About

This class builds on the BARN 2018 class Deriving Pigments from Natural Matter.  

Imagine knowing how to craft beautiful inks and dyes yourself, from natural materials, being in complete control of everything that goes into them.  

In this class, you will learn to do just that.  Starting with fresh pigments we derived from flowers, plants, and other natural sources just the day before*, you will focus on techniques for combining these color bases with one or more vehicles to create a selection of inks, paint and/or dyes. 

Time permitting, we will also demonstrate some of their applications for writing, drawing, painting, or printing. 

Students will be able to take home a selection of the products made in class for experimenting further. They will also receive handouts with instructions to enable them to repeat the processes outside of class.  

Materials: (what student should bring): Bring materials from Making Pigments class; small containers with lids (such as clean plastic prescription containers, or small glass spice jars).

Material Fee:  Students who did not take the Deriving Pigments from Natural Matter on July 11th: $15. Bring to class cash or a check for $15 made out to BARN.

Skill Level: Prerequisite:  “Deriving Pigments from Natural Matter” class (7/11/2018) or prior permission of instructor. Email: amykweber@gmail.com

Ages: Ages 14+ Welcome.

Bring a bag lunch. We have a refrigerator for people to store their lunches and drinks!

Instructor Bio: Amy Weber began her color studies in the late 1980’s when she began to dye her own yarns for tapestry weaving in order to get more subtle shades. That journey took her from the commercial world of dyes to the natural world and she now works with colors that nature is offering wherever she happens to be. The desire to paint with natural materials, not just dye with them, led to exploring different ways to get color into usable forms and ultimately to realize that creating pigments would provide the longest shelf life and most versatile forms of color.