Video From LIVE FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Zapotec Textile Artist Porfirio Gutíerrez

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

Video From LIVE FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Kibibi Ajanku

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

Video from LIVE FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Kathy Hattori Natural Dye Q&A

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

Video from LIVE FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Aboubakar Fofana

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

Botanical Bundle Dyeing Kit

Video From LIVE FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Cara Marie Piazza

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

Video From LIVE FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Indigo with Maryland Institute College of Art

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

Video From LIVE FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Sasha Duerr Talks Plant Dyeing

This week, we’ve got video from our live FEEDBACK FRIDAY featuring Sasha Duerr and her tips on place-based dyeing. Watch the video here: Sasha taught us how to look at place as a treasure trove of color. She also gave some great tips on how to accept color no matter how long it lasts. If you didn’t grab her new book yet, go here to grab a copy. You might also like her 5 Seasonal Color Wheels derived from local plant and food sources throughout the year. A couple of things to share with you from Sasha… The Seaweed Research … Read more

Video From LIVE FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Book Making + Natural Dyes With Brece Honeycutt

This week, we’ve got video from our live FEEDBACK FRIDAY featuring book making with natural dye and textile artist Brece Honeycutt. Watch the video here: Brece taught us how to do “Improv Book Making” with supplies found in our kitchen and desk drawers. She also took us on a virtual trek to think about journals as a way to document our natural color journeys, writings and drawings during these times. From Emerson to Thoreau, Emily Dickinson to Mary Oliver and Patti Smith, the common thread for their creativity? A notebook. If you are not familiar with FEEDBACK FRIDAY, every week, … Read more

Video From Live FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Fashion Revolution + Katrina Rodabaugh

This week, we’ve got video from our live FEEDBACK FRIDAY featuring Fashion Revolution Co-Founder Orsola de Castro and mending/natural dyeing author and artist Katrina Rodabaugh. Katrina Rodabaugh gave inspiring insight into some easy mending techniques, ways we can rethink our clothing and how natural dyes have been a big part of her Make, Thrift, Mend project. This week fell right on Fashion Revolution Day, the anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse, which killed 1138 people and injured many more on 24th April 2013. During this week, brands and producers are encouraged to respond with the hashtag #imadeyourclothes and to … Read more

Video From Live FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Natural Dye Inks With Biohue

This week, we’ve got video from our live FEEDBACK FRIDAY exploring natural dye inks with Judi Pettite of Biohue. Watch the recording here: This time around we got Judi Pettite, the founder of Biohue to answer questions and talk about how she forages, purchases and grows all the materials for her art as mindfully as possible. BioHue dye inks was founded  in 2006 after Judi fell in love with colors she was getting from plants. Her inks and watercolors are made intentionally from the fewest ingredients possible and can be used in a number of applications including painting, drawing and home … Read more