times writes about Han Shan, who “disillusioned with China’s urban dream” as a young man set off on a 15-year walk and rediscovered his family’s ethnic Miao traditions. So touching. To get your own blue hands and to discover the wonders of turning cloth a new hue of indigo, go here.

The website Colossal writes: “Hot on the heels of a post earlier this week about centuries-old guide for mixing watercolors, I stumbled onto this 18th century instrument designed to measure the blueness of the sky called a Cyanometer. The simple device was invented in 1789 by Swiss physicist Horace-Bénédict de Saussure and German naturalist Alexander […]

Boston artist Deena Schnitman creates works on paper using the age old technique of paste paper. She writes: “Paste paper dates back to the late sixteenth century when it was widely used by bookbinders in Europe for endpapers and bookcovers. The process has changed little and remains simple. A paste is cooked, colored with paint […]

I grew indigo this year.  Well, truthfully, the indigo grew itself.  The most successful plant is a volunteer that established itself in the garlic bed and has spread so much that it  is threatening to overtake the front walkway.  It’s bloomed and I am hoping I can gather some seeds from it.  The first batch […]